"We have waited long enough! We Devils have been banished in this forsaken place by the gods for a 60 thousand years! Now the gods have weakened they sealed themselves in there realm. An opportunity  has opened for us we shall take are land back. FOR THE GLORY OF DORGAMA!"

Shounen is a demographic aimed at teens and young adults to sell Manga. 'Stuff that boys like'.

If so, what is the 'Shounen Formula' Anitubers be raging about whenever series along the lines of Demon Slayer or Black Clover is released? And what makes this formula appealing as a story?

Dragon Ball Z might have set the stage for kids everywhere to learn of love and friendship through two dudes punching the life out of each other, but it was Black Clover who 'defined' what the modern interpretation of the Shounen Formula actually is.

To be more specific, let's analyse some major components in how that Anime works. Starting off with the 'Hero' being in a state where he isn't content with his life and desires for improvement.

Like the Hero's Journey, this is the first trope used to quickly give the main character a goal or purpose in the overall plot. Though in series like Fullmetal Alchemist they don't explicitly say what it is they are specifically looking for, there is normally a broad or innocent goal they strive for with every fibre of their being from childhood to adolescence.

Attack on Titan made it 'killing all titans' and Hunter X Hunter made it 'looking for father figure'. Though some might interpret their differences as one being more 'good' and the other being 'bad', what is truly contrasting is how relevant they are to the overarching narrative established in the story. It doesn't matter how good or bad their ambitions are for them since purpose itself isn't a story.

Some say Hunter X Hunter is 'deconstructive' without even knowing how or why it's considered to be just that. After all, to deconstruct a story's plot device, you must know how it works before you attempt to do it. The only thing that Anime did was introduce a character named Gon Freecs who only wanted three things in live: To make good friends, go on an adventure, and find his father.

He achieves both of the first two goals he set off his journey towards in the first Arc itself, the third goal only becoming relevant near the end of the Anime's last Arc. So rather than 'searching for what he set off his journey for', the story becomes more about him protecting these bonds as the unfeeling world. Other characters becoming more apparent due to him having a 'stagnant character arc'.

Now, defending friendship itself has never been Shounen's unique aspect, as even My Little Pony got that covered. What was really considered a 'deconstruction' was how, while other stories would connect 'defending friendship' to the central narrative. It had always taken a back seat compared to other characters and their struggles.

Attack on Titan and Black Clover, on the other hand, made their character's goals and the overarching narrative have relevance. Eren from Attack on Titan finds his original goal changing throughout the story as the stakes in the narrative become higher while the 'Wizard King' in Asta strives for in Black Clover will always have relevance when there are threats to the kingdom.

Whether your character achieves their goal or not doesn't matter though as much as the next trope:

Power Levels and Escalating Stakes.

Although this can be likened to how people play an RPG to level up and grind, it is actually the exact opposite in practice. The reason most protagonists start off as 'normal' is to give more familiarity.

No one can empathise with a human tank that can take hits like a boss but a normal person who can get heavily injured a punch that broke the wall behind him is the kind of person I can get behind.

If he has superpowers, then all you have to do is focus on his more 'mundane and normal' aspects that have nothing to do with his abilities. This acts as setting the 'floor' of your Power Systems.

Then escalate the conflicts from then on until he becomes a god... Not! Well, you can if you want to write a 'Immortal Hero' genre Eastern Fantasy, but there is more to power scaling than just that.

For example: Why do 'power levels' even exist?

My opinion is that they are supposed to represents the 'ranks' we see in real life. Those we see as far more superior than us due to high IQ or physical ability and are reluctant to get in conflicts with.

In a more down to Earth version of the Shounen Formula on display: This would be making the main character a victim of bullying and the bullies as the antagonists that need to be overcome by the end.

To put it into the perspective I brought up: The protagonist would first have his motivation written as something he needs but is not so specific as the narrative that ends the story, like making a friend.

I know this seems complicated, but hear me out a bit. A Shounen protagonist never has the exact same desire as what the overall narrative is about as that would make it more unrealistic. After all, if he just didn't want to be bullied, there are too many people he can ask unless you make the world have exaggeratedly bad teachers, parents, or both.

Now let's bring up the 'power levels and escalating stakes' back into the discussion for this example.

For this kind of story, the power levels would be basically the rules that govern who is strong in reality like physical condition, martial arts, strategic actions, and improvised or self-defence weapons on hand. The escalating stakes would be what problem you want to start with and what you want to end with. You can either start with normal life problems and end with the bullies being beaten or start with the bullies and end with some 'gang'.

It depends on how much contrivances you can add before the reader finds the plot a little too absurd.

I read a Manwha called 'Outcast' before that embodies these two points perfectly and ended just the way you'd expect. It was a satisfying story because there was a clear character progression.

Now that we have covered Motivations, Power Levels, and Escalating Stakes... Let's talk about the elephant in the room, the actual main character of a normal Shounen and how the template operates.

The Shounen Formula is now similar to the Superhero genre in a way, depicting someone ordinary doing the extraordinary. However, the in the Shounen Formula is less about using power responsibly and normally more towards how their use of their particular power affects the world around them. Rather than conforming to the rules of the world, Shounen protagonists break the mould to go beyond themselves for their desire.

Take Deku from My Hero Academia as an example of this. If you were to follow the standard Superhero Formula, Deku gaining superpowers would be turned into a responsibility he has to handle for the rest of his life rather than an opportunity to achieve his childhood dreams. The emphasis would be put more into his decisions using that power rather than his own motivation.

This isn't because the Superhero Formula doesn't know what it's doing. Instead, it is out of clear understanding of what their audiences want in their characters. Westerners like reading a story about choice and being down to Earth enough to think about compromise while Easterners like the feeling of watching the main character achieve his dream.

Rather than a different in morals, it is the difference in perspective and emphasis that draws a line between the Superhero Formula and the Shounen Formula. Even though their are predecessors established tropes like 'Superhero Costumes' and backseat revenge motives coming from slaughtered family members, the only two things you actually need are the two point I talked of.

Other than those points, you could say that the Shounen Formula now has established archetypes for how their main characters are written. These ARE NOT mandatory as they are still tropes:

Calm Type- Their initial first impression is always as simple as 'calm and kind' like Rimuru from Slime Reincarnation or literally any generic Isekai protagonist that exists. They usually either personify normality or are actually Jesus.

