There is a box inside is another box and inside that is another box is there an end













Probably












Maybe
























?

As the book hits the shelves tomorrow at noon to open the VIP chapter, the author fungus will probably start uploading before 12.30, so don't wait after midnight tonight. Remember to cut. (??ˇ_ˇ??:)
And then, it's all over the place begging for subscriptions, especially for the first chapter. Those of you familiar with the book probably know that first subscriptions are essential for new books. Even though it only costs a few tens of dollars to read a book, I also know that many students are reading dozens or even hundreds of books, and it's hard to get a full subscription. But, it's effortless to give the first order, isn't everyone willing to provide me with even a dime? (???????????)
And then, there's the outbreak. It's roughly ten shifts tomorrow, and then, the book currently has a collection of 22,000, and according to the starting subscription ratio of 10:1 qualified standard, the first subscription of 2,200 to be considered suitable. So what, I set the goal a little lower, get a 44:1 500 first subscription as the minimum standard (if 500 are not there, then I have no face to see anyone, Boing Boing Boing (ㄒoㄒ)), every 100 more first subscription plus one shift, that is, as long as the subscription is standard I have to add 17 more." (oДo*)
The monthly ticket is a good thing, but it's only been ten days, so it's unlikely that it will be on the new book list! (￣▼￣)
If you are willing to give a dollar or two as a reward, don't spend too much and start an automatic subscription with the money you save. ＾０＾~
After the most important things are said, the next is something from the heart of the author's fungus, which can skip if you're not interested.＾０＾~
First of all, I'd like to thank you for the recommendation given by Wakaba. To be honest, the author germ is not very good at communication with people, until now did not open a book group did not add the author group, and the editor much add up to say no more than ten sentences, can give me such a pounce so many recommendations thank you (I am not licking dog, really not, everyone must believe me(??ˇ_ˇ??:))
Then, let's get back to the question of whether the author germs will suddenly be gone. (╯°Д°)╯︵┻━┻
When the last book pounced incredibly miserably, the author fungus said that writing is only my part-time job, so it's hard to free up too many hours in a day to write; but at the same time, writing is my hobby, and I'm more than eager for the recognition.
(Sometimes, criticism can make the author fungus feel bad for a long time, and a compliment can make the author fungus look stupid and laugh for most of the day (￣▼￣)).
So I'm not a eunuch because of low grades or anything.
If it did come to that, it would only be possible that none of them would want to read my book.
Even if there is one person who will read it, I will keep writing it. (??ˇ_ˇ??:)
Let the author fungus be depressed for a moment.
Because of some significant events around the country from the end of last month to the beginning of this month, the project came up for inspection because the leaders who came up for review sent away one batch after another. They will still be there until May.
The author of the fungus this time did not increase and consumed ten chapters, so the shelves erupt to make this point is the limit of the author fungus.
No offense, folks. (?﹏?)

Original Title : 海贼之黑暗大将 (Navy's Dark Admiral)
Author : 高燒三十六度 (High Fever 36 Degrees)
He is the Admiral, praised by the world as the light that cuts through the darkness, the Holy Lance Longinus.
He is the Dark Lord, feared by the world as the darkness that ends the era, the Demon Sword Apophis.
He wandered in the light and darkness and wove the battle song of blood and fire.
When he looked back, he found that he had crushed the world beneath his feet.
PS1: This story did not feature any fruit or system, the title of the book has nothing to do with Yami Yami no Mi!
PS2: The timeline is quite long, starting when Roger began the great age of sea pirates!
PS3: Non-scrappy article, highly fantastic and biased slightly off, but the characters should be intellectually ruthless basically in the line!

Original Site: https://book.qidian.com/info/1014128504

When Celestial Bane reached 100,000 words, there were already as high as 150,000 bookmarks. At the same time, it ranked tenth in recommendation votes and was already competing with many other great authors on the list. The battle was a fierce one.
Things did not stop there when Celestial Bane reached 150,000 words and there was not the slightest hint of decline in support. On the contrary, it continued making headway. Bookmarks reached 250,000 in one fell swoop, climbing up the recommendation votes list and achieving third place!
To reach the third place on the recommendation votes list was a truly formidable result. Recommendation votes represented a work's popularity before the work was published!
Those votes could be regarded as directly correlated to the final score of one's book. At that moment, Celestial Bane has already caught the attention of Genesis Chinese Literature's big shot authors. It was a masterpiece that was expected to reach the same levels.
At 200,000 words, Celestial Bane's bookmarks had exceeded the 400,000 mark. It overwhelmed the recommendation votes and made it to the first in the recommendation list!
During the past few days, Celestial Bane received an influential banner recommendation from Genesis Chinese Literature. It was then that everyone realized how explosive it was!
The bookmarks skyrocketed to 800,000!
Even those renowned authors on the net could only watch and dream of such a result.
Ye Lingchen's editor Yogurt was stunned too. Although he knew that Celestial Bane would blow up, he never expected it to be so hot. It went against all odds, and if the result were to continue, it would surely suppress Genesis and set a new precedent of its own!
Celestial Bane's arrival kicked up a bloody storm within the web literature community.
Readers engaged in heated debates!
Every other web novel site besides Genesis engaged in heated debates!
Major editors within the web literature community engaged in heated debates!
Various renowned writers engaged in heated debates!
In short, Celestial Bane seemed to have ushered in a new era within the current web literature community!
It reached a point where many external editors tried their best to contact Ye Lingchen in an attempt to dig him out. Many more people were searching for Ye Lingchen's true identity as they hardly believed that such a work was written by a new author!
This situation developed into a horrifying state of affairs.
In the book review area of ​​Celestial Bane, comments numbering in the hundreds of thousands appeared every day. They were all compliments, leaving behind links in the hopes that Ye Lingchen could go to their respective websites. The attitude shown by those comments was that of absolute humility and respect!
Some were simple and direct—they offered him their highest offer and the best treatment on their website.
The sheer scope of comments made it impossible for Yogurt to do anything. It was a herculean task for one person to delete everything alone.
As a last resort, the situation could only be relayed to the higher-ups.
That short period of time was enough to shake up Genesis' top brass!
Goodness!
Celestial Bane was a masterpiece, a flagship of their website in the future. Did anyone think that they could dig out the author's identity?!
The website added an editor to the xianxia genre almost immediately, without much ado. The first task was to help clean up that portion of the comments from Celestial Bane.
In addition to discussing the title of the book, Ye Lingchen's pen name was also the subject of discussion.
Beep, beep, beep!
Yogurt the editor sent a congratulatory message to Ye Lingchen. "I am Y, congratulations, your results will make you a famous author. Within a month, your popularity can already surpass the highest record for new books on our website."
"Thank you," Ye Lingchen replied.
"It will be National Day in a few days and we recommend Celestial Bane to be published then since it's a holiday and that's when the traffic is the highest. With your results, it will be a hit when it's published!"
"Mm. Let's publish it on National Day then." Ye Lingchen suddenly realized that he had quite a lot of things going on during National Day. Huo Yuanjia was about to be released, Celestial Bane was about to be published, and the trip to Las Vegas with Lu Hao all coincided with National Day.
"Alright! It's set." The Yogurt replied. "There must be an explosive chapter when we are published, usually. Save up a few drafts, so when the time comes, you'll get famous in one fell swoop!"
Regardless of the outcomes or popularity for any novel, the simplest and most effective basis for measuring all of that was the subscription after publication!
Subscription did not simply enable authors to make money and feed their families. More importantly, subscription represented the number of people willing to spend money for one's work, because readers would only spend money if the creation attracted them!
In general, the standard by which an author is measured on a website was also based on subscriptions. When the subscription met certain conditions, the authors could then be inducted as big shots.
...
Dragon's Sky!
It was a dedicated online forum for the web literature community.
Throughout the month, the topic revolved around Celestial Bane and had yet to stop. A search of the phrase 'Celestial Bane' would reveal a shocking discovery—there were hundreds and hundreds of topics about Celestial Bane!
At that point in time, the post "Guess whether Celestial Bane can kill off big shot authors?" became the hottest topic of discussion.
[Replying OP, it's certain that Celestial Bane can kill off big shot authors! It just depends on how it wants to do it!]
[Let's all witness it when the big shot authors are killed off. Definitely going to be a beautiful sight.]
[Swear on my heart, Celestial Bane is an amazing read. I can't stop.]
[Every month there will always be one or two big-shot authors, but Celestial Bane should get first-place!]
[Have any of you seen Celestial Bane's data, it's just scary! The bookmarks have reached 800,000!]
...
Amidst those words of praise however, it was inevitable that there were some mixed reactions.
[Hehe, after reading so many comments, the only thing I want to say is, there are too many stupid c*nts!]
[Celestial Bane's data is obviously brushed[1]! How can a newcomer get such results? He's a brusher, shameless. Don't show your stupid face, get lost!]
[I can't even continue reading the first chapter of Celestial Bane anymore. What the hell are you writing? I can write better, you garbage!]
[What use does it do if it has plenty of bookmarks? We still have to look at it when it's published! News about Y has been really hot recently, and the author of Celestial Bane is 'I am Y'. It's obvious that he's trying to take advantage of the hype!]
[Agree with the commenter above. Many people are probably bookmarking it thinking that its Y, but few only genuinely bookmarked it.]
[Y'all upstairs are just jealous dogs. People are earning a living with their abilities, so you have what it takes to write your own, do it then, you stupid c*nt!]
Soon, two sides of the divide quarreled with each other and fast became the hottest topic in Dragon's Sky.
Everyone initially thought that the topic would end there, and the subsequent arguments were predicted to be simple little disagreements. However, a netizen named 3Logs commented below and upped the topic's intensity yet again.
[Before publishing, all the data is on paper, not on the table. I haven't read Celestial Bane, but the author called himself I am Y. Hehe, what does that mean? Now, assuming that Y represents the pinnacle of the industry and your name is Y? On what grounds?! Are you ignorant or arrogant, do you think you are number one on the web?!] 
Once that post appeared, the situation exploded in an instant!
[Oh f*ck! Oh f*ck! Oh f*ck! It's 3Logs, the big shot!]
[When a big shot appears, the idlers will make way. All hail the big shot!]
[The big shot is finally unable to take it anymore. HAHAHA. I knew that the name I am Y will sow hatred.]
[Are you going to fight Celestial Bane? Wow, wow, wow! The battle of the big shots is about to start, so exciting! So exciting!]
...
[1] 刷 – this is translated as brushing, a deceitful technique used primarily in e-commerce to boost a seller's rating through fake orders. In this context, it is likely referring to Celestial Bane's rating being boosted through the creation of fake accounts that leave fake reviews.


