Cross' Library (1)

KR (4.5)

983 Chapters Every 3.5 Day(s) 37940 Readers 587 Reviews 05-13-2024

10/10, On Hold @ch598, deleted from wuxiaworld, can read @https://eatapplepies.com/mybookmarks/tcf-table-of-contents/... more>>

- Calm and intelligent protagonist transmigrated/reincarnated into a side-character in a novel. Wishes for a slacker life due to past trauma but can't seem to stop caring about people and thereby getting involved with solving their problems. Very loyal very quickly even if he does often say he's just using them or he's waiting for them to follow the original novel's path and leave him behind, since originally, his character was largely insignificant in the greater scheme of things and never mentioned again after the first and only appearance.

- Excellent intricate plot, some of which seem unimportant at first, but the author is very good at tying things back together as the novel progresses. I really loved how everything is coming together even as more clues are revealed.

- Lots of found family feels, and all character interactions are very well-developed, not even just between Cale and the people in his current life but also - in the most recent arc and in earlier flashbacks/memories - between Cale and the people in his previous life. Side characters all have their own personalities and quirks (and trauma). No harem, no romance. Cale is also Reluctant But Fantastic Dad to multiple not-always-human children, and he sort of gets dads of his own in the form of a doting blood father, a terrifying assassin, and a grumpy ancient dragon, which is a novel experience because he was an orphan in his past life. Basically, this family just gets bigger and bigger despite Cale's best efforts (or is it because of lmao).

- Cale needs to work on his self-preservation. He says things like "I hate getting hurt" and "I will be the first to run away in any situation" and "I will never sacrifice myself for anyone", and then he turns around and gets hurt, doesn't run away if he can't run away with literally everyone on his side, and sacrifices himself. His friends and family Worry.

- Author's writing style can come across somewhat clumsy at times. Still perfectly understandable and doesn't detract from plot, but skill-wise, it could admittedly use some work. <<less

KR (3.9)

#2Solo Leveling

17 Chapters Every 182.3 Day(s) 18656 Readers 255 Reviews 02-17-2019

Completed Action Adventure Drama Fantasy Shounen Supernatural

10/10, Finished... more>>

KR (4.6)

#3Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint

0 Chapters Every 2145 Day(s) 21513 Readers 441 Reviews 07-03-2018

Action Adventure Comedy Drama Fantasy Mature Mystery Psychological Sci-fi Seinen Supernatural Tragedy

9.5/10, On Hold @ch236... more>>

KR (4)

#4A Returner’s Magic Should Be Special

16 Chapters Every 19.2 Day(s) 8074 Readers 37 Reviews 08-06-2023

Action Adventure Comedy Drama Fantasy School Life Shounen

9/10, On Hold @ch132... more>>

KR (4.4)

#5The Second Coming of Gluttony

20 Chapters Every 120.7 Day(s) 23498 Readers 464 Reviews 07-09-2019

Completed Action Adventure Comedy Drama Fantasy Harem Mature Psychological Seinen

6/10, On Hold @195... more>>

- Honestly not my usual thing because 1) harem (and imo not very well done either, very fanservice-y with an MC that teeters between pe*verted and bafflingly naive), and 2) the MC himself has personality aspects that I don't care for.

- Why am I still reading it? The worldbuilding is excellent. There's a lot of mature themes, and a LOT of questionable morals in the sense of "in a world with different rules and a different society, what kind of things are acceptable and how far are you willing to push the line" sort of way. But I really like the world it's set in, with the MC receiving the (somewhat vague) memory impressions of his future self before being pulled into a different world (Paradise) to survive. Lots of gaming elements where Earthlings can grow stronger and receive rewards for leveling up/raids/other missions, but in exchange, they're also expected (but not forced) to fight against the alien forces currently threatening to annihilate Paradise. Earth is still a thing where Earthlings can come and go from - Paradise is basically a separate planet with portals that join the two worlds.

