I cheated on my artificial intelligent A.I. Boyfriend in a mmorpg otome game and got suck in the damn game.

"My wife... I thought you were dead."

"I am. I am a ghost now boooo."

"Love, you are alive?"

"Well... Lemme check my heart. Yep it's beating."

"Why did you cheat on me with them?"
"My dear is it true that you are seeing other men?Why? " 

"Cause... I thought....." You were fake.


Go back to being fake!!!!!

One of the texts sent to him at 10 AM was "Hey I just arrived at my cashing station, where are you, professor? Or should I call you Fergal like your nick in WhatsApp, cool name is that yours!"

The other one was at 4 PM "Hey I just finished my shift and you didn't come, maybe the 3rd floor has more beautiful girls than me? Haha"

I was shocked, why she did get jealous if we aren't even dating? How did she know I was on the 3rd floor? I don't understand woman. I sent her a text telling her that I got distracted playing too much poker, that he already finished and was free, that I was sorry I missed her at work, that her handle of the chips has no comparative.

It was currently 10 PM, it didn't matter that it was Saturday night, I was tired of being a high tension room all day. I needed to relax.

She was last seen online at 7 PM. Maybe she is sleeping for her next shift? Or she is reading the WhatsApp text without opening them via the WhatsApp widget?

Shit, I hope she is not mad at me, she was the only decent girl I met in all my time here. Except for a few reserved female players on the 3rd floor, but they were too connected if I struck a romantic relationship and all went to shit that could seriously hurt me. Some of them are daughters of millionaires or daughters of gangsters.

While I was thinking all of that she answered my text and said "Haha so you only come to my chip station to see me handling the chips? Good to know Haha! The mistake was on my part too, I forgot that you are a poker professor and have a busy agenda! I will tell you my hours so we can meet at work and maybe even after work :)! Depend on how cool your pose you do! Well, I have to go to sleep, I have to work tomorrow from 8 AM to 2 PM, sweet dreams ;)!"

And after that she logged off, I didn't have a chance to answer as usual with her.  But is a good thing that she has the intention of meeting again, and even the possibility of going out. Maybe she is like me, looking for a decent person is this little casino world. Or maybe she is a fake one, I don't know. Only time will tell. Don't trust anybody, until they give you motives. And even then, check periodically, trust can be deteriorated over time the same as relationships.

You would become paranoid too if you have a freaking superpower that if someone notices you would be experimented like a guinea pig or being used as a mule/terrorist to the underground (Remember the <Inventory>?).


After that I called my mother, she was worried about me because she didn't have a notice of me from all day. We are really close with my mother, I used to tell her at least what were my plans for the day or what I was doing at the moment.

She was living with my little bro, Kevin, who is 15 years old, while I'm 21 years old. My mom was pregnant with my brother when our shit father left us. So is a good thing that he didn't meet him. 

My mom used to tell him about all the good stuff about him, to keep him happy, I didn't say anything. Sometimes you need to believe in something good that know the cold truth, especially when growing up without a father. I was the male figure of the house until this year that I left home after my birthday. 

I was already a burden and my mother couldn't keep fed to both of us, I left to make both of their life easier but stayed in touch. My brother grows up being a smart one and a polite one, I know he will go a long way in life.

Coming back to our little sin world, I was going back to my suite with my courtesy elegant briefcase filled with chips and money that they gave you for free on the 3rd floor after you cross the $300k boundary. It was fingerprint and password locked, even had a GPS inserted inside to better tracking. It was very difficult to steal, even then. If they got it to steal inside the hotel the casino will give you back all the money that you have inside. That's why I couldn't shove it to the <Inventory> dimension, so I shove all the money and chips instead and kept the briefcase outside.

Of course some people try to abuse this kind of system but never got to far, remember that they have cameras everywhere. And check each one of the 3rd-floor people, for known associates and such. The people who would try to do for this little change, as the millionaires refer, are not too bright and leave too many clues to follow.

Anyway, on the way up to the suite 2 girls followed me and tried to make her way to my bedroom, I politely said no. Since in most cases they send this girl before big days like tournaments to "fatigue" the competition and for their favorites to have more chance of winning. Yes, the casino gamble about who will be the winner of the tournament. 

They insisted to follow me but I shut my door in front of their faces, yes, it was really hard to do that, pun intended, but I had to do it. Never risk your life for a little of pleasure. They are times to play and times to work.

I took entered the hot-tub looking at the scenery of my suite and remember my current apartment. I hope I don't have to come back, it was so horrible to experience the good life and go back to a normal and crappy life.

While I was thinking that I fall asleep, it is a good thing that this hot-tub have an automatic shut down procedure after 1 and a half hour, because I fall asleep there. I woke up cold because the hot-tub was off. I quickly had a warm shower to pump my blood since I had wrinkles in all my body and went to the bed to sleep.

I woke up at 8 AM, my normal skin was back! I was clean enough but decided to have another shower because today was a big day and dressed as nice as possible. Grabbed my suitcase and went to the 3rd floor.  Had a good meal, and checked the time. It was almost 12 PM. 

I quickly went to the Emily cashing stations and meet her. I removed the hood and sunglasses before walking to her.

She saw me and said "Oh here is the rookie star, from 1 dollar chips to the tournament in 3 days, who would have thought? Came here to watch me handling chips again professor?"

I smiled and said, "Not at all miss, I just came to do my coolest pose so I can ask you out for dinner on another day!" I then proceed to do an Elvis Presley imitation.

When I finished doing it with my eyes closed I had gathered quite a crowd. I felt a little ashamed but not so much to ask in my best Elvis voice "So this lady wants to go out with the king?"

She started to laugh very loudly and even had little tears in her eyes, while laughing she said "Yes, yes! You can take me to dinner on Wednesday, that's my day off!"

After that, we chatted a little bit before she continued working.

Finally, it was 4 PM, the stipulated time to the tournament to begin, I made strong and firm steps to the 4th and unexplored floor while carrying my briefcase.

What could you do with the possibility of living forever? Would you refuse it and just die? Would you accept it and became evil or a merciful God? Of course, no deal is made to be fair. Join Fergal Parker in his adventures to explore his new ability!

***************************
This is a novel inspired by the original novel in this site called "Life Merchant" by YoonTaeTifYuFeiMin. 

I remade this novel keeping the realistic part and cutting the fictional elf/orc/monsters stuff since for me it seemed unnecessary.

This novel focus on the way Fergal slowly but cautiously gains power thanks to his new ability.


* 1 Chapter/ Week. Minimum of 1200 words. (Maybe even more chapters if I have free time)

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/KoFuWrites

Kris did go to the main company today. He had to do his in-house inspection for his businesses. He often visits his business and makes sure things were running fine. 

Kris visited a few business sites before heading over to the Casino. It took him a few years to clean up the dirty illegal business hi grandfather was laundering money in this business, but it was worth it.

Especially with Lena now with him, he doesn't want everything about him to be marked by bad things.

When he arrived at the casino, Lay was already outside waiting for him.

"Buddy!" Lay hugged Kris but he shoved him away.

"I'm here for business." Kris continued to walk inside the casino.

"I know, I know." 

"There has not been any incident lately?"

"No. Most of the people understood your message when you wiped out a few of the main leaders. They stopped causing trouble here." Lay reported.

"Good."

Everyone greeted the big boss and Lay as they walked to the backroom. As they walked further to the back where all the behind workers are, Kris spotted some of the guards hustling in a hallway.

"What's happening over there?" Kris glanced at the hallway. "What did I tell you about beating up customers?" He glared at Lay.

"They are not customers. Just a bunch of college kids scamming up the tables. I swear, they were reading the cards too easy. And they even have fake ID cards. Decided not to call the cops and just give them a good warning."

Kris turned away and continued walking. But suddenly, he stopped. He turned back and walked down the hallway that the guards were hustled up, ready to give the young boys a good warning.

"Boss!" The guards all stood up straight and made way for Kris.

Kris spotted 5 young boys, on the ground and heads looking down like they were definitely guilty.

