u/spartaxwarrior

Historical/wuxia transmigration selfcest danmei c-novel.

Basic Premise: MC is the stereotypical CEO who transmigrates into an ancient Chinese setting where he looks identical to the stereotypical tyrant emperor ML. The MC tries to be a good emperor and stabilize the crumbling empire while the ML, a puppet emperor poisoned since childhood, seems to just mess around.

The two engage in schemes both for and against each other, often on the brink of killing or betraying the other, while falling more and more in love.

Some of the best parts:

- Very interesting take on selfcest

- They are switches, the MC and ML both top and bottom

- The MC has depression which he acknowledges and has gotten treatment for and the ML and others are very respectful about it (this does get somewhat ruined by the later parts where the author >!sensationalizes some mental illness for the drama)!<.

- Pretty chill crossdressing

- There's a lot of good reveals, the MC is an unreliable narrator and that works (for the most part) because he's understandably in a completely different time period and place with no background or support. Even a lot of the "allies" he made thought he was the ML.

- Actually clever MC and ML, when often it's one of the other or we're only told they're clever and never shown it.

- Black flag yandere 4 black flag yandere, scum 4 scum, they both get worse and worse as it goes. The ML tries to confine MC, the MC debates destroying the empire so he can basically keep ML like a pet, the ML gets jealous of the MC looking at his own reflection....

Now, I can't fully recommend this without a few disclaimers: near the end it jumps the shark (and contradicts earlier details) in a way that made this go from me expecting to add it to my top 10 k-novels ever to me being a bit lukewarm (the very end does get better with some balls to the wall wildly dark shit). MC is awesome, but >!feels like two completely different characters, both of which I would love, I'm just upset to lose the one version to get the other!<. As mentioned above, the amazing treatment of mental illness early on gets ruined at the end. And some VERY IMPORTANT details to the main story are put in the side stories.

If you like black flag yanderes, I still highly suggest you try this one out, most of the novel is still very good. This is fully fan translated.

Warnings: Violence, partner violence, child abuse, torture, some dubcon (arguably noncon, but they're both so fucked up and into each other it's hard to say that), homophobia, gu (aka bugs/parasites), cannibalism mentions (MC and ML considering eating the other), blood drinking, suicide, war....

&#x200B;

Eden is a popular VR fantasy MMORPG in its first season in an otherwise basically modern-day universe. After a nearly scuffed dungeon run, MC is left with the daunting knowledge that the Guild Master of the guild he just joined is a notorious high ranked player known for ruthlessly killing off even his own teammates when they annoy him. And the ML is left interested, ofc.

The MC plays a Paladin and unexpectedly ended up as the highest contributor to the class while largely playing solo. He's given a secret quest and ends up letting the (admittedly very useful) ML tag along to help, despite the fact their patron deities are enemies. ML becomes more obsessive and possessive as time goes on, even getting jealous of NPCs.

While it is set mainly in-game, it does also include their real life relationship, where MC is a college student on leave and ML is a shut-in chaebol.

MC is pretty great, he's a little oblivious, originally not too great at socializing, and more often than not the most normal person in the room. ML is hilarious, in game he's shameless (he's basically the epitome of the classic healer line, "but did you die?") and while he's better IRL, it's still there.

Their guild is one of my favorite parts, it's just full of trolls and the source of many highly enjoyable hijinks, lines, and moments. They're definitely the sort of players you'd hate to be up against, but would have fun with if guildies. ML's uncle is also fun, he's so relieved that ML has someone he likes that he >!suggests he kidnaps him !<(you can tell they're family).

The plot climax was a little odd, and not what I was hoping for as far as the >!game's season story ending!<, but I'm not actually sure how something like this could otherwise end, anyway. The first side story is more of an epilogue, too.

This is a pretty relaxed read, as most of the more serious/dramatic elements are in-game and therefore lower stakes. There is some coercive behavior and dubcon, but even most of that is in-game.

If you're not very familiar with MMOs, there may be some confusing concepts or terminology. I thought the worldbuilding and game mechanics were pretty interesting, not just a direct copy of a real popular game as far as I could tell.

There are R15 and R19 versions on Ridi and it's available in both volumes and chapters. The fan translation originally had some annoying mid story premium chapters, but it looks like only side stories are locked, now. And I've got a review on NU with some other details/thoughts/spoilers, as well.