บท 14: Chapter 14
Chapter 14: The Turning Point
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[Apartment No. 407]
[Sky Residential Building, Taipeng Area, Hanmi city]
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Ten minutes had dragged by since the encounter with Long Shiqian, and Zhang Yuchen arrived at his old house. His initial enthusiasm and joy for this new world had soured completely, leaving behind a storm of worry on his face.
Sighing, he loosened his collar button, kicked off his shoes and socks, rolled up his sleeves, unfastened his belt, and yanked ten beer cans from the refrigerator.
Afterwards, he slumped down on the sofa with near-dead eyes.
Tonight, he didn't want a hangover; he needed a clear mind to plot his future. And beer wouldn't get him drunk, but it sure could cool down the storming volcano that had formed in his mind.
When he thought about himself, he felt so utterly hopeless and powerless that he questioned whether he was truly a traveler or merely a joke.
While other transmigrators-those fortunate souls he had read about in his past life-arrived with a wealth of boons, powerful systems, or even divine entities to assist them, he was burdened with a system that specialized in tearing families apart and stealing love interests.
Not that he minded, given his own reputation as a scammer with a dark heart.
But the gods had reserved an extra layer of cruelty just for him. He was cursed to face a final boss in the novice village.
Reflecting on his psychopathic boss, whom he had served for over six years, he understood why that person was so insufferable.
The more he dwelled on it, the deeper his soul sank into despair.
"Just fuck it…" he snarled, downing a 500ml beer can in one gulp. "Haah... system, what was that warning you gave me? Can it still hear my misery? If so, let's figure out our future. I don't want to be an embarrassment to the traveler community."
"Host, those entities were ghost legions. They were probably used as spies by oneother system owner. He can control them from anywhere, and since you're the new protagonist, he's not going to take any chances with his own safety. He understands how unpredictable luck can be," the system explained swiftly.
Earlier, Zhang Yuchen had also sensed someone trailing him, but unlike Long Shiqian, he could pinpoint the exact figure thanks to his system.
Currently, the 'Triple D System's' level was still too weak and unimpressive—after all, it had only been two days since he had awakened it. This made it easy for Chen Mu to track Zhang Yuchen down.
Upon Hearing this, Zhang Yuchen chuckled and took a long drink from his can.
"So, Chen Mu's been doing this for 17 years, huh? No wonder he's such a strong villain. Just think about all the rewards his system must have given him over the years. Time really does give you an edge. System, what do you think my chances are against him in my current state? And what about forming a Protagonist Alliance?"
The system was also scared, not because of the villain but rather because of exposing itself to the superior system. Nevertheless, it responded in a sweet Lolita voice,
"Host!... you'd be lucky to last even a second against Chen Mu, and that's if you burn all your luck in one go. Forming a Protagonist Alliance is also impossible.
"And Chen Mu has already killed most of the strong ones. The ones left are just there for his entertainment, like yourself."
"Of course, there are exceptions, such as Long Aotian; that guy is as strong as Chen Mu when it comes to luck.
"Besides, this world is a lower-level world, and only one person can ascend to a higher world. That's the rule. So, you have to kill the rest of them."
"__"
The system had revealed to Zhang Yuchen that the world he inhabited was merely one among twenty million lower planes, known as the Taizun Lower Realm.
This realm, impoverished in resources and cultivation qi, operated on a harsh principle of evolution.
Every decade, the heavenly dao selected a few chosen individuals. The expectation was simple yet brutal: the most capable would eliminate the others.
The world would then bind its luck to the victorious individual, aiding their ascent to the Middle Realms.
As these individuals grew in power, the world itself would flourish and expand.
In ancient times, entire armies of such blessed Children of Destiny used to ascend, driving the relentless growth of the realm.
However, ever since the arrival of Chen Mu and the ensuing anomaly, this once-predictable process has ground to a halt.
