[Partly original worldbuilding] [Endless war] [Buying and selling **]
Here, we don't obsess over a single character.
Here, anything other than real humans can be traded!
Here, the characters you've poured your heart into raising are doomed the moment they manifest in the real world!
Just kidding. They perish even if they don't manifest.
Dear patrons, remember: feelings are the most useless thing here!
Fellow transmigrators, consider this: are we worth more than other forms of life?
Everyone, accept this: the Empire treats all people equally, but only if you're a "person."
Simulate! Manifest stronger life forms on the sandbox!
Trade! Make life the foundation on which the Empire expands!
Expand! Use life as kindling to ignite the flames of war!
The people will always believe this is the best era in all of history!
The Empire will always believe the future will be better than the present!
(The protagonist mainly sells animals early on, until the last shred of his moral boundaries is broken.)
[Slow burn (though the first ten chapters actually move pretty fast...)] [Initially somewhat saintly (not truly saintly, he just can't bring himself to cross one particular line)]
Volume One, A Monkey Wearing a Crown, is complete. If you don't like it, you can skip to Chapter 82, read the abbreviated version of Volume One, and then start Volume Two.
The plot is a bit fast, but there are dozens of early chapters where the plot is always in the fire monkey group, and I almost forget who the protagonist is.