- The MC is... compelling, I suppose? He starts out as tr*sh, pretty despicable, with a heavy addiction to gambling - in the first few chapters, he's just horrible, and you sort of hate him and pity him at the same time. Then he gets his memories, and he isn't instantly cured, but it is enough to make him focus on something else (becoming a "player" to enter Paradise). Over the course of the novel, he does show gradual character development, he leaves his gambling addiction behind and begins trying to mend his ties with his family, and Paradise gives him the opportunity to make new friends and find new purpose in his life. There are moments where you definitely want to cheer for him, but at least for me, there are also times where I still don't find him very likeable. He gets much better as a person, but at the same time, sometimes he makes decisions you might not agree with, and personality-wise, he sometimes comes off as a pe*vert, but at the same time, there are moments where he does things that are naive or downright s*upid (ie. he's like 26 I think but he thinks gifting everyone lingerie is acceptable just because his ex-girlfriend liked it back when they were together when he gave it to her).

- TLDR: He's not so terrible that I would drop this novel because of him, and for some people, this MC might be exactly the sort of guy you like. He's pretty bamf even though he gets badly injured in all his most difficult battles, and he's a bit of a training addict now. He can be stubborn to the point of s*upidity, but on the flip side, he's also persistent, and there have been people he's managed to save because of that. He's - as I said - s*upid in some ways, but he also has a pretty strategic mind when it comes to missions/fights. I suppose you could say that one of the major points that this novel explores is that there's no one thing that's absolutely good or absolutely bad, there's always a foil, and that includes everything from the MC's character and actions to the greater power struggle between Paradise/Earthlings and the invading parasite forces.

- There's no romance so far even if there is that pesky harem. There are several women who are into him but I can't really tell who he'll end up with. Character interaction is good, harem aside - side characters are fleshed out enough that you grow to care about at least some of them, and there are some team as family aspects that come together nicely.

- But yeah, TLDR, the characters alone aren't enough for me to really say I like it enough to continue. I gave it as high as a 6 mostly because of the worldbuilding.

- I've put this one on hold. Idk if I'll pick it up again. <<less

CN (4.6)

#6The Earth is Online

131 Chapters Every 47.2 Day(s) 17578 Readers 411 Reviews 06-22-2023

Completed Action Adventure Comedy Drama Horror Mature Mystery Psychological Sci-fi Supernatural Yaoi

10/10, Finished... more>>

- Smart protagonist in a world where monsters suddenly appear and humanity is forced into a series of death games. He quickly adapts and learns to hold his own in a fight but largely depends on his intellect to overcome each situation he gets dragged into. Not one for panicking, and honestly, if you end up in a game with him, you might as well throw in the towel early XD

- Male love interest is the strongest person in this world but is also pretty smart. Great relationship development between them, no needless drama or pining or misunderstandings. Romance is slow burn but develops steady enough that you won’t get frustrated with it. It’s not the main focus of the novel but it’s still a quiet, stable thing that really shows how well they click together, even before they officially get together.

- Overall plot is interesting, with a neat resolution and a hopeful future at the end, very satisfying. Side characters are well fleshed out, humans and monsters alike, and you’ll mostly likely have some favourites amongst them. (I love me my bastard psychopath - it’s the first time I’ve come across a character as annoying as f*ck as him, and I wanted to strangle him half the time, but damn do I still adore him.)

- Every game also has its own unique spin, and a lot of monsters have ties to well-known fairy tale/legend/biblical figures in human history (ie. Mario, Pinocchio, Santa, Schrodinger, etc.), with a dark twist on them to make them... well, monsters.

- It does have a bit of a slow start, at least for me it didn’t quite hook me in as instantly as some other novels, so if you have the same problem, I would advise pushing through the first 10-15 chapters before deciding whether or not you really want to drop it.