These type of protagonists are the go-to for regular Authors as people like a level-headed protagonist who can make decisive decisions like a leader-like figure should be able to do.

Insecure Type- The type like Deku and kid Naruto who have major baggage in their hearts but can only live on until they overcome them either by moving past their insecurities or discarding those worries entirely. This is the type most high schoolers can relate to as teenagers are always unsure of something and weigh themselves down.

Forthright Type- This is usually the character referred to as a 'knucklehead' because of how often he would literally use his head to talk sense into idiots who are haunt by a 'ghost' (a lie the antagonist believes that's not entirely true).

This type of character normally sees straight through all the facades people up in their lives and do whatever they see fit in response. They don't even try talking things out normally as their actions become a direct response to the entire world.

Unlike the previous two examples, these characters rarely change like Luffy from One Piece and Tanjirou from Demon Slayer. Though being forthright doesn't equal being stupid, it is easier for them to be manipulated due to putting their hearts on their sleeves. Though this is balanced out with the amount of people who find this refreshing.

Underdog Type- Apparently 'Loser who doesn't give up' directly translates to 'stud' in Japanese considering how unnaturally toned these guys are for their age. Just look at Deku from HeroAca plus Gon and Kullua from Hunter X Hunter...

This kind of character is the most 'suitable' for the Shounen Formula as all characters that abide by this formula start off weaker or at the same level as every normal strong person in their vicinity.

When I say normal though, I mean NORMAL as the Shounen Formula loves using 'normals' as foil to show just how badass these monstrously strong guys are (it's called 'jobbing' when you introduce someone whose entire purpose in the story is just to lose to another character and make him or them look better. A 'jobber' like Buggy from One Piece if you will). Though this isn't why underdogs are popular to 'normal' people weaker than others.

I've written in a previous blog on the benefits of this trope in depth on another Analysis so I'll skip the small details and just get to talking about why the Shounen Formula loves this kind of character.

After all: Their motivation for improvement becomes clearer if nobody likes him, you can start off at the bottom of your 'Power Scale', and escalate stakes as you like without breaking tension. A weaker person goes through more tribulations to become strong, which is why series with physically weaker characters tend to drag on forever until they reach the apex of their power.

Take from this advice what you will. I accept any blog requests as long as their writing based. 👍😆

(Cover by Darkstar Dust)

This is a story I worked on ages ago that has been refined and edited by adding foreshadowing to events while also simplifying the power system better than before. This story can be considered a prequel to An Adventure Beyond Greatness as it takes place years prior to the events of that story.

Short Synopsis:
After retiring from the battlefield, my life became empty and lifeless. The regrets of my past haunt me in my sleep. Then a change occurred, a King from another world summoned me to fight for his kingdom, but I died even before I could give him my answer. Now, after a fake God allowed me to reincarnate (albeit imperfectly) with my memories intact, into a world filled with magic and swords.

Long Synopsis:
This is about a flawed protagonist who only knew to rely on others and not socialise who gets a second chance to change himself in order to live the life he aimed for in his past life. The narrator isn’t exactly trustworthy since it is purely in his bias perspective while other perspectives given by others fill in the blanks that he either leaves out or twists to suit the situation.

The story itself can be considered a parody of Isekai’s classic tropes which are given a sense of reality as time goes by. As there exists no ‘Demon Lord’, there is also no black and white, only characters opinions and counter-opinions throughout the story.

