Rivers of the Night - Chapter 4: Not So Easy

Felix's life on Earth had become a series of dead-end jobs, ruined relationships, and rotating apartments smaller than most postage stamps. By all accounts, even his own, he was a coward. Too afraid to move forward, to take risks. Yet when given the chance to choose between risking his life or walking away from a deadly encounter, he didn't hesitate.Moments before his untimely demise, Felix was snatched from earth and thrust into a magical world known only as ‘The Continent’. Empowered by the ‘System,' he learns that he can strengthen himself through combat and dedication. To survive he'll have to push himself beyond his limits, or else fall to the monsters all around him.Levels, stats, and magic. Death is the start of a terrible fate, but if he lives…who knows what he will become.

In the year 2090, technology has advanced to the point where Simulation Boxes, (Sim Box for short) are common place, allowing for the user to link up their brain's neural network to a full dive Simulation. While initially used for educational purposes, recently a large gaming company, Averon, released a fully fledged immersive MMORPG simulation where users can become anyone they desire, level up, choose their class, and become a hero or a villain. The name of this simulation is The Shattered World Online.

Eli Winters had no interest in playing it. His father, a jobless bum who spent his entire life playing games in the hope of becoming a famous player or streamer, was able to use the release of The Shattered World Online to gain wealth and fame, quickly becoming the number one player and a household name as the game took the world by storm. He immediately abandoned Eli and his mother in favor of being with someone from his guild, despite his mother having worked two jobs to support them and raise Eli by herself. Eli had nothing but spite for his father and the game.

When Eli's best friend convinces him to try out the game, his father's fame begins to interfere, culminating in him being singled out and shunned by his peers, and his father offering to pay for his university tuition in return for Eli hiding their relationship and quitting the game. Instead of complying with his father's wishes, Eli decides to prove to everyone how useless a guy his father is by challenging him that if Eli is able to surpass him in the game world he must delete his account and quit his streaming career. His father accepts the challenge believing his son to be useless at games - but Eli will soon show him just how ambitious a spiteful person can be.

The ill-fated high school student Liu Yuan obtained the inheritance of the top civilization in the universe and changed his own destiny. He also used many powerful technologies in the inheritance to lead the Chinese nation to rise in the universe.

- Description from novelbuddy

Abandoned since childhood, the male protagonist lived a quiet, unremarkable life, until the day he awakened a strange and powerful ability: he could hear the inner voices of women.With this gift, he could understand their true thoughts, hidden desires, and deepest fears.Suddenly, everything changed. From a social outcast to an irresistible enigma, he began to navigate a world of secrets and seduction. His main goal? To earn the approval of the cold and powerful president’s. But along the way, hearts began to fall, first the alluring president, then the charming teacher’s aunt, followed by the seductive supervisor’s sister…With each connection, his influence grew. But with every new woman drawn to him, so too did the dangers of jealousy, secrets, and emotional entanglements.Who will be the next one? ...