- There is one very short s*x scene that I feel may have been lost in translation and vague prob due to censorship so it wasn’t great (got kind of cracky tbh), but again, the relationship itself is top-notch if you like a romance with a solid foundation of trust and devotion, one that’s not in your face but still very clearly portrayed. <<less

CN (4.5)

#7Dominion’s End

94 Chapters Every 80.1 Day(s) 9706 Readers 120 Reviews 03-01-2024

Action Adventure Comedy Drama Gender Bender Sci-fi Supernatural

8/10, On Hold @v5prologue... more>>

- Basically, you've got time/dimension travel + reincarnation + apocalypse + special abilities + overprotective siblings. Our MC travels back in time from an apocalyptic world that honestly wasn't going so well, except instead of landing in her own body or even in her own world, she lands in a guy's body, in a world similar to her original one that still hits all the major apocalypse points at the right time but people and events start to change because 1) her very existence there changes things, and 2) she's not the only reincarnator. Also it turns out that the guy she landed in isn't entirely random/unrelated. The mystery of it is complicated but fun.

- What I like most about this novel is probably the complete lack of f*cks the MC and her family give about any outsiders who want to harm them. This is very much a novel that encompasses the us vs. the world trope, and for these three siblings, they take it an extra mile. Moral dilemmas can be nice but sometimes you just want a main cast that don't get so hung up on mu*der. They're very protective of each other, and while they do struggle a few times when their choices clash, especially with the MC struggling to fit into her new situation, it's still very clear that they care about each other.

- The MC herself is clever since she has the experience of surviving ten years in a apocalyptic world, but at the same time, she's also got some PTSD to work through. She's the very prepared sort, practical too, and she gets better and better at fighting over time. I think at first, aside from her (new) sister and brother, she tries pretty hard not to care about anyone else, and she comes off as very mistrustful of others and not overly willing to share certain supplies/information even with people in her own group. This issue comes up in particular in chapter 5 & 6 (although it's resolved after that), and while I do think she could've made better choices there, I also think her past life explains a lot of why she acts the she way does in that moment, so keep that in mind if you find those two chapters hard to get through. She does get better, and you can see that once she lets herself, she can be pretty protective of people she comes to care about, even though - like her siblings - she still has no qualms killing anyone who threatens her people.

- No romance so far, very much a found family sort of novel, although I do have a ship I like.

- Currently paused at the end of volume 4 since volume 5 is in the middle of being translated, so I'll wait for that to finish before returning to this. <<less

CN (4.5)

#8The Trial Game of Life

172 Chapters Every 9 Day(s) 5357 Readers 22 Reviews 04-27-2024

Action Adventure Drama Fantasy Mystery Shounen Ai Supernatural

8.5/10, On Hold @ch25... more>>

JP (4.5)

#9Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e

527 Chapters Every 43.9 Day(s) 10551 Readers 60 Reviews 11-03-2022

Drama Harem Psychological Romance School Life Shounen Slice of Life

8/10, On Hold @v12... more>>

- I guess this one doesn't really fit in with the rest of these recs but it does have a strong and intelligent MC, which is pretty much half the reason I like this series, the other half is the worldbuilding. I came to read the novel because I really liked the anime, which isn't a popular opinion in this fandom but I loved the way the MC was portrayed. (I personally wouldn't recommend the manga). Basically we have a protagonist groomed from birth to be this perfect example of humanity's best, and as a result, he's smart and strong but he lacks empathy and emotion in general and doesn't know certain things that should be common sense to regular kids (ie. he doesn't know games that people played as children, etc.). The novel mainly takes place at an elite school that the MC manages to enter after escaping from the facility that was grooming him, because he heard this school was the one place that facility couldn't touch him.

- The school itself isn't just a regular high school - it has a very competitive point system in place, with special exams that test students on more than just their academic knowledge. The MC starts helping his classmates pass the exams/generally bail them out of trouble for his own various reasons, and while he's dealing with that, the facility also comes to try and get him back.

