In the winter of three years ago, the first locked room mu*der in Japanese history was committed.... more>>

All of the evidence pointed to the defendant. It was certain they were guilty. And yet, they were found innocent and released. Why? Because the crime scene was a perfect locked room no one from the police or the prosecutor's office could solve.

"Since the room was locked, it was impossible for the defendant to have committed the mu*der. It's no different than if they had a perfect alibi." That was the argument of the defense, and that was the argument the judge sided with.

The ruling sent a ripple throughout Japanese society. No matter how suspicious you were or how much evidence you left behind, as long as you managed to create a locked room that no one could solve, you were immune from prosecution. With the common anti-mystery fiction talking point "there's no reason anyone would ever actually commit a locked room mu*der" completely overturned, the rate of locked room mu*ders in Japan skyrocketed.

When the police proved unable to deal with the surge of locked room crime, the Ministry of Justice published an official categorization of all known locked room tricks as an investigative aid. When that proved insufficient, Division Zero of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, a police division dedicated solely to solving locked rooms, was created. When that still proved insufficient, locked room detectives, private investigators specializing in locked rooms, were officially licensed by the state and authorized to participate in police investigations. Calling a locked room appraiser, someone specializing in searching buildings for secret passages, is now a common first step in criminal investigations.

On the other side of the spectrum, locked room agents, assassins and crime planners specializing in locked room mu*ders, have become some of the most notorious criminals in Japanese history, and even a cult worshiping the scenes of locked rooms as a way to purify the souls of the deceased has made rapid inroads into Japan.

The protagonist, Kasumi Kuzushiro, is an introverted, somewhat cynical high school student who loves mysteries. Kasumi often finds himself dragged along on bizarre journeys by his flighty childhood friend, Yozuki Asahina. Due to their staggeringly bad luck, these trips often leave them in the wrong place at the wrong time to be caught up in locked room mysteries. Fortunately, another of Kasumi's childhood friends, Shitsuri Mitsumura, is the greatest locked room expert in the world, and can always discover the truth.

Hm? How did a high school girl become the greatest locked room expert in the world?

It's simple.

She's...

Volume 1 was the grand prize winner of the 2022 This Mystery Is Amazing! awards. <<less

【Host, host! I might be late, but I, the Femme Fatale Conquer System, am here to accompany you!】... more>>

【Now, let's first conquer Momoana, a legendary female emperor who boasts looks and wits.】

Shu Yichao: "Charge, my nomads! Show them our unrivaled archery!"

And so, Momoana died.

【My host, I'll assume what happened earlier was an accident. We have to succeed for the next one. Our next conquer target is Purin, a lofty and cold sorceress.】

Shi Yichao: "Clear the mobs and stack skeletons! I shall bring the undead calamity upon the world!"

And so, Purin died.

【...Maybe you didn't hear me clearly, my host. I said court her, not cull her. Our next target–】

Shu Yichao: "Build the hive and spam the worms. My hive mind shall devour the world! Who can compete with me?"

【...】

Shi Yichao: "Halleluyah! I have finally gotten rid of every single one of them! Speaking of which, System, it has been a long time since you last spoke to me?"

【I'm tired. Just go and destroy everything.】 <<less

Mankind discovered the essence of the human soul, Edeya, and were achieving materialization.... more>>

Society was built around Edeya, which was invulnerable to conventional weapons. Humanity started to place all their focus into the combat power of Edeya.

Park Jinsung, the main character, possessed an F-rank soul and F-rank combat power. After the introduction of a poor military program to his high school and the Edeya rank system, Park Jinsung became one of the weak, and suffered under his peers’ contempt for 10 years…

However, in reality, the Edeya he had awakened was actually the S-rank “Absolute Killing Intent”.

Park Jinsung was greatly disturbed by the fact that the essence of his soul revolved around the thought of killing others, and continued to live his life while thinking of himself as a worthless F-rank.

