Cross' Library (2)

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Cross' Library (2)

A list of novels I've read and loved. Genres include one or more of the following:

- Strong/Clever/OP Protagonist
- Morally Grey Character(s)
- Transmigration/Reincarnation/Rebirth/Time Travel
- Game Elements/Game World
- Survival Game/Unlimited Flow
- Other/Fantasy World
- Apocalypse
- Plot + No Romance
- Plot + Power Couple/Healthy Relationship
- Slice of Life
- Historical Setting/Interstellar
- Horror/Supernatural

*I won't include every novel I read here, just the ones I really think are worth at least a try. There are also a few I dropped but I felt like it was more personal bias or a pet peeve that made me drop it/give it a low score, and objectively, other people might like it.

*Regularly updated.

*First reclist here: www.novelupdates.com/viewlist/12895/

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18 Followers

cywscross

Created: Jun 12th, 2022, Updated: Jan 30th, 2024

Created Jun 12th, 2022

Updated Jan 30th, 2024

CN (3.9)

#1The First Interstellar Energy Gambler

216 Chapters Every 46.4 Day(s) 1924 Readers 23 Reviews 05-28-2022

Completed Mecha Romance Sci-fi Shounen Ai

8/10, Finished... more>>

CN (3.9)

#2God-level Stone Gambler

192 Chapters Every 5.6 Day(s) 2678 Readers 21 Reviews 04-18-2024

Fantasy Mecha Romance Sci-fi Yaoi

8/10, On Hold @ch68... more>>

CN (4.5)

#3Born to Be Rebellious [Quick Transmigration]

214 Chapters Every 20.7 Day(s) 6336 Readers 75 Reviews 08-14-2023

Completed Action Adventure Comedy Drama Fantasy Mecha Romance Sci-fi Shounen Ai

7/10, On Hold @ch6... more>>

CN (4.3)

#4Opening a Shop in the Nightmare World

140 Chapters Every 82.5 Day(s) 3740 Readers 66 Reviews 12-24-2020

Completed Adventure Horror Mystery Shounen Ai

9/10, Finished... more>>

This one was really good! Unique in that the MC isn't a player for once, although he often ends up pretending to be one, and he's also very good at it. But he's actually a shopkeeper here, and his job is to find ghost tools to trade with other players. The shop is really cool, wish I had my own lol, and MC brings a few strays (ghosts) home, and there's some vague found fam vibes there even if it's not expanded on much. The main focus is on MC as he learns about the shop and the Nightmare World and the history behind both. Got some nice face-slapping now and then, side/minor characters aren't prominent but you still might grow fond of a few of them, and the games are interesting/heartbreaking when the MC ends up unravelling the mysteries in them. Game... 3? The one with the shitty hired help, is probably my favourite, I liked the backstory for the task they had to carry out, and the other players in that one were fleshed out pretty well. I felt like that game was the one where MC mixed in with the team the most as they figured out how to clear the task.

For the romance, it's basically nonexistent. I'm not exaggerating, we literally do not even get the ML's name the entire novel, they don't officially get together either until like the last chapter, which is an extra, and even then, it's mostly just strongly implied (ML is called the MC's "partner" in outsider POV). I feel like the MC didn't even figure out that ML might like him in a romantic sense until the very end, and the ML himself is pretty subtle about expressing it most of the time. Like, it's the sort of subtle where if you told me there's no romance at all in this novel, I'd go with it. Romance is last priority here, so if you're going in hoping for fluff and love drama, you'll be disappointed. ML is protective of MC, more so as the story progresses, and the two of them do get along and grow closer.

The ending is admittedly a bit rushed. I heard the author got sick and they had to finish quickly, so some things aren't as expanded on as they could've been, which might contribute a little as to why the romance is lacking. I still think they did a good job wrapping up the loose ends, and the important stuff was all explained, so the ending isn't /too/ abrupt. I would've liked to see the MC running the shop properly with more advanced ghost tools in stock, and more on his relationships with the minor characters would've been nice, but overall, it was definitely an enjoyable read. <<less

CN (3.7)

#5After Transmigrating into a Cannon Fodder Real Daughter, the Plot Changes

166 Chapters Every 3 Day(s) 2130 Readers 16 Reviews 04-18-2024

Drama Fantasy Romance School Life Slice of Life

9/10, On Hold @ch36... more>>

CN (4)

#6I Have Decided to Go Look for My Father

278 Chapters Every 42.5 Day(s) 4674 Readers 68 Reviews 03-10-2023

Comedy Drama Fantasy Romance School Life Slice of Life

9/10, Currently Reading... more>>

CN (4.2)