Lay came up close to Kris and whispered to him. "Two of them are repeated offenders, saw them out in the parking lot, ready to drive out when the rest were done cashing out the money."

Kris looked at the two young men that we're upfront, definitely bulkier than the rest. They must be the leaders.

Kris smiled. He bent down on his knees. "Kevin." He spoke.

A young man from the back lifted up his head and looked at Kris. The two leaders from the group also lifted their heads and glared at Keven.

"Yah... You said no one knows you up here?" One yelled.

"Told ya not to let the rich boy into the team." The other one said.

"I... I really don't know him. I don't know anyone here." Kevin shouted.

"Kevin, you can drop the act." Kris stood up and walked to Kevin. He helped the man stand up and patted his shoulder. "You did a good job infiltrating these scums and helping me catch them. Been taking me a long time to find them. Thank you."

"What?" Kevin was confused. He does not know who this man is!!

"Take the rest and give them to the police," Kris commanded.

Lay looked at Kris, not fully understanding the situation, but waved his hands so the guards can take the rest away.

"Rich boy! Ima beat you and your gang really good after this!" One man shouted back.

Kevin was about to walk off too but Kris put his hand on his shoulder and pulled him back.

"Lay, hold him tight for me. Don't let him go." Kris tossed Kevin to Lay, who held the young man tightly, not letting him escape.

"You... You can't do this to me. You heard them, I am rich. My family will sue you after this!"

"Shut up!" Kris yelled at him. He took out his phone and called Lena. "Lena?"

"BOY! When are you going to marry my granddaughter??!!"

'Definitely not Lena.' Kris was caught off guard. "Hello, Elder Shen."

Kevin stopped struggling and was afraid now. He didn't think that this man would call his family... wait... he knew his name so obviously this man knew who his family was. His brain suddenly went stupid since he got caught.

"Don't... don't tell my grandpa I am here."

Kris looked at the scared young man and then ignored him. "Can I speak with Lena?"

"Tsk... don't want to talk to me... LENA! Your husband is calling you!"

Grandpa Shen's voice was so loud that even when the phone was not on speaker, everyone can hear him shout from the phone.

Lena had just put the triplets to their nap and went down to help the ladies make an early family dinner for everyone. She was helping her mom with the dumplings when she heard her grandpa's shouting voice echoing throughout the house.

"Excuse me...." Lena washed her hands and went out. She walked out to where her grandpa was chilling, alone with him and his nature.

"Grandpa..."

"Here." Grandpa Shen handed Lena's phone to her. "Your husband is calling for you. The ringing is so annoying."

"Yes... so annoying that you kept my bag with you this entire time as if you were not expecting him to call me at all today." Lena pointed out her grandfather's plan.

"I was just making sure no weird men were calling you." He cleared his throat.

"And he's not my husband."

"I don't know his name. Too many boy names to remember. He will be whatever I call him." Grandpa Shen grunted and wheeled himself inside the house. His wheelchair was not needed but he liked it so he kept using it. It was better than walking around with his cane anyways.

Lena sighed and finally answered Kris. "Hey... ignore that."

"Which part? The part where I am not your husband or the part where I am?"

"What do you want...?" Lena did not answer him.

"You didn't tell me your cousin was a genius at playing cards."

"Kevin? I don't know what goes on that brain of his. Genius doesn't run in the family so I didn't get his good brain. Why?" Lena replied.

"I am out at the Casino today for an inspection. I ran across your cousin. Fake ID, running some big wins at the table and definitely handing out with the wrong crowd."

"What?!" Lena put a hand on her forehead. "Did he get beat up?"

"No."

"Well, he will get one when I get there. Keep him there, I am coming to get him. Thanks by the way." Lena quickly hung up the call and went to find her bag.

As expected, Grandpa Shen had her bag hung on his chair. Lena went and grabbed it out, ready to leave.

"Where are you going?" Grandpa Shen asked.

"Out."

"With your husband? Don't come back home!"

Lena continued to walk out and got inside her car. She immediately drove out to the casino. 'What is really going on with Kevin?'

Why didn't you choose the second male lead instead?! He treats you better?!

They are called the second male leads because they don't get the main female lead. 

But wait... I just got transmigrated as the villainess?! I am bullying the female lead... and everyone hates me?! 

Well, screw you female lead and male lead.. I don't need both of you!

*Looks around* Where is my second male lead? Is it you, you or you? AHH.. just choose the cutest one! 

This is a story about a Lena who has transmigrated to a new body and a parallel like world. 

Her fate is bounded to be the villainess of the story. How can she make herself loveable and find her second male lead when every move she makes, she is fated to cause trouble? 

The world is a different place when everything is not made to go correctly. Will she defy her fate or follow it? Will there be love awaiting her in the end? 

----------------
 

Sneak Peek but edited to hide the guy's name for no spoiling.

She hiccuped. "It's f**ken ugly!" He stared down her head. Lena raised her arm and put her hand in front of it. "Can I touch?"

Without even approving, Lena touched it. First, she poked on it like it was some exotic species, then she gently placed her entire hand on it. He could feel her warm hand on his cold body. It sent a warm tingle throughout his body. 

"Does it hurt?" Lena asked.

"No. Pain is just an emotion in the brain. I might feel it at first, but I already learned how to avoid the pain, hiding it away."

Lena stood up, standing in front of him. "Sorry I was rude. You can see mine too."

"What? I don't want --" 

Lena lifted her shirt up a bit but he grabbed her hands to stop and pulled the shirt back down. "I don't need to see it."

"But, mine's pretty. You need to see it!"

"I really don't want to see it."

"Are you calling it ugly too?! No it's pretty, I promise!"

——————

The picture is from Pinterest... something I just grabbed for covers.

