This is some good stuff! Good luck with the contest!

From the first 7 chapters, this seems promising to me. If you're not a fan of more mature content then this likely won't be for you, as it is heavy-handed on themes of slavery and r*** (Chapter 3 particularly), but the MC could develop well. No particular character shown as of yet, other than the usual cautious loner but it is early. If you like Overlord, then this looks like it'll follow a similar arc for him though. Could be a gem!

I'm just gonna put a review here as a self-serving author. I hope you enjoy the book! This, at the time of writing, has like 2 chapters but if I actually manage to write a decent amount I assure you, it's good stuff. Trust me. This is just meant to be a fun adventure through a suitably fantastic setting with an MC who has no idea what is happening (like, at all) and is trying to make sense of a place completely alien to him. He's a regular guy, stuck in the unbelievable with no help whatsoever, and is trying to find answers. Expect some action, but no OP shenanigans or face-slapping stuff. He's looking for answers to some pretty big questions like, "Why has the world ended?!" and "How do I avoid getting eaten by this giant spider?!" kinda questions, and not to take vengeance on those who've wronged him or to make a harem (kinda hard to do NSFW stuff when you're legally dead and barely functional). Again, this is if I actually WRITE this whole thing, but hey, let's hope for the best, yeah? Anyway, 5 STARS! BEST NOVEL EVER! etc.

Haven't read too much of it as of yet, but what I have read is fun to read. The grammar could be better, but it doesn't affect the flow of the story too bad. Characters are fairly simple, but have nice quirks or features that shows that the author has put some decent thought into them, which I find endearing. Overall, there are flaws but it's good regardless!

I enjoy the development of the MC in this one; He doesn't immediately become overpowered, and having him tied to a Gu that will eventually kill him is pretty neat and helps to give him motivation to actually progress. Pretty nice preview, looking forward to see it progress.

I'm interested to see how Tristan deals with the daily blood essence requirements, as I feel like this'll have a lot of consequences for him in the future since he has to literally kill to survive. The pacing is quite good, and I think it'd be good to see more bonding moments between him and Layla while they go along and figure out what they're gonna do. Keep doing good, author!