To address some negative points from other reviewers:

• • "MC is unlucky, weak, and tortured (even by his own cheat). Not parody/satire and the situation doesn't improve."

Yes, he is unlucky. Yes, he is weak. At the BEGINNING of the story. His situation DOES improve and he does get stronger. While his system can be ridiculous, like giving him ridiculous dialogue options, the MC is able to turn the situation around because of his intelligence. Also, the whole point is that he's a member of the Demonic Cult, so of course his life is very difficult. It's the Demonic Cult; their members kill each other on the regular. The MC is surrounded by enemies. That was what led to his first death, and the many times he dies afterward. It makes the MC's situation urgent, makes him incredibly motivated to get stronger, and is very real justification for why he needs to become the strongest and kill his enemies.

• • "The random missions the system gives to the MC"

• • "The combat system"

I honestly had no problems with it. I like that he can switch between different combat types, and he has to choose the right combat type to maximize his advantage in the battles he's in.

• • "Toilet humor"

Yeah, I don't know what's up with that either honestly. Thankfully, those are very minor parts of the novel.

• • "The romance"

The romance with the love interest could be less dry, but at least she's strong and also has a similar goal to the MC, i.e. she also hates the Demonic Cult. Also, what's the problem with falling in love at first sight? Have you never fallen in love with someone because they were beautiful? She's not a bad person either, and it's not like the MC is nerfed just because he has a love interest.

Overall, I like this novel a lot. I like the protagonist. I like the world building of the story. I like how the Demonic Cult and Justice Sects like Mount Hua aren't that much different. There is no distinction between "good" and "evil" in this world, only good and bad choices. You can be a member of a Demonic cult or a righteous one and still be bribed by money, greedy, slaughter your enemies, etc. Despite how dangerous the Demonic Cult is, the story and the world acknowledges that it is the best place to grow stronger. It's why it's the best place for the MC, despite danger and enemies around every corner. The MC is not an evil person, just because he's a member of the Demonic Cult. He's not a mass murderer; he cares about his subordinates' lives,

Characters around the MC are, in my opinion, pretty well fleshed out. His enemies, inside and outside the Demonic Cult. Enemies turned allies, especially the

Update (after reading up to chapter 150 in the novel) : This novel is honestly so surprising. I really don't know how to describe it. Just when you think you know what's going to happen, the author and the story still manage to surprise you. I really did not expect Despite how controversial this decision might be, I think it's for the best. After all, the AI always tells the MC Seol-hwi "not to get eaten by the system". He's just some lucky guy who got the chance to redo his life with a system. But what is his "strength" without the system/cheats, right? I think it makes Seol-hwi more of a real person. How many protagonists actually draw a line between themself, and the cheats they use to get stronger?

The author really is creative when it comes to this novel. It's not what you expect from a weak to strong, game interface/system, etc. like other novels, but that's what makes it interesting. It's never boring, because the protagonist is never too OP even though he is strong, which means his life is engaging to read about. He really is one of those "hardworking" protagonists, truly.

Response to Decarabia's review: The feeling that everything is being controlled by the system, that humans/people are just NPCs is intentional. Seol-Hwi is trying to rely less on the system/break away from the system, since it feels like everything in his life is being controlled by it (we haven't learned why, what the system really is yet, etc.)

Response to all_missing's review: There are no "arranged marriages" in this novel??? Neither the MC, Seol-Hwi, or any other character in the novel is getting married??? And there are no "young masters"??? The closest I can think of is the Earth Demon, who is described as pretty, but he is the weakest of the Heavenly Demon's disciples. He is respected by his subordinates, but no one else in the Sect. I really don't know what this reviewer is talking about. Those are things that are not even in the novel...

the protagonist in this series is just dying and getting sh*t on by every single person that he meets because he's crazy weak. He saves himself from one life threatening situation by talking out of his ass and gets plunged into another because the place he's at is completely f*cked. Then he gets locked into a horrible situation and then, since he doesnt have plot armor, he ends up dying and having to restart.

i really like how it commits to the save and restart aspects of a game. Really makes... more>> for a new sort of way of storytelling. I really like the protagonist too. He's got no sense of humiliation or anything at all, because he really is an ant in every single situation. Man's just a guy using his brain to try and survive.

its pretty good so far, and its finally something of the action genre that is more or less unique and fleshed out at the same time. Try it out?

nvm god you should be able to delete reviews. Martial art novel writers need to just stop writing women in their stories at all holy jesus. Ive never seen them write a decent romance on god please please please please why is it too much to ask for a romanceless martial arts novel <<less

Anti-cliche protagonist. Author makes him unlucky, weak, and tortured (even by his own cheat). Not parody/satire and the situation doesn’t improve.