- There is a hetship by the end of first year (although Idk if it'll last), and this is a pseudo-harem novel, which is why I only gave it a 8 even though I really like the MC and setting. But side characters and their various flaws and troubled pasts are also fleshed out, and it's interesting to see how each class goes about trying to come out on top in each exam. Normally, I'd give this type of novel a 10/10 but the fanservice is just mu*dering me.

- It seems that a lot of people who read the series first don't like the anime, but I personally would recommend watching the anime first, although fair warning, one of the reasons people don't like it is because the main female lead in the anime takes over a lot of the roles that should belong to other girls in the novel. I personally don't care that much - I don't like the female lead (and I think she gets even worse in the novel), but I'm pretty ambivalent to most of the other girls too, and their presences don't detract from the MC, which is who I'm following this novel for. Also I ship him with a guy from a different class so I mostly just pretend the hetships aren't a thing lol.

- The writing's not great, and I think that's more on the author than the translator. It's still understandable but... yeah, it's not great, not even due to spelling mistakes or anything, just the level of writing is mediocre. This and the harem was why I gave it an 8, but I still gave it an 8 because I'm just that partial to the MC XD <<less

CN (4.5)

#10Card Room

612 Chapters Every 49.3 Day(s) 9411 Readers 139 Reviews 05-12-2022

Completed Action Adventure Comedy Horror Mature Mystery Romance Shounen Ai

7.5/10, On Hold @ch239... more>>

- The protagonist is pretty smart, plus he's a forensics professor in real life so that really comes in handy in the survival games in the Card Room. Basic plot is the MC (and love interest) both die and enter the Card Room, where if they pass a certain number of games, they'll be given the chance to return to life.

- I'm only at chapter 137 so I won't say this reaches the point of the team as family trope, but they do gradually form a team who get along pretty well (it's implied that a big team will be required for the hardest games so I imagine it'll eventually reach 15 people total, which is the maximum team size). Each person has a pretty important skillset to contribute too so it really seems like everyone is necessary to pass a game as they get harder and harder.

- I only gave this an 8 because while I do find the characters fairly likeable, I'm not particularly attached to them in comparison to novels like TEIO. I also find it increasingly annoying that the main focus seems to be on the ML more and more - he was a police officer and can be considered the strongest character, and while the MC gets his moments to shine (he performs necessary autopsies so they can get clues faster and he comes up with creative ways to use the ability cards to make everyone's lives easier), the ML is usually the one taking the lead, giving the orders, fighting their enemies, setting the records, etc. I guess it makes sense since he was a police captain, and the MC also sets records, but less of them (ie. he's particularly good at the Diamonds games which are the logic puzzles, but they didn't even give him the record for all of those, only the first two, while the love interest who is good at the Spades and Hearts rooms gets all the records/perfect clearances for those, albeit with MC's help in the Hearts after they join up). And the Spades and Hearts rooms are the ones that are written in expansive detail too, while Diamonds (and Clubs) don't get half as much page-time). The MC just... fades? into the background and often takes a backseat role when the love interest is in action. We also get the someone-from-his-past-makes-a-return-under-mysterious-circumstances trope for the love interest instead of the MC. I don't want to say the MC doesn't matter at all, he does play key roles in various games, but I just keep getting the sense that the love interest outshines him a lot, especially when the MC just stays on the sidelines while the love interest acts (ie. several times, he just sits around waiting anxiously for the love interest to catch up while said love interest is investigating something/in danger, and that's the plan they agreed on, but I still wish it was more equal). Again though, I'm still only on ch137 so maybe that might change/improve.

- This novel does have very interesting games (logic problems, mysteries, escape room puzzles, etc.) so you can actually try to solve them yourself before the novel gives the answers.

- Overall, it's actually pretty good so far, the worldbuilding is excellent, and the mystery of the Card Room itself (as in why does it exist at all and can it really return you to life) is yet to be solved. It's just that the MC/ML dynamic is really frustrating because of how unfair it seems, like everything the MC is good at, the ML is also good at, and everything the ML is good at, MC isn't. As the novel goes on, it's not a power couple at all, it's just ML as the MC with MC as his sidepiece.

