[Give you $15, freely combine the following characters, and transmigrate to another world together.]
[You start with 30 Talent Points. Choosing positive traits consumes points; choosing negative traits increases points. Choose a cost-effective plan to maximize your advantage!]
[Use 50 Skill Points to choose and strengthen the following skills. Different skill levels consume different amounts of points.]
...Meme images or simulators like these would be familiar to almost anyone.
At least before Ye Shou transmigrated, these things were everywhere on the internet in various versions.
At first, he found it interesting. Ye Shou had even enthusiastically made a fan version of League of Legends. But no matter the meme, once it's overplayed, it gets a bit rotten.
So he often left "friendly and harmonious" comments like: "I choose to give you a slap! You keep making me choose, but if I choose, are you actually going to give it to me?"
—But he never expected they would actually give it!
He transmigrated for no apparent reason. Who the hell was he supposed to argue with?!
Thinking carefully, his parents had passed away and he had no girlfriend; he was exactly the type of unattached person most suitable for transmigration... Single dogs are surprisingly discriminated against!
If he had known that "lying flat" and "slacking off" would be sanctioned by fate, he definitely would have been more cautious instead of jokingly giving himself two massive negative buffs... It's a long story full of tears.
[Unlimited System Card]!
That was the name Ye Shou gave it. To put it simply, this thing refreshed every thirty days—the time it took for the hourglass to flip once. Each cycle, Ye Shou could draw a "System Card" containing various abilities and talent entries, allowing him to choose freely based on his points.
It sounded great, but the problem was it had three rules:
Timed Trials: The points given and the abilities selected were essentially "limited-time trial cards." They would disappear when the next cycle refreshed. To keep them permanently, he needed to "top up"—likely because of the meme he clicked on, some strange mechanisms had blended into the system.
Fate Coins: The so-called "top-up" wasn't real-world money, but something called [Fate Coins]. Obtaining them was quite troublesome: he had to find "individuals with strong destiny" and forcibly change their predetermined life path.
Contextual Adaptation: The entries on the System Card seemed random but followed a pattern; they adjusted based on the "current environment." For example, if Ye Shou reincarnated into a world of swords and magic, the system would mostly offer "Elemental Affinity" or "Sword Mastery." But in a galgame world, it would become "Kindness Aura" and "Lucky Lecher Physique."
—This was why Ye Shou was so uneasy.
He had watched his entries refresh from "Urban Business War" to "Low-Magic/Low-Martial" and "Urban Superpowers," and the world had undergone many subtle changes accordingly.
It seemed to be continuously worsening. At this rate, in ten years, there might be "Homelanders" flying all over the sky.
The world was becoming increasingly abnormal.
Fortunately, while the trial cards lasted only a month, the experience and growth gained during that month did not disappear.
For example, if Ye Shou obtained a [Swordmaster] buff, he wouldn't just gain master-level strength and techniques; he would also possess the corresponding vision and state of mind, as if possessed by a god.
If he "started from scratch" with that foundation, his comprehension of swordsmanship would progress by leaps and bounds. One month was enough to surpass athletes who had trained for five or six years.
Even if he lost the master-level secret techniques a month later, the insights and skills he personally delved into during that month remained!
Similarly, for things like archery, literature, physics... as long as Ye Shou could "digest" them in time, he could achieve in a short period what takes others a lifetime.
The logic was simple: a genius progresses far faster than an ordinary person, and a grandmaster progresses even faster than a genius! A "Long Aotian" who levels up by popping pills is not as fast as an "Immortal" who reincarnates and reclimbs—that is the absolute difference in experience and realm!
Of course, if he had the choice, it was better to solidify the abilities. So over the years, he actively collected [Fate Coins] to build up his foundation.
And the difficulty of obtaining those was unexpectedly high:
Even if the fates of ten thousand ordinary people were changed, they couldn't compare to a single "Protagonist."
This led to him having very little gain over the years despite casting a wide net. Ultimately, he could only find ways through characters he recognized from his past life, like Fujiwara Chika—they likely possessed strong inherent destiny, as they were the beloved figures of the world's setting.
However, not all of these characters were suitable to approach.
...For instance, the Suzuki heiress and her friend (the primary schooler at her house), right?
Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise; as the world became more abstract and more works merged, the chances of Ye Shou encountering special characters increased.