#7My Whole Family Are Villain

220 Chapters Every 79.5 Day(s) 9307 Readers 241 Reviews 03-10-2021

Completed Comedy Drama School Life Shoujo

7.5/10, On Hold @ch48... more>>

CN (4)

#8The Greatest Astrologist

82 Chapters Every 53.5 Day(s) 1767 Readers 17 Reviews 03-08-2022

Adventure Comedy Drama Fantasy Mystery Romance School Life Supernatural

9/10, On Hold @ch84... more>>

CN (4.4)

#9The Green Tea’s Crushing Victories in the ’70s

511 Chapters Every 6.9 Day(s) 5418 Readers 63 Reviews 02-28-2024

Comedy Drama Fantasy Romance Slice of Life

8.5/10, On Hold @ch139... more>>

CN (4.7)

#10They All Say I’ve Met a Ghost

48 Chapters Every 97.6 Day(s) 6331 Readers 120 Reviews 04-30-2020

Completed Comedy Horror Romance Shounen Ai Slice of Life Supernatural

7.5/10, On Hold @ch13... more>>

CN (4.4)

#11100,000/Hour Professional Stand-in

362 Chapters Every 50.5 Day(s) 5574 Readers 148 Reviews 04-01-2022

Completed Drama Fantasy Psychological

10/10, Finished... more>>

Very Interesting premise lmao. I'm enjoying it so far. To summarize, as someone in the comments said, this novel is a bit like combining Cheating Men Must Die with Job of an Imperial Concubine. I kind of wish I could be as mature as this MC lol, she just doesn't let the little things bother her. Doing her own thing while using all these scum men to earn the money she needs to go home.

I am pretty sure ML is Chen Yunsheng, even though at the point I'm at it's still not clear, but I cheated by scrolling through the comments lolol. I'm really glad though, he's super sweet and very respectful of her, takes none of the manipulative sh*t from MC's "twin", and I feel like he's a good match for the MC. Also love the fact that when he starts catching on to her fishing business, she doesn't lie to him about it or beat around the bush, she just tells him straight out, with a "if he can't accept it, then there's no need to be friends" mindset, and he doesn't get mad or jump to conclusions. It really saves everyone so much trouble and it's just refreshing to have a relationship that isn't mired in misunderstandings and drama.

If this were a F/F novel, I would also not be opposed to MC x Zhang Ning, they don't get a lot of screentime but they click very well.

Aaaa what a satisfying novel. This MC does her faceslapping right and earns money from it too. I love how the transmigration is done too, first time I've seen all the loose ends tied up so neatly. For the most part, this is actually not a romance-focused novel, but the ship is there, it's sweet, and the MC and ML are brought together in a pretty unique way.

As for the original scum MLs and FL, I liked that not all of them got their redemption arcs, but not all of them had bad ends either. They definitely don't get together with the original MC, which thank god, but MC doled out revenge for the original, and some of them learned from it and some of them didn't. All of them definitely felt regret.

Overall, 10/10, would recommend. <<less

CN (4)

#12Rebirth of the Evil Mother-In-Law

425 Chapters Every 49.3 Day(s) 9006 Readers 114 Reviews 04-27-2022

Completed Drama Fantasy Supernatural

9.5/10, Finished... more>>

Excellent. Satisfying faceslapping with a strong fem!MC. Not transmigration (although transmigration is a thing in this novel), MC is the same person, just given a chance at rebirth after a bad end first timeline for her. Mostly no romance, it's very background and gradual, and she really doesn't need a man to help her, but the pairing is pretty sweet, and I like that the ML is supportive and protective but largely stays hands-off and does his own thing because MC is perfectly capable of handling everything on her own. It ends open-ended, with MC agreeing to let the ML pursue her, although they've already had a couple pseudo-dates, and they've been working together for a couple years at that point. Actual romantic content is in the extras. It's actually pretty funny. ML has no hesitation in announcing his intentions, literally tells the paparazzi to take a better picture next time to show MC's beauty more clearly. And I do like that both of them are very straightforward with each other, no s*upid misunderstandings. Also there's a sort of "second ML" (Jiang WenYu). He's not really an ML, honestly he reads like he's ace/aro, his first true love is his research, but in the extras, he messes with the ML a little bit (nothing crazy) because he can be a bit of a gremlin lmao, and also maybe it's his subtle "hurt her and die" warning poke for the ML because MC's helped him a lot so he cherishes her quite a bit even if it's not in a romantic sense. He's more of a little brother or half a son to her lol. But anyway, the back and forth there is pretty funny too.