Will Park Jinsung, with a soul for killing, be able to get his killing intent under control and prove that there are no ranks to one’s soul? <<less

Humans, once the masters of Earth, were losing their place to the inexplicable phenomena known as Objects.... more>>

And this is a story about becoming an Object and living worry-free in the Seoul of such a world. <<less

One day, gates opened, and the world descended into chaos. At the same time, Sa-yoon found himself face-to-face with a bizarre system window.... more>>

"You have been selected as humanity's 'evil.' (b ᵔ▽ᵔ)b"

Forced into the role of a villain and driven to the brink of insanity, Sa-yoon kidnaps Han Geon-joo, the key to escaping the damned system.

"...What's your objective?"

"Recruiting talent?"

"By kidnapping someone? What are you, some kind of gangster guild?"

The trait that could help him break free from the system: 'The Resister.' To activate it, Sa-yoon aims to raise Geon-joo to S-rank while maintaining a close relationship with him...

After lavishing Geon-joo with praise and nurturing him, just as he was on the cusp of reaching S-rank, he vanished without a trace. Eventually, he reappears before Sa-yoon as an S-rank hunter.

"F*ck, what the hell are you doing?"

"You think it's okay to discard people like old shoes?"

Who was the one who abandoned whom first?

"If you want to know what it feels like to crawl on all fours, go ahead and try running away again."

A precarious reunion and ominous signs from the gates. Can Sa-yoon truly break free from the system? <<less

I, Lu Li. had an agreement with the system; once the plot was completed, I could go home, but the system played me dirty.... more>>

Demanding another round, claiming the plot had gone awry.

Let's perish together, scumbag system.

You'll never see me endure such humiliation again.

Sadly, I didn't die.

Filled with rage, since you won't let me die, then I'll make those who once shamed me, hurt me, and betrayed me in haste, pay the price.

The protagonist is not humble, not clinging... <<less

Ling Hua'an possessed peculiar eyes. He couldn’t see the living, but he has the ability to see ghosts. He runs a small supermarket with his profit obviously earned from the living people. But in fact, his massive income actually comes from finding out the cause of death of the wronged souls and helping them enter the cycle of reincarnation.... more>>

There is a saying that has been circulating in the Underworld:

The grocery store’s door is open. Ghosts must not come in if they have no money!

Jiang Chengyan is the captain of the criminal investigation team of Yuncheng Municipal Bureau.

He is busy everyday, and often works overtime. His dinner would mostly be instant noodles he had bought from the supermarket near the gate.

But every time he went out shopping, he would always sense the gloomy atmosphere surrounding the market. But he’s a firm atheist, so it‘s reasonable for him to go. (Actually, I think the supermarket owner is quite a good-looking fellow and has good disposition.)

By an incidental chance, Ling Hua'an suddenly received a huge order. If he could do it, he will no longer have to worry about food and clothing in his lifetime. But it’s quite difficult, thus, Ling Hua’an naturally approached Jiang Chengyan.

Afterwards, Jiang Chengyan who is a firm atheist, had his three views broken, and it was really sweet… <<less

On that day, the fog blocked everything.... more>>

On that day, he became the captain of a ghost ship.

On that day, he stepped through the thick fog and confronted a completely subverted and fragmented world— the old order had vanished, strange phenomena dominated the endless seas beyond civilized society, and isolated island city-states and fleets of ships challenged the sea that had become the last ember of lights for the civilized world. All of this while the shadows of the old days were still stirring in the deep sea, waiting to devour this world that was about to die.

But for the new captain of the ghost ship Vanished, there was only one question he had to consider first — Who knows how to steer this ship?! <<less

Ning Shu had dropped dead. But in a burst of good fortune, she became a task-taker in charge of counterattacking for the pitiful cannon fodders. Thus, Ning Shu, in one world after another, took... more>> all kinds of life roles and encountered all kinds of “you’re heartless, you’re ruthless, you’re making trouble for no reason” people. She encountered all sorts of white lotus flowers, green tea b*tches, scheming b*tches, by the batch.