Right now, he had his eye on someone very important in a certain work—someone who was even more of a "soul figure" than the male lead. Ye Shou had made a series of arrangements targeting this person.
If this person's personality hadn't changed significantly and they still went through with "that event" from the original plot, involving the lives of tens of thousands...
Ye Shou was confident he could use his prior arrangements to harvest a massive amount of Fate Coins in one go!
This process might offend some people, but he didn't care. He had done similar things many times; from a cost-benefit perspective, nothing was more profitable than this!
However, because he actively intervened in many events, Ye Shou inevitably clashed with others, and his reputation gradually soured with the help of those with ulterior motives.
For example, he once helped a high school boy caught in a "groping false accusation" by hiring the most expensive and elite legal team, successfully getting the "Goten-sho Case" retried.
But on the outside, the rumor was that he shielded his cronies and used money to suppress the truth and overturn right and wrong.
Another time, he stopped the young daughter of a socialite during a school bullying incident and ruined her reputation; as a result, some people felt he was the one bullying the weak...
There were many such incidents. At first, he cared and made examples of a few ill-intentioned individuals; since then, no one dared to spread baseless rumors. But even after that, he didn't moderate his actions, appearing completely indifferent to outside evaluation.
Those who truly knew Ye Shou, like Ruri, felt that the Master was essentially a solitary and noble person who disdained changing himself for the sake of others' opinions.
...In reality, Ye Shou was just too lazy to explain, because doing so wouldn't have any significant effect.
He had chosen it himself, after all!
[Lovely and Charming Villain]
This was one of the abilities Ye Shou had selected before transmigrating. He was born with it in this world, and it was permanently solidified without needing Fate Coins.
Originally, it seemed like a great "newbie gift," but Ye Shou hadn't known about the crazy developments that would follow. He had just picked it because it looked fun, even choosing two negative ones to balance the points...
~
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My : https://[email protected]/Noctra418
Great, Now We're All Dead! (51 Chapters – Ongoing)
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[Lovely and Charming Villain]
Your words and actions are often misunderstood. Even benevolent acts may attract negative public opinion and views, making you appear as a villain in the eyes of strangers. It is difficult to explain with words.
This causes you to accumulate "Hidden Charm," which instead attracts those close to you. The more someone interacts with you, the more they feel your charm, subsequently increasing your bond.
Bonus: When dealing with "Evil" aligned organizations or individuals, their hostility is reduced, and it is easier to gain favor.
[Misfortune Constitution]
Unrelated to your luck stat, but you are prone to encountering unexpected incidents and meeting unknown entities. You also easily attract attention and draw in strange individuals.
Bonus: Appearance of a "Female Calamity" (prone to trouble with women).
~
It looks like the setup for a light novel protagonist, right?
Ye Shou thought so too at first and wondered why they were "Negative Buffs," but after experiencing them personally, he understood—
Encountering this in reality is truly unpleasant!
In fact, ninety percent of the "misfortune" encountered in life has no benefits whatsoever. Don't even think about "Touma-style" fanservice when opening a door! Many things are just one-sidedly frustrating!
The [Lovely and Charming Villain] trait was the same:
It might lower the difficulty of romancing certain characters, but the restrictions meant that applied only to a few intimate people. Most people kept Ye Shou at a respectful distance.
Of course, Ye Shou himself didn't particularly like communicating with strangers and loathed being surrounded by flatterers, so being feared was actually quite satisfactory to him.
As for the troubles and unfortunate events in daily life, the vast majority could be solved with the power of money. He had managed to grow up safely, for the most part.
In return, however, his innate positive talents could completely offset all disadvantages. Ye Shou had benefited greatly over the years; after all, a single [Golden Rule] was enough to make him invincible in the business world!
Metaphysical financial luck—even Wall Street elites couldn't calculate that if they worked themselves to death!
"Welcome home, Young Master." A meticulously dressed old gentleman was waiting at the door. "The Head of the House was supposed to return today, but his itinerary changed due to a sudden matter. He instructed me to convey his regards to you."
"He's not coming back?" Ye Shou frowned slightly, asking seemingly casually, "Did something go wrong with the negotiations in North America?"
"No, everything went smoothly."
The butler kept his gaze lowered, looking the picture of composure.
"He simply ran into an old friend and extended his trip."
"Is that so?" Ye Shou gave him a flat look but said nothing more as he headed inside.
