"There's nothing else today. You can go rest," Ye Shou said, remembering something. "Don't forget tomorrow's meeting with [RECT]."
"Understood, Master Ye Shou." Ruri nodded. she knew he placed great importance on this project.
RECT was a company deeply involved in electronic product manufacturing, led by the Yuuki family. Although they couldn't compare to giants like the Shinomiya or Suzuki families, they were established "local snakes" in the Kanto region. Because they had hitched their wagon to the Kuse Group and were specifically hand-picked by Ye Shou for cooperation, they had been in the limelight for the past year.
However, Ruri knew that Ye Shou didn't actually care about the company. His true partner was a famous quantum physicist and game producer; dragging RECT in was merely to find a manufacturer for the scientist's project.
—Kayaba Akihiko.
Her master's regard for this man was extraordinary, so the maid dared not be negligent.
"If you have no further need of me, Ruri shall take her leave."
Back at home and changed into her maid attire, the black-haired girl bowed respectfully and retreated. She closed the double doors with practiced, light movements and let out a soft breath.
"Lady Ruri," someone greeted her in the hallway. "Hard work today. Everything is well in the household."
"Mm, good." Ruri nodded in acknowledgment without stopping, her secretary following close behind.
That's right—even though Ruri was a "maid," she had her own private secretary.
"Um..."
"Is there something?" Ruri looked back, curious.
"Nothing special, just that the Kohakugawa family hopes you can find some time..."
"Don't bother reporting such boring things in the future. Just refuse directly. I have no obligation or reason to care about those people's feelings."
"Yes, ma'am."
"..."
Tucking a stray hair behind her ear, the girl's eyes were filled with impatience and coldness, with a hint of loathing buried deep within. The secretary didn't dare look her in the eye, so this momentary darkness went unrecorded.
Ending her day's work and returning to her room, Ruri drew a hot bath and undressed. Her youthful, shapely body flashed in the mirror before her fair skin was slowly enveloped by the steaming water. Finally, she reclined halfway, with only a crescent-moon-like curve showing above the surface.
She let out a purr-like sound, similar to a cat stretching, and closed her eyes to enjoy her private time.
It should have been a peaceful moment, but she soon opened her eyes.
Kohakugawa... It was a familiar surname that had haunted her like a curse for a long time. Even though she had severed ties, it was still nauseating—hearing it made her want to wash her ears!
Darn it, I'm thinking about unpleasant things again.
As the water reached just below her nose, Ruri's eyes shifted. Honestly, she had been prepared for the worst at the beginning. After all, a man like Ye Shou, who openly measured a person's value with money in the 21st century, didn't seem like a "good" person. Establishing a team of maids in his home reeked of the rot of capitalism.
He looked handsome and bright, but who knew if he was a "sex beast" in private? Ruri had no noble intentions of sacrificing herself to save her "family"; to her, the only question was how to find an opportunity to strike back.
But as time passed, things turned out completely different from what she had imagined. She was indeed treated like a slave, but not in a sexual sense. Etiquette, paperwork, accounting, public relations—the high-intensity professional training left her no time for wild thoughts. Fortunately, she had already been receiving a harsh "elite education" from her adoptive mother, so she adapted quickly.
Before she knew it, she had been trained into an excellent slave—a corporate slave of capital known as a "salaryman."
Who uses a beautiful maid like this?!
While she was glad to be self-sufficient rather than a "kept woman," his complete disregard for her feminine charm was also somewhat irritating!
Glub... glub...
A series of bubbles rose to the surface. Ruri stretched her long, elegant neck, gazing wistfully at the condensation on the ceiling. That man had spent so much money to buy her, yet he hadn't even attempted anything resembling sexual harassment...
Cough. Of course, she didn't want that, but then again, having lived together for so long, her view of Ye Shou had changed. If he were to force a progression in their relationship now, she probably... maybe... might... not resist too fiercely.
"You spineless girl," she muttered to herself. Her eyes sparkled as a thought crossed her mind, her face flushing red before she sank entirely beneath the misty water.
Achoo!
Ye Shou rubbed his nose and blinked in confusion. Who's talking about me?
This wasn't just him being self-absorbed. In last month's System Card options, he had chosen a negative status: whenever he was complained about or mentioned by someone in a specific way, his eyelids would twitch or he would sneeze. However, each "complaint point" was a one-time trigger; once someone complained about a specific thing, others complaining about the same thing wouldn't trigger it again.
