Star Hedonist - Chapter 13: Crew Meeting

Lives are a currency, and Noah Vines is rich.Reincarnated into the body of a poisoned magic school professor, Noah is given more than just a second chance at life. Every time he dies, his body reforms. With infinite variations of runic magic to discover and with death as a painful soul wound rather than a final end, Noah finally has a chance to wander the lands of the living once again. And this time, he plans to get strong enough to make sure that he never has to wait around in the afterlife again.

Crossing over to Japan during the year 1860, a time marked by the end of the Edo Shogunate Era, amidst a whirlwind of events.Having completed the industrial revolution, foreign powers with steam battleships have opened Japan's doors, bringing turmoil and opportunity to the nation.In this chaotic era, Tachibana Aoto, who travels through time to become an ordinary police officer in Edo (modern Tokyo), acquires the Talent Duplication System, allowing him to duplicate any talent from an opponent after a confrontation, regardless of winning or losing.For instance—after a match with a beautiful youth named Chokata Toshisuke, Tachibana Aoto duplicates the talent of Swordsmanship Talent Amplification, increased by 50 times the average person's talent.

He underwent profound transformations after 100 reincarnations. Bahamut, once possibly a more innocent or vulnerable entity, emerges from his experiences as a sadistic dominator, embodying the essence of a beast on literal, figurative, and spiritual levels.His priorities shift drastically, abandoning concerns as he becomes consumed by his love for challenges, blood, horror, and death. Bahamut thrives in this brutal world, embracing his identity as the ultimate BEAST.This journey is marked by his relentless pursuit of darkness and domination, making him a force to be reckoned with.Bahamut travels around the world, the universe, explores various mythologies, gains more power, and for his main purpose…It becomes something he would do when he feels like it.[Additional Tags: No Yuri, No NTR, Harem (50-50: Massive or Small), OP, Intense, Anti-Hero Anti-Villain]

Notice: This story contains R18+ themes, including violence, sensual and sexual content, blood-related addiction, and dark psychological elements. Reader discretion advised.I died in a library, crushed under centuries of forgotten knowledge. Fitting.Now I’ve woken up in a coffin, starving, undead, and very much not human.They call me a Fledgling—a bottom-feeder vampire barely above a ghoul. I’m weak, hunted, and tethered to a world straight out of a cursed tabletop campaign. It’s a classic fantasy realm—elves, knights, guilds, and dungeons—but twisted by a dark, rotting magic. The moon shines red, the gods are silent, and every town smells like fear.To make matters worse, I’ve been bound to a LitRPG system called the Blood Codex.Level up by draining blood.Unlock skills by embracing your monstrous nature.Resist Corruption... or don’t.There's no prophecy. No chosen one nonsense. No noble title. Just fangs, rot, and whatever I can steal, trick, or kill to survive.But the deeper I sink into this world’s underbelly, the more I realize something is watching me through the system. The rules are breaking. Dungeon bosses are going mad. Entire towns are disappearing.And I think I’m supposed to fix it… or maybe finish the job.