Ye Lingchen was a regular high schooler who struggled with exams and expectations from his parents.
All that changed after he woke up from a strange dream and discovered that he had been granted the 'Prodigy System'. His life changed from this point on. Reading a book allowed him to learn its content immediately. Listening to lectures granted instant understanding of the lesson. Observation of a technique imprinted knowledge of the technique used.
Learning had never been so easy, and as the saying goes, knowledge is power. In this case, he now had access to a ton of unbridled power. 
What does it feel like to become a 'prodigy' overnight? Follow Ye Lingchen on this journey to discover the limitless possibilities...

Since the cauldron city was a racial capital, Danika was able to portal back to Fogton, the human capital. Before taking the next portal, she ventured into a part of the city that she'd never explored. 

Behind the enormous cathedral style temple that lay beside the market square, with the incongruous oriental styled deities ornamenting it, there were other large ornate buildings. She had previously assumed that the area was a temple district, with the largest one dedicated to the Jade Emperor, and the smaller buildings belonging to other deities. But actually, she had learned from the posts of other players, that the next largest building was a college. Beside the college, rose another large cathedral with domed roofs. 

The dome topped building was rumored to be the largest library in "Living Jade Empire". Danika zipped up to the entrance and the doors magically opened for her. The library might have been even larger on the inside than it was on the outside. Danika couldn't be sure, but the first floor was sectioned into separated areas with a large round space in the center with a round counter surrounding it, and a dozen helpful NPCs consulting the central catalogue column for the people who lined up along the counters edge.

Danika got in line, and shortly a helpful librarian asked, "How can I assist you? Do you wish to begin the application for your first library card?"

Danika blinked and asked, "Do I need a library card to be able to read a book in the library?"

"That depends," the librarian replied cheerfully. "You may read any of the books on the first floor within the library without obtaining a library card, but if you wish to borrow a book you must have a card, and a card with the appropriate subscription level must be obtained before you can access the collections on the upper levels." 

The librarian pointed upward and Danika gazed up at the many layers of balconies with book lined walls that looked down upon the library's center. Some of the nooks shimmered with nearly transparent barriers, behind which the few people visible were touching the books with white gloved hands.

"I want to look at the enchanted book that shows every creature in the game, if it's available," Danika told the librarian hopefully. 

She'd asked her celestial dragon assistant on her work account, but while the little dragon could apparently list every creature currently in the game if required, it didn't seem to be capable of providing her a written list that she could access as ZipZing. It had told her reassuringly that there were over 5000 species with hair, scales, teeth, or nails within the game, so it wasn't that the druid had instructed her to find every single one.

"Enchanted books are restricted to the second floor and up, you'll need to apply for a card with at least a first level subscription in order to read such a book within the library," the librarian replied helpfully. "You'll need at least a fifth level subscription if you wish to borrow an enchanted book."

The application form was fortunately somewhat magical itself. Once she wrote in her name, a dialogue asked if she wished to list her residence in Windbur as the required residence information. Another dialogue informed her that she might receive messages from the library, but that all messages would be delivered by the official library guardian animals, the stone lions. Book returns could be done by messenger animals without the usual Karma cost of attaching an item.

Getting the first level of subscription wasn't as easy as the application. It required not a coin fee as she'd expected, but a task completed in service to the library. Since her next destination was the northwestern ocean, Danika accepted a quest to acquire squid ink.

Before she left the incredible building, she took a look at the research section of non enchanted books available on the first floor. There was a lot more available than she'd expected. There were rows and rows of encyclopedias on different subjects. Danika had heard of such large book sets before, but never actually seen them in real life. They had been replaced by digital versions for decades, or even as much as a century.

In some ways the heavy books were awkward to work with as a small dragon, but in other ways it was a fascinating experience. She found that she was glad to find that the memory of vast libraries and heavy books made of leather and paper, elaborate scrolls, and other even rarer book forms were being preserved within "Living Jade Empire".

Mindful of the quests she intended to accomplish during her two days off, Danika moved on, and returned to the portal daises. She took the portal of return to the centaur town that she'd visited before. When her reminder popped up, she took a break for lunch, but continued to fly toward the coastal city that was her next target on her phone.

The goblin port city seen from her phone looked quaint. Seen from the VR-medi pod, it looked dirty and dangerous. It felt more like a lawless pirate haven than a legitimate trading port. She wondered why the repeatable quest designer had chosen such a setting until she met the principal character in the quest.

In the corner of a low tavern lurked the scruffiest character Danika had met yet. He wasn't a goblin either, he was a sea otter, or more likely, a sea otter half. Stubbles Och'tern walked upright and wore his worn piratacle garments with a scruffy, world weary air. 

His bristly face had dark clever eyes, but he was the first NPC that made Danika understand what Devon had meant about the repeatable quest NPCs seeming like puppets. He had a very limited dialogue set. He gave instructions on how to reach an island that apparently sheltered a cove full of mermaids, and he offered to trade you a pearl in exchange for a bucket of fresh oysters. The pearl was similar to the one Shrubbery had acquired from the elven Captain, in return for her help in repairing the ship, on their voyage to the north.

Stubbles gave you clear directions on where to buy the suggested tools, a special type of rake and a floating basket to collect the oysters in. But he didn't modify the information or instructions based on the type of character who had come to do the quest. ZipZing obviously wasn't going to be able to collect oysters with a human sized rake.