Wang Qian and Li Kun cleaned up so quickly that when Zhang Zian returned to the shop, they had finished all the cleaning, so Zhang Zian told them to go back to the university early. When they left, the pet shop became quiet. Seeing that it was late, Zhang Zian pulled down the shutter door and locked it. 
He went to the corner, squatted down before the Cat Goddess statue, and observed it closely. The truncation surfaces of the split-in-half nose ring were glittering under the lights. 
Fina opened her eyes and jumped quietly from the cat tree. This action was so agile that Snowy Lionet, who was closing its eyes, immersed in its fantasy towards Fina, didn’t notice that the tail in front of it had disappeared…
Old Time Tea also walked over with its steady steps, its eyes staring at the statue with a very serious expression.
Zhang Zian stretched out two fingers to flick at the statue, producing a firm and low-pitched sound. Undoubtedly, the statue was solid-cast, so his fingernails were in pain from the flick. In his eyes, this was a statue with a graceful posture and an antiquated and simple style, but he couldn’t figure out why Fina and Old Time Tea would have such dramatic reactions against it. 
"Fina, Grandpa Tea, what's wrong?" he asked while squatting.
Old Time Tea indicated to Fina with its eyes, "About this, I think it would be best if Your Majesty could explain to us. For I know little about this, and I hope to know more from Your Majesty’s illustration."
Fina proudly squatted on the ground. Upon close observation, it was easy to find that Fina’s posture was exactly the same as that of the statue. This fact was hardly noticeable unless they were placed side-by-side, for Fina’s fur was too splendid and the statue’s design was way too simple. 
"Thousands of years ago in the black land, in addition to the worship of the Cat Goddess, Bastet, there were a few people who had faith in the darkness. These people secretly worshipped another deity—the evil god visualized as a cat. It came from the underworld and had no name. Never having been recognized by the mainstream society, only those who had anger and hatred would worship it as a god." Fina raised one of its paws and pointed to the statue, "The only difference between that and Bastet lies in the nose ring. The statues worshipping Bastet will never have nose rings on them."
There’s nothing new under the sun. Zhang Zian thought it was not an uncommon phenomena since ancient times. If some people believed in true gods, then there were others who followed false gods. If people were believing in Jesus, then others could decide to be disciples of Satan. Believing in evil gods was just a way for those people to rebel against then-current rulers and the society that they were not satisfied with. 
He picked up the split-in-half nose ring from the ground and looked carefully at it under the light, but couldn’t see what was wrong with it.
"This is the thing related to the evil god?"
Fina nodded solemnly, "Don’t underestimate this nose ring, which has existed for thousands of years. It came into existence even before the times I once lived in. This is the very reason that it frightens the kittens."
Zhang Zian shook his head, "It’s not that I don’t believe you. This is truly incredible. A nose ring made thousands of years ago still possesses such great power? Don’t tell me this nose ring is also blessed with the Strength of Faith…"
Fina sneered coldly, "You are just a mortal, what do you know about this?! The history of this nose ring is not that simple. During sacrificial services, over thousands of years, the blood and flesh of numerous livestock had been offered to it—the sacrificial rituals for worshipping evil gods had always been so bloody, and the fear in all of those livestock before they were slaughtered was absorbed by this ring. Don’t you see that this golden nose ring has a tinge of red color?"
Hearing that the nose ring had been soaked in numerous bloods and fleshes, Zhang Zian felt a little bit disgusted and wanted to throw it away. But upon learning that it was made from gold, he clenched it even tighter…
"Anyways, that’s all I know. Those evil god worshippers vanished a long time ago, and no one knows where the god they worshipped is now. There’s nothing to be worried about." After these words, Fina swung her tail proudly, jumped back onto the cat tree, closed her eyes, and took a nap. 
Old Time Tea nodded, "It’s very interesting to hear about these strange and weird stories in the West. Zian, you don’t have to worry about anything. As Your Majesty Fina has said, evil can never prevail over good. These evil and crooked paths might gain their momentum rampantly for a period of time, but they will be doomed in the end. Good and evil will be rewarded accordingly — it’s only a matter of time."
Finishing its words, Old Time Tea walked away slowly to the electric blanket to watch TV and drink tea. 
Zhang Zian smiled and stood up, put the nose ring into his pocket, and moved his recliner to where it had been at the beginning. He lay there and played on his cellphone. 
He still longed for more information after Fina’s narrative. After all, Fina came from the ancient times, and she didn’t know about the things that had happened in these two thousand years since its decease. Old Time Tea was born and raised in the East, so it had little knowledge of the myths and legends in the West. If he wanted to hear more about the story…
Zhang Zian’s finger, that had been sliding around on the screen, stopped moving. It happened to be pressed on the profile photo of Wei Kang.
Struggling a little bit, he decided to click on Wei Kang’s profile. He took a picture of the Cat Goddess statue and sent to Wei Kang, accompanied with his question, "Professor Wei, do you know the origin of this statue?"
It was around dinner time now, so Zhang Zian thought Wei Kang would not reply soon. Just when he was going to look around at some of the gorgeous pictures of the buyers on Taobao, he received Wei Kang’s message. 
Wei Kang: This is the Gayer-Anderson Cat; the original version is in the collection of the British Museum. This is a replica, right? 
Zhang Zian forgot to ask Snowy about the origin of this statue. Now he finally knew. 
He sent another message, "Yes, it’s very impressive that you can tell from a picture. Sorry to bother you, Professor Wei. Are you having dinner?"
Wei Kang: No, I’m still in school.
Zhang Zian looked at his watch. It was already 7:30 p.m. What a diligent professor. 
He replied, "Please go have dinner. You have plenty of time to conduct academic research, but it’s not worth it if you get sick."
Wei Kang: Well, I will have dinner in a while…Wait! Where is the nose ring of the statue?
Zhang Zian pulled out the split-in-half nose ring from his pocket, took a picture and sent it to Wei Kang. 
Zhang Zian: It accidently broke off. Professor Wei, you are a knowledgeable person. May I ask if this statue represents the Cat Goddess?
Wei Kang: Generally, people believe it is, but occasionally doubts are heard. 
Zhang Zian: Why doubt it?
Wei Kang: Very simple. There’s only one so-called Cat Goddess statue in this world that wears a nose ring, so it’s normal that people doubt the orthodoxy of it. There is another Cat Goddess figure in the British Museum, where the Cat Goddess has been personified with the head of a cat and the body of a female. It wears a splendid golden long dress and a tippet; its ears are pierced with earrings, but there is no ring through its nose. Besides this one, another Cat Goddess statue in the Walters Art Museum also has earrings but no nose ring. 
Zhang Zian felt marveled by Professor Wei’s eruditeness. He was familiar with all kinds of allusions and was convinced because of his well-founded reasoning. 
According to Fina’s narrative, Zhang Zian thought about his wording and said cautiously, "Professor Wei, I’m just making a wild guess, if I am wrong please forgive me! Is it possible that…this statue doesn’t stand for the orthodox Cat Goddess, but a pagan evil god?"
After sending that message, he held his cellphone anxiously, waiting for Wei Kang’s reply. 
He thought Wei Kang was going to scold him for his whimsical idea, but to his surprise, Wei Kang replied very quickly, "This possibility cannot be ruled out completely. It’s not uncommon that cats are worshipped as evil gods throughout history, the most famous example is Baphomet. In Christianity, the legendary devil of Baphomet is secondary only to Satan, and it is said that Baphomet was secretly worshipped as a cat figure by the famous Knights Templar. Thousands of years ago, Jewish people were enslaved by the ancient Egyptians for quite a long time. And I believe you need no more introduction to the relationship between the Jewish and the Bible?"
Wei Kang’s words were a little bit obscured. Zhang Zian didn’t understand what he meant at the beginning, but after staring at the characters for a few minutes, there were two clues that linked a few key words together in his mind.
The first clue: Ancient Egyptians—Jewish—Christianity—Knights Templar.
The second clue: Cat Goddess Bastet—pagan cat from underworld—Devil Baphomet.
Zhang Zian suddenly realized what was going on. Associated with the persecution by Christians towards witches and cats in the Middle Ages, the mystery in history was unravelling a little bit in front of him. 
It seemed that Wei Kang had deliberately left Zhang Zian some time to think about it. He continued texting moments later, "Of course, how many of these things are rumors and how many are facts are still unknown. Unless people living during those times have resurrected and can tell the stories, no one really will ever know the truth—including the story of this Cat Goddess statue."
Zhang Zian replied, "I understand now, thank you, Professor Wei. Brilliant story!"
And then he locked his cell phone screen, looked at the Cat Goddess statue alone in the corner, and uttered a gentle sigh.
Whether it was an orthodox or pagan Cat Goddess, whether it was worshipped by numerous people or was soaked in blood and flesh, it didn’t matter anymore, for everything would be lost to history in the end. 
As the poem goes: Of present or past, more or less——O throw to gossip and jest.