I personally didn’t like this but I could see this being 2-3 stars in writing quality.

The gist of the story is that the (very weak) MC is not isekaied or anything, but he got some game like system in a demonic sect where political shenanigans are threatening him.

So far so good, with some caveats.

Pro

• The sense of progression is interesting, from zero to more powerful. I'm also curious on the world and what's going on, which is a good sign.
• The system is worth exploring.

Con

• I like romances when well executed, but this looks like at best boring, and at worst horrible stuff,
  Spoiler

  with MC basically falling in love at first sight with the "amazing beauty" of a woman we literally read about less than 10 sentences up to now. Even worse with love points quantifying his love for her.

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• What's with the obsession with latrines, sh*t and scat stuff in general? It's really disgusting to read that in such details. Once is ok, twice is already pushing it (no pun intended), but THREE TIMES we got descriptions of someone defecating on MC, or MC defecating on someone. Like, I'm good public, but why??
• The system went from "logical" to "random" with the last chapters with
  Spoiler

  the random quest with the librarians for zero reason.

  [collapse]

This is just a personal preference but VR novels and game like are my least favorite type of novels especially when the MC is forced to follow only the choices given to him by the system so I skipped this one for sometime and only read it due to boredom but I found that it's really a good one. I like the plot development and always want to find out what's going to happen next. I still don't like the choice system and combat types so I'll give 4 stars... more>> for now

the translation rate is very slow so I read the MTL but the quality is bad and the choice system looks more annoying so I'll stop for a while till more translated chapters come

edit: I'm dropping. When the free style was introduced, I thought things will get better but the system now can control other people, the side characters are like npcs, the sudden huge power rise and the plot became boring. I guess this novel style isn't really my type. <<less

Lol, my fellow reviewers are hilarious. I think the author was being ironic by unlocking a love life if MC endures humiliation and becomes someone's dog. Lol.

I can't understand why this novel has such high ratings. The translation quality is awesome, but the plot is mediocre so far. It's Korean, but it has the qualities of typical Chinese martial arts novels: reincarnator protagonist, arranged marriages, young masters, fast growth, and plenty of face slapping. I've read so many of these types of novels, I've become numb. It just couldn't hold my interest after reading until chapter 39. Maybe it gets better further in? I don't know. Trying to keep reading feels too tedious.

This is not a bad novel, in fact I find it quite refreshing and well thought out in comparison to the great abyss of cultivation novels. But it thoroughly abuses the litrpg element, at some point the novel starts to get very game-like. I would've given 4 stars otherwise from being generally interesting.

The purpose of introducing a game-like system on a novel is primarily to connect with readers immediately and have a smooth flow. It was used very well in this novel by exploring the reality-breaking ways a game character... more>> could interact in real life (or, at least, Murim life), and slowly unravelling many of its functions.

Therein lies a problem. Characters in this novel are not NPCs, or at least they don't start like that. But the more reality functions as a game and characters start to follow predetermined patterns, the more they feel like NPCs and become as pieces in a board game. The unexpected and unpredictable events that happen around MC to spice up the story, due to him eventually entering the mindset of a player, paradoxically makes him look like an NPC too. Because the general RPG player would treat their character's life as such, merely an envoy of their will. Everything becomes a puppet theater.

Novels about transmigration to a game go through NPC->Human mindset, but this one which isn't even transmigration is running backwards from human to NPC. I simply cannot find in myself the heart to care about any character in the novel, sympathize with their feelings, stories, motivations, etc. It becomes too shallow. <<less

Probably closer to a 4.5, but since people don't like initially weak characters, 5. But the translation is def good.

It's pretty interesting, the MC is just some desperate bottom tier guy that gets another chance with a system. The take on the system is rather refreshing, it has strengths and weaknesses, and is kind of weird, forcing the MC to do some questionable stuff. Only having very limited revivals while being in deadly situations also gives it some stakes. The MC is likeable, he isn't dumb but isn't a super... more>> genius either, and the way the system works actually encourages thinking strategically.

At this point in the story the MC is def in his growth phase, I wonder how the story will go once he is super strong since one major point is MC struggling due to his weakness. But I' looking forward to more. <<less

IIf you're here to look for instant power up cheats that instantly defeat the villains to slap face you're in the wrong place.

MC is a mob character sent on a suicide mission in a world of martial arts.

But upon his death he gets a game system. To be exact, it's a visual novel system, with finite lives and save slots.

... more>> It's also rogue lite, he gets to keep martial arts proficiency and items he has gained across lives, and he can earn extra lives achieving certain accomplishments.

Pretty interesting premise and the MC doesn't stay a mob forever. <<less