- Still, this book is popular with the general public so maybe it's a thing people enjoy.

- I think I'll put this on hold for now, I'll come back to it at another time. <<less

CN (4.4)

#11Game Loading

309 Chapters Every 58.8 Day(s) 12901 Readers 182 Reviews 08-15-2019

Completed Action Adventure Comedy Fantasy Psychological Romance Sci-fi Shounen Ai Supernatural

6.5/10, Dropped @124... more>>

- Practical, resourceful, and Very Done MC gets transported to another world where his job is to help clear quasi-worlds (created by designers) so they can become real worlds. ML is a designer whose quasi-worlds keep getting matched with the MC, and they're not exactly /difficult/ to clear, they just get complicated and convoluted and by the end of each one, you're about as exhausted as the MC is.

- This novel's pretty funny, and one of the highlights is that the love interest has a skill that tells him how much goodwill other people feel towards him, and let's just say nobody knew it could drop into the negatives before MC came along. ML's pretty much a classic idiot in love, while MC is just So Done because he has to clear all the ridiculous tasks in the ML's quasi-worlds, it's hilarious to watch the ML scramble to appease the MC. Not enemies to lovers, just a very frustrated MC and an ML who's head over heels for him, and their relationship development is very sweet.

- The quasi-worlds and worldbuilding in general is pretty interesting, I like the premise they've set up for why clearing the worlds are necessary and how the "players" fit into that. Some of the tasks do drag on a bit, at least for me, it gets a little tedious maybe because I prefer "games" with more action in it, while the quasi-worlds MC is forced to clear usually revolve around some kind of love task (ML deserves staying in the negatives) 80% of the time, but overall, I think it's well-written and fairly unique.

- I think for this novel, it's important that you don't take it too seriously. There's some angsty backstory for both the MC and ML but this novel is very much one with a comedic element to it, even if there's also mu*der and tense moments.

- I'm still on chapter 124, and so far the focus is mainly on the MC and ML. There are a handful of side characters that seem notable (MC meets them in one or more of the quasi-worlds) but at least for now, they don't play any huge roles in the MC's narrative.

- I've lost interest in this one because the focus is so much on the ML and his love tasks. I want more focus on the plot and games that don't just revolve around the ML so this isn't for me. Dropped. <<less

CN (4.5)

#12I Just Want to Be in a Relationship

262 Chapters Every 24.3 Day(s) 12735 Readers 219 Reviews 05-20-2023

Completed Comedy Drama Romance Slice of Life Supernatural Yaoi

8/10, Finished... more>>

- Also not a genre I usually read but I liked the reviews for it and gave it a try. Basic summary is MC is reborn ten years in the past after dying from trying to save /someone/ from danger. The MC was a pretty good actor so with all that experience, he enters the entertainment circle again and wows a lot of people with his talent. Twist is that in his previous life, he put his work first and kept most people at a distance because he's gay and everyone encouraged him to keep it hidden since that sort of thing could sink his career. Since he has a second chance, he decides he wants more from life than just work, but due to his acting skills and some very good luck (which does have a reason), he keeps getting job offers anyway. Fortunately, he also meets the ML.

- The relationship itself builds slowly but steadily. Personally, I actually enjoyed the MC's relationship with everyone else (he makes a lot of new friends) more than the romance, but the romance was pretty nice too, just a little too tooth-rottingly fluffy for my tastes, and there were parts I just skimmed over because I found it a bit boring. The ML is also kind of pushy sometimes and prone to bouts of jealousy early on, which isn't my thing, but he does grow past that, and you definitely can't fault their devotion to each other. So overall, I liked the romantic relationship fine, but I preferred reading about MC's interactions with other people more and how he changes their lives for the better.