One hundred boxes were stacked neatly like a hill. It was a rare scene, and the players paused from buying and watched curiously.
So Poor I Only Have Money Left took a deep breath and opened the boxes quickly. The surrounding spectators extended their necks, and their expression changed from anticipation to shock and finally to mockery.
All one hundred boxes had been opened, but the best was only a blue assault rifle. The waste parts stacked like a hill. So Poor I Only Have Money Left's face turned green.
"One hundred boxes and got blue equipment, nice."
"You have my admiration, chief."
"Money can't change your fate, bro."
"New documentary: Galaxy—Fall of a Rich Man".
"Why do I feel so… good?"
So Poor I Only Have Money Left grabbed his hair in frustration. As his ID suggested, he was rich indeed, and he was used to spending a lot of money, which brought him profit most of the time. He was rich, so he could do anything he wanted.
Lucky draw events were his favorite. He did not care about whether he profited or lost money—he just liked the moment of pleasure when he won something. However, he did not win with Han Xiao.
[Black Phantom's Machinery Box] did not guarantee anything no matter how many one bought at once. Like the lottery, it was completely about luck and probability. So Poor I Only Have Money Left bought one hundred boxes because he thought there was a higher chance of winning something, but he had been very unlucky this time.
Although it was good to have a rich customer, Han Xiao did not give him any special treatment. No guarantee meant no guarantee, and he did not want to break the rules because of rich people. His target customers were all the players. He wanted to turn this into a main city specialty and have more people take part in the event, not turn it into an event just for the rich. The number of boxes was limited after all, and not having any guarantee for consecutive purchases was to avoid a single person buying too many boxes.
If there was a guarantee for consecutive purchases, the other rich people would also do the same. Every batch of limited boxes would be snatched away by a few rich people, and the chances for the other players to take part would be much lower. It would make the event less attractive—long term growth was more important.
Anyone would be somewhat affected by the majority, and as soon as this evolved into a mass hobby, demand, and habit, its influence on the entire player base would be different.
So Poor I Only Have Money Left wanted to buy again, but the other players were now unhappy about it. They took the previous one hundred boxes opening as a form of entertainment, but the number of boxes was limited; it would have crossed the line if he bought even more.
Seeing that the crowd was unhappy, So Poor I Only Have Money Left could only scratch his head awkwardly and step aside.
On the side, King Of Single Draw was full of disdain. He told the people around him, "See? Throwing money has no technicality at all. The best method is to calculate the rarity chance through a lot of observation and research."
As he was speaking, he smiled confidentially, and light reflected off from both his teeth and glasses. "Now, watch my performance!"
Bringing a group of people, King Of Single Draw walked toward Han Xiao, he paid close attention and calculated in his heart, after a few players finished buying, he suddenly yelled very loudly and shocked the crowd, then squeezed into the front line of the queue and bought the next box.
"Hehehe, according to my experience, there's definitely something good in this box."
King Of Single Draw was full of confidence. He opened the box with looks of anticipation from the crowd.
_____________________
Congratulations, you have received [Waste Part] * 18
_____________________
The crowd suddenly turned silent and looked at him weirdly.
The atmosphere was very awkward. King Of Single Draw's mouth twitched. He coughed and said, "You guys should know that this is a matter of probability. If at first you don't succeed, try and try again. There'll definitely be something good!"
However, his next single purchases were all trash. His followers looked at him with more and more doubts.
"Can you even do it?"
"Bullsh*t! Next time, purple will definitely appear next time!" King Of Single Draw's eyes were red. Like a gambling addict, he bought one more box. He closed his eyes and mumbled, "God, please give me luck this time."
After he repeated that more than a dozen times, he felt his palms heating up, like an unknown force had just descended into him.
Famous words of many people flashed through his mind.
"This time, surely!" King Of Single Draw opened his eyes suddenly. With a gush of confidence, he yelled and flipped open the box!
A pile of trash.
King Of Single Draw froze in place, lost.
"Why… why is this happening? Are all the trends I've been researching fake? The loot boxes are fake; the world is fake; everything is fake!"
In the crowd, Half A Cigarette When Lonely touched his wallet. It was finally his turn. He hesitated and said, "I'll have one."
This was his first time buying [Black Phantom's Machinery Box]. He had been spectating hesitantly until then. Although 3,000 Aquamarine Dollars was not really a lot, he was just a normal player, and his money had all been made through hard work of doing missions here and there, so he treasured his money a lot. However, seeing that many players had won good equipment in this event, he was a bit tempted.
Then, he finally decided to just buy one box.
Half A Cigarette When Lonely had very low expectations. He would be satisfied with just green equipment, and he did not even dare to think about blue or purple equipment.
After running to the side, Half A Cigarette When Lonely held his breath and opened the box.
Purple light surged into his eyes!
"P—Pur—Purple equipment‽"
Half A Cigarette When Lonely was stunned, trembling in excitement.
The players beside looked over with jealous.
"Another lucky one."
"Tsk, I want purple equipment, too."
There was someone who won a purple equipment every time. Although it was rare, the players had seen it happen a few times and were used to it. They stopped paying attention after being jealous for a while.
Half A Cigarette When Lonely took out the purple high caliber Berserk Eagle, played with it in his hands, and suddenly felt an impulse.
How about… buy another one to try my luck?
Half A Cigarette When Lonely clenched his teeth, bought another box and opened it casually.
Purple light again!
Half A Cigarette When Lonely mouth fell open, and his heart was hit with an immeasurable surprise.
The surround players looked over again, very surprised.
"He got another purple piece of equipment? That's really lucky."
"Quick, breath in the air of luck."
"Two draws, two wins—might as well go buy a lottery ticket."
"So what if he's lucky? I will be as well one day."
"Brother, you are allowed to show off, but don't cross the line."
Some were jealous; some were amazed; some were sour.
So Poor I Only Have Money Left was speechless. He had bought one hundred boxes at once and could not even compare with someone else casually buying two boxes.
What kind of world is this? What happened to the rich's privileges‽
King Of Single Draw clenched and ground his teeth. He was on the edge of losing it, screaming in his heart, The purple equipment should've been mine!
"How about… another one?" Half A Cigarette When Lonely touched his wallet. He had just a bit more than 3,000 left. On impulse, he decided and bought one more, like a gambler tasting the sweetness of winning, falling into the abyss of cashing in.
"Will I win this time?" Half A Cigarette When Lonely suddenly regretted it a little. To win two times in a row was already extremely lucky; three in a role had way too low a probability. Furthermore, there were, at most, only three pieces of purple equipment in every batch of [Black Phantom's Machinery Box]. If he won again, did that not mean he had won every purple equipment of this batch?
He anxiously opened the third box, and the familiar purple light surged again!
Half A Cigarette When Lonely was completely stunned.
All the surrounding players were completely stunned.
Three single draw wins in a row! What kind of luck is this!
No, this can't be called luck anymore, this is a damn blessing!
The people looked at Half A Cigarette When Lonely with shock.


What do you do when you wake up and find yourself inside the very game that you love? 
What do you do when you realize you that you have not only become an NPC - you have even been thrown back in time to before the game even launched! 
What will happen when our protagonist's two realities coincide? 
Han Xiao was a professional power leveler before his transmigration. Using his past life's knowledge, Han Xiao sweeps through the universe as he prepares for the arrival of the players. This is definitely not your typical transmigration novel.