1. Download a suspicious game
2. Catch a few magical pets as partners
3. Go through interesting daily routines and lead the pet shop to a whole new level

Hesitantly, Eri crawled onto the bed and settled beside Takumi's knee. He gave her a rueful look, and she decided to ask what she'd been wondering since the two simple words, 'please stay', had set his ex off. "She said that you never asked her to stay, why not?" 
"It's a silly reason." He looked away from her doubtful expression, and swallowed before attempting to explain what suddenly seemed embarrassingly childish, "I always thought it was cool the way my mother's bandmate, Rin, always said that he would never ask a woman to stay. Especially since according to his wife, he really never has."  He looked back at her before admitting, "So I decided I'd never ask either, even though my father insisted that it was stupid." 
"But, you asked…" she started to object. 
He interrupted, "I didn't care if it was cool or not when I asked you to stay." He met her eyes before adding, "I guess my father was right, because I just really didn't want you to leave, and I felt like if I didn't say it I'd regret it later."
She looked at him dubiously. "Are you trying to say that it didn't matter to you if she stayed?"
"No." He shrugged though and admitted, "I don't know why it's different." After a moment he suggested lightly, with a quick grin, "Maybe I fell in love with you at first sight?" She made a face at him and he leaned forward and touched her cheek for a moment, "My parents probably aren't the best examples either, my mother insists that she did fall in love at first sight, and my father has always said that if my mother ever decided to leave him he'd beg her to stay on his knees."
That made her smile a little, even though she suspected that his words were designed to get her into bed. Especially when he told her a moment later, "I really want to kiss you again." 
She examined his face and then asked directly, "Why did you bring me to your apartment?"
He shrugged again. "I thought it would be comfortable, private, and I might cook you a real dinner later."
She shook her head at the unspoken implications that seemed to confirm his intentions, but then she remembered that he'd already directly admitted that he was hoping for it when he'd told her that she didn't have to do anything if she didn't want to. "How many women have you dated?" she asked obliquely.
He winced and replied, "Lots. Do you really want me to answer that?" She nodded and he asked doubtfully, "Do I need to include one night stands?" Her shocked expression made him add a quick apology, "Sorry."
"I don't want to be a one night stand," she told him with surprising firmness.
"Marry me then?" he suggested teasingly. 
"That's not funny," she replied unhappily.
"It's not completely a joke either," he said softly. "I really haven't ever asked a girl to stay when she wanted to leave before."
She stared at him for a long moment and then objected, "We don't even know each other!"
He grinned and scooted closer to her and insisted softly, "That's why you should date me until we know each other well enough to get married."
She leaned in until their noses almost touched and replied seriously, "I am feeling way too anxious to agree to anything right now."
He sat back and replied ruefully, "I'm sorry. What can I do to make you feel less anxious?"
She examined his face thoughtfully for a moment and then suggested, "Tell me about your dating history?"
"That will take a long time," he said reluctantly. 
"Do you have other plans tonight?" she asked curiously.
He grinned at her again suddenly. "No. Okay, I will tell you everything, if you're sure that you want to know," he agreed conditionally.
She nodded, and replied firmly, "Yes, I'm sure."
Takumi started at the beginning, with his first girlfriend. After he'd covered high school, he stopped and asked, "Should I make you dinner or would you rather go out?"
"I'm not hungry yet?" she replied uncertainly. "And didn't you eat already?"
"Yeah, but I usually eat a snack before bed. And if I'm cooking for you, there are some things I want to start now, so that they have some time before I actually make you dinner," he explained.
"Okay," she agreed.
"Okay what?" he asked laughingly. "Should I cook or should we go out?"
"Cook," she replied. 
"Testing my skills?" he asked lightly. 
"Maybe," she answered seriously. "If your food is good, I can put that in the plus if-I-date-you column?"
"Is there anything in that column yet?" he asked dryly, as he crawled off the bed. 
She laid back and gazed at his ceiling for a moment before answering. He started rummaging through his cupboards and his refrigerator for the ingredients he wanted.
Finally she told him, "You are really pretty. I like it when you kiss me. You've answered everything I've asked you so far. And you seem to be telling me the truth I think?"
He stopped what he was doing and told her, "I'd really like to kiss you again right now." She looked over at him and he added, "And I have been telling you the truth, which I would probably say if I were lying, but I'm not."
Eri laughed and crawled off the bed. He looked surprised when she walked up to him, and stunned when she kissed him. After a moment he set down the bowl he was holding, pulled her up tight against him, and kissed her thoroughly. She gasped when he let her go and picked up the bowl again. 
"You really should agree to at least date me if you're going to let me kiss you like that," he said with a grin. 
She blushed and retreated to the far side of the bed without answering. He sighed and resumed the narrative of his dating history, while she looked out at the city.
"It's almost sunset," she commented after a little while.
"Are you even listening anymore or am I rambling on about ancient history for no reason now?" he asked a little plaintively.
She regarded him dryly and replied, "You just finished telling me about your 18th girlfriend, not counting your one night stands."
Takumi asked uncomfortably, "You're keeping count?"
She just nodded.
"Why does it matter who I've dated or for how long?" he asked.
She answered seriously, "It probably doesn't. But you started out by kissing me, then you brought me to your apartment, and then there was that scene... And then you say something like you want me to marry you? I don't know what to think. And it may not make any sense, but it does make me feel less anxious to know your history?"
He replied wryly, "I'm a little surprised it doesn't make you feel more anxious."
"How many people have you asked to marry you?" she asked suddenly. 
He looked at her, and then replied soberly, "You're not going to believe me."
She gazed back at him doubtfully.
"I don't want to tell you," he said unhappily. 
"Okay," she agreed. 
"Is it really?" he asked.
"Yeah," she replied calmly. "I'd much rather have you say that you don't want to tell me something than tell me a lie instead."
"Alright," he agreed. A moment later he added with a laugh, "I'll tell you someday though."

A romance set between in the generation between 'Kiri to Shinkiro' and 'Data Dragon Danika'. A sudden attraction leads to an unexpected test result that forces the two of them to make a choice, and start defining what kind of relationship this really is.

One chapter a week.