There are some fantasy/supernatural elements instead of just a mysterious one-and-done rebirth, most of the rebirth(s) (and transmigration) of various characters are explained, and everything is more or less tied up neatly.

FL is... I don't even know. She's that Mary Sue type who cries when something goes wrong for her, and blames all her faults on everyone else, it's never her fault, and due to her protag halo (plus the fact that some people are just scum), her closest supporters all go along with it. Her thought process is just deranged. She's self-centered to the extreme and still somehow believes herself to be a nice person. Good riddance to her. <<less

CN (4.3)

#13Transmigrated into a Parvenu’s Ex-wife in the ‘90s

477 Chapters Every 46.9 Day(s) 9201 Readers 114 Reviews 06-02-2022

Completed Comedy Drama Fantasy Romance Slice of Life

7.5/10, On Hold @ch213... more>>

CN (4.6)

#14Don’t Discriminate Against Species

0 Chapters Every 1431 Day(s) 4585 Readers 84 Reviews 05-19-2020

Completed Action Adventure Mystery Romance Shounen Ai Slice of Life Supernatural Xianxia

9.5/10, Finished... more>>

This is such a good novel! The MC is cute but super bamf even if it's a gradual process for everybody else to realize it, and there's a mystery in his past that slowly gets unraveled throughout the novel, partly because he downplays a lot of it without meaning to, and partly because he himself doesn't know. He's not so good with human society because this is the first time he's ventured out amongst them, and he's kind of naively innocent about certain things, but he's very knowledgeable in the supernatural field, to the point where he knows things that have long been forgotten in history (he's 4000 years old), and he can pop out some very wise pieces of advice at times.

The romance is slow burn (I feel like they started going on dates before they actually started dating, and ML fell first even though he definitely didn't realize he was falling). It's not overly sweet (although there are plenty of fluffy moments), and the progression feels very natural. The ML grew on me, he isn't just the typical perfect cold CEO type, and his personality is fleshed out as the novel moves along (like he's actually super stingy but before he knows it, he's taking MC out for meals on his own dime lmao; or MC takes him out fishing, and he showed his childish side when he finally caught the biggest one between them). Also it's a bit funny how the ML is almost 2000 years old but in yao terms, he's actually still a minor, and MC sometimes nags or protects him like a senior to his junior.

I think my favourite aspect is how the MC deals with the supernatural cases he comes across, and the interactions between him and the Management Bureau/his colleagues. This is a modern setting where yao no longer have a dominant position in society so they have to learn to fit in with the humans, and there are even laws in place to make sure yao remain a secret from the masses and nobody causes trouble. The Bureau (made up of yao and human cultivators) reinforces those laws, but because it's humans at the top of the food chain these days, a lot of info that used to be common knowledge back in the MC's time have been lost, and a lot of items that MC tosses out like they're worth nothing (because the yao he grew up with all had them in his time) are actually super rare and expensive.

MC has a lot of admiration for the humans' creativity and advancements but he brings his own charm into the Bureau, plus he also finds more diplomatic approaches for some of the really powerful yao that the Bureau comes across, and it feels like the Bureau has grown closer since his arrival. ML is the head of the Bureau, and his subordinates are all very respectful of him even after MC arrives, but they hold him less at arm's length once MC is there to bridge the gap and make ppl realize he isn't just this aloof boss figure everybody's kind of afraid of.

There are also some mildly angsty/melancholic bits - ML had a tough childhood just because he was half-human and an orphan, MC was raised like a pampered sheltered prince but his whole mountain and everybody who used to live on it with him/take care of him had disappeared, and you get snapshots of that every once in a while. It's also a little sad to see how much yao history and their place in the world has been taken over by humans or forgotten due to humans moving on from the old ways or the yao species going extinct. One of the main themes of this novel is how life moves on, time doesn't stop, and you can only adapt and keep going.

Overall, very good novel, lots of worldbuilding and supernatural lore, def recommend. This one's actually been on my list for a while but I just haven't gotten around to reading it til now. I'm probably doomed to read almost all of this author's novels, most of them are in line with my tastes lol. <<less

CN (4.5)

#15I Really Am a Slag Shou!

186 Chapters Every 74.3 Day(s) 10562 Readers 164 Reviews 04-15-2021

Completed Comedy Drama Mature Romance Yaoi

7.5/10, On Hold @ch57... more>>

CN (4.1)

#16A Filthy Rich Hamster in the Apocalypse

102 Chapters Every 61.5 Day(s) 5390 Readers 62 Reviews 01-20-2022

Completed Action Adventure Comedy Romance Sci-fi Shounen Ai

8.5/10, Finished... more>>

This one's pretty enjoyable, my favourite thing about it is the large cast of characters, and they don't get that much screentime but author still manages to flesh them out enough to make them likeable. Lots of found fam elements.