During the first few days, he had looked as miserable as if he had the flu. It turned out being famous had its downsides; so many people had opinions about him that it nearly drove his doctors crazy. But presumably, since most things that could be complained about had already been covered, he had gradually become desensitized.
This reaction now meant someone knew him very well and had hit a very precise "complaint point."
"I should have chosen the hair loss one," Ye Shou sighed as soon as he spoke.
It wasn't that he had masochistic tendencies, but the System Cards were just that infuriating: truly good options required high points, which often forced him to pick one or two terrible negative options to balance the cost.
Last month, the talent Ye Shou wanted most was [The Solitary Gourmet], which was somewhat similar to the Gourmet Cells in Toriko. By eating different delicacies, his five senses and physique would be slightly enhanced based on the deliciousness and nutritional value—though the effect wasn't as extreme as in the anime.
Thus, for the past month, Ye Shou had become the kind of person animal rights activists hated most. From things that flew in the sky to things that swam in the sea; from the massive Blue Whale to the poisonous Fugu; from Bald Eagles to Emperor Penguins. As for how many laws he had broken... well, at least he hadn't touched the black-and-white national treasure.
After all that hard work eating, he hadn't gained weight. Instead, he could clearly feel his strength increasing and his energy becoming more abundant. His senses and reaction speeds had also significantly improved. He would even go so far as to say that if you brought Mike Tyson in for a brawl right now, he wouldn't flinch!
Unfortunately, it wasn't the "genuine" Gourmet Cells, the duration was only a month, and the real world lacked fantasy ingredients. Otherwise, he might have been able to trade blows with Ultraman Taro in the future... Forget it, Ultra-beings are on another level.
Therefore, Ye Shou looked at his "account balance" with great hesitation:
[Fate Coins x13]
He had accumulated some Fate Coins over the years, but when he first transmigrated, he didn't know that supernatural elements would appear. In fact, the first few years had been calm, with no strange occurrences. He had thought it was just an ordinary world without magic and felt it was a bit of a waste to have the [All Attributes] talent, so he had exchanged for abilities that seemed useful at the time.
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My : https://[email protected]/Noctra418
Great, Now We're All Dead! (51 Chapters – Ongoing)
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Things like extraordinary energy, a healthy body, eloquence, poise, business intuition, charisma, and being "ever-lasting" in bed... cough... anyway, as the son of a tycoon, those were all he needed.
Then he discovered the world setting was getting weirder by the day. By the time he realized it, he was filled with regret!
Now he was more cautious with his decisions. It was a matter of resource scarcity; Ye Shou could throw away a hundred million dollars without blinking, but he didn't want to waste a single Fate Coin!
The advantage of [The Solitary Gourmet] was that it directly improved his physique—essentially a stat-boosting experience pack with no level cap. Its importance was self-evident. But the disadvantage was the "ingredients" restriction! This wasn't a world like Toriko or Cooking Master Boy. Even if he ate every plant and animal on Earth, he wouldn't become a Superman; the ceiling for growth was limited.
Gemini said
The price was simply too high—a staggering ten Fate Coins, which would nearly wipe out Ye Shou's entire savings!
One had to understand how difficult these coins were to obtain. Back then, Ye Shou figured that with Ruri's looks and background, there was a high probability she was the heroine of some manga or galgame. He had shamelessly brought her into his home as a maid, completely altering her life's trajectory—and even then, he had only received a total of two Fate Coins!
In other words, Ye Shou would have to recruit four or five girls like her just to afford one [Solitary Gourmet] talent. This feeling of earning money drop by drop while spending it like a waterfall was incredibly frustrating, which was why Ye Shou couldn't afford to be anything less than cautious.
There were, of course, faster ways to accumulate Fate Coins:
One was to enter a "Dungeon."
About two or three years ago, around the time urban legends about ghosts and spirits started appearing, the System Card seemingly updated its version. Occasionally, options like "Hero Summoning" or "Truck-kun Reincarnation" would appear. Simply put, these connected to an after-world; selecting one allowed him to enter for a month. If he purchased the option with Fate Coins, the passage to that world wouldn't close, allowing for multiple visits in the future.
