From Sidekick to Bigshot - Chapter 40: Master Sheng Pays a Visit

“Mana to breathe, mana to eat, mana to fucking live,”Inhale: -0.001 MP… oops! You're out of mana points.(Pay-to-breathe RPG.)Humanity's last walled stronghold._____In the world Elio lives, every gasp of air comes at a price.A floating indestructible book for every human, a magical system that turns survival into a pay-to-breathe RPG.Here, poverty isn't just being broke, it's choking.Surrounded by barren land and a sea of monsters on top of it (No water, just literal monsters), each day is a suffocating dance of survival, a balancing act between mana for air and mana for food.In this economy, holding your breath isn't just a game, it's a retirement plan.Driven by desperation (and the city's miserly rulers that don’t cut anyone a break), Elio dives into the Book System’s trials to save his family.Along the way, he unlocks powers he didn’t ask for and starts to figure out... Who he really is.Immerse yourself in an adventure where one young man's stubborn refusal to become a statistic could spark a revolution. Who knew being a pain in the system's rear could change the world?Because in Elio's world, breathing is just the beginning of the revolution and... he's gasping for change.But hey, who said saving the world had to be all doom and gloom? Join Elio as he kicks monster butt, uncovers ancient secrets, and maybe, just maybe, figures out how to grow a tree or two along the way.__________Warning:May contain traces of world domination, an unhealthy obsession with the periodic table, damage points, progression math, and yes, even a sprinkle of that old “power of friendship” magic. Because sometimes, you need a buddy to help you remember which element does what or even help you calculate those sweet, sweet stats.A quick heads-up:Despite what the cover might suggest, this isn’t a hack-and-slash adventure. Think more along the lines of a turn-based RPG, where strategy and choices matter as much as action. Get ready for a different kind of challenge!If you want to know more about the cover:Yep, that's our first FL crying and crossing the transparent barrier straight into a pixelated, indistinguishable sea of monsters. Because why not mix emotions with chaos? She's crazy like that! (Not really... or is she?)Discord to check the visuals: https://discord.gg/W3CjfC2cw4I’m still working on it in the little moments I find between writing, editing, making more character images, etc.Little by little, we’ll have a Poked... uh, a full SummonDex! Meanwhile, you can check out the ones on Fandom with their... funny descriptions? Or at least I hope so... orzWarning 2 (Privilege 4 and 5):I just wanted to stick to the novel’s level system, so I had to add those '0s'!!! Don’t be an elephant... unless you’re an enormous one... A whale! Seriously, nooooo!You’re going to make me die from the pressure, and I’ll feel terrible!! It’s just one chapter!!! You can wait... But if you’re dirty rich and really, Really, REALLY want to support, well... okay, though I’ll still feel bad!!! orz

A huge guy is bawling his eyes out. In this day and age? Sure, maybe the world changed while I was away in that other place. I’m not some old-fashioned boomer.But what if that guy is clinging to my pant leg, sobbing and sniffling—And we’re not even acquaintances?Even in modern times, that’s just messed up. Ask any passing kid, they’d agree.So yeah, I shook my leg. He was gross and too close.“The hell’s wrong with you? Crying just ’cause you saw a ghost?” “N-no! I swear, it was really there! You didn’t see it!!”I let the disrespect slide. Barely. He was asking for help and still talking down to me just because I look young?Obviously, I’m not the one who lost his balls. He is.And yet… when I looked where he pointed—Something was there.I threw some coarse salt and looked again.He stared at me like I was insane, but I ignored it.…Yeah. Something was definitely there.It made eye contact.

Rebirth + Abusing Scum + Feel-Good Story

Ren Ran’s life was smooth sailing for the first eighteen years, but plagued by misfortune for the next eight. Her grandparents, mother, and younger brother passed away one after another. Her company was seized by her scumbag father, and she was kicked out of her home, forced to wander the streets. She would get robbed walking down the road, or have flower pots dropped on her head when she reached a building entrance. If she went to work, the company she worked for would go bankrupt.

At twenty-six, she was diagnosed with cancer and on the verge of death when she met a Taoist priest.

The Taoist said, “Your fate was meant to be fortunate, yet you have become a lonely star cursed by the heavens. This is because your fate has been replaced by another’s doing.”

Perhaps it was the mercy of the heavenly way, but she was reborn once more.

She wanted to change her family’s destiny and save their lives, but more importantly, she wanted to expose the villain behind the scenes and make them pay their bloody debts.

However, as she pursued the truth, she discovered… (Beep~~ No spoilers!)

Having been confessed by the person you in love with must be a dream come true.That happened to me. However, I found out later that the confession is not meant for me but for my classmate named Kyzer. he’s handsome, rich, and popular. On top of that, he’s a top student.It all happened because of the tiger costume I am wearing .Feeling defeated, I went back home with a bleeding heart.On my way toward home, a white van stopped in front of me and abducted me. I was abducted because they thought I was Kyzer thanks to the costume.A series of misfortunes befell to me one after another.When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in an unfamiliar room. Then I become the subject of a weird experiment.In the next day, I woke up in my bed by a loud ringing and discovered some weird widgets floating in front of my vision.I learned later that the peaceful city I was living till today is now in an apocalyptic situation. Demonic creatures were running rampant causing chaos to the land.Using my System, I will survive in this apocalypse.