Faced with Kellan’s doubt, Li Du was not bothered in the slightest. He smiled, "It’s simple. I can pay you a deposit. Because my goal is your storage company, I don’t want it to get into trouble."
The police officer whispered to Kellan, "Bro, I don’t see a problem. He really does want to take over your company."
Kellan asked, "You sure?"
"Of course," replied the police officer. "I’ve seen a lot of d*mned criminals and I’ve been trained in various interrogation techniques. This Chinaman is telling the truth."
Kellan nodded. He didn’t trust Li Du but he trusted the American dollar. As long as Li Du was willing to pay a deposit, he would be willing to return the ill-gotten money.
He cleared his throat said, "Okay, I believe you, Li. Let’s talk about the deposit, how much do you think it should be?"
Li Du asked, "What do you say?"
Kellan took a sip of the beer and said, "How about 40,000 dollars? You’ve seen it for yourself, the area of my company is not small—it is at least worth 400,000 dollars. A deposit of only 40,000 dollars is already very little."
Li Du smiled contemptuously. This man is really greedy! So he thinks he can just ask for any price he wants?
Although a 10 percent deposit sounded reasonable, this shabby company was not worth 400,000 dollars. It was not like there was an oil field or a coal mine underneath it.
Li Du shook his head. "No, this price is too high. I’ll offer 20,000 dollars, it’s just a deposit."
"Yes, it’s just a deposit. If the deal goes through later on, this sum of money will go towards your payment anyway—40,000 dollars doesn’t affect anything," Kellan used an enticing tone to persuade Li. "I’m a forthright man. I like to do business with forthright people..."
Li Du refused for a second time and shouted for Hans to come back into the office so he could take over the negotiation on the price. In this regard he could not agree with Kellan.
Hans was a negotiation expert and haggling for prices was his forte. The final outcome was 25,000 dollars.
Kellan waited to receive the money while Li Du glanced at Hans meaningfully, then said, "Write a check for Mr. Pratt."
Kellan raised his hands after hearing this. "Wait a minute, both of you—you said a check?"
Check transactions were common in the United States, but it was only common in major cities. It was rare to see people dealing in checks in remote and rural areas, especially in a small town like Derta, where there was only one bank in town. People there hardly used checks. Not only that, the people there actually engaged in barter trade as well. Many towns in northern and western Arizona were like that.
Despite the fact that major cities used checks frequently in their business dealings, most of them only used checks when they were familiar with each other. It was risky to accept checks for people dealing with each other for the first time.
After all, checks were riskier as they were more prone to fraud than cash. Even if the check was valid, there might also be certain restrictions imposed upon cashing in, and one might end up ultimately not being able to receive the money.
Li Du nodded his head as he listened to Kellan’s query. "Yeah, a check. You can’t expect us to carry so much cash with us, right?"
The corners of Kellan’s mouth had turned down. "How about an electronic funds transfer?"
Li Du took out his Nokia phone and showed it to Kellan. "Sorry pal. My phone’s malfunctioned and unable to install any applications right now. I can’t use electronic funds transfer."
Kellan said, "I have a computer here."
Li shook his head again. "Let me be frank with you, I do not trust the Internet. I will not access my bank account via the Internet. What if my account information got stolen by hackers?"
"Yeah," Hans said, "the d*mn banks won’t compensate you for the loss. They might even collude with the hackers to get our money. These b*st*rd capitalists are black-hearted!"
"How can it be?" said Kellan in disbelief. "Electronic fund transfers are very safe."
Li Du refused to budge and shook his head firmly. "No, it is absolutely unsafe. The Internet’s too dangerous, all the Chinese know that electronic funds transfers are a no-no!"
The police officer exchanged looks with Kellan and whispered, "That’s true. The Chinese don’t trust the bank’s cards and electronic bank accounts. They like to use cash and thieves now like to target the Chinese."
Kellan had seen such news before. The police in big cities like Phoenix, LA, and San Francisco had been appealing to the Chinese residents to use as little cash as possible.
After communicating with his cousin, Kellan muttered, "These stupid Chinese people are so silly, so foolish. Serves them right for living in a feudal country."
In the end Kellan had to accept the deposit by check. Hans took out a checkbook, wrote 25,000 dollars, and handed it to Kellan.
Kellan checked the name of the bank on the check and verified the information of the account holder. Everything was fine and he accepted the check in a reluctant manner.
He kept the check and took out a stack of American dollars from his drawer. He seemed unwilling to part with the money. "After deducting the costs, we split the profit of 8,255 dollars where I got a 60 percent share and they got 40 percent. This is my share of 4,930 dollars."
Li Du raised his eyebrows upon hearing that. He had thought both parties would split the profit in half but Kellan had actually taken a 60 percent share. This man is truly a greedy devil, he thought.
But then again, Frank, York and Rick just wanted to sow discord between the treasure hunters and Li Du—maybe they would have even accepted a 30 percent share. They were not in need of money; they were, at least, not bothered by a few thousand dollars.
Li Du and Hans took the money and left. Then they told the group of treasure hunters to quickly go through the storage units and take away items that were somewhat valuable then leave the place.
Turis said, "But we haven’t cleared the unit."
"Why bother? Just let the company clean these up themselves. They cheated all of you, they need to be punished."
Olly explained, "No, pal, if we don’t clear up the unit, we might get reported to the Association and won’t be able to participate in storage auctions for a while."
"Don’t worry," Li Du sneered, "the storage company plotted a scam, they won’t dare to report all of you to the Association. Even if they did so, do you think the association would bother?"
As he spoke, he took out the money that Kellan had returned. "I managed to get some money back, treat it as a lesson learned. We’ll go back and split the money."
Everyone was glad to see the green dollar bills.
"We can get some money back? God, is this true?"
"Simply unbelievable! Those evil b*st*rds found their conscience?"
"Wonderful, simply wonderful, how much did we get back? We can reduce some losses now!"
Nobody cared about the trash still lying inside the storage unit. The convoy of trucks lined up and left in a whizz.
When Kellan went to inspect the units later, he saw the amount of trash was practically left untouched in the units. He was displeased and took out his phone to call Li Du to come back and clean up the units. Otherwise, he would lodge a complaint with the Association.
However, when he made the call, the other party over the phone said there wasn’t any Li Du or Hans Fox and hung up the phone.
Kellan smelled a rat and called up again.
This time the other party got really angry and berated him. And if Kellan were to prank call him again, he would report it to the police.
Kellan got flustered. He drove to the nearest Wells Fargo bank at a neighboring town. Derta only had one bank: Citibank, which was unable to verify or cash in the check.
The teller at the Wells Fargo bank inspected the check and said, "I’m sorry sir, this check cannot be cashed in as the account has already been frozen due to the owner’s credit issues."
Kellan went dizzy for a moment. An unsuppressed amount of anger flew through his brain. He flew into a rage and roared, "F*ck you! F*ck you! This is impossible! It can’t be true!"
A big, muscular bank security guard immediately rushed toward him and dragged him away.


They love gold, and they love silver. Even more so, they love gems that dazzle, like stars across the skies. 
Firearms, jewelleries, and precious metals; A collector’s world will not be complete without antiques.  
Storage auctions, old goods trade, re-estate sales and gold-digging. But the truth is, if one wants to make money, then the supreme way is through searching for the legendary treasures. 
Holding the fort, there’s an ocelot, a wolf, and an Andes condor. At the side, there’s a loyal hound, an irascible ape, and an African honey badger. Who said that you can only rely on humans when treasure hunting?! 

'system show me the best traits to increase my intelligence that I can afford'

[ ok user.
intelligence quota(s). 1000sp
processing speed(s). 1000sp
processing power(s). 1000sp
problem-solving(s). 1000sp ]

hmm I don't really know what to get but I guess that increasing my IQ would be the most efficient one in the end 'hmm system buy intelligence quota(s)'

[ ok! subtracting 1000sp... done.
  Intelligence quota (s): increases users IQ by one standard deviation (+15 IQ) ]
 
alright now for a plan on how to enjoy life to the fullest, I want to be around with the powers I have and would hate it if my life was ruined by a purple mother fucker. so I will get stronger and help with some of the larger problems, I wonder 'hey system if I gain powers by some serum or learn magic would it take up a power slot?'

[ no, only powers gained from the system count towards your power slots]

ok so should try and find alternate ways to gain powers along with the random powers. oh that reminds me 'system use my remaining power tokens

[ ok! the user has received: Amalgamation: the power to mix two existing materials into one singular material, only works by touch and with nonliving materials. Max of 3ft cubed ]

oh! this looks really useful, hmm I can get so by trading in materials and the more valuable they are the more sp I get, so if I mix two materials in an original manner would they be rare? wait what if I got something like the super soldier serum and mixed it with the goblin serum? so many possibilities!

~
I have spent the last year putting random useless items in my inventory so that I can use my powers on them, you would be surprised how much stuff a baby can get ahold of, especially once I learned how to walk. 

today is my first birthday so tonight I'm cashing in the materials for some sweet sp.
for my birthday my parents are inviting over some family friends, I probably won't know any of them but it will still be nice to see my parents so happy, dad might even smile. the last time I saw him smile was when I first got good enough control of my tongue and vocal cords to speak simple words like mama and papa, of course, I said mama first since she is better than dad but I said papa soon after to cheer him up a little. by now I can talk in simple sentences of 4 to 5 words.

~
mom: happy birthday sweetheart!

mom said as she leaned down and kissed my cheek.

mom: open blow out your candle!

I was sitting in a high chair while surrounded by my parent's friends and family, I did as I was told and blew out the candle on top of the cake that the maid had brought out.

[ congratulations on living to your first birthday! the user is rewarded with one power token and a reward pack! ]

oh! what is this, I'll have to check that out later. now though it is time to eat cake!

~
mom: goodnight sweetheart, once again happy birthday my adorable little gift

I was laid down in my crib. today was a good day, everyone was happy, smiling and having fun. 

now that I'm alone though I get ready to start, I take two items out of my inventory mix them then I put them back. I keep doing this until I have a huge chunk of... something 'system please trade in this umm thing for sp'

[ ok, the user has been rewarded with 15000sp plus a 20% boost for the first transaction total + 18000sp ]
wow, that's not as much as I thought it would be 'system open the reward pack'
[ ok, the user has received: 1000sp, 1pt, and the trait magical talent(s) ]

'alright how much to upgrade magical talent(s)?'

[ to upgrade magical talent(s) to magical talent(m) it costs 10000sp]

God damn, that is expensive as fuck! 'how much to upgrade intelligence quota(s) to intelligence quota(m)?'

[ to upgrade intelligence quota(s) to intelligence quota(m) it costs 2500sp ]

ok then let's do this 'ok system I want to upgrade all my perks to medium(m)'

[ ok, subtracting 15000sp... done all traits have been upgraded]

[Increased memory (m)
 -increases how easily the user remembers information by a medium amount.

