BL Library - No Romance

OEL Comic Review | Pain Killer (PainKiller) by HamletMachine

Title: Pain Killer (sometimes stylized as PainKiller)

Author(s): HamletMachine

Artist(s): HamletMachine

The world is overrun with monsters and there is a group of warriors designated to clear the surface. Juan is one of these warriors. He travels to the surface to fight these creatures, and while many of the monsters do exclusively want to kill and eat these warriors, many also want to dominate them. These monsters crave more than the taste of human flesh, and though Juan tries his best to fight them off, he finds himself in the throes of passion with these creatures.

Of course, he shouldn't want it. He shouldn't enjoy it. But after he's rescued and integrated back into human society, can he ever forget the pleasure he experienced?

Title: The Flower of Alosha

Author(s): Jang Ryang / Jangryang

Kay is living his best simple life as the vice captain in Lablen. He's a bit of a womanizer, enjoying the company of women, though never more than one at a time. This does come at a price, earning him the ire of his captain, who often longs for the very women that Kay ends up with. It is an annoying but small problem in his life, so Kay is relatively happy at the end of the day. But Kay's simple world is rocked when none other than the Grand Duke, Zigryl Rhyner, arrives in this small, cold region of the empire unannounced.

Zigryl is well-known for his chaotic and cruel nature, and though he isn't the emperor, his brother, the emperor, who has been ill for some time, has no successors. So, he has all the power of the emperor without the shackles of the crown. What is a man with such power and freedom doing in this snow-covered rural region of the empire? As it turns out, Zigryl, alongside his attendant Schumann, isn't here for Lablen but for the subregion of Edor, which is well-known for being dangerous and near-impossible to reach thanks to the surrounding Forest of the Dead. They are after something called the Alosha's Flower, and they need a guide to get there.

Unfortunately for Kay, as soon as Zigryl lays eyes upon him, the Grand Duke wants Kay and only Kay for the journey ahead. Kay, unable to deny the wants of someone with such power, has no choice but to acquiesce. Kay anticipates this mission will only take a few days, and then he'll be able to return and live his everyday life back in Lablen. But what Kay doesn't realize until it's far too late is that Zigryl wants Kay as a guide and a bedmate, and once he gets a taste of him, he has no intention of letting Kay go.

Title: No Reason

Author(s): Salty

Artist(s): Salty

Jung-hoon is the right-hand man to the boss of the notorious Sung Jin gang. He's beloved by his underlings, whom he often spends time with and jokes with, though not without strict expectations for them. Though Jung-hoon's primary focus is always the gang and his men, he does enjoy spending his free time bedding beautiful men, and he's particularly weak to a pretty face. Things get a bit more complicated when one of the newest recruits happens to be stunning. Unable to control himself, Jung-hoon talks the young man, Hyunjae, into going back to his place with him, where he begins to try to top him. However, when Hyunjae accepts Jung-hoon's advances, he turns the tables on him and tops Jung-hoon instead.

Though Jung-hoon prefers to top, after doing it with Hyunjae, he is more than willing to bottom, and so begins a casual situationship between the two. After a year of working together, it's clear to everyone under Jung-hoon that he has a soft spot for Hyunjae, but even without the preferential treatment, everyone generally despises Hyunjae, maybe none more than Jung-hoon's right-hand man. It's still unclear where Hyunjae came from and how he became so proficient at killing at such a young age. Jung-hoon's judgment is clouded by the affection he feels for the young man, and he assumes he was made for the business, so he ignores his men's warnings.

Unfortunately for Jung-hoon, by the time he realizes he has put his trust in the wrong place, the entire gang is wiped out, leaving him as the sole survivor. For what reason, he doesn't know until Hyunjae confines him and throws him to his underlings. It's clear Hyunjae wants nothing more than to ruin Jung-hoon, but why? What does he have to gain from it? Jung-hoon can't ponder over it for long as he spirals into neverending darkness.

Title: Killing Stalking

Author(s): Koogi

Artist(s): Koogi

Yoon Bum is a loner, but he doesn't want to be. Bum longs for companionship, but not just with anyone. He longs for no one other than Oh Sangwoo. Bum has been quietly stalking Sangwoo since meeting him during conscription after Sangwoo rescued him from an assault by his platoon leader. After figuring out where he lives, Bum discovers the numbers of Sangwoo's door lock and lists out every possible combination, which he decides to try so he can gain access to Sangwoo's house. Unfortunately, at the end of the list, a cop car pulls up and begins questioning why he is there. Bum is in a panic but is able to say he's Sangwoo's cousin before getting the code right and slipping inside.