Close-up of Collision

"Ruoran is right. Money is the root of all evil!"
"'Wan' doesn't mean 'all.' If you don't understand, then refer to the Cihai Dictionary."
"Xiao Luo, let's see how you refute this time."
The female students who had a good relationship with Huang Ruoran jeered at Xiao Luo to express their hostility against him even as they applauded enthusiastically in support of Huang Ruoran.
Huang Ruoran looked at Xiao Luo quietly with eyes full of hostility.
Xiao Luo looked at her and chuckled, "No matter how you cut it, one apple can only be one apple after all. It may seem that Huang Ruoran has listed many "evils," but in fact, there is only one, and that is the greed for money. Is the desire for money the only type of evil? The answer is no.
If you say 'wan' doesn't mean 'all' or 'everything,' then I would like to ask, if I say that you 'must not (wan wan bu ke) agree with my position' today? Does that mean that you disagree most of the time, but occasionally, you may agree? The answer is of course not, so the word 'wan' here means 'all.' "
"F*ck me!"
Zhu Xiaofei couldn't help but spit out a swear word. The reason is that Xiao Luo's rebuttal was too convincing, even if someone wanted to be convinced by Huang Ruoran's assertion, it was impossible now. If Huang Ruoran's previous statement was compared to a violent storm, Xiao Luo's counterattack was like a rough and angry sea. The whole world was in a state of turmoil under these two waves of language power.
Everyone's ears perked up. They saw that it was not only Huang Ruoran who had a strong command of English and was highly eloquent but also Xiao Luo. The control the two of them had over spoken language was freaky.
Xiao Luo still kept a slight smile on his face. He continued, "Money cannot comprehensively cover all the evil in the world. According to anthropological research, the forms of evil fall into four categories. Three of them are wholly unrelated to money. Only one of them is greed.
I will not talk about greed for money now. I'll talk about the evil of extremist beliefs. In 1995, some cult members released sarin nerve gas at a Tokyo subway station, killing twelve people. More than 5,000 people were admitted to hospitals for treatment. Also, during the Crusades, it wasn't only adults who were harmed. Many innocent and unarmed women and children were burned alive even as they hid in churches.
These cases account for most of the deaths and injuries. Shouldn't this be included in the so-called 'all evil?'[ And if so, what does it have to do with money?
Wu Sangui let the Qing soldiers enter the pass. He did it for Chen Yuanyuan, not money. Some time ago, the news reported about an obsessed man who killed his girlfriend and dismembered her body into thirteen sections because she found a new love. Is the cause of this evil deed hatred in his heart or the loathing that already exists in him? Or perhaps it's because his girlfriend didn't give him a breakup fee?
Various examples show that money isn't the cause of all evil, so I don't think that money is the root of all evil. At least, it can't even compare to many other types of evil at all! "
The class gasped as they listened. This technique behind this rebuttal was compelling. It was a direct strike against Huang Ruoran's point of view.
Tutor Zhong Meili's eyes welled up with surprise. Her class had not been so lively in many years. Not only did the newly arrived Xiao Luo push her students to an unprecedented peak, but he also made her, as a tutor, excited. She never thought that a topic she had thrown out could actually trigger such a fierce verbal showdown.
At this time, Huang Ruoran spoke up. She met Xiao Luo's question head-on. "The first question you said is primarily a problem of evil cults. Asahara Shoko solely planned the poison-gas incident at the Tokyo subway station. He was the founder of Aum Shinrikyo. He sold one strand of his hair to his worshippers for 30,000 yen and a cup of bath water for 50,000 yen. He might not have said it, but whatever was going through his mind, wasn't it ultimately about money?
If Wu Sangui did what he had done for Chen Yuanyuan, why does he still want to be promoted to a high official position when he had already become the king of Yunnan and had Chen Yuanyuan in the palm of his hand after letting the Qing soldiers through the pass? Why could his mind still not relax? Why does he even want to be the emperor? It's always because of money.
The people of China compare extreme hatred as 'hating someone like they have killed your father and stolen your wife,' but now, some people who have no money can sell their wives, and when they have money, they can sell out their fathers. Is this still hatred? The greatest hatred is caused by money or the desire for money.
You previously said that 'must not' (wan wan bu ke) clearly states the meaning of 'all,' but you are mistaken. The word 'wan' in 'must not' (wan wan bu ke) is an adverb, and the 'wan' in 'root of all evil' (wan e zhi yuan) that we are speaking about today is an adjective. You use adverbs and adjectives as analogies. Isn't this incompatible and irrelevant?
Honoré de Balzac once said money squeezes through every crack to penetrate our society. It controls politics, the economy, and ethics. When everything is controlled by money, what path do we take?
So my viewpoint is the same as before, I think money is the root of all evil!"
The classroom fell silent again. Huang Ruoran and Xiao Luo were engaged in a battle of words. There was no gun smoke here, yet it was more intense than a battlefield. This showdown was bloodless.
The students held their breath and were shocked by the confrontation between Huang Ruoran and Xiao Luo. Every word was beautiful and forceful as it faced the assertion of the other party head-on. They used cases from foreign countries and quoted words of famous people, such a level of knowledge deeply moved their audience. The figures of Huang Ruoran and Xiao Luo now looked like two timeless mountains standing in front of them.
Xiao Luo smiled and said indifferently, "'Wan' is not only an adverb but also an adjective. What is a 'surefire strategy' (wan quan zhi ce) and is 'perfectly foolproof' (wan wu yi shi)? What is universal gravitation (wan you yin li) and 'intelligence of the universe' (wan wu zhi ling)? Doesn't this 'wan' mean all? Is it, could it, possibly refer to exceptions?
The Cihai Dictionary is authoritative, but aren't you quoting out of context and straying from the topic by just looking at the morpheme 'wan' and not the phrase, 'root of all evil' (wan e zhi yuan)? Also, everyone, ask yourself honestly, do humans not have an evil nature? Is everything induced by money? From where do man's greed and brutality originate?
If money is the root of all evil, why were this brutality and greed suddenly not termed as evil before money was invented? So, is it the greed and wicked thoughts in the hearts of humans that is the root of all evil, or is money the root of all evil? Do it still necessary for me to continue explaining? "
Everyone's soul was impacted by this one narrative.
This was undoubtedly a fatal blow. Yeah, would there be no evil if money had not been invented?
There was no way to explain, no way to refute. It was a totally hopeless situation!
Huang Ruoran couldn't speak for a while. Even for her, it was beyond her capability to refute Xiao Luo's statement. She just clenched her teeth and looked at Xiao Luo unhappily, unreconciled with this outcome.
It was now clear who won and who lost!
Everyone was really convinced by Xiao Luo, especially the final statement, which was simply devastating and crushing.
The girls who had ridiculed Xiao Luo before could not say a single word now. Xiao Luo's ability to organize a speech, his ability to rebut, and his command of English were first-rate. He was superb, yet here they were mocking him for speaking without thinking and for not knowing the limits of his abilities. They suddenly realized that they were actually playing the role of the savage, trouble-making villain who would never amount to anything!
They could not help but feel their faces getting hot, none of them dared to raise their heads and meet Xiao Luo's gaze.


