Station Eleven

Alex Noir, a burned-out game developer, receives a mysterious VR headset from an anonymous package. When he puts it on, he's pulled into "The Endless Trial"—a brutal survival game where death is permanent and the only way out is to beat all 100 levels. Each level is a different deadly scenario (zombie apocalypse, fantasy dungeon, sci-fi space station, historical battlefield, etc.) Marcus gains real skills and attributes that carry over between levels He can collect "Respawn Tokens" by completing bonus objectives—his only way to cheat death The system gives him quests, stat screens, and skill trees, but it's ruthlessly unfair: make a stupid decision, and face stupid consequences Whatever happens in the game affects the real world. If he dies in a level, he dies in reality. But that's not his only problem, the game starts "bleeding" into reality. Monsters from incomplete levels begin manifesting in his city. The longer he's trapped, the more the game corrupts the real world. His friends and family get pulled in as trapped players. Alex must not only survive and level up, but figure out who created this game and why because there are other players trapped in their own trials, and something is systematically hunting them all.

What if the man they call worthless could buy and sell them all with a single phone call? For three gruelling years, Romeo Martinez has endured every humiliation the wealthy Chen family could dish out—scrubbing their floors, serving their guests, and sleeping in the servants' quarters while his ice-cold wife Emma treats him like he's invisible. They call him worthless, a charity case who married above his station, a man who contributes nothing but shame to their declining empire. They have no idea that the quiet janitor cleaning their mansion is about to inherit a trillion-dollar business empire that could crush them without a second thought. When a mysterious phone call on his 28th birthday reveals that Romeo is the hidden heir to Phoenix Empire, everything changes. His suppressed memories return, his combat training awakens, and suddenly the man who couldn't fight back has unlimited resources, deadly allies, and a burning need for justice. The same criminal organization that murdered his parents is now targeting the Chen family—and only Romeo can save them. But saving Emma means protecting the woman who's spent three years breaking his heart, while destroying his enemies means embracing a power that could corrupt the gentle soul she fell in love with but never knew she had. As Romeo navigates boardrooms and battlefields with equal skill, one question haunts every calculated move: Can a man reclaim his throne without losing the woman whose love he's never truly won?

At seven, my father returned with his mistress and my half-brother, who was only a few weeks older than me. Under my mother's grief-stricken and despairing eyes, my father ruthlessly kicked us out. I always knew that my father wanted a supernaturally awakened and talented heir, however, I didn't fit the bill because I couldn't awaken any special talents and didn't show outstanding academic abilities. Moreover, my uncles and aunts were eyeing my father's position, eager to overthrow him and take his place. Competitors also harbored ill intentions towards our family, watching my father like a hawk. In this treacherous situation, my father rekindled his relationship with his mistress, the second daughter of a noble family from the Royal City. Finally, my father no longer concealed his pre-marital affair. After making it public, he brought his mistress and her talented son back home to replace my mother and me. To survive, my mother had no choice but to take me into hiding, changing our identities and fleeing to a remote town to escape their grasp and settle down. What my father didn't know was that I didn't lack talent; my talent was simply too strong, requiring an immense amount of energy to awaken, energy that my weak seven-year-old self couldn't handle. Eleven years later, I had grown up and finally awakened my superlative talent, becoming a renowned genius in the remote town. I never thought about going back to confront my father or seeking revenge on his mistress because they weren't worth my mother's and my time! My mother and I are doing well now. I believe with my talent and effort, our lives will only get better. However, I overestimated the goodness in people, and underestimated their malice!