While Bum sees this as a victory, he doesn't realize that the cops he spoke to know Sangwoo, and they end up telling him about the run-in with his “cousin,” prompting him to return home while Bum is lurking about. But having a stranger in his home isn't the main reason Sangwoo is in a rush to get back. While Bum is snooping about, he discovers a basement door in the floor with a lock on it. Once he opens it and heads down, Bum discovers a woman, bound and beaten. Bum tries to help her, but before he can get her free, Sangwoo finds him, knocking Bum out with a baseball bat.

Bum is now Sangwoo's newest victim. Can Bum survive this encounter? But more importantly, can he make Sangwoo love him as much as he loves him?

Title: Total Eclipse of the Eternal Heart

Author(s): Syundei

Artist(s): Syundei

Terumichi is in love with his mysterious classmate Yamada, who just appeared in his life one day. Yamada is strange and imposing but dangerously beautiful and one of the few people who have been kind to Terumichi. His unique disposition makes him all the more alluring to Terumichi, and in the end, he can't help being drawn to Yamada. After an abrupt confession, Yamada and Terumichi seem on the cusp of romance when a stranger with a knife appears.

Terumichi does everything he can to protect Yamada, but in the end, Yamada is stabbed to death. Terumichi is in a panic, calling an ambulance, even though it's clear by the amount of blood that Yamada isn't going to survive. Yet, somehow, Yamada gets right up and walks away as if nothing ever happened, whispering a cryptic sentence:

“Only two left.”

Terumichi would be better off cutting his losses and moving on, but he just can't forget Yamada.

Title: Interview with a Murderer

Author(s): KJK

Artist(s): KJK

Clark is a reporter. He doesn't like working all that much, but he does enjoy one aspect of his job when he can partake in it off the clock: gathering macabre and interesting stories about criminals that intrigue him. He has an extensive collection of stories stored away for his eyes only. There's a new story on the horizon that Clark is determined to get his hands on. There's a serial killer on the loose, known as the Triage Killer, who has killed three people thus far. There's no evidence of his identity, so the odds of Clark encountering him are slim to none.

That is until his friend and ex, Oliver, reaches out. Oliver is a psychiatrist, and as it turns out, his patient, Alex, is none other than the Triage Killer. Oliver wants Alex to form meaningful relationships, and he feels that being interviewed by Clark will start that process. While Clark doesn't believe his presence will help Alex, Clark is all too happy to jump at the chance to meet the one and only Triage Killer. When they do meet, the killer is much more normal than Clark would assume, and his only explanation for why he kills is a simple one: love.

In order to get more information out of Alex, Clark must give himself over to the killer. A small price to pay for what Clark craves: interesting stories. But when Alex becomes enamored by Clark, will Clark come out of it alive? Or will he become the Triage Killer's next victim?

Title: Stage of the Dark Souls

Author(s): Guacamole

Artist(s): Guacamole

Mihael is a devil that lives among humans. Though he shouldn't, he ends up falling in love with a particular human, a man named Adonel Schravant. He is particularly in love with his stunning soul, which Mihael desperately wants for himself. Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tries, Adonel is always being swept away by other humans. Unwilling to share Adonel anymore, Mihael goes to the clergy and tells them that Adonel's family is practicing pagan worship, which leads to their execution. Alone and desperate, Adonel is ripe for the picking, so Mihael makes him an offer he knows Adonel can't refuse: Mihael will tie himself to the Schravant line, granting them all of his powers. In exchange, once the Schravant has fallen in love with Mihael and willingly given his soul, Mihael will take it, and they will be bound for eternity.

So Mihael lives in Adonel's shadow, helping rebuild the fallen Schravant name. All the while, Adonel has a child, despite Mihael's hate over it, and grows to a ripe old age. Finally, at the end of Adonel's life, Mihael broaches the subject of Adonel handing over his soul. Only then does Adonel reveal that he never loved Mihael and would not give up his soul, meaning Mihael would remain tied to the Schravant bloodline until he can convince another descendent to fall in love with him and willingly give their soul to him. Mihael is devastated but far from willing to give up.