Xiao Luo and his girlfriend had been in love with each other for four years when she proposed a break up. Because of this, Xiao Luo sped his car in the night and ended up in a car accident. But it was a blessing in disguise as he unexpectedly fused with a high tech system that originated from a universe hundreds of billions of light years away. From this moment on, the entire world started to run amok.....

It takes Gabriel's housekeeping staff a few minutes to clean up Claire's mess, who is inconsolable on the big boss chair. Gabriel is standing in a corner, watching her, trying to make up his mind. How does he tell the entire thing?

"I don't even remember drinking it," she says, her voice still quaking. Claire couldn't wrap her mind around the fact of it, what a close call it had been. 

Gabriel says nothing. Who could blame her? Claire is as innocent as they come; she probably has a picture of reality in her head where justice and fairness exist, where people mean well. She never could have imagined that someone like Jake exists, and one so near.

Gabriel also had no idea about Jake's secret persona. There were rumors of what a womanizer he was, but Gabriel had dismissed that as being of a sales executive's reputation. You wouldn't be so successful selling stuff if you couldn't make up sweet lies to seduce people.

And besides, it was largely Gabriel's fault that Claire was left in harm's way—he should have done more effort in protecting her. It took that attempted **** for Gabriel to hire bodyguards to watch her every single day—although Claire, even now, doesn't know it. The bodyguards he hired are expert in subterfuge—they can tail someone by hiding in their blind spot, blend in, hide in plain sight. The proof of their expertise is the fact that Claire has no idea they exist. Gabriel wouldn't tell her about the bodyguards. Not yet. Perhaps there's a right time for such a confession.

But now, he must reveal the sordid details as much as possible, without traumatizing her. But how to do it?

"After you passed out," Gabriel says, "Jake brought you to his car and drove all the way to the city's outskirts. He has a house there, in a community where people never suspected anyone of anything. Perhaps they're the kind of neighbors who see a man dragging an unconscious woman to his house as something 'normal', the result of too much partying."

"He brought me to his house?" Claire exclaims. "Where was that?"

"A few miles outside the city."

Claire tries to imagine it, and the more details Gabriel gives, the more the biggest question in her head grows: How in hell was she saved?

"Are you saying Jake had successfully drugged me and brought me to his place, and somehow he was stopped?"

Gabriel shrugs, as though it was no big deal. But inside, he's desperately trying to make shit up in order for Claire to believe his own version of the story. He couldn't tell her there's a GPS transmitter the size of a grain of rice in her blond wig. He couldn't tell her that he only realized she was out of the city because his smartwatch set off an alarm, that he grew instantly suspicious when her supposed location was in an area she was never known to go. That it took him less than half an hour to race to that location because he had connected the dots—Jake Magno was a womanizer, Jake was seen speaking flirtatiously to Claire that afternoon, both Jake and Claire were unavailable, and an hour later, Claire was in a strange location outside the city. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to figure that out. And besides, he had the gut feeling that something terrible was up.

"Yes," he begins, "and maybe it was just pure luck that I needed to see Jake that evening for some urgent sales report."

"Really?"

"Yes, of course," he says with a straight face. AND THE ACADEMY AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR GOES TO… "I tried calling him up but he was not answering. I thought I should go straight to his place to better discuss the matter."

"You mean I'm sitting here now, still alive, only because you needed to discuss a sales report with that monster? What if there was no problem with his sales report?"

"I, uhh…" Jesus, more and more, Gabriel seems digging a deeper and deeper hole. "Well, I was also looking for you that night, and… And…"

Claire raises an eyebrow.

"…And because I saw you speaking with Jake, I thought maybe, in the off chance, maybe you were together."

Claire sighs. "But what if he brought me to someplace else?"

I would still know because of the transmitter, Gabriel wants to say. But Claire cannot know that now. Not yet. "I wouldn't have stopped trying to look for you. I would have combed the streets just to find you. And just to let you know, I have sharp instincts about these things. I'm almost like a psychic."

"You can't be serious," Claire says.

"Well, I did find you, didn't I?"

Claire takes a deep breath in exasperation. Gabriel doesn't seem to be getting it. From her perspective, Gabriel was able to save her only by the thinnest thread of chance. If he were late by a few more minutes, she would have been a goner. But more and more, Claire feels that Gabriel isn't telling her everything. "Are you sure that's how it happened?"

Gabriel bites his tongue. He shrugs. It takes him an enormous amount of will not to say what was true. "But the bottom line is I found you in the nick of time. I stopped him. I stopped him with extreme prejudice. You have no idea what I did to him when I saw what he was trying to do to you."

Claire almost doesn't want to hear it, but she feels she must face it. She wants to be shocked down to the core of her being, so that she'll remember this, burn this in her brain, so that hopefully, she would sense someone like Jake Magno from miles away. If that makes sense. "How was it, then?"

Gabriel pauses. He looks out the glass wall. Really, he's just trying to buy time, composing the narrative in his head. "I kicked the living daylights out of him."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Gabriel says, all blasé. "When I first came, he was like, 'why are you here, man?' But even then I knew something was up. He was nervous. And he didn't want me to enter the house. So I shoved him then I began looking for you in the rooms."

Claire is nodding; she's straddling that "should I believe this shit, or not" fence, but Gabriel is in the middle of his narrative, and he's starting to be emotional.

"And then, boom! I saw you in a room, in bed, just lying there and not moving. And in that split-second, I knew what was happening. I knew what he was up to. So I whirled around, and on reflex I ducked—I narrowly dodged his punch! And you know how Jake is, he looks like he could kill a bull. But I also knew it was a matter of life or death—for both of us—so I let out all the rage in me and hit him in the most painful places."