In these "Dungeons," the chances of encountering protagonists and supporting characters increased significantly, making it easier to trigger events and lowering the difficulty of obtaining Fate Coins.
Ye Shou had his eye on this benefit. Considering the massive profits and limitless resources a cross-world passage could bring, he had bitten the bullet and exchanged for one. That single transaction had drained the Fate Coins he'd painstakingly saved, leaving him with only thirteen.
—However, Dungeons weren't that easy to clear.
First, the worlds themselves could be fraught with danger. Second, while Ye Shou stood at the pinnacle of capital in the main world and could mobilize staggering resources, in a Dungeon... who the hell cares who you are?
As for the other method of farming Fate Coins... it was a bit delicate.
In truth, if he steeled his heart, it wasn't impossible to earn Fate Coins in the main world. There were several "Special Characters" Ye Shou had discovered long ago but had never approached. They were like fertile, virgin lands—sure to explode with "gold coins" upon contact.
There was only one tiny problem:
He might run into a primary school student who hadn't grown up in decades, or a detective uncle with a maxed-out resistance to sedatives.
Currently, a certain "Heisei Holmes" was still very active and apparently hadn't shrunk yet. But Ye Shou himself possessed a [Misfortune Constitution]; he'd have to be brain-dead to actively seek these people out! Facing the causal-law aura of the "Reaper Primary Schooler," one would need to be at least immune to bullets and poison to feel even remotely safe.
"In the end, I just don't have enough money."
If Ye Shou's current lament were known to the outside world, people would find it utterly bizarre. He was probably the person furthest from the word "broke" on this planet.
Melancholy aside, he had to make a decision. Once the system refreshed, there was no going back.
After long deliberation, Ye Shou finally "purchased" this special ability. His balance dropped to a measly "3."
Given that the current world setting was trending toward high-power levels, an ability that directly enhanced his physique with no side effects was exceptionally precious. Moreover, as the world changed and Dungeon worlds were randomly drawn, he would surely encounter many miraculous ingredients in the future. If he ever got the chance to taste dragon meat or something similar, Ye Shou was willing to bet enough on that potential.
"Hmm? It seems... the timing is perfect."
Ye Shou noticed the golden sand in his sea of consciousness had completely run out. His brow twitched as a sudden, inexplicable sense of emptiness washed over him—the result of unpurchased (non-permanent) abilities being stripped away.
However, he didn't care about those scrap talents right now. He continued to wait, focusing intently.
Suddenly, like the blink of an eye, the glow of the golden hourglass flickered.
Thinking quickly, Ye Shou pulled a blank piece of paper from a memo clip on his desk and stared at it with total concentration. Slowly, meticulous regular-script handwriting began to emerge on the surface:
[System Card · Random]
Theme of the Month: Purity, Greatly Increased!
[Drafted 15 Points (Pseudo). You may combine the following options freely. Positive buffs deduct points; negative effects add points. Note: Please make your decision within 24 hours. All effects will last for one month.]
—— POSITIVE ——
-6 Points: * [Purity-Maxed Shaori!], [Purity-Maxed Demon Brain!], [Purity-Maxed Demon Back!], [Purity-Maxed Demon Soul!], [Purity-Maxed Confucian Sage!]
-4 Points: * [To Get Stronger, Eat Forbidden Fruit], [This is a Victory for Martial Arts], [The Freest Man in the World!], [Hanma Blood]
-2 Points: * [Otokodachi (The Chivalrous Stand)], [Poison Hand], [Aikido], [Shaolin Kung Fu], [Itagaki/Half-Circle Anatomy]
—— NEGATIVE ——
+6 Points: * [Tsunan-do: The Ultimate Insult!]
+3 Points: * [Soul of a Madman], [Filial Piety (Fatherly Kindness, Filial Son)]
+2 Points:[Purity-Maxed Mountaineer!], [Purity-Maxed Demon Anus/菊?], [Purity-Maxed Btch!], [Purity-Maxed Hotdog!]
+1 Points: * [Fighter's Gravity], [Primitive Instinct], [Stepping Stone], [Athlete]
"Confucian Sage? And what the hell is 'Tsunan-do'?"
Ye Shou clicked his tongue. "There are clearly two options here from a completely different power scale, right? I mean, you can be crazy, but don't be this insane!"