He also didn't explain where you could hunt for oysters, you were expected to visit the merchant who sold the tools in order to obtain that information. The quest felt very rigid, and like something from a much older game. It was obvious that the pearl that would enable a character to breathe underwater for one bell, a quarter of an hour, would be very useful to anyone planning to visit mermaids. But the quest gave no reason that you should go visit the mermaid cove, it simply informed you of its existence.

At the goblin merchant's scruffy shop, she discovered that you had to buy the rake, whether you intended to use it or not. The merchant was at least less restricted in his dialogue though, and seemed to be operating a fully functional store. With the merchant it felt more like meeting an ordinary NPC who had a script to repeat in association with certain keywords. But if you didn't follow the script, the NPC wouldn't tell you anything about the reefs where the oyster hunting was done.

There didn't seem to be any reason for the merchant to have the information about the reef either. In fact, a sea otter like Stubbles seemed much more likely to Danika to have been familiar with the local reefs. She found the discrepancies rather irritating.

Fortunately, the reef itself was fascinating.

After a great deal of preparation, Danika begins her new digital dragon's life in a very small way.

They say the "Living Jade Empire" creates individualized quests. They say it can read your mind. They say you can find your heart's desire. They say that there's never been a game like it, and they're right but… they're also wrong.

The game is a data mine, built to retell the old tales that humans have been telling each other since language was invented. It doesn't read your mind, but it reads your search history, your favorites, and your blogs. The "Living Jade Empire" is literally crafted from fables, legends, fantasies, and maybe just a bit of stardust.

But in the end, will the game be able to figure out what Danika wants most? Will the desires of other players take priority? Or, will playing it change her, until she desires what it can give her?

A journey is always made up of many small steps, and this game has still only just begun.

　"Hey, Saojia actually sent a document so soon! This is too powerful?" At this time, someone suddenly discovered Lin Xu's "Water Melody".

　　...

　　"I rely on this, the first appraisal of the junior appraisal, I came to see what kind of text he made!"

　　...

　　"Well, I've sent a message so soon, and I see if he has the potential to become a god!"

　　...

　　For a time, tens of thousands of people saw the word, because when Saskatchewan became the first beginner to assess, many people directly clicked on him, which is like the world champion, when you did not take this At the time of the award, no one knows you, or few people know you, but once you become the champion, the people who follow you will rise straight, which is the benefit of this record.

　　In just one or two hours, Saskatchewan's attention directly reached more than 100,000, and it continued to rise, and Saskatchewan sent a message, so they immediately received a reminder.

　　However, almost everyone has an article that wants to see what level the genius boy can write. After all, just passing the junior writer, even if it is genius, it is estimated to be only a teenager. What can you write a good article?

　　Therefore, those who come in are also those who are hunted, but they don't really read his articles, but more people just look at this reminder and stop paying attention: "It's just a little child's practice. I am afraid that only children will watch it!"

　　However, when those who went in and saw it saw the first sentence "When there was a few months in the moon," they couldn't help but have a bright eye. This is a new style, completely different from what others have written. And if this sentence doesn't have much of a big feature, then the next sentence, "Let the wine ask the sky," immediately made everyone slap the case.

　　"Well, there is still such a text, actually you can write it!"

　　...

　　"I rely on, just two sentences, how can I seem to see a strange scene: a young and handsome young man, toasting against the blue sky..."

　　...

　　"These two sentences are absolutely gone. Why didn't I think I could write this?"

　　...

　　However, when these two sentences are read free of charge, the next words become ellipsis. People who often read articles on this list naturally know that this is a fee, and the charge is 0.05 sen.

　　Almost no one cares about this charge, so almost everyone who saw the first two sentences subconsciously clicked "confirm purchase", and then the following text immediately appeared in front of their eyes...

　　"This... This is a novel style. We have never seen it before. However, this kind of article is concise and concise, and I feel that this style has brought the role of the sacred text to a very high level! "

　　...

　　"Just a short one hundred words, can actually depict such a beautiful moon, such a touching feeling, this singer is really just a teenager? Will it be an old monster?"

　　...

　　"Sauer is so arrogant, I decided to become a fan of Saskatchewan! Iron powder!"

　　...

　　At this moment, Lin Xu, who is eating, naturally does not know what happened to his work. He is thinking about how to improve writing speed.

　　"If you can make a hard pen, that's good, then my speed will be improved. If there is keyboard input, it would be better!" Lin Xu thought so.

　　"Right, look at the store!" Lin Xu suddenly remembered the function of the mall.

　　After entering the Saint Wen net for the first time, Lin Xu entered the Shengwen network as long as he thought about it. However, when he entered the Shengwen network, suddenly a bunch of information jumped out.

　　"Congratulations, the subscription reaches 100, and you have taken another step in the journey of writing! Reward 100 Holy Power!"

　　"Congratulations, the subscription reaches 200, and you have taken another step in the journey of writing! Reward 100 Holy Power!"

　　"Congratulations, the subscription reaches 400, and you have taken another step in the journey of writing! Reward 100 Holy Power!"

　　"Congratulations, the subscription reaches 1000, and you have taken another step in the journey of writing! Reward 100 Holy Power!"

　　"Congratulations, the subscription reaches 2000, and you have taken another step in the journey of writing! Reward 100 Holy Power!"

　　"Congratulations, the subscription reaches 3000, and you have taken another step in the journey of writing! Reward 100 Holy Power!"

　　Seeing this, Lin Xu opened his mouth and didn't expect it to be a ten-minute effort. There were actually more than 3,000 people who subscribed to their own words, and when he saw this information, it was another message. Come out, the order has reached four thousand.

　　Lin Xu has some people who can't believe that the most of his previous novels have been set at more than 2,800. At that time, the goal set by him was that he had set a goal of full-time, but he could not reach more than 3,000. Now he is here. This is the opposite world, actually more than 4,000 in more than ten minutes, which is too outrageous, right?

　　However, Lin Xu was very surprised. This proves that the "Water Melody" that he sent out is also a classic in this sacred world. UU reads www.uukanshu.com so Lin Xu can preliminarily judge the world's preferences. It should be the same as the Chinese where you are.

　　Later, Lin Xu finally realized why his work would reach 4,000 subscriptions in more than ten minutes, because he found that his space attention reached a value of 150,000.

　　"It turns out that there are quite a few sacred texts in the world!" Lin Xu saw that this concern has been rising, and he couldn't help but be surprised. This is how long it takes, the amount of attention has reached 150,000, etc. Over time, I am afraid that the amount of attention will be even greater. "The original name of this primary assessment is still so useful!"

　　Lin Xu naturally knows that his own attention comes from the world's notification of the first assessment. Although the increased attention will be very large at this time, it will probably become less and less afterwards.

　　Lin Xu also wants to understand why his subscription volume is so much: "Ha ha, the entire sacred world is such a sacred network, no one is pirated, and my attention has reached 150,000, as long as I send a message, There will be 150,000 people who will see my message, even if only 10% of people subscribe to my article, I am afraid there are also 15,000 subscriptions! Sure enough, there is no piracy to be truly powerful!"

　　In any case, Lin Xu found that there were more than one hundred coins in his account, which was because he only sent one.

　　At this time, suddenly a world news came: "I recommend that you have time to read the singer's "Water Melody", this is definitely the latest poetry style, the most poetic and most emotional article. Although the author is only a junior writer, but the articles I wrote are even shameful!"

　　Originally, everyone saw this world speaking, thinking that the guy who is stupid and has more money is pushing his own text. As a result, when they see the other person's name, they can't help but exclaim.

With four more days of waiting time to complete the quest, Ben remembered that he hasn't checked the winning combination for the lottery he bought on his first day in the community. He went to look, but sad to say that, he hasn't won even a single cent. Moving on, he researched on the crops, and also studied some knowledge on the advantages and disadvantages of having a greenhouse, that way it'll be easier to plan which crops he will plant. He also won't have to be that mindful of what crops to sell on a particular season. 