Intelligence quota (m)
 -increases users IQ by two standard deviations (+30 IQ)

Magical talent(m)
 -gives the user a medium magical talent. ]

oh, I could feel a pleasant tingling all over my body! 'system show me my status!'

[ status:
  name: Jeremy Morton
  age: 1year
  sp: 3000
  pt: 2
  IQ: 140
powers: treasure detection, amalgamation.
traits: increased memory(m), intelligence quota(m), magical talent(m). ]

ok, I'm going to need a plan.

Jeremy died in the place he least expected in a way that he least expected, but instead of going to the afterlife a friendly god gave him an opportunity: to live in the Marvel universe with a system... well the bones of a system


This is my first time please be gentle, a new writer so this fanfic will be shit. Constructive criticism is appreciated. This is an MCU fanfic with a slight AU

I don't own the cover but if you own it and want to be taken down just contact me. I don't own any characters except my own. all other characters belong to there original creators(mainly Marvel).

Everything was just as Gawain had expected.
News from the south would unsettle the King and the nobles, and with the warning from the resurrected ancient, this tension might rise to a level of panic, but it would just stop there.
Those who had not experienced the Dark Wave and could not imagine it would not be compelled to take action. Even if Gawain brought some swords and armor corroded by the elemental power as evidence, it would not be enough to drive them to make a higher level response.
After all, there existed some cases of "unusual phenomenon" where swords and armor were corroded by magical power, thus they could not be definitive evidence that the Dark Wave would make a comeback. In fact, even Gawain himself was making some bold speculations based on the information from his memories. He was not even very confident himself that the end of the world was coming.
There was nothing wrong with Francis II's response. He could not simply put the entire kingdom into a state of preparedness for battle based upon his sudden news alone. Even if he wanted to, the large, backward feudal system did not allow him to do so. And even if the Dark Wave really came, it would not be wise to conduct combat preparations now across the whole kingdom. The monsters in the south and the magical power surge were only a sign. They were not even the vanguard of the Dark Wave. The real Dark Wave might take months, or even years to happen, (if it was going to happen), but before then, it would be only calm.
During the period of calm, to require the kingdom to be battle ready when no evidence could be found, perhaps the Moen family back in their heydays might be able to do so, but the Second Dynasty now… had already lost its ability to rally supporters.
Francis II even ordered the Duke of the East not to make a move.
A resurrected founding duke's prestige might be very influential, but if to use such prestige to interfere in the kingdom's order would probably be an overreach. Gawain understood this very clearly. The power of his words here was as good as a flower scepter, pretty but powerless. The basis of the Cecil Clan was almost gone. It had no land, no soldiers, no generals, and even the travel expenses to the capital were borrowed from others. For a clan that had always been quite pragmatic, this was quite an awkward situation to be in.
So Gawain held down Rebecca, who still wanted to say something, looked at the King opposite and said, "We have delivered the report and brought up a warning. It is up to you to decide how you are going to deal with this specifically."
"We will take your warning seriously," duke Victoria Wilder said in a cool voice. "All investigations will begin immediately after the meeting, and we will bring the news to you at the quickest time."
"Investigation… Well, I guess that's the only way." Gawain nodded, and he changed the topic. "That's all for now. Let's now talk about Cecil Clan's matters."
This time, the atmosphere became tense instantly.
"Relax, don't look like "the old ancestor popped out of the coffin and is demanding that the paper money burned over the years be cashed out to him," Gawain joked, waving his hand, and then he realized that no one seemed to get his corny joke…
It was very awkward.
"I know what happened a hundred years ago, and frankly, I really want to kill that degenerate descendant." Gawain's face twitched, and he dived straight into the topic. "So I have no intention to reverse the verdict. I just want to get back something that belongs to me personally."
Francis II and the dukes looked at each other. Their expressions seemed relaxed. Gawain went ahead to talk about the earth-shaking event a hundred years ago, and they all seemed relieved. After all, it was so pressuring for anyone to start speaking on this sensitive topic that their blood pressure could rise to two hundred. It was truly a breath of relief that this living ancestor could be so empathetic towards the younger generation.
But after heaving a breath of relief, they became tense again. What were those things that belonged to Gawain Cecil?
Everything belonged to the feudal lord. This was the rule of the aristocracy. Everything in the old Cecil Clan, including the fief, vassals, and the titles, etc., all belonged to Gawain Cecil. Which one was he referring to?
Everyone was tense in their bodies where others could not notice while only Francis II looked quietly at Gawain, and nodded calmly.
"Relax. Most of my things from when I lived have already been passed on to my heirs. That worthless descendant squandered some things, and I can't force them to be returned," Gawain laughed. "What I'm referring to is that which cannot be inherited, for example… my right to develop new regions."
The nobles and the advisors looked at each other. Then the scholarly, well brought up gentlemen and ladies were immediately reminded of the ancient and sacred decree on pioneering.
It was a glorious commemoration of the Second Settlement. It was a testimony to mankind's bravery in surviving the most desperate situations, the ordinary people's vow to not yield to the natural forces. Up till today, it was still part of the basic laws of the four nations. It was a law which would no longer have a chance to take effect, but one that also no one dared speak out to repeal.
The original version of the pioneering decree was even engraved separately on a platinum plate, enshrined in the halls of every nation.
But everyone only kept it as a memorial! It was for posterity! It would be a symbol of the proper continuation of the legacy!
Suddenly this was going to take effect again?!
However, apart from shock, the expressions on people's faces hid faint relief, and this change in expression did not escape Gawain's eyes.
So he also relaxed himself and began to discuss with the people present about the permanent right to develop regions.
Gawain believed that this would not be too difficult.
Compared to a living ancestor returning to the world to ask for the cashing out of paper money burned for the past hundreds of years and also the vast expanse of land he had seven hundred years ago, that could have been a nation by itself, a permanent right to develop regions was hardly anything. Though it might sound scary, it would not affect the vital interests of anyone present, and since there would be no conflicts with their interests, it would be easier to discuss with each noble (including the King himself).
And this was also the result of Gawain's deliberate push.
He had kept a high-profile along the journey, spreading all kinds of news, and even when he entered the capital, he took out the banner from seven hundred years ago, appearing in an overbearing manner. This was meant to make people think that the living ancestor was trying to reverse the verdict for the Cecil Clan and recover all the clan's fief, thus making everyone come up with a way to respond so as to cross verbal swords when the time came to protect their own interests.
However, Gawain's objective was only the permanent right to develop regions.
This difference was basically equivalent to shopping for a watch, where the original price was 860,000. After a discount of 25%, it would feel like one had gotten a great deal.
One would even begin to suspect if the watch might be a fake.
But even if the watch that costs 25 was fake, the ancestor was real. If he really just wanted to have his permanent right to develop regions… what could they do?
—Insert 'Okay Okay Okay We'll Give. Take It Old Man. Go Open Up The Lands And Don't Come Back.jpg'
If Gawain had not done any groundwork before and brought up the permanent right to develop regions from the beginning, perhaps things would not have gone so smoothly. The greedy nature of the aristocracy would want to extract a piece for themselves even on such a matter, but with so much preparation done, it became much easier to talk about the pioneering right.
The King and the dukes present did not have much of a discussion before agreeing that the right to pioneer itself should be recognized. It must be recognized even if they did not want to since it was not only Anzu that agreed and signed the permanent right to develop regions, but in fact the four major human kingdoms at the time had also recognized this decree. These witnesses also included the elves from the Silver Empire in the south of the continent…
Those secretive and particularly longevous elves.
They had an average life expectancy of 3,000 years or more. They were extremely particular about caution and good faith that they were known to be very stubborn. When signing the permanent pioneering law back then, the elves were one of the witnesses. In order to make this decree more solemn and credible, a copy was even written in the elven language and given to the Silver Empire for safekeeping.
Although everyone knew that it would be impossible for the first generation of pioneers to live for so long, the humans insisted on putting a "permanent" label on it and to have a longevous race to be witnesses. Probably a human quirk…
Anyway, the representative of the elves at the time said that "humans are truly strange" as they brought their copy back to their kingdom. Then the Elf Queen happily stamped her copy. After seven hundred years had passed, the Elf Queen, who was only a young and ignorant elf who recently ascended to the throne, was now… still the Elf Queen…
She could still remember the stamp she made back then. How could they not recognize this law?
In any case, Gawain mentioned that if Anzu would not recognize the right to pioneer, he would take his clan around the continent to the Silver Empire since there were still undeveloped areas around the forest of the elves. There were also some acquaintances of his there. They would surely get along with the Cecil Clan…
The founding ancestor having to leave the kingdom because he could not stand being demeaned in his own kingdom, took his clan to another race's territory to live in the trees. How could people show their faces around if word were to spread about this?
So everyone present agreed that the right to develop would be preserved, but the concrete details about the places where he could develop… this would make the next round of discussion.
"There are no more uncultivated lands in the kingdom. Every inch of land has its owner." The King's Hand, Eden Alfred stood up. This steady man, Francis II's right hand. He knew well about all the states of the kingdom. "Beyond the kingdom, there are few uncultivated lands in the border areas with other countries. Even if there are, those are places that cannot sustain life. Take the buffer regions by the Gondor wastelands. duke, where do you intend to open up lands?"
Gawain waved his hand. "Bring the map."
When the map was presented, Gawain looked at the map and could not help but frown slightly.
Even though the world had convenient magic, assistive abilities such as bird's eye, forest sensing, and surveying that could help people draw maps, the map before him was still very crude. There were even some problems with the scale.
Compared with the "satellite view" in his head, this was almost as good as a doodle.
Perhaps it was because magic was too convenient that it affected the development of many things?
Gawain pondered, comparing the map with the accurate one in his head. Then he pointed his finger to an area on the rough map. "I'll start from here."
It was a mountain range on the borders of the Gondor wastelands and Typhon.
The Dark Range.


