Saving the World in an Apocalypse-Style Text Game - Chapter 4 - _1

In a world torn apart by rifts that release dangerous monsters, Espers—humans imbued with powerful abilities—serve as humanity's last line of defense. But the power of an Esper comes with a price. Overuse of their abilities leads to dangerous corruption, a force that can destroy them from the inside out. This is where Guides come in: individuals with the unique ability to calm the corruption within Espers and restore their balance.Rowan Mercer, an S-class Guide, is one of the best in his field, capable of stabilizing even the most dangerous Espers. He has worked quietly behind the scenes, helping those in need, but his life takes a dramatic turn when he is called to work with Lucian Vaughn, an S-class Esper whose immense power and unstable corruption levels make him a dangerous threat to himself and others.Lucian, a tall, stoic, and enigmatic figure, has long fought against the growing corruption within him. At first, his relationship with Rowan is purely professional—Rowan as his Guide, helping him to stay in control. However, as their interactions grow more frequent, their bond deepens in ways neither expected. What started as a simple duty soon turns into a complex relationship where power, trust, and vulnerability collide.As the world around them faces escalating threats from rifts, Rowan and Lucian must navigate not only their personal challenges but also the dangerous world of Espers and Guides. Their bond will be tested as they fight together against the corrupting forces that threaten them both.In Corrupted Bonds, survival isn’t just about battling monsters from the rifts—it's about fighting the darkness within themselves and finding a way to stay connected in a world that’s constantly pulling them apart.

I became a side-character who died in anguish because of her good-for-nothing husband.

If I can’t avoid getting married, why don’t I change who I marry instead?

“Excellent, marriage sounds good.”

“Wise choice. Then let’s have a wedding ceremony that isn’t too ceremonious. Following that, I’ll need you to go down to the Fief and behave like the lady of the house until I call for you. Naturally, there won’t be any time to spend in leisure whilst dousing yourself in luxuries.”

“I’m not marrying you, but your father instead.”

“……Pardon?”

“I’m not going to marry you. Do you have a problem with that?”

“I will look up into the sky on this wasteland and fight for our civilization!”Xu Mo was accidentally transmigrated to an apocalyptic world. He quickly learned that his parents had just passed away and he was being hunted.Not only that, but his only uncle was trying to take away the money his parents had left for him.In order to protect himself and his younger sister, he steeled his heart and decided to walk down the dangerous Path of Evolution.“Energy, magnetic field, dark matter, radiation… All of these are now known as Source Power!”By absorbing the Source Power, one could evolve their body, activate uncharted brainpower, awaken abilities, and even create weapons.One could even travel through the vast universe if they got powerful enough.For Xu Mo, who had just started to absorb Source Power, he started to realize that he could see things that others could not.

Dylan is your average nerd. He works downtown for an architecture firm during the day and enjoys all manner of games and media in his spare time. But while Dylan likes all forms of sci-fi and fantasy, he really likes the genre of superheroes.So when an indie company releases a virtual reality MMO where players choose to play as heroes or villains, Dylan immediately buys into it. He has a specific type of character he really enjoys watching, something that always makes his inner child laugh in delight. The Saturday morning cartoon villain.Yes, those inept, bungling, yet highly dangerous villains found in so many of Dylan's cartoons as a child. He loves how they always come up with strange ways to conquer the world and how they get thwarted every weekend. He remembered laughing at every silly antic, every cliched shout of “Curses! Foiled again!” He loves it so much he decides to take this idea into the MMO.But to grab a playerbase, the company has announced a promotion that players with a high enough reputation can get contacted to become permanent raid bosses in the game. Those chosen will be paid as if employees of the company. Serious players all hoping to live the dream of playing videogames all day rush to purchase copies of World of Supers!What will happen when Dylan, someone playing the game for fun, clashes with these overly serious players?