It also helps that he lives in a tropical country so there's a lot of crops to choose from. With the goals that he'd set, he just finished two which is checking on Karin and researching for crops, but he's not discouraged, he still have some days left. All that's left is to find a way to earn enough to buy the land that he's eyeing, good thing that not many are interested in farming so the land is just accumulating weeds.

On the fourth day, he finished his entire exercise regime and gained another 8 stat points, bringing his accumulated stat points to 27. He called out his status and then went to distribute all his points.

[Status]
Name: Benedict Torres
Level: 0
Exp: 0/100
HP: 250
MP: 250

Strength: 25 
Endurance: 25
Agility: 25
Fortitude: 25 
Charm: 25

SP: 1

Skills:
Drawing – D

/Quest: Your body is your very own capital! Complete!
/Requirement: All your Stats must Reach 25 points.
/Time Limit: 10 out of 30 Days 
/Reward:  Body Enhancement Pill (x5), 100 exp
/Level up! (+3 SP)
/Shop Unlocked!

[Status]
Name: Benedict Torres
Level: 1
Exp: 0/1000
HP: 250
MP: 250

Strength: 25 
Endurance: 25
Agility: 25
Fortitude: 25 
Charm: 25

SP: 4

Skills:
Drawing – D

Ben was satisfied with the accomplishment of his quest. He was quite unsettled this remaining four days due to not being used to seeing his body, to distract himself, he had also completed researching on the remaining goals he made on his list, with one remaining that which is finding a housekeeper. Even if he wanted one though, he first needed to bring his body back to being what it was before.

/Congratulations Master! Would you like to claim the Quest Reward?

"Yue, what's the effect of Body Enhancement Pill? You told me you'd explain it when I complete the quest."

/Master, all I can say is that, it's the solution to your current dilemma on your body.

"Ok, Claim Reward." Without thinking of anything more but to solve and bring his body back, he claimed the reward and out of nowhere a bottle containing 5 pill capsules appeared on his hand. 

/Master, you can take 1 pill every four hours and when you have taken all five pills, I guarantee that you won't say you're a mismatched anymore. He he he…

Ben looked at the pill doubtfully, he was sure Yue's voice contained mischievousness but with no other choice, he consumed a pill. Looking at the clock, he noted himself to take another pill at 10am. Not feeling anything, he proceeded to take a bath, relaxing his muscles on the bathtub and releasing some of his tension from finishing his quest and other task, he closed his eyes savoring the warmth.

After 30 minutes, he woke up to the feeling of something sticky and smelly. "Ugh! What's this!?" Ben hurriedly moved his body out of the tub and took a shower. He scrubbed his body to remove the black sticky substance and almost used up all his soap. "Yue, what happened? What was that black gooey stuff that stinks?"

/Master, those are part of the impurities that accumulated in your body, if you will check your body in the mirror, you'll see that you're body got a little bit thinner than before. By the time you finish taking the five pills, your body will be back the way it was before.

"So that's how it is, but how do I clean this filth?"

/Master, the system can clean the bathroom for you, just for $1,000! So cheap and very convenient! By the time you know it, your bathroom will be as sparkling clean as even before!

Hearing Yue give a spiel, Ben was reminded of those salesman giving promotion for their products. "It's cheap!? Is that $1,000 a lifetime service or is it a one-time offer?"

/Master, it's a one-time only offer, but we do offer a yearly service, let me show you you're options.

|Cleaning Services

|Individual Area Cleaning (Cleaning Only a Designated Area / Room)
|One-Time Cleaning: $1,000
|Yearly Cleaning Subscription: $24,000
|Lifetime Cleaning Subscription: $1,000,000

|House Cleaning (Cleaning the Entire House including Perimeter Areas)
|One-Time Cleaning: $10,000
|Yearly Cleaning Subscription: $500,000
|Lifetime Cleaning Subscription: $1,000,000,000

|Note: Subscription applies on the house where the Host lives. Subscription does not apply on all the Host's houses.

Ben felt that his pockets hurt right after reading the "cheap offers" of the system. Nevertheless, he decided to pay $5,000 for cleaning the bathroom 5 times after consuming every pill or else he doesn't know if he'll be able to finish all the polishing by him alone. 

"Yue, I'll pay for five "One-Time Cleaning" you offered, deduct $5,000 from my savings and clean the bathroom after I take one pill every 4 hours. I think I'm going broke before I even find a way to earn the funds I'll need to open my farm, if I don't find a house helper soon. I don't care anymore if the helper wants to stay-in or stay-out."

/Ok Master, there's also a house helper available at our store if you just check the Shop.

"What kind of existence of helper is that? Don't tell me it's an alien?" Ben asks with wide eyes as the system that he got almost has everything that he needs at the moment. "I wonder if you also have a fertile land for sale."

/Master, it will be an Artificial Intelligence Cleaning Robot not an alien. You can even customize your own robot but it comes with a price.

/There is also land for sale Master! Although, it is available but you won't be able to go there yet, so I suggest you just buy first the land you're eyeing before considering to buy the Shop's lands for sale.

Hearing the information from Yue, Ben excitedly called for the [Shop] to view what other items he can buy, it may also help him with his problem on gathering funds.

Ben, he lead his life normally, providing for a happy family and died without regrets.

And then he woke up, back after graduating from high school, with a cheat system.

Will he follow what he experienced on his first life?
Or will he choose to start anew?




Disclaimer: this is a work of fiction. Any resemblace to names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales and incidents to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. It is not intended to infringe on any rights by and of the companies and/or individuals involved in the production of any series mentioned here.
The cover image is not mine, credits to the owner.

NOTE: This story is more a slice of life, less action and slow paced. This is my first story and I would appreciate suggestions or gentle criticisms. (✿^‿^)

Support me! Every coffee counts!
https://ko-fi.com/bkjugado

I will try to release 3 to 5 chapters a week.