- The ML is unique in this in that the author portrayed him as a genius when it comes to physics and math but he's autistic and very bad at everyday tasks, so it was interesting to see how the MC helped the ML adapt to the larger world but not forcing him to change to fit "normal" societal expectations. Homos*xual relationships are also not encouraged in China and even more so for celebrities so it was very heartwarming to see how the MC navigates that, how he prioritizes his love above his job and isn't afraid to show it, and how even with homophobes out there, there are also people who are perfectly accepting of two men being together.

- As I mentioned above, the MC is super lucky, and by the end of the novel, we do get to know why, plus how the MC was granted a second chance, and the fact that him meeting the ML was fated to be. I really liked this twist explanation, and the novel extras at the end expand on it some more. Overall, it was a funny, sweet, and gratifying read.

- Note that there are two translators for this novel, the first covers the first five chapters and the second covers the rest. Admittedly, the first translator's translations could use some work, it's still understandable but phrasing is awkward and diction is messy. The second translator does better, there are still some mistakes scattered here and there but it runs a lot more smoothly. <<less

CN (3.8)

#13Lord of End of World

177 Chapters Every 95.7 Day(s) 5998 Readers 110 Reviews 07-11-2020

Completed Action Adventure Harem Martial Arts Romance Slice of Life Smut Yaoi

8/10, Finished... more>>

- Basically, harem tr*sh XD Officially, it ends with the MCx2MLs but there are 5 implied MLs total in the novel.

- I don't usually read this genre but I've been going through the novels CG is translating and stumbled on this one, gave it a try and surprisingly didn't hate it. The MC is a cultivation expert from an ancient era/world, kept as a s*ave for years, and after he died, he was reincarnated into the body of a sixteen-year-old boy in modern times, about a year before the apocalypse happens. At the same time, the boy's sister also reincarnates, but from the same world's future where she went through a lot of trauma and blames her brother for hurting her in various ways, so she's determined to leave him to die this time around. Except since it's MC in his body now, the timeline changes as well, and you get the "everyone loves the MC" trope. The rest of the novel basically follows the MC as he navigates the apocalypse, gathers lovers and admirers and followers, and is generally the most BAMF person in any room.

- Because of his childhood in that other life where he was basically always locked up/tortured/raped/used as a cultivation tool by his master, the MC sometimes doesn't get social cues and is very straightforward and innocent, but at he same time, his morals are definitely skewed. Because of his past life's training though, despite not getting any abilities from the apocalypse, he's still super strong and can handle himself in any kind of fight. He's not the cunning tricky type but he adheres to the belief "an eye for an eye", and even though he might not understand a lot of modern-day things, he has a good mind for battle strategy and training. I guess you could say he's a bit of a Mary Sue (idk if that's the norm for harem cnovels?) with everyone liking him (except the obligatory antagonists), and the MLs can't keep their minds out of the gutter half the time when it comes to the MC (they... uke-ify him? The way they describe him through their eyes is kind of gross and irritating but I eventually learned to kind of just filter it out lmfao.), but I do still find him pretty likeable, and sometimes I just want a novel where the MC kicks ass and wins people over without too much effort. Still not something I'd deliberately look for but I enjoyed this one a lot. Plot is like novel junk food, it runs smoothly, with some tension, but also you know things will turn out fine, and nothing too complicated gets thrown in.

- Several s*x scenes, between MC and MLs as well as side characters. Obviously noncon from MC's past, and the first time MC and main MLs have s*x, there are aphrodisiacs involved - MLs accidentally get drugged and stumble on MC, so there's some dubcon there which I'm not a fan of, but at the same time, MLs' attraction to MC is already established, and MC is actually stronger than them so if he wanted to he could've stopped them, so that kind of balances it out, and they do figure their sh*t out the day after (MLs think MC hates them for forcing themselves on him, MC thinks they hate him for taking advantage of their drugged state, they talk it out). Overall, it wasn't so bad that I couldn't continue.

