The Lustforged Hero - Chapter 23: Rising stakes

Neo was on the verge of achieving his dreams, set to graduate with flying colors and secure a bright future. But fate had other plans.One moment, he was lounging in his apartment, enjoying his simple and ordinary day. The next, he found himself in a nightmare—a brutal game orchestrated by the hidden rulers of the world.But Neo wasn’t just another victim. When he was pushed to the brink of death, something awoke within him—an ability unlike any other. God-Tier Adaptive System .Every injury made him tougher. Every battle made him smarter. Every encounter shaped him into the perfect survivor.Now, he isn’t just fighting to escape. He’s evolving. And soon, those who once saw him as prey will learn to fear him.'To kill those sick monsters, I must become something far worse.'

In a game-like world where dungeons, monsters, and players appear.

Ha Si-heon is a brilliant but obsessive Wall Street financier who has built an immense fortune driven by a fear of financial insecurity. After enduring a tragic childhood, losing his mother, and navigating financial ruin with his father during South Korea’s 1997 financial crisis, Si-heon immigrates to the U.S. He fulfills his father’s wish by becoming a doctor but finds himself drawn to the lucrative world of Wall Street.At a top hedge fund, Si-heon leverages his medical expertise to dominate biotech investments, thanks to an unusual ability to predict successful FDA drug approvals. He amasses wealth quickly, yet struggles with a pathological fear of spending money. His relentless pursuit of profit takes a dark turn when he’s diagnosed with idiopathic multicentric Castleman’s disease (iMCD), a rare, life-threatening immune disorder with no cure. His condition worsens despite aggressive chemotherapy, as the lack of research funding for this “orphan disease” leaves him without options.Just as Si-heon faces death, he miraculously awakens to find himself transported 10 years back in time, to the beginning of his career on Wall Street. Realizing he has a second chance, Si-heon is determined to not only reclaim his wealth but also amass enough money to fund a cure for iMCD. The story explores themes of greed, ambition, mortality, and redemption, as Si-heon seeks not just to survive but to redefine the meaning of his life.

He chose her out of curiosity, and she chose him for a good sleep.In this one-year hidden marriage, they agreed to take what they needed and have only pleasure without love. But the reality was that he was very domineering. He could bully her, but if anyone else did the same, they would face severe consequences.Many people felt sorry for him and thought that she didn't deserve him. However, they discovered that her real identities were stunning and extraordinary.She was a genius hacker, a skilled miracle doctor, and even a deadly ghost...Now, people felt sorry for her. How could an astonishing woman like her marry a disabled man?Suddenly, a man who had been in a wheelchair for several years stood up and revealed the business empire he had built during those years.Later on, people started to envy the couple's talent and beauty.While the heavens favored them, she suddenly realized that in his heart, she was nothing more than a substitute...Love was just like poison hidden in sugar. If you believe in it, you lose...