Three hundred years later, after the death of the head of the Schravant conglomerate, Mihael finds his two sons: the firstborn, Evan, and the second, Victor. Mihael has been watching over the family all this time, biding his time and waiting for the ideal soul. Finally, after all this time, Mihael has found it. Two of them, in fact, and he isn't willing to give either of them up. One way or another, he will make them fall for him and then take their souls, but not until he destroys them from the inside out.

Title: Wonna Do It?!

Author(s): Cho Sangduck

Artist(s): Cho Sangduck

Won is going to a gay bar, but not because he's gay. One of his gay friends has been harassed by another patron, one that many refer to as “wacko” due to his aggressive attempts at seduction and his strange eyes. Won is going as a sort of bodyguard, though he hopes to maybe pick up any women hanging around there, too. That quickly goes out the window when he meets the person he is supposed to guard against: Hong Yun.

Unfortunately for Won, Hong Yun's attention goes from the friend he was meant to protect to Won himself. Yun wants to bed Won, and he refuses to take no for an answer. Won would love nothing more than to just leave the bar and never look back, but he made a promise to his friend that he intends to keep. Yun takes full advantage, talking Won into drink after drink until Won blacks out.

Much to his horror, by the time Won comes to, he's in bed with none other than Yun. Won has no intention of going along with Yun and intends to leave, but Won is much stronger than Yun. What's worse is Yun's way with words, which tear down Won until he can't help but prove Yun wrong, even if that means playing right into Yun's hands.

Title: Placebo - Short Story Edition

Author(s): Cuke Soap

Artist(s): Cuke Soap

Woo-yeon and Woo-jin are step-brothers and have been since they were young. For the same length of time, they have also had a vitriolic relationship, with Woo-yeon vehemently bullying and mocking Woo-jin any chance he gets. This never dissuaded Woo-jin, who stayed right by Woo-yeon's side, no matter how cruel he might be. Woo-yeon revels in Woo-jin's loyalty, taking every opportunity to pick on Woo-jin.

Woo-yeon doesn't realize that Woo-jin has developed the power of hypnosis and has been using his power to control and dominate Woo-yeon. When Woo-jin finally holds the reins, Woo-yeon will receive every ounce of punishment he has earned over the years. But it isn't in private. It will be in front of the two people he would never want to be seen by: their parents.

Title: Offering My Neck To You

Author(s): Yun Zhong

Artist(s): Yun Zhong

Yanchen has been living an odd life for the last decade. It's already strange enough that he is a vampire, but he's also raising a child that he never should have. After killing a werewolf, he discovered the werewolf he killed had a half-werewolf child. Feeling immense guilt for his actions, he takes in the child named Luoan. Werewolves and vampires are natural enemies, and having a half-werewolf around is even more dangerous since their blood has unique properties that empower vampires. Regardless, Yanchen does everything he can to raise Luoan to be an upstanding and strong young man.

Things are a bit complicated. Because Yanchen is immortal, his appearance never changes. To protect his family, they have to move every three to four years to avoid suspicion, but as Luoan gets older and older, it's harder and harder for Yanchen to be able to play his guardian. Things come to a head when the new school Luoan moves to happens to also have other werewolves attending, and they recognize Luoan as one of their own immediately. While Luoan wants to learn more about himself and where he came from, he doesn't want to be separated from Yanchen.

But Yanchen, seeing Luoan among his kind, wonders if it wouldn't be better for the half-werewolf to be with them. While Yanchen and Luoan struggle to come to terms with their family foundation weakening, a deadly threat lurks in the darkness. Half-werewolves are ideal for vampires, and with more eyes on Luoan, it's only a matter of time before the other vampires come out to get a taste of that power. Can Yanchen protect Luoan? Or will he have to give up Luoan to ensure his safety, even if it means living life alone once more?

No Romance

OEL Comic Review | Pain Killer (PainKiller) by HamletMachine

Manhwa Review | No Reason by Salty

Manga Review | Total Eclipse of the Eternal Heart by Syundei

Manhwa Review | Interview with a Murderer by KJK

Manhwa Review | Wonna Do It?! by Cho Sangduck

Manhwa Review | Placebo – Short Story Edition by Cuke Soap

Manhua Review | Offering My Neck To You by Yun Zhong

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