The Forgotten Pulse of the Bond - Chapter 97: Blood of the Betrayer

[ You have prepared a Mythical-class Ember-fang meal. All party members receive +40% Fire Resistance and +25% Attack! ]Ezra was a NEET for four years before he finally got off his ass and booked a flight to do something with his life. That dream died when the plane crashed. Before he knew it, he was reborn into a strange new land.Stranger yet, he was a... frontier chef? In a world full of monsters the size of buildings?!Fortunately, his cooking skills were a lot more useful than they sounded. His knife skills could carve through monster hide, while his newfound fire magic burned stronger as he leveled up.Not to mention, the meals he cooked gave out insane buffs and passives! Maybe this class wasn't as bad as he thought.With a class like this, he was sure he could make it to the very top of the food chain!But of course the food chain had teeth of its own.Turns out, factions wanted his cooking for their wars, monster lords saw him as property, and more than a few dangerous women wanted him for reasons that had nothing to do with his food.The deeper he pushed into the frontier, the more he realized this world's ecosystem was bigger, older, and hungrier than anything he was ready for.Worse yet, what kind of chef is expected to go on Mythical-class monster hunts!?

Vainqueur Knightsbane is your average dragon: a giant, fire-breathing lizard who loves to take naps on his golden hoard, kidnap princesses for fun, and make the life of adventurers miserable. Vainqueur's only pleasure in life is to watch his treasure get bigger, one coin at a time.

So when a would-be thief turned unwilling minion tells him about "classes," "levels," and "quests," Vainqueur wonders if maybe, just maybe, he should consider a career change.

After all, why bother hunting monsters for free when you can get paid for it?

Ryan «Quicksave» Romano is an eccentric adventurer with a strange power: he can create a save-point in time and redo his life whenever he dies. Arriving in New Rome, the glitzy capital of sin of a rebuilding Europe, he finds the city torn between mega-corporations, sponsored heroes, superpowered criminals, and true monsters. It’s a time of chaos, where potions can grant the power to rule the world and dangers lurk everywhere.

In the wake of the first wave of shadow creatures, the world was plunged into ruin, a desolate yet enchanted wasteland. Humanity, driven underground, clung to survival while desperately plotting to reclaim their shattered world.But from the abyss of darkness, something miraculous stirred—a mysterious tree, shimmering with ancient power, appeared overnight. It chose only the strongest of heart, those with unbreakable will, gifting them extraordinary abilities. With these powers, humanity rose from the depths, waging war against the shadows.Yet beneath the surface of their heroic deeds lay a hidden rot. Corruption seeped into their ranks, and arrogance clouded their judgment. As their powers grew, so did the whispers of betrayal. The true battle may not be against the creatures lurking in the shadows—but against the darkness festering within their own hearts.A question lingers: When heroes fall, who will rise to take their place?