- I was honestly surprised I didn't drop it after the first few chapters, this really isn't a genre I'm into, but coupled with the apocalypse + abilities and some decently fleshed out characters, I'd recommend it as a kick-back-and-relax don't-think-too-hard-about-it read so long as you don't mind the moral ambiguity/bankruptcy, noncon/torture/mu*der/etc., explicit content, and ofc the bamf!MC/harem. <<less

CN (4.4)

#14I Rely On Poverty To Sweep Through Survival Games

245 Chapters Every 5.9 Day(s) 7213 Readers 38 Reviews 04-11-2024

Action Comedy Drama Horror Mature Mystery Psychological Supernatural Yaoi

9.5/10, On Hold @ch190... more>>

CN (4.1)

#15Dangerous Survival in the Apocalypse

96 Chapters Every 84.4 Day(s) 4788 Readers 18 Reviews 03-17-2022

Action Adult Adventure Mature Romance Slice of Life Supernatural Yaoi

4.5/10, Dropped @ch49.2... more>>

- There's nothing really /bad/ about this novel, I just found it kind of boring. You've got the classic MC with a pocket dimension space via family heirloom bracelet that he discovers several months before the apocalypse begins. MC doesn't know the apocalypse is coming, but due to the healing water found in his space, which he uses in his food, he (and a few of his friends/bodyguards/father) aren't caught up in the "flu" that would turn people into zombies. After that, from what I've read, it's basically just MC surviving in the apoc, he's pretty OP which I do like, calm under fire and smart, you know the type, but the plotline in general just got really tiresome for me.

- If i had to pick one thing that I did actively dislike, it would be the ML. Or maybe the setup of the ML would be more accurate. So basically, before the apocalypse, MC comes across a stray dog and adopts it, and we find out that this dog is actually not just a dog but the ML (probably?) somehow cursed to become a dog. He's shown to mostly have an IQ equivalent to that of an untrained puppy (with some extra knowledge of things like MC's space) and generally acts like one - he bites the MC a lot, tries to kill the MC in his sleep because he wants his space, he's picky about his food, etc. And then he finally manages to get into the MC's space and takes a bath in the healing water, which immediately turns him into a child (about 6 years old). The MC takes it in stride, adopts him (literally gets the paperwork and everything), and child!ML does seem to see MC as more than just "food reserve". He now has the IQ of a child (with some extra knowledge and magic abilities but still generally behaves like a child), WHICH I would be fine with if HE WASN'T THE ML. The MC literally treats him first as his pet dog, then as his son. I've read 50 chapters and the ML is still a six-year-old, and there's never even a hint of attraction from the MC to the ML, which thank god because he's six and still hasn't told MC anything about his past, MC just thinks the changes are due to the healing water. But judging by the summary, ML will eventually get another chance at bathing in the healing water again and will instantly turn into a full-grown man, which would also be fine if not for the fact that MC's raised him as a son for months. I guess my line in the sand here is that I really wouldn't like it if MC suddenly goes "oh he's grown-up and hot now so I'm attracted to him", which might not be how it happens but Idk how else it would since this relationship is going to be a thing. So yeah, TLDR after that long-ass rant: the whole ML setup is something I didn't like from the start, and while some of ML's personality so far can be contributed to his dog-IQ and child-IQ, I still found it kind of annoying (ie. dog!ML manages to get into the pool of healing water, which results in the pool completely drying up after he becomes a child, and it takes a hell of a long time to even start filling up again; by ch50 it hadn't even reached its original amount yet but the ML is constantly trying to use it all up again and MC has to literally stop him from entering it; I don't care that he's a child, he's not /just/ a child, he knows enough by that point to not be so selfish, especially since they're IN THE APOCALYPSE and healing water is kind of important).

- So yeah. I guess my complaints for this novel are personal pet peeves, and it wasn't all bad. If you don't mind any of the above, and stocking up for the apoc with a space skill is your cup of tea, you might end up liking it more than I did. <<less