The Art of Chaotic Divinity - Chapter 455: Hellfire Beast!

I am currently re-writing the first chapters of this story. They are quite rough and bounce around a lot and I can do better. At some point, I will replace these with the better chapters.Sometime in 2024 Aethon Books will publish the first volume of this story on Amazon, KU, and audible. This will mean the story will be stubbed. I will notify people far in advance of that.In the dystopian world of the future, life is rough when you live at the bottom. Jobs are non-existent. Far too many people live in poverty, crammed into huge buildings called Habitats. With no jobs in the real world, many people can only find work online in VR worlds as servants to the very rich. And it's getting worse. The old internet is unusable and hacked to pieces. The new system needs AI to run things, but all but one of them were destroyed. The last sentient AI is ordered to create a new game world so the rich can have a playground, and the corporations that rule the world can have a new global market place. Everyone wants a piece of the new game. The guilds are competing to be the first to find the dungeons and kill the biggest monster. The corporations are claiming land and putting in their online market places. Ozzy and his friends just want a paycheck.Four friends sign five year contracts as virtual serfs in a small village, and can't go adventuring at all to gain money. They don't have many choices. They can work as a blacksmith, barmaid and shepherd for all those years....or they can cheat and find ways to take advantage of the system and carve out a section of the game world for themselves, and earn a fortune in the real world.When they give you a mop and not a sword, you have to find the loopholes and change the rules.

The Nine Tribulations Immortal Venerable is reborn in the city, sweeping away contemporary enemies.In front of me, brothers stand. Enemies kneel. Foes lie down.Women, any pose is OK.

Shi An is the last Abyss Dragon in the world. Since he was bored, he decided to go into a deep sleep while hugging his treasures. After fifty thousand years of satisfying slumber, Shi An opened his eyes only to discover that he had become a weak human with short hands and legs.

He glanced down at his mysteriously downsized body and then lifted his head to look around his empty cave. “……” Where is my powerful and majestic body? My big tail? Most importantly, where are my treasures?!

After thousands of years of hard work, sleeping just once has sent me to square one.

***

In the year 2202, the conflicts between humans and monsters are becoming more and more intense. Although the monsters are strong, the fantastical species that used to rule the continent have all but disappeared.

Shi An, the Shi family’s youngest son, is Mage Academy’s infamous mage who has no magic power. Each student’s magic power is measured at the beginning of the school year. Shi An looked at the three destroyed magic detection equipment and innocently asked, “Eh? Are these equipment’s quality not very good?”

During actual combat training, low-ranked monsters fled before Shi An could get close. Shi An looked at their fleeing figures and innocently exclaimed, “Yay, lucky!”

Everyone else was speechless. “……?” I believe I am dreaming.

***

Mu Heng——human species’ strongest mage——is the only remaining human who bears the noble dragon slayer bloodline.

He coldly and arrogantly said, “Dragons? Extinction is their best outcome.”

A long time later, Mu Heng turned his head back to look at the dragon cub reclining on the piles of treasure. Mu Heng withdrew his gaze and leisurely asked, “Are there any other jobs? I want a well-paid one.”

Extinction is out of the question now. As a matter of fact, I can only earn more money so that I won’t get kicked out of bed at night.

Bai Jin is reborn before the sanctification of the Three Pure Ones and is taken as a disciple by Tongtian. In a strong sense of crisis, Bai Jin embarks on his path of survival, currying favor with his elders, making powerful connections, subtly influencing the grand scheme of the ancient cosmos, and building a network of relationships to protect himself. In the process, Bai Jin also earns numerous accolades.Tai Shang: “Bai Jin possesses great wisdom!”Yuan Shi: “Among Tongtian's disciples, only Bai Jin is worth noticing.”Tongtian: “It's Bai Jin who understands me the best.”Zhun Ti: “When Bai Jin becomes shameless, this poor monk willingly admits defeat!”Duo Bao Rulai: “Bai Jin is a despicable, shameless, treacherous villain.”The Jade Emperor: “There is no one more loyal and righteous than my nephew, Bai Jin.”