On Galactic Dark Net, drugs are one of the most commonly traded merchandise. There are thousands of types of drugs currently on the market, all with differing effects. Mental stimulating drugs can cause one to temporarily forget fear, and it is very popular among soldiers, as it allows them to feel like invincible titans and fight endlessly. Shockwaves, thrill, demon blade, are all popular types of mental stimulating drugs.
Light hallucination drugs can bring pleasure and, according to users, the feeling can be even better than having sex. Moderate hallucination drugs can come with some risk when used by ordinary people, and high hallucination drugs are limited to espers because only their bodies can handle the effects this type of drug can have. Pleasure, super stimulation, heaven, sex experience, these were all typical hallucination drugs found on the dark net.
Empowerment drugs are very useful in comparison to the two types previously mentioned, for instance Pyromancers can take some stimulants to quickly enhance their abilities and strengthen themselves for a short period. Higher level empowerment drugs can even increase your power index number, improving one's strength, reflex speed, and so on. Flaming phoenix, Frosty ice, Sensation, Mental burst, Nuclear drive, these are all essential empowerment drugs espers should have to improve their skills. Many super soldiers will bring a small medicine box with them that contains these drugs, in order to address sudden needs.
The dark net also sells a lot of drugs used on other people. Honesty potion can force someone to spill all his secrets at once, confusion potion can cause a married woman to mistake you for her husband, and temptation potion can persuade the most innocent woman take off her cloth...
According to Han's initial estimation, the GDN is selling over 100 thousand kinds of drugs, so if he wants to calculate the index number he can't take all of them into account. Instead, he will only be able to use the popular, most iconic ones to determine the general price for the industry. Han spent a whole month on GDN and chose 80 websites that are representative of the drug industry. From these websites Han picked out 650 of the most "Flagship" drugs to use as the drug index number's calculation foundation.
In addition to the current data, Han also needed to calculate the historic data. He set his daily working hour to 21 hours, with only a mere two hours to sleep, and one hour for personal hygiene and food.
After one month, Han had lost at least three pounds and dark circles had become common place around his eyes. June 8th came quickly, and the fresh index number that Han prepared a whole month for could finally be published. Han named himself Wind Speaker on GDC, which originated from a Hollywood movie he watched in his childhood. Shortly after, he published his first post on dark net and started nervously refreshing the page.
"It's actually pretty exciting." chuckled Han to himself.
The Index number for drugs has a resting value of 100, so if the number for a specific day is higher than 100, it means that the market is trading more frequently than normal resulting in an increase in price. If the number is below 100 then it indicates a drop in demand and an increase in storage available, signalling the sellers to start selling with discounts.
When the first visitor views Han's post, he almost jumped up happily! Han's post soon passed the 200 views bar, but no one replied... Did I do something wrong? Han thought to himself and started reviewing all his calculations.
Everyday Han keeps his schedule very tight so he can't always keep an eye on his post. From midnight to the following day's noon, Han worked hard to collect data in order to write the Index number for that day. Han worked furiously and completed today's number in 11 hours. He added to the post list, and at the same time he noticed that over 1000 people already visited Han's post and there are also two comments!
User "Galactic Solder 101" asked, "Drug index number? Reliable?"
But User "No way to get home so I slept" encouraged Han, "Wow man, you actually collected everything by hand that's impressive!"
Han hesitated, and he decided to reply these two users. But right before his fingers hit the keyboard, the screen flashed, indicating that a user donated 1 GC to Han! This user called "White horse not horse" said, "Although I'm not involved in drug businesses, I'm impressed with your hard work, you actually collected all the data for the past year to construct this index system. Although 1 GC isn't much but it's my token of appreciation."
Immediately, Han felt the urge to cry his eyes out!
Hurray to nice people in the world!
Holy crap. Just to calculate the index number, Han did a ton of work, and the beginning was the time when Han needed the most encouragement and appraisal. Although White horse not horse only donated 1 GC, but it significantly increased Han's confidence and strengthened his determination to continue updating the index number no matter how hard it gets.
For the next half of the day Han didn't receive any more donation nor subscribers. But it was okay since White horse not horse's encouragement was already enough to keep Han going for a while. At midnight, Han visited all 80 websites again to collect the data. This time, it only took him 10 hours and 53 minutes, slightly faster than before. Han noticed that calculating Index is a bit tough in the beginning stage, but as soon as the model is established, workload will slowly decrease as proficiency goes up.
Now, Han's post already reached more than 10 thousand people! Aside from the horse guy, another two nice users donated 1 GC each. Now Han is worth 3 GC, which equals to 3750 UC on earth!
The first person to subscribe to Han's drug market index is a user called "Night Walker", and he subscribed on the fifth day of Han's first post. He didn't leave any comments, just simply transferred 3 GC from the forum's subscription function to subscribe for a month of index numbers.
Honestly, Han didn't set the subscription too high, 3 GC a month, a seasonal subscription discount lowers it to 8 GC for 3 months, high year subscription is 13 GC, and subscribing for the whole year is as cheap as 24 GC. Maybe Night Walker is the manager of a drug market website, and for these drug lords a few GC is nothing.
After someone subscribes, Han would email the full version of drug index to the subscriber, which is different from the public version because it also includes specific daily trade volumes and trend analysis which Han wrote himself. The package totaled about 30 to 40 pages of detailed data. He hadn't ever worked so hard on a report, even for school...
His finger was shaking just before he hit sent, he was quite nervous about whether his first subscriber would be satisfied with his data. Beside the email function is Han's GC account, including the 3 GC subscription fee and other 8 users' donation, Han has made 11 GC which equals to 13585 UC already.
Every day, Han spent 11 hours generating the index numbers and the rest of his free time continuing to explore the drug market. He was hoping to find the drug markets hidden even deeper in the dark web, in order to expand the historic record of drug index numbers and improve on the existing calculation model.
Of course, hard work yields results, evident by the daily increase in subscriber numbers to Han's index number, and Han continued to meticulously generate daily index numbers, carefully protecting the hard-earned viewer base and saving every coin he earned.



When the last prodigy level esper on Earth disappeared, Earth was in deep trouble of becoming another species’ colony. The ordinary Han, with his intelligence and hardworking character, was able to make a fortune after “accidentally” stepping into the world of dark net, later purchasing an esper power crystal that brought him the ultimate power that changed the fate of the universe.
Dark net is a subset of the Deep Web that is not only not indexed by traditional search engines, but that also requires special tools like specific proxy or authentication to gain access. Dark net is not restricted by any law or morals, so the dark net market has everything that is prohibited by the law. Drugs, slaves, firearms, uranium, bioweapons, rare animals, human testing, assassination, and the list goes on. During the year of 2075 on Earth, Han Lang logged into the largest hyperspace dark net market, and our story begins.

Completed!