“Does any true beauty still exist in the world?!” Bellowed Ning Shu angrily. “You annoying tr*sh! I’m just here to counterattack, please don’t get in the way of me completing my task.” Transmigration main character, reincarnation main character. There’s only a lazy task-taker, no indestructible main character halo. Ning Shu had no choice, but to painfully gather moral integrity in each of the worlds. <<less

The protagonist, a famous YouTuber known for playing the game trilogy “Tril Trilo Trilogy,” finds himself possessing the final boss of the game world.... more>>

Before the release of the new instalment in the series, he receives an offer from the game’s developer to play a prequel, “Part 0,” which explores events that occurred before the first instalment. Since he is a fan of “Tril Trilo Trilogy,” he eagerly accepts the offer.

However, through some twist of fate, he wake ups in the world of “Tril Trilo” in the dreadful body of the final boss of the trilogy, a character named Frank Wonderstein. <<less

I returned after 10 years.

In the second year of his transmigration to the Zedoary Continent, Zhou Yan discovered that he had changed from alpha to omega. What’s worse, inhibitors, blockers and camouflage agents have not been developed yet. The people of this place were simple and natural, and occasionally people would enter their heat in public, on the street, attracting a bunch of onlookers.... more>>

Who could stand it, he was not an unevolved primitive. However, he had a good brain, all the cutting-edge technology of the Milky Way was packed inside, and a bottle of inhibitors can’t defeat him. Zhou Yan believes in science, science can solve everything.

The first day, a man in a black robe with an ugly face fell in front of Zhou Yan’s house, burning with a three-foot-high blue flame, looking very unscientific. Zhou Yan immediately decided to drag the body back and perform a thorough autopsy.

The black-robed man suddenly opened his eyes, and his ugly face fell to the ground with a “snap”.

“You don’t have that kind of setting where I have to be responsible for you when I see your actual face, do you?”

The black-robed man narrowed his eyes and sniffed gently, pulling up a flamboyant smile at Zhou Yan, “If you stay here any longer, I’m afraid it will be me who will have to be responsible.”

A scientist from the future with advanced science and technology transmigrates to the backward era of magic, encountering powerful magicians, hideous and ugly magical beasts, and a completely out-of-control pheromone… He also depends on science to survive, and appreciates the fierce sparks generated by the collision of science and magic. The style of this article was light-hearted, the protagonists were a technical person with high technology, one was a powerful magician. During the process of getting along with each other, their ideas collide fiercely. This article elaborates the history of the development of human political systems from a deep historical perspective, and together they lead the people of the otherworldly continent to prosperity. <<less

I became the villain in the story of a hero.... more>>

So I was about to quit after fighting the main character.

But she’s obsessed with me. Why...? <<less

At the beginning, he acquired a piece of land worth billions, but Su Ming used it to cultivate crops!... more>>

Row after row of cucumbers, plant after plant of chili peppers, shoot after shoot of bamboo shoots… …

Everyone couldn’t understand: “Having a billion-dollar land and using it for farming? Su Ming, what’s wrong with you?”

Yet, Su Ming just smiled mysteriously.

Do you really think, naively, that the cucumbers I grow are just ordinary cucumbers?

The joy I find in farming is something you can never imagine! <<less

Zhou Jibo's world shatters when betrayal strikes from the least expected quarter—his fiancée, Zheng Xunqin. ... more>>

Drugged and robbed of his cultivation ability by Zheng, a member of the allied Zheng family, Zhou finds himself crippled in a realm where martial prowess rules all.

Reborn in a mysterious new world after a tragic end in modern times, he discovers he's not just any youth, but one blessed with an Earth Spirit bone root, a marker of potential greatness now tragically marred.