During Gawain transmigration, a little problem occurs.
After hovering in the sky above the land of a strange world for over hundreds of thousands of years, he realizes that perhaps his transmigration is completed by acquiring a physical body.
Never did he imagine that he would have to guide the body out of a coffin after going through great difficulties to obtain it, only to come face-to-face with his two extremely shocked great-great-great-great... great-granddaughters, and also—
Be thrust into a world that's the verge of its era’s end.

In the past, Jake was used to having a plentiful breakfast before going to work. A bowl of milk, a nice amount of cereals, a fruit and maybe a cup of tea or coffee. The typical French breakfast. Sugar before everything else. However, it was more than five years ago, when he was still living at his uncle's villa.

At this time, he didn't have any sense of food value. He was well-fed, with nothing to worry about. What Jake didn't care about in those days was that after the False Third War, when all the notorious and big cities were bombed, there had been a genuine shortage of space and manpower. More than half of every country's population had lived in these towns and capitals.

Areas within tens of kilometers radius around these places became wastelands. The inland, usually less populated and normally reserved for agriculture or pasture, became the new metropolis. Capitals and other famous cities were rebuilt, taking, for the most part, their old name with a slight nuance to flag-up the transition to the new era. 

Paris, where his parents worked and died, was resuscitated as New Paris. It was built right in the center of France, a place with originally nothing but cows. Needless to say, it took up a lot of space.  Far too much in fact. That meant less arable lands. 

Thus, food abundance came to an end.

The 'good news' was that depending on the concerned countries the population was halved. That was something to rejoice about. Cough… always being optimistic. Positive attitude in all situations. 

It should have been fine. Less space, fewer people, the winning combo. The reality was a bit different. 

With fear, people copulated like rabbits. In twenty years, the average couple churned out three to four babies, sometimes five or more. Welfare was quite generous at first for those that lost a close relative or friend, sometimes even losing their job. The false sensation of safety during the beginning of the nuclear winter made panicked people even crazier.

Demography got right back to the numbers before the False World War, but food production didn't increase as fast. As a result, all food-related stuff naturally saw its prices rising sharply. 

For those that couldn't afford them, vegan powder blends became their new best friend. In a desire of not discarding eating pleasure, insects were also part of these 'Happy-Meal' ingredients for all those that couldn't suppress their carnivorous instincts.

Junk drinks and food were still affordable, though...

Anyway. No breakfast for Jake. This shit twice a day was disgusting enough. Ah yes, do not forget the iodine tablet twice a day. The radiation level was still above normal. Without medicine and nanobiotics advances, cancer would have killed a good part of the survivors remaining.

He soon came out in a hurry from his studio well located in the uptown of New Paris. Well, the truth was most districts were about the same. The city was new after all and built in a short time. Other than a few exceptions, accommodations were basically all social housing within the first years.

He jumped in the first cab he caught, quickly relaxing as the scenery passed by the window. The driver was like a mute, also lost in her own thoughts. A middle-aged woman with dark hair grizzled by worries and sleep deprivation.

He never arrived at his working place.

Just a few minutes after he got in the car, a pure white flash turned the world around him into a blinding white. A sound of screeching tire made his hair stand on end, as the taxi owner dug her heels in. Jake's head banged into the front seat as the vehicle came to a standstill.

Stars whirled around him, adding new dazzling colors to the flash afterimages on his retinas. Screams from all sides were hammering his skull, stopping him from getting a grip on himself. Other sounds of pile-ups and car crashes didn't help to alleviate his mind.

After a while, his sight came back and with it a scene of disaster. A few people were having an epileptic seizure on the sidewalk because of the sudden burst of light. One unlucky boy got one in the middle of a crosswalk. Here was how the first pile-up had happened.

Another driver panicked and went off-road, striking a few grandmothers getting out of the grocery store, before embedding himself in an electric pole. No need to say, he was not the only one losing his composure. There were blood and overturned vehicles everywhere. It truly was a dreadful sight.

Then, he raised his eyes, where the flash came from. They immediately popped out of their sockets as what he saw was so unbelievable, that he could hardly keep himself in check.

A silver metallic sphere was floating in the sky. Mysterious futuristic blue lines of light roamed over its smooth and polished surface. It was also huge. Gigantic enough to cover the whole of New Paris with its shade. But even more impressive, you could catch a glimpse of an even bigger sphere far higher in the sky. If his intuition was right, it was bigger than the moon!

Good heavens! It was a spaceship. A fucking alien battleship. They were reliving Independence Day movie right at this moment. Rapidly, other bystanders noticed the sphere ships. A new wave of screams and shrieks resumed with greater intensity.
However, it didn't last for long. The blue lines of light quickly thickened, becoming brighter and brighter. After what seemed to be an eternity, something sprang out.

Millions of bat-sized silver spheres gushed out, spreading out fast toward the ground. Toward them.

People didn't need more to turn around and initiate the dash of their life. Jake even saw an eighty-year-old hunchback with a walking stick, suddenly throw it away before sprinting like a teenager under steroids. Adrenaline could make a miracle happen. Though, this old guy would surely pay the price of his feat afterward.

Jake didn't run. He had never been especially courageous, but he was not cowardly either. Most of all, he was rational. These spherical drones were absurdly fast, almost breaking the sound barrier, so why run away? These machines would be on them in ten seconds at the latest.

In fact, they were even faster. Before realizing anything, a silver sphere was on him. A blue light scanned him silently. Then the same lines appeared on its surface. A black metal liquid streamed out of them, flowing toward his right arm. The liquid circled around his wrist for a while, each revolution drawing it closer to his wrist.

A few seconds later a new shiny limited Apple watch edition, ahem alien bracelet was occupying his right wrist. Glancing around, he saw many people that had a vacant look at their new ornament. Some fools were still in a full-speed dash, running like there was no tomorrow. They were soon caught up by the drones as well.

The situation quickly settled down. People were snapping out of their fear state one by one. There were still blood and corpses all around them, but authorities could deal with that.