"So you instantly transformed into, like, a martial arts superhero or something?" Claire says, tongue in cheek.

"Yeah, absolutely," Gabriel says, and he's becoming more and more animated in his gestures. "At one point, Jake had a baseball bat, and he was pummeling at me left and right! The walls explode in powder as the bat hits it instead of me, because luckily I still got my moves and I was like a butterfly, just dancing around and flying, with all the footwork and the moves, you know."

"Oh, I see."

"And then finally, I surgically punched him in all his vital points, and before he knew it, he was down on the floor, paralyzed with pain."

"Poor Jake," she says, not really meaning it. "I didn't know you're such an awesome fighter, Mister Tan." Claire tries hard to stifle her laughter.

Gabriel shrugs, like it's no big deal. "No big deal," he actually says. "By trying to harm you, he just brought out the beast in me. I can never let anyone hurt a single hair on you, Claire."

There's something about that last line that caressed Claire's heart. Of all Gabriel's bluster, it's that last line that impresses her. It feels like it's the only true thing in Gabriel's entire story. "Thank you," she mutters, softly. "Now I know. Despite everything, I'm sitting here talking to you, alive, because of what you did. Thank you Gabriel."

Gabriel is taken aback; one moment he was building himself up as this indefatigable white knight, the next moment Claire's naked gratitude hits him straight in his soft parts. He smiles. "Anything," he says, and hesitates for a moment. "Anything, for my dear pretend fiancée."

"At least you saved my life." She smiles, too, despite the word "pretend." She stands up. "If everything you've said is true, then I think I really need to see Jake."

"What for?"

"I want that jerk to look at me straight in the eye," she says, "before I give him the hardest slap his face has ever tasted."

"Work for me for a month, for free. Survive the month, and you'll walk away a rich woman."

All Claire wants is a job, any job. Smart, confident, and an over-achiever at school, she doesn't understand why companies keep rejecting her. 

Until she gets a strange job offer from the most eligible bachelor in the country, the CEO and President of a global company, Gabriel Tan. 

In her desperation, Claire says yes to the offer--and all hell breaks loose. Little did she know that working for Gabriel would be much more complicated than fetching him his coffee--that she would have to put on the greatest performance of her life. 

Worse, Claire soon discovers a rarely seen side of Gabriel--a side that would make her change her mind--and her heart--about this crazy rich boy.

***

"This is a story that will thrill you to the core of your being. Highly recommended to all romance comedy fans! If you like Sophie Kinsella's works or the Bridget Jones Diary or similar books, then this is for you!" -- Reviewer

"...What?" The surprised Jang Hayoung's eyes widened.

"This is why I wanted to buy time."

[The participant 'Yoo Jonghyuk' has killed the helper 'Thunder Eating Bird'!]

[The 'Yoo Jonghyuk - Kim Dokja' industrial complex has won one point.]

Yoo Jonghyuk falling through the air and the bewildered constellations could be seen.

[The constellation 'Poked Out His Eyes' is crying out with surprise!]

[The constellation 'General of Vanara' is showing hostility towards Yoo Jonghyuk!] 

[Many constellations are amazed by Yoo Jonghyuk's movements.]

Yoo Jonghyuk wasn't panicked at all despite the attacks. His movements seemed like he had grasped all the terrain features of this place. By the time the furious King Oedipus swung his staff, Yoo Jonghyuk had already disappeared.

[Where did you go?]

[Find him! He is near here!]

The constellations moved and searched around but they couldn't find where Yoo Jonghyuk had disappeared to. I hid behind a tree with Jang Hayoung and watched the scene.

One of Yoo Jonghyuk's attributes was 'Pro Gamer.' This guy received an overwhelming advantage and adaptability in all games. This game was still in the early stages and stats were limited.

Before the constellations were accustomed to the game, this 'first round' was a better stage for us than anyone else. The opponents might be constellations but it wasn't easy for them to face off against the current Yoo Jonghyuk.

[There he is!]

The General of Vanara let out a wind blade from his mouth towards a bush and shouted. There was a loud noise and the surrounding terrain was cut. However, this time, Yoo Jonghyuk wasn't present. The confused General of Vanara retreated and a flash of light emerged from the dirt on the ground. It was too late to avoid it.

[The participant 'Yoo Jonghyuk' has killed the helper 'General of Vanara!]

Yes, Yoo Jonghyuk should catch at least two.

[The 'Yoo Jonghyuk - Kim Dokja' industrial complex has won two points.]

[The participant 'Yoo Jonghyuk' has started to blow blood onto the battlefield!]

Jang Hayoung pointed towards Yoo Jonghyuk and shivered. "What is this? A monster?"

"It is similar. He is the best pro gamer in South Korea."

I was talking about the setting of Ways of Survival. In the distance, the General of Vanara's body was split in half and he disappeared. The rules of the game were applied so he wouldn't really die, but the mental damage was significant.

[The constellation 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband' is pleased.]

[The constellation 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband' has sponsored 20,000 coins to the incarnation 'Yoo Jonghyuk'.]

The true name of the General of Vanara was Hanuman, a monkey hero of Indian mythology. Due to the characteristic of both being monkeys, the two constellations didn't have a good relationship with each other. I guess it was true.

[Shit, chase him!]

Yoo Jonghyuk killed two people and hid in the rocky gorge this time. Then one more enemy appeared.

[The constellation 'Founder of Humanity' wants to show an example to his arrogant descendant.]

The constellation who was close to a primitive man. The Founder of Humanity, Manu. I forgot that he was on the side fo the Melledon Industrial Complex.

"Maybe we should help."

Manu of Vedas was a narrative-level constellation. He might be low in level among the narrative-grade constellations but it was absolutely disadvantageous for Yoo Jonghyuk.

Yoo Jonghyuk had already consumed a lot of mobility and magic power killing two constellations. He might have the attribute of Pro Gamer but it was too much for him from now on...

[The participant 'Yoo Jonghyuk' has activated the 'Sentinel Golem's Blessing!']

Yoo Jonghyuk stood on a rocky highland area and aimed a giant bow.

[The star relic 'Robin Hood's Strongbow' has maximized the user's accuracy!]

This bastard, when did he get this? It was something that could only be obtained from the 15th scenario area, Lugratia. Intangible arrows flew towards the body of King Oedipus.  