As he silently endures the agonizing theft of his bone root, a sudden twist of fate awakens the ""Universal Attribute Point System"" within him, presenting a Newbie Gift Bag that promises unimaginable power. <<less

When Xu Yue woke up, he found that he had become a monster.... more>>

To the left, there were two slimes—the old couple next door. To the right, there was a young dragon—the junior high school student downstairs. They all met and were equally bewildered by their different races.

It wasn’t until Xu Yue accidentally opened his personal status bar.

(Former) Game Developer Xu Yue: ……

His game successfully launched, but something seemed off. <<less

Every investigation assigned to the S.C.I team are mass mu*ders, committed by unpredictable serial killers with horrendous and gruesome methods of slaughter. However, amidst of... more>> the gory crime scenes and the fiery battles of wit, the love of the young men in the team still blooms... <<less

‘Navia Agnes,’ adopted to marry the Crown Prince on behalf of the Duke of Agnes’ ill daughter.... more>>

“I want to be a real family.”

Navia, who had been hung up on her family’s affection, does her best to become an empress while being abused, but the moment Vivian, the duke’s biological daughter, is cured, her family abandons her.

No, it would be fair to say that they abandoned her every time.

“How much longer do I have to try? To be your family.”

Navia took off her blood-soaked gloves.

Then on her right wrist, an invisible number that wasn’t visible to others was revealed.

1

Looking down at the numbers, she calmly confessed.

“Now, I’m going to stop playing with family games.”

At that moment, the number on the wrist changed.

0

Like that, a life that started again.

“If you touch me, you’ve to pay the price.”

Will she be able to take revenge on the Duke of Agnes and find a temporary family to protect her until she reaches adulthood? <<less

Ragna has reincarnated as the third son of a noble family with lands in the frontier.... more>>

Thrilled at the prospect of living freely in another world without the responsibility of inheriting the family estate, his excitement was short-lived. Following the death of his father and two brothers in battle, Ragna finds himself unexpectedly taking over the family.

Unfamiliar with managing the estate and continuing the family legacy, he now faces the challenge of navigating noble duties, including attending an elite academy in the capital. As if adjusting to these responsibilities wasn't overwhelming enough, an arranged marriage to a high-ranking noble's daughter is thrust upon him.

This is when Ragna recalls a crucial detail about his new reality – this world mirrors that of an otome game, where his fiancée is known as the game's antagonist. <<less

We follow the journey of Oliver, a young boy trapped in a life of emotional detachment, toiling away as a s*ave in a treacherous mine.... more>> However, everything changes when he stumbles upon the enigmatic realm of black magic, a profound study that delves into the very essence of human emotions. As Oliver delves deeper into the intricacies of this forbidden art, he begins to unearth a profound connection between the magical arts and the intricate tapestry of human sentiments. Through his exploration, Oliver’s own emotional landscape undergoes a profound transformation, stirring dormant feelings within him that he had long suppressed. <<less

“If there existed a horrendous ghost among the hwarangs, who would it be? Of course, it’d be Seol Yeong-rang who uses necromancy to call upon ghosts!”... more>>

Hwarang Seol Yeong, who was named as the horrendous ghost who’d bring forth a great disaster one day.

There was only one way to get rid of the false accusations and return to his original position.

It was to prove he wasn’t a horrendous ghost by solving abnormal incidents.

Then, Ja Ha, the head of the previous generation’s hwarang, the man who killed a great evil spirit eight years prior and disappeared without a trace, appeared in front of Seol Yeong… <<less

Lowly shepherdess. Illegitimate daughter. Disgraceful duchess.
Although she had married her beloved Duke Izar, Freesia lived as though she was trapped at the bottom of a bleak, hapless abyss.
Her family took complete advantage of her, and the people of the duchy hated her for being a stain on the household’s honor.... more>>

And then there was her husband, Izar.
Even after she had suffered a miscarriage, he remained cold.

"To be born to parents like us—happiness would forever elude that child."