Darkness is all I see. But not for long.
When it begins to dissipate, I'm back in the living room of my shitty, run-down apartment. Dirty dishes are stacked high in the kitchen, next to the sink and I snicker at my inability to ever keep my place clean.
After the breakup, that bout of depression made everything hard. It was hard just to pull myself out of bed in the morning. Luckily, I had thousands of television channels to get me through some of it. Money can't buy you happiness, but it can indeed buy you a decent cable subscription.
I remember that's what we always fought about - money, and how it was slowly starting to control our lives. They say that money will do that to a relationship, but sadly no relationship can function without any sort of income. There's the multiple dates, the constant "eating out because we don't know what we want", and then the dreaded ring.
In fact, that's what the whole breakup was built upon. Just the simple idea of me trying to confess my love for her in the purest way possible. Sure, we had our ups and downs, but things had been going good for a while and I knew the timing was right. So, after work I went to Kay Jewelers and put down most of the paycheck on the most beautiful ring that I could find.
Sure, in the end it was a $2,000 ring, and it was the majority of my paycheck. But I made the poor assumption that Julianna wouldn't mind struggling for a bit just so I could finally tell her what my heart has been aching to scream.
When I came home that night, she had already sat down at the table with Chinese food in boxes, fork in hand already preoccupied with a box of chicken fried rice. She looked up at me and smiled when I came in, but didn't get up from the table. She didn't have to anyway, since I was starving and quickly joining her after slipping off my jacket.
"Hey," I quietly say, not sure when the right time is to show off the ring.
"Hey," she says back, smiling up at me. "I started a list of improvements for you, for the apartment. I know that you've been talking about wanting to get this shithole all fixed up, and I thought up the cheapest places to start first."
She reaches in her pocket and pulls out a folded list, written with the notepad that I got her for her birthday. She unfolds it flat onto the table and I smirk, noticing how neat the handwriting is just like her personality. That's why I went for her. That's always what brought me in.
The top of list is scribbled with the text "Improvement Ideas". It was followed below with a bulleted list, that read:
• Bathroom tile
• Kitchen wallpaper
• New sofa
Other ideas followed after, but I forget by now and there's no need in telling you. It's pointless now.
"I figured that since you got paid that bonus this month, you would be able to spend some of that money and get started on a few of these." Julianna smiled at me again. She returned back to the food on the table and remarked, "So, what do you think?"
I ponder the entire situation, and decide this time would work just fine. "I think this would be a cool us project, something we could do together."
Julianna laughed, and with a glint in her eye looked up at me. "Kaleb, of course you know I'm going to help you. I love doing things with you."
I dropped down onto one knee beside her, and responded, "I was thinking more in official terms." Julianna began to shift a little in her chair, which made me nervous so I began to fumble for the ring box in my back pocket.
That's when I realized that the damn thing wasn't there. Trying to keep the horror off of my face, I reach deeper into my pocket, hoping that another universe was hidden inside and it fell in there somewhere.
After searching for what felt like an eternity, I look up at Julianna and show her how disappointed I am in myself. "I'm so sorry," I tell her as she begins to understand exactly what has happened.
"How much was it?" she asks me with panic in her eyes.
I take in a sharp breath, then mumble, "Two thousand."
"What??" she asks me, making it clear that I need to speak louder so she can hear me.
"Two thousand," I say a little louder, knowing that the argument was probably going to come whether I had the ring or not.
Julianna jumps up from the chair and runs into the living room, starting to scratch herself. It's her nervous tic, and I know things will get worse.
And now we're here. After a blowout over the entire situation, we're alone again in this plain, un-improved apartment. A chime comes from the distance, and I jump at how loud it is in the overwhelming silence.
I make my way over to the sound, and my phone's answering machine light is flashing. A part of me gets excited, hoping it's her wanting to come back and work on things.
The damn thing beeps again, and I jump again at the noise a little less. I bend down to pick up the phone and put the earpiece to my ear, then I press the button to access my voicemail.
The robotic recording floats into my ear, and it asks me if I would like to proceed through the menu and listen to my messages. I look down at the buttons and press 2 to continue.
Silence for a couple of seconds, and the recording returns.
"You have 173 new messages. To listen to your messages, press 1."
The statement stops me cold. I stop breathing for a second, hoping that everyone is okay. I regret pushing 1, but I do it faster than my brain can process what I've done.
"Message 1. Kaleb. I'm sorry for storming out last night. I know you're listening to this, s-" I cut the message off by pressing 7 to save it. I already heard this message when she called that night. That was a few days after the fight.
This happens with a lot of the voicemails. I decide to save them just so they're not lost, but they wont show up as new messages anymore. I finally get to a message that I haven't heard before, and I let it play.
"Message 64. Hey, Kaleb. God, this is so stupid. Why am I doing this to myself? Of course you won't answer."
The phone clicks and the options are presented. I want to call Julianna and tell her that I want to fix things, especially since she's given up completely on me answering.
I wait though, just so I clean out the rest of my voicemail. The next one begins.
"Message 65. You have a prescription available for pickup today, February 9th, 2015. You can pick up your prescription at any of our five locations."
That's weird, I think to myself. Must have been an error in the system, sending it out early on accident. I go over to the fridge to make a note to call the pharmacy to inform them, and my eyes drift exactly where they wanted to. Just to confirm I wasn't crazy.
But for some reason, the calendar isn't just a couple months ahead. It's a whole four years ahead. My mind tries to understand what I'm seeing, but can't, so I return slowly to the only thing that offers explanation in this plain room. The answering machine.
"Message 66. Your package was left at your doorstep. This is the 5th time we have tried to reach you, and we hope that your package gets to you."
I run to the front door and throw it open, but there is no package outside. Just the empty hallway and the staircase to the right. I slowly close the door and head back to the phone.
"Message 67. I keep calling this voicemail to hear your voice. It's been almost a year now, but I can't resist the urge anymore. I miss you so much, and I hate how we left things. Anyway, I hope this gets to you somehow out in the universe."
I realize that this is a voicemail into the future, and I can only hope that Julianna and I get back together. Too eager to find out, I skip most of the next voicemails until Julianna's voice comes on again.
"Message 104. It's been three years now. The therapist thinks it's healthy for me to call this number again and just say how things are going in my life. I've gotten engaged but there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about what we had. I just hope you understood that I loved you so much."
I skip more automated messages, some of them telling me that my number will be disconnected soon. I write another note on the fridge to tell my phone company I need to pay my bill.
"Message 153. Kaleb. The name seems to keep fading from my mind the more time that passes. All I want to do is to remember it. All I can associate it with is the grief and heartbreak of how we left things. It killed me inside to know that I couldn't tell you how much I loved you before you... I can't even speak it. Before you killed yourself. There, I said it. Maybe it will bring me some closure, at least I hope because"
The machine beeps, signaling that she ran out of her message time. I skip through the rest of the messages, and hope that her voice will come through telling me that it was just a prank she was pulling on me. Some kind of twisted gag.
"Message 173. This phone number will be removed from this account due to inactivity. The date is September 14, 2017. Goodbye."
The voicemail tells me that I have no new messages, and I wish that wasn't true. I go back and look at the calendar, and sure enough, it's flipped to September of 2017. Written on the 22nd, it says "Alex's birthday" in a font that I don't recognize.
I turn around and a family of three run around the house, fast forwarding through time. I run back where the phone was when they are finally gone and time stands still, but sadly it isn't there.
I panic, and have no idea what to do next. I fling open the front door and run down the stairs to the entrance of the complex. Throwing it open, the light blinds me as I pull the covers over my head, grunting at the sunlight.
After my eyes have adjusted, I pull the covers back down and Julianna is smiling down at me. "Time to wake up, cutie," she remarks at me. "You need to go into work and collect that bonus."
I squint through my door towards the calendar in the kitchen. It reads November 2014, and I breathe in a sigh of relief.
I kiss her on the forehead and pull her into bed, her hair falling onto the white mattress. "I don't work today. The paycheck can wait a day," I tell her, enjoying my time with her and the connection we have.
And no new messages on the answering machine.

My collection of short stories that I have written. Eventually wanting to publish these into a collection in print when I have a good amount of stories.

"What are you doing?" Daniel asked that made Margaret slam her laptop shut a little too hard. 

"Jesus, Danny! You almost gave me a heart attack!" She complained while her hand rubbing her chest that's hurting.

Daniel laughed. "What are you hiding? Dad said you've been on your computer since yesterday. What are you up to?"

"Nothing…" she lied with slight hesitation. "Just a couple of things for your birthday. It's a surprise."

Daniel paused and looked at his mother. "If you're setting up another blind date, mom, forget about it. I won't go." He said as he put a paper bag on the kitchen counter. "I brought you your favorite cake from your favorite bake shop."

Gary entered the kitchen in his signature look of Hawaiian shirt and flip flops. "What are you doing here so early, son?" 

"Good morning, dad. I want to ask you about something."

Gary nodded, "Let me get some coffee first." He answered. "Marga, darling, did you make me a coffee?"

"Of course dear…" Margaret answered. "Just the way you like it."

"You're mother never fails to make me a cup of coffee in the morning." He said to Daniel with a smile. 

"Sometimes I wish I didn't include that in my wedding vows." Margaret said while sipping her own cup and opening her laptop when Daniel wasn't near anymore.

"I'm glad she did." He whispered at Daniel. 

"Can you two go somewhere else now? I have to concentrate on something."

Daniel smiled and followed Gary to the backyard garden.

When the two men in her life were nowhere in her sight, she nervously opened her email. She's been waiting since yesterday for a reply to the application she sent to mymissus.com that she couldn't sleep. She gasps when the email she's been waiting for came. Slowly, she clicked it. 

Re: 'Marriage: A 100-day Free Trial' request 

Dear Missus Roberts,

We received your application and all the considerations you wanted to be applied for and we, on MyMissus, are happy to grant your request.

Your subscription will start after two (2) days upon receipt of this email. As per the legal documents, you will be visited by our company representative on that same day and further clarification. Your request for non-disclosure is also granted. 

Expect your personalized 'Missus' on your given address, after (2) weeks after signing the documents.

Attached is a sample of the contract you'll be given on the day of subscription for your reference. Please be guided accordingly. 

Your Missus,

Yhasmin Rockwell 
MyMissus Chief Executive Officer

From the garden of the house, Gary and Daniel stopped talking when they heard Margaret screaming. Daniel was about to stand up when his father stopped him. "She's probably just excited about what she's getting you for your birthday. She's fine."

Daniel sat back. "She shouldn't be worrying about it. I'm not even planning on celebrating. It's not even for another two weeks."

"Let your mother be, son. She just wanted what she thought you deserve." Gary replied kindly, "Besides, it might just be another one of those vacuum cleaners she badly wanted." He laughed

"I hope you're right because I'm starting to hate all those blind dates. I can't stand any more of it."

"You know, during my time, there's no such thing as blind dates. Only courtship and marriage. If you like a girl, court her, if she likes you back, you marry each other. Simple." Gary said. Daniel smiled, his father never seems to run out of stories from his adolescence. More so, being raised as an Asian American in a foreign country. "Now, all you have to do is choose which one you like to date without meeting them in person. You just swipe."

"How'd you know about that?" Daniel asked, laughing. "You've been on Facebook for too long, dad."

"You should sign up to one of those. Maybe you can find a wife there."

"It's not that simple, trust me."

