Shadow Slave - Chapter 2180: Reasons to Live

Sa gitna ng kabundukang binabalot ng misteryo, lumaki si Esmeralda, isang dalagang manunugis na may kakaibang lakas at talas ng pakiramdam, sa kalinga ni Ismael— isang albularyong umampon sa kanya dalawang dekada na ang nakalilipas. Ngunit sa kabila nito, nakatago ang isang katotohanang unti-unting mabubunyag— ang lihim ng kanyang pinagmulan na bumabagtas sa hangganan ng tao at mundo ng kakaibang elemento.Sa pagbabalik nila sa baryo ng kanyang lolo, harapin ni Esmeralda, hindi lamang ang sigalot sa pagitan ng kinalakhang pamilya, kun 'di pati na rin ang mga lihim ng kanyang pagkatao. Sa gitna ng pamilyar na tanawin ng baryo, magtatagpo ang landas nila ng mga taong magiging parte ng buhay niya— mayroong magiging gabay sa kaniyang pagtuklas at may iilan namang magdudulot ng kapahamakan at kalituhan sa kaniyang paghahanap ng kasagutan.Sino ba talaga siya? At ano ang pinagmulan niya?Ngunit sa bawat hakbang niya patungo sa pagtuklas ng katotohanan, lalong lalalim ang ugnayan niya sa mga anino ng mga nilalang na walang ibang nais kun 'di ang kaniyang pagkawasak. Sa bawat mutyang mahahawakan ni Esmeralda, sisigaw ang nakaraan— at sa bawat sigaw nito, unti-unting mabubuo ang kwento ng isang salinlahing nababalot ng hiwaga na siyang uukit at huhubog sa kaniyang pagkatao.

One day he suddenly found himself in hell.
All he had was the desire to live and a predation ability.
From the first to the ninth thousand circles of hell, he absorbed dozens, hundreds of thousands of demons.
Even the seven great dukes of hell bowed down before him.

– Why would you wish to go back? Doesn’t his highness have everything that’s in Hell?
– What do I have?

Nothing to eat, nothing to enjoy!
The only things in Hell are the barren lands and terrible demons!

“I’m going back.”

After ten thousand years he returns to Earth.

In the year 2031, the earth has further advanced in its technological developments. Though there are democracies, republics, and several other systems of governance followed by various countries, there is still one country that adheres to the feudal system—the Arinphiam Empire.The empire is divided into three parts, where the royal family coexists with the central government to control the empire, keeping it as one of the strongest nations on planet Earth.The richest man on this planet belongs to this empire, where noble families still exist, governed by laws specifically made for them by the royal family instead of the central government.Marquess Avendial Croceaus has finally returned to the past, to the year 2031—a year before the tower's arrival—on the date where his downfall began.As he returns to the past, he discovers himself facing the initial setback of his life, where accusations of treason are soon to fall upon him.This world-building novel presents a completely fresh story with new ideas and plots, where the efforts of the main character lead him to become the one who changes his fate as a villain.Content warning: Adult R-18 Chapters without any warning, as they could be part of the story, a slow but well-paced story to provide the detailed idea about the world-building, a weak main character with the debuff of seven curses, making him even cut off from the chances of growth.

Kai’s life was small—coffee-stained mornings, cracked recipes, and a system in his head that tweaked toasters and dough like it was nothing. Then the sky shattered. Aliens—Skraiths, jagged and brutal—invaded, tearing his city apart with green-glowing weapons and relentless claws. Superhumans rose to fight back, fire and lightning blazing through the chaos, but Kai’s world crumbled with them.Hiding in his apartment, Kai stumbles on blood—human and alien, smeared on his wall after a superhuman battle. His system, once just a tinker’s tool, awakens, offering him a choice: mimic their powers, temporary and wild, through the blood itself. Desperate, he takes it—stealing pyrokinesis, then electrokinesis, then kinetic energy, each power burning through him, fading fast. But it’s not enough. Armed with a humming Skraith weapon and a body tougher from alien blood, Kai joins a ragtag crew of enhanced fighters—Liv, Rylan, Jace, and Tucker—scraping to survive in a warzone where every shadow hides death.As Skraiths swarm and the city burns, Kai’s system pushes him deeper, analyzing, integrating, crafting minor enhancements—durability, strength, sparks of power that could make him a target or a savior. Government factions, rogue scientists, and the aliens themselves start sniffing around, drawn to his strange tech and blood-stolen abilities. By the time Kai crafts his first super-powered enhancement—an artificial strength boost—he’s no longer just a tinkerer. He’s on the edge of something bigger, something dangerous, where blood and sparks could forge a hero—or break him entirely.In a world unraveling, Kai’s fight for survival becomes a desperate race to master his system, outrun the Skraiths, and confront the truth: the power he’s chasing might destroy him—or remake the world.