Seeing that he didn't press for details, the butler couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. This matter was something of a semi-open secret within the household: the relationship between the Kuse father and son was... delicate.
Originally, they had been quite harmonious. After Ye Shou entered the business world and began showing his prowess, his father had been incredibly proud. However, as Ye Shou's achievements grew and his reputation soared, his prestige within the group began to overshadow the previous generation. That was when things turned awkward.
After all, everyone is willing to follow a genius who creates massive profits—much like soldiers worshipping a legendary general. If Ye Shou were in his thirties or forties and his father were in his sixties nearing retirement, the succession would be natural. But Ye Shou wasn't even twenty, and his father was still in his prime, only to find his presence in the group almost entirely eclipsed by his son.
Of course, they were still father and son; it hadn't devolved into mutual resentment. It was just that staying by Ye Shou's side for too long tended to make one doubt their own worth. Thus, the elder Kuse, feeling a bit competitive deep down, had simply gone off to expand overseas operations and remained away from Japan for long periods.
As a seasoned veteran of capitalism, he was by no means ready to retire. He wanted to make a grand achievement of his own to re-establish his fatherly dignity in front of his son.
Ye Shou only realized this after his father went abroad. He never had any intention of seizing power, so he was trying to bridge the gap. However, it was too difficult to help his father achieve something earth-shattering in a short time; it was much easier for Ye Shou to just play the role of the "prodigal son" for a bit.
For example, the project he was currently presiding over: collaborating with a certain scientist to develop a new generation of virtual reality games.
Ye Shou was fully prepared for this project to be a total failure and a massive drain on capital!
His primary goal was to earn Fate Coins, and his secondary goal was to lure his father back. As a son, sometimes you have to show some immaturity to make your father feel relied upon and needed.
My "spending millions to entertain my parent" move would surely qualify me as a paragon of filial piety in ancient times!
"Which friend?" Ye Shou asked casually.
The butler followed behind, thinking for a moment. "A university senior of the Master's who currently holds a position in the United Nations. He is lobbying scientific groups around the world to unite and build a peace organization that transcends national boundaries. It seems he wants to leverage the Kuse family's wealth and influence within the Japanese government. The Master is unexpectedly interested."
The old man is as energetic as ever... but trying to make a mark through a UN non-profit is just too unrealistic.
"I see," Ye Shou nodded, not caring much.
It was likely just more environmentalism, "love and peace," or something about the human genome—nothing of substance. Whether they are politicians or capitalists, aside from backroom dealings, they have to engage in some philanthropy to maintain a decent public image. The Kuse family supported plenty of such people and groups; Ye Shou had been used to it since childhood.
A world peace organization made of scientists?
I wonder if the theme this time is 'Environment' or 'The Future.' Haha.
Ye Shou pushed the thought to the back of his mind.
Permanent Talent List for Ye Shou (Initial)
Negative Traits:
[Lovely and Charming Villain]: (Already described)
[Misfortune Constitution]: (Already described)
Positive Traits:
[Golden Rule]:
Possess a destiny entwined with wealth for a lifetime. You will never be troubled by money and can live as a multi-millionaire whenever you wish. Wealth is not limited to currency; the difficulty of obtaining "resources" in a broad sense is significantly reduced.
[Scene Transition Effect]:
Like a protagonist in a manga or movie who becomes clean just by turning around, your stamina partially recovers when transitioning from one "scene/instance/frame" to the next. It can even heal minor, non-serious injuries.
[Collector]:
Just as Egyptian Pharaohs and Chinese Emperors brought their wealth into their tombs, a true Great Collector should possess their own "Kingdom." Your soul is connected to an independent extra-dimensional space. You can open it through meditation to store or retrieve items. Time still flows inside, so placing living beings inside is not recommended.
[The Ultimate Overachiever]:
In any field, your work and learning efficiency will far exceed the average. You can remember all experiences and skills firmly without repeated review; once learned, they are never forgotten. The more people you compete with and the more talented they are, the faster you progress. The more jealousy you receive, the more pleasure—even excitement—you derive from work, study, or any competitive field (including combat).
[All Attributes]:
Whether it is the Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire of magic, or the Yin-Yang and Five Elements of immortal arts; from race-specific secret techniques to a sect's most guarded mental cultivation methods—you will never be unable to learn or master them due to "attribute incompatibility."