"Of course it is." Gary argued. "You're the one making it complicated. You find a nice girl, but when you find one, you look at the things she isn't before seeing her as a whole. When you ask for rain, don't look for the sun. You can't be like that. You can't look for something and close your eyes when it's in front of you. There's no perfect girl, Daniel, but there will be someone who's going to be a perfect fit for you."

"I hope you're right, but I don't think you'll meet her anytime soon."

"Don't be so sure."

***

The MyMissus held a sudden meeting to address a special case in regards to a very specific request. Margaret Roberts' request. 

"Prepare yourself, this is quite a long list that states, quote: well-educated, has a good family background, has a pet dog, can do house chores, can dance, a vegetarian, a good cook, a catholic, likes gardening, a professional free diver, can play an instrument, who knows the law, a good driver, a painter, good time manager, outgoing and polite, a brunette with long hair and brown eyes, and finally, a girl who's 27 years old and exactly 175 centimeters and 121 pounds."

"God, that's a lot." Yhasmin, the current CEO of the company said and everyone agreed. "Do we have all those qualities in one person? That's insane. Who is he looking for? An alien?"

The people around the table look at each other in question. "So why did we accept this if we can't handle this in the first place?" Yhasmin asked, dangerously glaring at the manager. The room grew quiet. 

"Missus Roberts is going to cut a good deal out of this." The manager answered. "Plus, we have quite exceptional newcomers for this year."

"And you're giving this case to newcomers?!" Yhasmin slammed her fists on the table. "God, didn't I tell you that special cases should be handled professionally?"

"Missus Yhasmin, we scanned the list of girls and found 15 girls who're 50-75% fit for the position." Yhasmin's secretary said as pictures of girls flashed on the screen. "10 are in the company for less than two years and 5 of them are considered pros. All 27 years old, 175 centimeters tall and 121 pounds."

The first girl flashed on screen as Yhasmin scanned the pile of documents in front of her. All of those are profiles of girls working as 'missus' . "65%? What is wrong with Haley? She looks perfect for the job."

"She's a Jew and she doesn't know how to swim." Her secretary answered. "Plus, she's allergic to dog fur." 

"Ugh!" Yhasmin continued browsing through the files while the rest of the people around the table continued talking about the girls one by one in exasperation.

Physically, they have what they're looking for, but to have everything on the list in one person is like looking for a needle in a haystack—at night. Either they're missing at least one but essential quality. Like one who's fit for the job but couldn't carry a tune or a step, or not a professional free diver. 

"All in all, these are the top three matches." 

Yhasmin looked ahead, to the wide screen showing 3 brunette profiles. 

"Gillian Flinch, Amanda Riles, and June Gregory." Yhasmin secretary introduced, as she leaned back on her seat and intently listened. 

"Gillian and June aren't professionals yet…" Yhasmin interjected. 

"I agree. But based on their records, both show exceptional feedback from clients. Good performance and good behavior equals good service, that is why they're both in consideration."

"How about Amanda Riles?"

"She's been on the company for more than four years but isn't active since last year due to an accident. She's fine now. No serious damage, but she hasn't reported yet despite summons. She's under the list of discharges this year due to inactivity and her 5-year contract is about to end."

"I'm more interested in why she scored 75%, Miles."

"Well, for starters, she isn't naturally brunette. Also, her eyes aren't brown and she's a dropout from Oxford."

Yhasmin paused, looking at the fake-brunette girl on the screen. The rest of the people waited for her decision. In Yhasmin's years of business, weird requests come once in a while, but not as twisted as this. Not as demanding as this, but hey, a challenge is good. And as MyMissus' tagline, 'we'll turn your wonder into experience', she intends to deliver what her clients want. 

"Find her." She said rising up from her seat and walking out of the room.

Daniel is a lawyer who’s sick and tired of dating all those women his mother, sister— or whoever it is that wanted him to NOT be single— sets him up because it always ends the same. Not well. 

It’s not like he’s an eyesore—is he? He doesn’t think so, most people say that he’s handsome. Is it his personality? He’s a perfect gentleman. Well that—maybe that— is the problem. 

In his 32 years of existence— and probably over a thousand blind dates—he never had a relationship that lasted long enough to end in marriage. 

When he decided to finally accept the fact that “It’s not you, it’s me” followed by “you’re too good for me” will be the ending of his every relationship, he knew that marriage isn’t for him. 

But that doesn’t mean his mother did too because being a love expert, she refuses to give up his son’s case. Not if she knows the perfect way. 

Browsing through the internet, her eyes focused on the site with the biggest smile on her face. If blind dates demotivate Daniel to eventually get married, maybe marriage itself will, she whispered as she signed up to mymissus.com with a tag line of ‘Marriage: A 100-Day Free Trial’.

September 5th, 2085...

Tyler walked into his silent and empty house, towing along a high-tech levitating board that lightly floated up and down. On this hovering board was his work briefcase and some groceries which he picked up for cheap at some convenience store.

Over the last sixty years, technology has advanced to the point in which even the poorest of people like him could buy sci-fi level tech.

Tyler had great features with short and curly black hair that was nicely cut. He looked like he was in college but in actuality, he was in his late twenties.

Due to the advances in health technology, he looked and felt like he was in the prime of his life. Going by others standards, he was quite good looking.

After he put all the food away, he made a cup of ramen and slumped onto the couch. He heaved a heavy sigh as he lamented over the days events 'Today's work was so tiring!' He grabbed the remote to the TV and started flipping through random channels 'I might quit soon...'

The same routine of moping and wasting away has been with him since he first got his job. He says he will quit, but he's in no position too.

Nothing good was on so he flipped to the news. Video feed of hundreds of people dancing in a futuristic ballroom showed up on a screen. People chatted and drank on floating platforms in luxurious garments. Musicians played a rhythmic and uplifting tune while everyone enjoyed the atmosphere. Multiple bars lined the walls as bartenders performed tricks for their guests.

A dashing reporter stood near the stage at the front of the ballroom as he explained the details of the event, "Today is the last day of the Monolith Foundation's game launch event and important figures from all over the star system are here to celebrate," the reporter spoke in an excited tone as he looked over the crowd, "In a few minutes, the final one hundred people will be drawn from the lotteries biggest prizes."

Monolith is a massive company that started from scratch and a team of geniuses, and ushered in a new era. They used simulated realities to generate technologies and advanced ideas for the world. It wasn't perfect and it's extremely difficult to find the solution to every issue using this method, but it ultimately drove the entire star system into a new golden age.

After Monolith revolutionized humanity, they wen't into seclusion for a couple decades. During this time, they put every ounce of effort into making a simulated world, or video game, that could be considered a real place due to the life like gameplay. In the real world, they spent around 40 years in development of the proper technologies and the game itself, but they used some advanced full dive technology to make a workspace that slowed down time. They spent more than two hundred years creating that video game in their work space.

Tyler could only imagine the hardships Monolith went through.

The reporter explained how in the previous day, results of one million to one hundred lottery prizes were presented online.

"Now the prizes are simple..." he held up his palm as a coin sized green disk laid upon it. A hologram floated above the disk and presented the prizes.

