Ascension Gates: Rise of the Beast Monarch - Chapter 80: The Round of Sixteen — The Final Cut (Part 3)

Themes: Black Market Trading, Global Crime Networks, Boundaries of Human Nature and Morality, The Struggle Between Truth and SurvivalStory Background:In a modern metropolis, the surface level of prosperity conceals the darkness and corruption lurking beneath. Ethan, a highly skilled detective, spends his life navigating the shadowy corners of the city, uncovering the hidden secrets buried beneath the mundane facade of everyday life. When he is drawn into what initially seems like a simple suicide case, he becomes entangled in a conspiracy involving the global black market, power struggles, and transnational crime.Main Characters:Ethan (Protagonist): A seasoned, calm, and intuitive detective who excels at finding the truth in complex cases. On the surface, he is a quiet, solitary man who prefers to avoid social interaction, but deep down, he is haunted by unresolved cases from his past. Faced with dark forces, he is both determined and full of doubt.Lila (Female Protagonist/Key Ally): Ethan's investigative partner, an intelligent and resourceful intelligence officer with a mysterious background. Her past is also shrouded in secrecy, and she seems to have an undisclosed connection to the “Black Angels” organization. She provides crucial assistance in Ethan's investigation, but her motives remain unclear, casting suspicion on her true intentions.Victor Saville (Antagonist/Main Adversary): A charismatic yet dangerous businessman, who appears to be a successful entrepreneur but is, in fact, one of the central figures of the global crime syndicate “The Black Angels.” Cold-hearted, clever, and ruthless, he controls a global black market network, overseeing arms trafficking, human trafficking, and drug smuggling. He is not only a key figure in Langley's death but also the biggest obstacle in Ethan's investigation.The Mysterious Woman (Key Character): An elusive woman who repeatedly appears during Ethan's investigation, warning him not to delve deeper into Saville and the “Black Angels” organization. Her identity is unclear, but it is evident that she holds vital secrets about Saville and his network. Her appearances leave Ethan bewildered—whether she is an enemy or his only ally remains uncertain.

“You are the Yan family's heir. From now on, you are a boy, not a girl.”From the moment Yan Xiuran could walk, those words defined her existence.As the eldest child of the Yan family, she was never allowed to be weak, never allowed to make mistakes, and most of all—never allowed to be herself.For twenty years, she lived as the perfect son—ruthless, brilliant, unstoppable.Until the day she was no longer needed.Her sickly half-brother recovered.Overnight, she was framed for crimes she didn’t commit. Branded a traitor. Disowned and exiled.“You were never my child. You're a bastard.”Stripped of everything, Yan Xiuran vanished.Five years later, she is no longer the forsaken heir but Li Xiyan, a nameless medical student with no past.But fate has other plans.Assigned to care for the fragile daughter of Shen Yuze—her family’s greatest rival—Xiyan is dragged back into the world she swore to abandon.Shen Rui clings to her.And her cold, calculating father? He refuses to let her go.“Stay by my daughter’s side, and I will give you everything your family took from you.”Her family abandoned her.Now, her enemy treasures her.

You shall become king—

Ruling over all “serpents” in the world…

Become the man who bears the brunt of dragonkind’s fear and hatred.

A modern era when humanity is threatened by attacks from giant dragons flying from beyond the sky.

Controlling “leviathans”—serpentine spiritual beings created through magic—humanity is locked in a protracted war of resistance against the dragons.

Fortunately, there exist witches known as “magi”—battle maidens of salvation who formed covenants with “serpents” in order to combat dragons.

Nicknamed Hal, the young man called Haruga Haruomi makes his living through facilitating the covenants of these girls.

At the (partially coercive) request of his childhood friend Asya, one of Europe’s top witches, Hal returns to Tokyo New Town after an absence of three years.

Accompanied by the beautiful Asya whose appearance rivaled a fairy’s, Hal is running all over the place to secure his base of operations and taking care of matters related to school transfer when the elite dragon Soth suddenly attacks—!?

Life has been breathed into a brand new myth between dragons and dragonslayers.

A grand opening to the “birth” of a top-class battle epic!

Just days before his final discharge, Sergeant Shin Young-joon, a military chef by profession, witnessed the doom of the world.An apocalypse, that came out of nowhere and ruined the world that he used to know.In the blink of an eye his battalion fell into shambles, all the communication lines, and radio frequencies were severed, and before him was a message stating:[Congratulations on your awakening!] [Occupation: Novice Chef Lv.1] If only he had a profession like a warrior or an assassin, he might have attempted to stand his ground alone.But what was given to him was clearly the supporting job of a chef.With the recent developments in progress, he didn’t have any choices, other than saying, “From now on, I’ll be the one to feed you all.”