None of the chosen ones have survived long enough to advance or improve, shattering the natural cycle of growth and expansion.
For the past seventeen years, no ascenders have emerged, causing the world to grow anxious.
Zhang Yuchen was blessed by the heavenly dao and gained a bit of luck, which allowed him to awaken his past memories.
This breakthrough helped him escape the fate of being a mere cannon fodder.
However, the system he possessed wasn't given by the world, indicating that there is always a higher power beyond what is known - a sky above the sky and heaven above the heavens.
"This isn't the afterlife I imagined," Zhang Yuchen muttered, shaking his head. "If I were really dead, I'd be in heaven, surrounded by angels. Instead, I'm stuck in this miserable place. Hey, System, what's the quickest way out of this situation? Tell me."
He sighed deeply, the weight of his disappointment heavy in the air. Without realizing it, he had already downed nine cans of beer.
The smell of alcohol mixed with the cool breeze from the AC, further enhancing the surroundings with a divine scent.
"Host can commit suicide and end it all; this way, you could stay the loser you always were."
"But if you choose to keep fighting, remember, only you know I exist. No one else."
"On the other hand, we are aware that Chen Mu has a villain system. Use that knowledge to your advantage and prove you're more than what you think you are."
The system replied in its chillingly nonchalant tone.
That's true. His understanding of Chen Mu's system was not based on direct knowledge but rather an astute guess from his extensive reading of villain novels in a past life.
In those stories, villains typically possessed either formidable backgrounds or relied on extraordinary, often heaven-defying systems.
So, when Chen Mu's villain system tried to infiltrate and gather information, his own system cleverly vanished into the shadows.
This strategic retreat made his threat level seem pathetically low in the young master's eyes.
"Damn it, who gave you the right to insult me? I was just joking, hoping you'd pity me and give me some extra rewards. Anyway, show me his profile" Zhang Yuchen snapped, his anger palpable. His expression shifted to one of seriousness and intense focus.
[ Ding...as you wish host...
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✓ Profile
[Name: Chen Murong]
[Age: 37]
[Titles: The First Anomaly, Villain Of Destiny]
[Emotional State: Overbearing, Arrogant, Superior, Strong]
[Strength/Superpower: ???]
[Luck: ???]
[Objective: World Destruction]
[Hostility Towards the Host: 100] (Note: In his eyes, you're already dead. His rule is to never spare any protagonist.)
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"Every sin has a price. If this guy thinks I'm like everyone else he's met, he's facing severe consequences."
"Since you enjoy toying with people so much, I wonder ...how you'd feel if I fuck your stepmother, the woman you care about the most, right in front of you, pigshit... young master."
Zhang Yuchen's voice was cold, with a simmering rage barely contained.
He was stunned that he'd drawn the villain's wrath without lifting a finger. The hostility was complete; wasn't this supposed to be the protagonist's quirk?
How could he be so petty?
In the past, he had secretly relished the moments when villains tormented protagonists in his favorite novels.
But now, finding himself neither a grand hero nor a fearsome villain, he began to understand the agony those miserable characters must have felt.
Adding to his unease, his system lacked the power to provide complete intel on Chen Mu—his strength, cultivation, and luck remained shrouded in mystery, unknown to him.
Lastly, Zhang Yuchen had already seen Long Aotian's future over the next three days. This vision revealed a critical window that could change everything.
Even though the system was concerned about having a relationship with the Protagonist, befriending Long Aotian was essential for two reasons:
First, it would help Zhang defeat their common enemy; Second, there was a great chance that Long Aotian might soon become his stepson, though it still depended on how things would work out with Long Shiqian.
But before solidifying their alliance, Zhang Yuchen had a more immediate goal. He needed to seize the greatest opportunity of Long Aotian's life: the empress from another world.
Though the uncertainty was fearsome, now Zhang Yuchen felt serene and calm, perhaps due to the alcohol that had dulled his edge.
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( End Of This Chapter)
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