MTL - Journey To the Heavens Starting From the Night - Chapter 3 Rune Master Comes

I am currently re-writing the first chapters of this story. They are quite rough and bounce around a lot and I can do better. At some point, I will replace these with the better chapters.Sometime in 2024 Aethon Books will publish the first volume of this story on Amazon, KU, and audible. This will mean the story will be stubbed. I will notify people far in advance of that.In the dystopian world of the future, life is rough when you live at the bottom. Jobs are non-existent. Far too many people live in poverty, crammed into huge buildings called Habitats. With no jobs in the real world, many people can only find work online in VR worlds as servants to the very rich. And it's getting worse. The old internet is unusable and hacked to pieces. The new system needs AI to run things, but all but one of them were destroyed. The last sentient AI is ordered to create a new game world so the rich can have a playground, and the corporations that rule the world can have a new global market place. Everyone wants a piece of the new game. The guilds are competing to be the first to find the dungeons and kill the biggest monster. The corporations are claiming land and putting in their online market places. Ozzy and his friends just want a paycheck.Four friends sign five year contracts as virtual serfs in a small village, and can't go adventuring at all to gain money. They don't have many choices. They can work as a blacksmith, barmaid and shepherd for all those years....or they can cheat and find ways to take advantage of the system and carve out a section of the game world for themselves, and earn a fortune in the real world.When they give you a mop and not a sword, you have to find the loopholes and change the rules.

Strong? Handsome? Savage? Badass?It's all about the intelligence quotient, my friend.————PS: Mutation shouldn't be mistaken for enlightenment.

“When the Lord Jesus comes for the second time, those who died in Christ’s name will be raised from the grave first.”

– “1 Thessalonians 4:16”

In 2019, an outbreak of zombie virus quickly swept the world within months.

Communications were interrupted, water and electricity support ceased, chemical plant leaked, nuclear power plant exploded, the world was reduced to be like hell on earth; without God, it became an era of legends and saviors, with the fire of survival instinct rekindled within mortals.

Resident Evil zombie-theme in ABO setting.

- Description from Novelupdates

[A Slime Monster Evolution LitRPG]Our protagonist was set for what should have been a good life; born as a noble prodigy with a talent for Dimension Magic.Unfortunately, they did not get a chance to live that life of adventure, wonder, and accomplishment as they died an early death.However, a kind(?) grandpa gives our protagonist a choice for the next life; instead of having a generic life starting from zero, why not join one of his experimental reincarnations not yet approved?However, the experiment was a lot... Slimier than expected.What to expect?- Monster evolution and mutation- Traits and skills- Collect-a-Thon- Lots of experimentation- Adventurers and Dungeons- Deception and Disguises- Magic- Lots of slime