Rebirth: Childhood friend of the heroine - Chapter 187 - 186- True intention

(Isekai, Fantasy, Non-transmigration, Unconventional, Ensemble cast, Meticulously crafted setting, Multiple identities, Light novel, Succubus)I have many masks, and each has its own story.I am the unremarkable little artist of the Church of Dawn; the strongest apprentice in the gladiator arena; the killing machine in the eyes of goblins... The holy nun beneath the sunlight is me, and so is the old gentleman on the train... I have hurried through underground tunnels in escape, and I have left behind beautiful legends on the frontier...Beneath the mask, there is an even more beautiful mask; within the lie, there often lies a hidden truth...My name is Ogre. A child raised by ogre since birth. It's a pleasure to meet you.

Western VRMMO【DEMONDAL】was known for its extremely harsh game system. To begin with, there were no levels. There were no skills. There were no guilds. There was no inventory. There were no convenient system messages or maps of any kind either. It was so needlessly realistic that it was already basically a VR life simulator.

As for anything game-like, it was basically limited to weapon masteries; a proficiency level that you got from using your weapon, as well as physical strength that increased as well. That was it.

It was a fantasy game so there was magic, but forming a contract with a spirit was extremely difficult, and only 1% of the playerbase were magicians.

In this VR game【DEMONDAL】that was ridiculously close to reality, the protagonist Kei who was a well known mounted archery expert, was one day sent to another world with his Russian【DEMONDAL】friend.

The game that was severe to begin with had turned into a reality, and the harshness increased again――

A generation’s War God, once overlooking the world with disdain, had fallen into disgrace because of a conspiracy, becoming a mere son-in-law. However, what nobody had expected was that it was all part of his grand scheme, and when the winds of change blew, he, the king, returned, with the power to overturn seas and move mountains, as a dragon ascended to the heavens!

Ethan Cross was just an ordinary college student in his past life—until he died trying to save a banker playing hero. Now, he finds himself reincarnated in “New World”, a realm plagued by Dread Beasts, where only those who awaken Aethermarks can become Heroes.But there’s a problem.Ethan has awakened as an E-rank Hero, the weakest tier, cursed with only one ability slot—a death sentence for any aspiring warrior. With no powerful clans willing to recruit him and the world already looking down on him, his future seems bleak.Until he discovers his Innate Talent: Sanctum of Beasts.This mysterious power grants him access to a personal dimension, where he can hunt endless waves of Dread Beasts. Unlike the real world, slaying them in this space drops Ability Fragments, which he can combine to gain abilities without slot restrictions. Even better? Time flows differently—he can train for days, yet only an instant passes in reality.Determined to rise from nothing, Ethan embarks on a secret journey to accumulate power. But as he completes missions and unravels the truth about the Black Pits, he realizes there’s something far more sinister lurking beneath the surface.The Hero Association hides dark secrets. Villains roam freely in the shadows. And Dread Beasts may not be the mindless creatures everyone believes them to be.With powerful enemies watching his every move, Ethan must play a dangerous game—remain unnoticed or become the hunter of both beasts and men.But one thing is certain:In this world, strength is everything. And Ethan Cross will carve his own path to the top—no matter the cost.