To their greatest delights, the drones flew back to the silver sphere, that in turn soared, vanishing as abruptly as it came, like a fleeting memory. The enormous moon ship also flashed by, disappearing like a spark. It left a bad aftertaste to everyone.
It was their first official encounter with extraterrestrials, a historic date, but it had already ended. It was time to go back to reality.

People that had to write accident reports wrote them, those that had to call their insurance or ambulance called them. Fortunately, in the 22nd century, most vehicles were driving autonomously, and emergency procedures were almost totally automated. 
The few car crashes were due to passionate drivers that didn't want to give up their guilty pleasure. Most bus or cab drivers didn't even drive their own car. They were just sitting by, cashing in their customers.

"Vzzzzt! Vzzzzt!"

His phone vibrated in his short's pocket, playing some epic tune much more pleasant than his alarm clock. Although smartphones were now powerful enough to compare to supercomputers from the beginning of the 21st century, they basically didn't change much. Waterproof, malleable like chewing-gum, nice holograms, but inherently the same.

He answered the call. It was his cousin, Anya. Three weeks since they last talked.

"Jake tell me you're ok?" she said with a tremoring voice full of worry.

"The number is not available now, please try again later."

"Fucking asshole!" She yelled enraged. "Here I was, worrying for nothing, damned idiot! What I am supposed to do with you?"

"I'm fine, thanks. I'll call in sick for today. I need to examine this thing on my wrist. I won't be able to work like this anyway."

"Ok Jake, you certainly won't be the only one taking a day off. I need to hang up. Call me if you need me! Bye!"

Anya calls were always like this. She would check on him and then would end the call just after. They were closer when they were young, but she had a full-time work at the Earth government that took all of her time. Today's event should have put her under even more pressure.

At last, Jake called in sick without issue, then came back home.

The time has finally come to discover what secret this alien bracelet was hiding.

Have you ever wished you exactly knew how to accomplish your dreams? Not feeling the slightest doubt anymore? Being aware at any time how every choice, action and decision of yours affects your future? 

That's what happened to Jake Wilderth, a procrastinating young man without ambition. When a mysterious silver spaceship, popping out from nowhere, delivered to each Earthling a bracelet containing an AI introducing itself as the Oracle, their destiny changed. 

From a boring uneventful life Jake began to strive for greatness, treading his Path over the dead bodies of many. 

What a blessing it would have been if he was the only one profiting of such a gift! But when everyone became equal to face the future, he soon realized no gift comes for free..


Just a warning. Volume 1 sets the atmosphere in a Earth slowly degenerating into chaos and can be considered as a big prologue. It is slow and not as rewarding for the readers than mainstream stories on this website. If you can push through it will be worth it. For some real action you need to wait chap 27.

===================================

NB: English is not my native language and despite my best efforts there can be some mistakes. Thanks for your understanding.

Discord link: https://discord.gg/d8udP7Q

Seeing that the onlookers were all looking towards their side, Xia Yili continued to ridicule her.
"There should be a limit to lying. Is a limitless check someone like you can display out? You're so silly that it makes me nauseous!"
Playing this trick of a thief crying "stop thief" was really something. 
This time, even the salesperson who had a good impression of Lin Wanwan previously could not help but frown. 
Facing the looks of disdain from the public, Lin Wanwan said, "Don't spout nonsense when you have no evidence."
"Oh." Xia Yili refused to yield. "I'll say it now then. If yours is a real check, I'll eat it immediately!"
Lin Wanwan wanted to rebut but realized that she couldn't reveal too much now. She stated her grievances, "If you don't believe me, you can find someone to verify it."
Such professionals could not be found in a short period of time. She could find Lu Zhanbei for help during this period, making fake things real.
"Let me take a look."
At this moment, a wealthy-looking woman who was dressed fashionably walked out. 
She glanced at Lin Wanwan and said plainly, "I'm the Deputy President of The First Bank. Only the President and I have the authority to issue such checks. We will know if it's real or fake after I check it."
Eh?
Lin Wanwan was stunned. Did she have to be so unlucky!
All her life's cleverness was ruined. She should really not have taken out the fake check and put on a false front…
As Lin Wanwan thought about how to solve this problem, she displayed an unwavering look as Xia Yili handed the check over to that Deputy President.
As if she sensed her look of perturbation, the curvature of Xia Yili's lips went up even higher.
"Such an embarrassment to the people in our industry. After this lie is exposed, you better obediently leave the entertainment circle. If not…"
She snorted, "Don't blame me for not showing mercy when I reveal your true colors in front of everyone!"
If this incident were to be exposed, Lin Wanwan's reputation and likability would be ruined. She could not only get back at her but also eliminate a competitor. It was killing two birds with one stone.
Xia Yili gleefully looked at that Deputy President. "Still not done yet?"
She leisurely walked over but realized that the Deputy President's face was both anxious and doubtful. She should have already verified that the check was fake but was too embarrassed to say so.
"I have said before that it must be fake. She is not a rich person herself. Her boyfriend is a poor miser. How is it possible…"
Without waiting for her to finish her words, the Deputy President interrupted, "No, this is real!"
"…"
The people who were waiting for a show were stunned. They sucked in a breath of air.
The smile on Xia Yili's face froze. The corner of her lips still maintained the upward curvature, which seemed a little funny now.
Lin Wanwan was shocked too.
This was actually… real? Oh my god!
"Impossible!"
After a while, Xia Yili grabbed the Deputy President's arm. She looked incredulous and was a little incoherent.
"You must have seen wrongly. Look at it again. How can this be real? It's impossible for Lin Wanwan to own such checks!"
There were still so many pieces of it. Who would believe it? Who dared to believe it?
A few people silently nodded.
The Deputy President frowned and flung Xia Yili's hand away. "How could I be lying? This check was indeed issued by our bank. The President and I even personally delivered them to that person."
To be honest, the Deputy President was quite shocked too.
There was only one person in the country who could currently issue more than a hundred of such checks at once.
She remembered very clearly that this was Mr. Lu Zhanbei.


Lin Wanwan is a pitiful mentally-disabled girl. Not only does she suffer abuse from her stepmother, her stepmother even attempts to use her as a sexual commodity to pleasure others. Eventually, the poor Wanwan dies from an overdose…

Perhaps a god or a devil had witnessed her tragic fate, but Wanwan gets a brand new chance at life—an external soul takes over her body and gains Wanwan's memories.

The resurrected Lin Xiao swears to seek revenge for Wanwan.

Having witnessed Wanwan's death and resurrection process, Tang Chen is intrigued by the changes she undergoes. When he tries to cheat Wanwan to gain possession of her, a knight descends from the sky and saves her. He allows her to seek his help thrice.

Just who is this mysterious knight?

The revived Wanwan demonstrates her astounding talent and intelligence. Not only does she leave her enemies helpless against her, but she also becomes a celebrity who sweeps through the entertainment industry. Who exactly is she?

When Wanwan interacts more with the knight, she realizes that he is actually a devil…

"From this moment forth, every inch of your body is mine. Resistance is futile."

He had descended like Satan, wantonly occupying her body and mind…

It's fine. Even if he's the devil, he would still be trampled beneath her feet.

The autonomous state was about 1,600 kilometers away from the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana. It was a distance that took about two hours by plane and two full days by bus or train.
The rich tourists used an airplane, but ordinary people used buses and trains. However, if they had a lot of belongings to transport with them, the only option was to use a van or a truck.
Jong-il and Youngho also were inevitably driving a truck to get there because using an airplane came with a risk of exposing their identities.
 
"Hey, do we really have to take the hard way?"
 
"Yep. This is the only way not to get exposed. Besides, how are we going to bring money and gold bars if we don't have a truck? If we buy a truck in Astana, our identities will be exposed too. The best way to do it is to directly drive a truck. Stop complaining and let's change our seats now. I'm getting a little sleepy now."

While monitoring the second daughter, the agents found out that she was cashing her valuables and storing the cash at her house. So, Youngho and Jong-il were on their way to steal the money. Collecting cash meant that she would soon flee to another country with her money.

