The Grandmaster Strategist - Volume 5, Chapter 13: Defeat at Anze

A protagonist reborn in another world.

In humanity’s final war against the Demon Lord, the strongest heroes fell—not by the enemy’s hand, but by their own, twisted into madness by a cruel illusion. Betrayal. Bloodshed. Despair… and then, silence.Only one person remained: Riley—the weakest warrior of them all. Powerless. Ignored. Forgotten.But he saw through the Demon Lord’s deception. The tyrant was on the brink of death—so weak even a fly could’ve finished him off.And Riley did just that, drawing every last ounce of strength to bite off the demon’s head.Victory? Not quite. A final, desperate strike from the Demon Lord pierced him from behind, killing him instantly.But fate wasn’t done with him yet.Riley awoke ten years in the past—when the online game [Apocalypse] was launched. Before demons descended. Before monsters overran the world.And this time, he wasn’t starting from nothing. He had a decade of experience—and a second chance.Even more shocking, he didn’t awaken his old D-rank Strength Boost talent. This time, he received something far more terrifying: an SSS-Rank Gluttony talent!He could now devour anything—monsters, items, talents, even traits—and gain their power.Ding![You have devoured: Iron Fang Wolf][Acquired: +4 Strength, +2 Agility, Skill: Bite (F-rank)][You have devoured: Goblin ShamanAcquired: +8 Intelligence, Skill: Mana Bolt (E-rank), Talent: Minor Spellcasting Efficiency][You have devoured: Flaming Salamander Drake][Acquired: +22 Endurance, Trait: Dragon’s Resilience, Skill: Flame Breath (C-rank)]Now, there is no demon, no god, no monster who will stand in his way. He will devour everything—and save the world.But the power of Gluttony was a double edged sword. If he wasn’t careful… he could be the one getting consumed.

Following an untimely death, Kin is reborn in a world completely different from our own. A world of Magic, Monsters, and fearsome Beasts.‘No way…’ Kin thought to himself upon noticing his skin color.He had been Reborn on the other side, on the Monster side, as a Goblin.‘Am I going to have to leave my life in this cave? Surrounded by other Goblins?’Thankfully, he wasn’t just any normal Goblin.[System initializing…][Congratulations!][You have been Blessed with an SSS-Rank Skill!][You have been Blessed with the SSS-Rank Skill “Palm of the Devourer”!][You have been Blessed with a Legendary-Grade Title!][You have been Blessed with the Legendary-Grade Title “Evolving Monster”!]With a palm that can devour, absorb, and assimilate dead creatures, the Rise of the Evolving Monster starts!‘The Goblins that left earlier are back. They captured a woman. Wait… Those ears… And a tail?’A life of blood-pumping adventure, unimaginable riches, unmatched strength, and heavenly beauties starts!

I’ve took the role of ‘that person’ who passed away long ago, someone who bears a striking resemblance to her. In a reverse harem fantasy novel set against a military backdrop, the title “Four Crazy Guys Obsessing Over Me,” or simply “F4,” unfolds. The narrative centers around the protagonist’s first love and former comrade who descended into madness following their demise, now fixated on the female lead. However, as the one who has taken on the position of ‘that person,’ I enjoy certain privileges. Could it be that my fate involves facing death? Alternatively, survival might lead to a twist in the romantic plot, with me becoming the object of obsession instead of the female lead. Personally, I’m not inclined towards being the center of such fixation. But then… “Hey, get your act together.” “The loser falls behind and gets left behind!” “These fools need to snap out of it! Can’t they get their act together?” Romance is nowhere in sight; instead, the harsh reality of the real K-military awaits me! Before I can fully escape this predicament, I had hoped that the male leads would become obsessed with me. However, this apocalyptic world consistently shatters my expectations. To worsen matters, it appears that the male leads are gradually losing their sanity in this chaotic world. What’s the only way to break free from this absurd exploitation? Naturally, it’s through a revolution! You corrupt imperial scoundrels!