Worldbuilding is nice too, also hilarious how so many alien species consider earth a tourist stop lmao.

The MC and ML call each other Daddy/Baby, and sometimes refer to themselves by that. I guess some ppl might not like it. Basically ML was MC's "daddy" when MC was still an amnesiac hamster, you know the way us humans are with pets. MC isn't an average hamster though so he basically has the mindset of a child plus some of an adult's intelligence. Then when he becomes human, they both stick to the Daddy/Baby address, which can get a bit annoying. They transition from a father/son relationship to a lovers relationship pretty quick after MC can transform into a human, and there were other elements in play that made him not just a child, so for me, I was okay with it even though I'm not a huge fan of the whole raising your child and then becoming their lover trope. Maybe because MC was a hamster, not a child, before, idk, but I've read one other novel with this trope, and in comparison, that one squicked me out way more. Just take it as a daddy kink here. Honestly, for me the most annoying thing is how MC still refers to himself as Baby even after regaining his memories (15yo, + 3 years amnesiac). But it wasn't so bad I had to put it down, and the plot is pretty solid. Not much to say about ML, he's the OP and cold to others, possessive and spoils MC type. Attracted to MC once he became human (MC was the driving force tho), but also treats him like a son (spanks him for doing something dangerous, which was another serious side-eye for me, I wanted to slap the ML at that point, but again, I'll just pretend they have a daddy kink).

So yeah, everybody has their threshold so try it and see how you like it. Generally speaking, minus a few points here and there, I think the author did a good job with the transition, and the plot and friendships/interactions with the minor characters are really good. <<less

CN (4.4)

#17After the White Moonlight Came Back, the Stand-in Fell Into Unemployment Crisis

31 Chapters Every 45.4 Day(s) 3083 Readers 42 Reviews 07-16-2022

Completed Comedy Romance Yaoi

8/10, Finished... more>>

CN (3.9)

#18Becoming the Male Lead’s White Moonlight

92 Chapters Every 5.5 Day(s) 2498 Readers 14 Reviews 03-17-2024

Adventure Drama Gender Bender Martial Arts Romance School Life

KR (4.1)

#19Ex Rank Supporting Role’s Replay in a Prestigious School

1029 Chapters Every 0.9 Day(s) 8369 Readers 55 Reviews 04-19-2024

Action Adventure Fantasy Mature School Life Sci-fi

10/10, Currently Reading... more>>

Just starting this one but so far I love this novel so much. It falls under the epic fantasy isekai genre, so think tr*sh of the Count's Family, but set in modern Korea. It seems a mix of TCF and Solo Leveling, MC is the smart planning type, and the novel has a lot of friendship/found fam elements + MC changing things for the better/saving a lot of lives. No romance.

Up to 37 chapters and MC really is just like Cale lmaoo, from the strategic brain to the looting and arson habit, just without the obsession over a slacker life, and not so in denial about his protective tendencies XD

Large cast of characters but author fleshes them out well even if they don't get as much page-time as MC. Also I didn't think I'd like Hwang Jiho as much as I do, I think he may be my second fav, I especially like his interactions with Euishin.

*Note: read waffles' translations if you want to try this, they're only up to ch37 atm, but it seems universally agreed that NovelMultiverse's translations are terrible even though they're up to ch200+. You can switch over once you get to ch37 but before that, might as well save yourself the torture.**Add. Note: waffles has dropped their tl @ch40 unfortunately but Library Key has picked it up and thankfully updates regularly every 3-4 days and even more thankfully translates very well. I hear NovelMultiverse gets better at around ch250? But it's still torture to get to that point so read at your own risk.

I love this novel so much T_T It's torture to wait so I dipped into the other translator group's chapters. Pretty sure I took mental damage but the plot and characters are both so awesome. I low-key ship Cho Euishin and Hwang Jiho lmao, I know one is a late-twenty-something(?) human (??) in a seventeen-year-old body while the other is a 5000-year-old mythical tiger but they just make such great partners (in crime XD). Also I just love how Euishin has basically 1) made Jiho start caring about things again and 2) fixed his whole immediate family so that his house is never empty these days. And no matter how crazy Jiho acts or how much Euishin complains about him, they literally see each other almost every day, and Euishin learns to depend on Jiho more as the novel progresses, out of everyone Jiho is prob the one who takes part in Euishin's plans most. <<less