At Freesia’s funeral, he had shed not a single tear.
But Freesia wished for one last thing.

Please, cry for me.
Shed even a single tear.
Dearly, I hope that your feelings might change.

Even if it means living for just one more year, that’s fine.
Once that time has passed, then.
Come and cry at my funeral.

*

For the first time, Freesia dared to glare at this man.
The dreadful document in her hand fell to the ground.

"How could you do something so cruel to me, to treat me worse than an animal!"

She was mistaken.
She thought, finally, this man held affection for her. That he trusted her.
That, perhaps... it could even be love.
But it was nothing like that. He deceived her.

"You ruined my life."

There were only five months left before her demise. <<less

Every mu*der has its own reasons behind it.... more>>

With the help of criminal investigation, we can restore the killer’s appearance, predict their psychology and unravel the truth.

Captain Song Wen of the Criminal Investigation Department has repeatedly solved strange cases using his masterful ability to simulate criminal portraits down to the last detail. With the arrival of the blooming season, the South City Bureau welcomed a new trainee police officer, Lu Siyu, a taciturn officer who is always able to uncover the truth. And behind him there are also hidden secrets….

Song Wen: Where did this rich second-generation newcomer come from?? No, no need! It hasn’t been seven days. I want to return the goods. There’s no reason.*

A week later — The report written by Lu Siyu is good. The food cooked by Lu Siyu is also good. Ah Lu Siyu, you can also solve the cases so quickly (^o^)

Six months later — Wife, whatever you say is right ヽ(^o^)丿

Even Song Wen couldn’t escape the law of true fragrance*.

Powerful Wolf Dog Chief Gong × Beautiful Yet Cruel, Cold-blooded Pe*vert

The new book “Criminal Investigation Notes” is here for collection.

The process of solving cases becomes refreshing and sweet when emotions come into the picture

Notes :
1. Taobao, which allows customers to return any product within 7 days. No reasons asked! (七天无理由退换)
2. The popular Internet term zhēn xiāng or “true fragrance” is mainly used to ridicule the contradictory behavior of a person who is dead against doing something, but later on falls in love with the same thing and turns back to slap their own face. <<less

In his previous life, when Ye Chaoran was 16 years old, he was suddenly visited by a rich man who told him he was the young master of the Fang family who lived in a different city.... more>>

Little did he know that the purpose of his biological parents was just to find a heart for his brother who had a heart disease.

The parents who he tried to please: “When the operation is successful, we’ll directly announce that he suddenly died.”

The older brother he wanted to be close to: “Don’t appear in front of me. Disgusting.”

Even the man Ye Chaoran cared about most only regarded him as a substitute.

As for his beloved younger brother Fang Yan, Ye Chaoran thought he was the only one who was good to him. Until the last moment, when he showed his true face.

It turns out that all along, he’s only been ridiculed, rejected, and hated.

Then he was reborn.

Now, Ye Chaoran just wants to repay his adoptive parents, get revenge while he’s at it, and live his life well.

–

Ye Chaoran, who’d just been found, refused to leave with his biological parents. The Fang family tried everything, giving him houses and cars, then persuading, then coercing. Finally, they prepared to kidnap him by force.

But bodyguards in black descended from the sky and threw the garbage aside.

An old man showed up, looking calm and proud: “Who dares to touch anyone from my Ye family?”

Ye Chaoran was confused: “Who is this?”

The adoptive father looked sad: “My father.”

Only then did Ye Chaoran realize that his adoptive father turned out to be the richest man’s runaway son!

His family is countless times richer than the Fang family! <<less

One day, in front of my eyes appeared a silver-haired Goddess.... more>>

[Heaven-defying Star. The existence that goes against destiny. The one and only savior of a world that was destined to meet its end—]

What kind of bullsh*t is this woman spouting?

[You must be a regressor.]

“…What?”

No, I’m not. <<less