•>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>•

{1,000,000th - 101st}
- Private beta access to AlKo online
- One shooting star wish (in game)
- Special edition: Advanced Full Dive helmet (90% - 92% synchronization rate)

{100th - 51st}
- Private beta access to AlKo online
- Two shooting star wishes (in game)
- Additional talent choices (in game)
- Aura cosmetic editing chance for avatar (in game)
- Special edition: Full Dive pod (93% - 95% synchronization rate)

{50th - 11th}
- Private beta access to AlKo online
- Five shooting star wishes (in game)
- Additional race choices (in game)
- Additional talent choices (in game)
- Unique aura cosmetic editing chance for avatar (in game)
- Limited edition: Advanced Full Dive pod (96% - 99% synchronization rate)

{10th - 4th}
- Private beta access to AlKo online
- One shooting star cluster wish (in game)
- One super wish (in game)
- Additional race choices (in game)
- Additional talent choices (in game)
- Unique aura cosmetic editing chance for avatar (in game)
- Advanced AI helper interface (in game)
- Limited edition: Signature Monolith Full Dive pod (100% synchronization rate)

{3rd - 2nd}
- Private beta access to AlKo online
- Two shooting star cluster wishes (in game)
- Two super wishes (in game)
- Additional race choices (in game)
- Additional unique talent choices (in game)
- Premium aura cosmetic editing chance for avatar (in game)
- Super AI helper interface (in game)
- Premium edition: Signature Monolith Full Dive pod (105% synchronization rate)
- Lifetime Subscription to the Longevity Corporation: Diamond pass

{1st}
- Private beta access to AlKo online
- Three shooting star cluster wishes (in game)
- Three super wishes (in game)
- One grand wish (in game)
- Additional race choices (in game)
- Additional unique talent choices (in game)
- Premium aura cosmetic editing chance for avatar (in game)
- Super AI helper interface (in game)
- Premium Edition: Signature Monolith Full Dive chamber (110% synchronization rate)
- Lifetime subscription to the Longevity Corporation: Diamond pass

•<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<•

Tyler quickly skimmed over the screen as he marveled at the wealth of the prizes. Even the worst prize was quite extravagant.

'Didn't Andrew sign me up for this lottery? I heard it costs money to apply.' After memorizing the top 100 prizes, he made a mental note to thank his best friend for entering him, even if he didn't win anything.

The reporter rambled on about different key aspects of the game before a bald man with a bushy beard and soft features walked onto the stage. The music slowly stopped and the people all payed close attention to the man.

It was none other than Anthony McBell. The leader of the Pillars of Monolith and a core founder of the Monolith Foundation. A legend that has (mentally) lived over two hundred years. Although a majority of it was spent making AlKo online, he was still the oldest in the room so his ancient and wise aura was noticed by all.

He opened his arms in a welcoming manner and exclaimed in a delighted voice "Welcome to the Obelisk and thank you so much for coming!" The crowd cheered and applauded for a couple seconds before dying down.

The ball was being held on the Obelisk which is the Monolith Foundation's base of operations. It's a massive satellite station that orbits the moon. It's two-thirds the size of the moon so people on the moon and Earth can see it from their surface. The Obelisks main purpose is to house the mega computer that generates the technologies for the Monolith Foundation. It's considered a galactic monument of humanity.

Anthony made some announcement and jokes before he started talking about his dreams of making AlKo online. After a little bit he started reading off the names of the top 100's list. As he read the names of the top one hundred, the corresponding rewards were displayed behind him on a big screen.

"Now for our top 10 winners..." he gave pauses for dramatic effect as he slowly listed the names. Some of names were famous while most were completely unknown.

"Gerald Christoph from Russia! Congratulations on 3rd place."

"Vanessa Jackson from the United States! Congratulations on 2nd place."

Both names were fairly well known in the gaming community. Gerald worked for a big guild that focused on conquering big games while Vanessa was a skilled independent gamer that focused on a single game for long periods of time. He remembered them because Andrew constantly talked on about famous gamers that he looked up to.

"And our final prize goes too...." the band that was on the side gave a light drum roll at Anthony's command.

"Tyler Harlow from the United States!! Congratulations on obtaining 1st place!"

Tyler flinched when he heard his name 'Damn, what are the odds of someone with my name appearing on the list... even first place!' He took another bite of his ramen, obviously not believing that he won. 'I'm not that lucky...'

"Out of the 8.6 billion participants, a hundred people beat the odds..." Anthony raised his hand and snapped his fingers, "Messages were sent to the winners explaining the prizes and the instructions for obtaining them."

*Ding*

Tyler slowly turned his head toward his phone that lay beside him on the couch. A look of shock and a little terror flashed across his face. 'There's no way...' he picked up the phone and read through the message carefully.

"What is this heaven defying luck!?!"

•>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>•

Hello and thank you for participating in the Monolith Foundation's lottery event for AlKo online. Here are your prizes for winning first place:

- Private beta access to AlKo online
- Three shooting star cluster wishes (in game)
- Three super wishes (in game)
- One grand wish (in game)
- Additional race choices (in game)
- Additional unique talent choices (in game)
- Premium aura cosmetic editing chance for avatar (in game)
- Super AI helper interface (in game)
- Premium edition: Signature Monolith Full Dive chamber (110% synchronization rate)
- Lifetime subscription to the Longevity Corporation: Diamond pass

Secret prize:
- Modernized gamer residence (houses the Full Dive chamber)

Congratulations for winning all these prizes! We will be sending someone over tomorrow and they will arrive by 8:00 to talk about the details. Have a good day!

•<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<•

(TEST) RELEASE RATE INFO BELOW...

Tyler has never had an easy life ever since he was in elementary school, it was even a little unfair. One day his bad luck finally breaks and he discovers AlKo online.

A massive fantasy world filled with magic and mythical beasts awaits him. Numerous unfathomable threats and catastrophes stalk this world with ravenous eyes.

A new powerhouse is born and the major powers can't ignore him. His great ambition, which was suppressed in the real world, runs wild and his strength expands rapidly. 

Absolute power...

Overwhelming strength...

Unshakeable influence...

Vast wealth...

Endless knowledge and potential...

Beautiful women...

His ridiculous growth speed startles the gods and devils alike as he obtains everything and anything. All who threaten or get in his way are brutally put down. All who aid him only see great benefits and a bright future.

A legend is birthed...

Tags:
Romance//System//Action//Harem//R-18//Adventure//Fantasy//Game//Ambitious MC//Cunning & Smart MC//Comedy//Polygamy//Overpowered MC//Fantasy//Prodigy MC//Strong from Start// Non-human MC//Hidden Gem

Infrequent Tags:
Tragedy//Strategy//Yuri(rarely)//War//Politics//Economics//Gore(sometimes extreme)//Modern//Urban//Sci-fi//Futuristic//School//Psychological

(This means they might not be frequent or will appear much later on)

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

{TEST RELEASE RATE}

FRIDAY: 2 chapters

This is my TEST release rate to see if I can handle it. I'm still a new author so need to see what I can handle.

I will try hard to abide by this release rate but I do have the stuff to do in real life so please bear with me if I’m late or I miss it.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

{COMMON QUESTIONS}

NOVEL’S FUTURE: 
This story is quite special to me because I’ve loved reading my whole life and I thought I’d give it a try. This is my first novel and I have big (and I mean BIG) plans with a really solid storyline planned out for its future. I truly don't plan on dropping this book or leaving it alone for unreasonable periods of time because I feel like I’ve invested too much of my energy and emotions to just give up on it. 

FAKE WORLD CONCERN: 
Some people are discontent with the fact that the world that the MC focuses on is all fake and virtual, but all I can say is that you shouldn’t be worried about that!! After all, I’m a reader too..... I know how you guys tick because I’m one of you so I would have similar feelings. Just wait and see what happens.

MORAL ALIGNMENT: 
I believe readers get a little confused on the MC’s moral alignment (at least in the beginning) and I don't blame them, he’s a complicated fellow. He usually does whatever he wants with little care for the other party unless they interest and/or benefit him and his ambitions, or his principles or bottom-line get in the way. When he makes decisions, he can respond like a ”lawful neutral”, ”neutral good”, or ”chaotic neutral”. I would say he’s morally grey… His strong views on matters such as slavery and extremely unethical organizations such as the Archaic Church stem from past experiences in real life that will be explained. I’d have to say that the MC is in between an ”anti-hero” and an ”anti-villain”. The main force that drives him is his unnaturally large ambition and yearn for power, which strengthens his end game goal… world domination. 

OCCASIONAL NAUGHTINESS: 
Concerning the (+18) scenes and chapters, I don't go heavy on them. I mainly focus on the storyline with the occasional scene or chapter as a cherry on top! They’re short and sweet and I try my hardest to not let them be lacking, but also not dwell on them. 

SINCERELY hope that you enjoy it!!!!!

(The title image isn't mine and if the original creator wishes to have the credit or for it to be taken down, please contact me through comments.)

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