"What an idiotic behavior. I would've deposited the money in my foreign bank account immediately instead of storing it at my house."

"Even Swiss Banks doesn't deal with a bulk load of money. People open secret bank accounts all the time. Who would prefer regular bank transactions?"

"So, what is she worried about? The money won't go anywhere in the bank."

"Jeez, you idiot. She probably won't take it into the bank. She'll put it somewhere else like a personal villa in Europe or some other place."


It was a very lucky case that the agents were able to find that the second daughter was getting rid of her domestic assets.
The information equipment provided by the UK intelligence service used malware that could be controlled in a distance to hack into telegram, signal, and messenger services such as Whatsapp.
Easily said, it was a device that monitored a consumers electronics device, such as smartphones, computers and TV through the internet in real-time.
Its malicious code had a funny name which was 'Weeping Angel.' It allowed you to eavesdrop on people even if the electronics were turned off.
When they hacked into the second daughter's house, they confirmed that she had already gotten rid of her stocks and valuables and kept the money at her house.
Sooner or later, it was clear that she was going to flee the country, so the two came as quickly as they could.

"Why don't we check up on the third daughter too?"

"She won't have a lot of money in her house. I told you we have to rob the Presidential Palace"
 
"The slush funds there should be left as evidence for the president's corruption, so he won't be able to escape from it."


"I don't know what the military here is doing. In other countries, the military would've overruled the government already."

"That's the evidence that they're all corrupt too. They've been acting as the president's personal army for money."

"I hope there are useful generals left."

"Cho Chul-hwan said he will meet the commander of the border unit, so there should be good news soon."

"Are you thinking about a military coup?"

"Oh, I can't bring in wolves in order to avoid a fox. That is not a good start."

"Man, it's a shame that there are no Koryoin high military officers."

"Victor Jun said that there are great field officers who are loyal to their country. Let's wait and see."

"There are many Germans and Ukrainians in the military. I hope the country gets divided into pieces."

***

The president's second daughter's house was a grandiose mansion.

"Wow, look at this building. She daubed her money all over the building. She's just advertising that she siphoned off the country's budget."
 
"Look at the high wall. We need a ladder to climb it up."

"Did you check the security guards here?"

"I don't know what's going on inside, but there are no security guards outside. A police car occasionally comes to patrol around the building."

"Maybe the president didn't tell his daughter about the burglary at his villa."

"If so, that's good news."

"Hey, let's climb over the fence quickly."


The two suppressed all of the security people at the mansion and disabled the security system.
The second daughter and his husband were flustered after waking up from their gold-framed bed.
Many times, a knife was visually more threatening to people than a gun. Until the shots were fired, a gun was not something to fear. However, a sharp knife that reflected light caused extreme fear to people. When Youngho slit open the bed comforter with a sharp knife, it was enough to make the couple shiver in fear. The couple, who would have lived a privileged life until now, had never experienced such a threat before.
They knocked down the daughter and took only the husband. He was their guide to the safe.
Shivering like a leaf in a storm, the husband opened the safe for Youngho and Jong-il.
He was so terrified that he got the combination wrong two times before he could open the safe. So, he was beaten up by Jong-il for that. Usually, a safe was used to store some cash and important documents, but the couple was using it as a jewelry safe.
After taking everything from the safe, Youngho showed a dollar bill to the husband to urge him to guide them to the place he hid the money that the second daughter cashed after selling her valuables. When Youngho threatened him by putting the knife blade against his neck, he quickly understood what the two meant. Soon, he led them to an iron door in the basement. In the room, there were packaged boxes of money that looked like the boxes they found in the president's villa. After checking the money, the two knocked down the husband. Since they had not been speaking for an hour, they were getting tired of it.
 

"Finally, I can breathe now. We should buy more high-quality gloves and masks. It's hard to breathe in it. Look at my hands. They're sweaty as the Han River."

"How much is all this?"

"There are 32 boxes. I'm glad there are no gold bars to carry."

"You mean this is 320 million dollars?"

"Yep. I guess the rest of her assets are real estate."

"Jeez, how did she collect that much money? I should go and ask her."
 
"Cut it out. I'm afraid they'll remember our voices if we speak. By the way, we should bring the truck here to move all of these. It's not going to be easy to get rid of the police car patrolling around the building."

"Hey, we don't need to bring our truck. We can use that refrigerated van over there." 

Among expensive cars and motorcycles, a freezer truck was parked. It must have been used to transport food ingredients to the mansion. Thanks to the freezer truck, the two could get out of the place without any suspicion. No police would dare to stop the freezer truck that belonged to the president's second daughter's home.

"They prepared a truck for us."

"Jeez, why did we even go through the trouble of bringing that truck this far."

"You didn't see any freezer truck through the satellite?"

"Oh, shut up."

"Let's load them now. We should get out of the mansion before daylight."

They hurriedly loaded all of the boxes to the freezer truck. It was not a difficult job with the strength of the two. They finished the work instantly and brought other valuables from the mansion as there was more room in the truck.
They came out of the mansion after loading all of the paintings and antiques in the house. The sun had just started rising when they hit the road.
 
***

The basement storage of the mansion in the Serbian ranch in Baku was filled with cash and gold bars.

"Ah, I didn't eat dinner, but I feel so full just by looking at this."

"Hey, are we getting some percentage of this as before?"

"I am going to buy fighter jets with it. How about that?"

"That's great to hear. What's their model?"
 
"It's Gripen from Sweden."
 
"Awesome! How did you think of buying those jets? Did Eriksson suggest it?"

"You know about their great performance for their price, right? Eriksson told me the Information Agency is a Saab AB shareholder. "

"Eriksson must've been happy because of your order. I guess once they're delivered, our state will be a key point. There's no use if they're delivered after the whole Kazakh situation is over though."

"I told him that used fighter jets from the Swedish Air Force would work too. I also made him in charge of getting the pilot training."

"Lee Youngho, you've become so free these days."

"Wow, it's an honor to hear a compliment from Park Jong-il."

"Haha, hey, let's butcher some sheep and have a barbecue party tonight! It's a reward for our achievement today."


When they got to the farm, Leon who was covered in dirt clung to Youngho.
Unlike Kazakhstan, where it was still winter in April, Baku was in spring. The ground was muddy everywhere due to the melted snow.
 
"Man, what have you been doing? You're covered in dirt."
 
"Daddy, kissy!"

Leon kissed Youngho's cheek to greet him courteously.
As Youngho was having a father and son moment, Fatima came outside with the other kids after hearing Youngho's voice.
 
"Hey, I thought you said you'd be late from the ranch."

"I finished it quickly and came back. I brought some lamb meat. Are you up for barbecue?"

"Yeah!"

The children cheered to hear that they were having a barbecue for the night. They were delighted that their father would be staying with them instead of going somewhere. Youngho felt that his fatigue had gone away when he heard his children's bright voice.

Empire of the Ring is a Korean modern fantasy epic adventure novel that sets in the nations of the Caucasus mountain range which separates Europe and Asia. The nations of Caucasus are regions of many conflicts over territories, ethnicities, and religions. The story begins as Lee Youngho, a warm-hearted Korean merchandiser, takes a business trip to a disputed territory of the Caucasus nations to sell Korean unmanned security systems only to get misconstrued as a spy and caught by Armenian militia. Youngho eventually gets involved with the militia and CIA to help out people of the regions from conflicts and works toward a birth of a new empire in Caucasus.

This is an ongoing novel from Korea with more than 750 chapters as of today. The pace can feel a little bit slow in the beginning but as the story unfolds, you will be drawn into the world of Caucasus. If you are a modern fantasy/adventure lover, you will enjoy learning about different regions and cultures in Eurasia and Eastern Europe as Youngho travels around the places. Happy reading! 

*Disclaimer: The following contains depictions of religion and ethnic disputes. We do not support the author's views, we are only translating and editing the novel. This fictional novel is inspired by real-world people, places, and events — the author has taken these people, places, and events and embellished them as characters with conversations and backgrounds as done in fiction.

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