[Keok...!]

Of course, Yoo Jonghyuk's advantage wasn't only swordsmanship. This guy could use all types of weapons with the Weapons Mastery skill.

[You! You're not a closer range damage dealer?]

In addition, Yoo Jonghyuk's position was 'all-rounder.'

[The participant 'Yoo Jonghyuk' will receive the position compensation effect.]

While this game was in progress, Yoo Jonghyuk wouldn't be penalized for using any types of weapons.

[I will kill you! This thing, this thing...!]

King Oedipus screamed as holes were drilled into his body.

"We should go help!"

"Wait a minute."

Making clumsy movements in the current circumstances would only hinder Yoo Jonghyuk.
Immediately after launching Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, Yoo Jonghyuk's operation flowed into my head like a movie trailer.

Jang Hayoung frowned at my flippant smile and asked, "...What is it?"

"That bastard is scarier than I thought."

Yoo Jonghyuk didn't waste a single second when he came here. The evidence was the Sentinel Golem's Blessing that was embedded in his body.

[The Sentinel Golem's Blessing has started to accumulate!]

The sentinel golem inhabited the outskirts of the gorge and gave a 'fainting' buff effect. However, this buff had one condition. The person had to succeed in 20 attacks before the 'fainting' effect was produced. Now there were approximately 10 metres between Yoo Jonghyuk and King Oedipus.

[This thing, this thing...!]

King Oedipus jumped and tried to aim for Yoo Jonghyuk. King Oedipus' body hardened from the ankle and he collapsed like a stone statue.

[The helper 'Poked Out His Eyes' has fainted.]

The duration of the fainting was three seconds. These three seconds were enough time for Yoo Jonghyuk.

[The participant 'Yoo Jonghyuk' has killed the helper 'Poked Out His Eyes'!]

[The name of the participant 'Yoo Jonghyuk' is widely circulated on the battlefield!]

[The 'Yoo Jonghyuk - Kim Dokja' industrial complex has won three points.]

Three... I honestly admired him. The appearance of the dying King Oedipus was unrealistic. It was hard to believe he was the constellation who threatened me at the constellation banquet.

[Impertinent fellow!]

However, the fight hadn't ended yet. Before Yoo Jonghyuk could sigh, the excited Founder of Humanity rushed forward. Yoo Jonghyuk was now lacking physical strength and magic power.

The Primitive Spear belonging to the Founder of Humanity dug into a gap that Yoo Jonghyuk revealed. It looked similar to a stone tool but the power it contained was enormous.

On the other hand, Yoo Jonghyuk was also tough. He twisted his back with a flexible motion and at nearly the same time, he swung his weapon. The spear collided with the sword and a sharp sound was heard. The distinctive yellow aura that was only for transcendents was wrapped around Yoo Jonghyuk's Black Demon Sword. It opposed the blue 'status' woven around the Primitive Spear wielded by Manu.

[These martial arts! They were skills left behind by worms. It still seems useful.]

It was a situation where participants could only use 10% of their power. Manu seemed unable to accurately determine the amount of force he could control. There were dozens of exchanges in a flash and Manu laughed like he was having fun.

[You are pretty good human. I have seen countless transcendents but none as strong as you.]

"You haven't seen my master."

A power similar to martial arts emerged from Manu's spear. Manu had mastered almost every type of talent that a human could gain. Originally, the present Yoo Jonghyuk wouldn't be able to defeat Manu. Still, the balance of power was even because Manu hadn't fought such a long battle for a long time.

[How interesting! I haven't competed with more than 10 blows since becoming a constellation!]

The forcible equilibrium balance maintained this confrontation. I grabbed Jang Hayoung who was about to pop out.

"That jerk will die if this continues!"

The same thing would happen even if we popped out. I wanted to use Electrification to run out and cut off Manu's neck.

However, I had to endure it for now. If it turned out like I thought, Yoo Jonghyuk would soon welcome an opportunity. All I needed was time. Just time.

"Jang Hayoung, send a message through the wall."

"What? To who?"

"The Founder of Humanity."

"Huh? The guy currently fighting with Yoo Jonghyuk? Ah...!"

The clever Jang Hayoung realized what I was planning. Jang Hayoung turned on the Unidentified Wall and wrote a message. Soon after, Manu's baffled voice rang out.

[What? These messages...!]

I didn't need to ask to know the situation that Manu was facing now. Perhaps countless messages sent by the '15 year old schoolgirl' were popping up like pop-up windows in his field of view.

[These ridiculous tactics!]

Manu hesitated and a white light started to emerge from Yoo Jonghyuk's body. I had seen this bright light before. It happened when Jung Heewon evolved to the Judge of Destruction. Then when Lee Hyunsung learnt Great Mountain Smash...

[The character 'Yoo Jonghyuk' has reached the moment of attribute evolution!]

[The attribute 'Pro Gamer' of the character Yoo Jonghyuk has evolved!]

Attribute evolution. Finally, Yoo Jonghyuk's second attribute had come to full bloom. Manu rushed forward and wielded his spear. At the same time, the dazzling light burst from Yoo Jonghyuk's body.

I watched the fascinating scene and recalled what Lee Jihye said in the latter half of Ways of Survival.

「 "Master has countless attributes. Hmm...the best is naturally Regressor. Other than that, Master of the Panacea and Enemy of Gods and Demons are excellent... huh? Which one is the most envious attribute? Ahaha, it is naturally..." 」

Manu's spearsmanship swept over Yoo Jonghyuk in vain.

「 "The Ruler of Amusement. It is that." 」

Yoo Jonghyuk slowly opened his eyes as he made the same expression I had constantly read about.

「 At that moment, Yoo Jonghyuk seemed to understand everything about this game. 」

Perhaps in Yoo Jonghyuk's eyes, all of Manu's attacks looked like a combination of 0s and 1s.
It was the legendary attribute, Ruler of Amusement. As long as this stage was a 'game', Yoo Jonghyuk was closer to a deity than any other constellation in the world.

TL: Rainbow Turtle

Only I know the end of this world.
One day our MC finds himself stuck in the world of his favorite webnovel. What does he do to survive? It is a world struck by catastrophe and danger all around.
His edge? He knows the plot of the story to end. Because he was the sole reader that stuck with it. Read his story to see how he survives!

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