The Phantom's Gambit - Chapter 1: Before the fall

My grandfather is very eccentric, performing daily rituals of offering incense to himself, standing in front of his own spirit tablet and eating candles.Villagers are fearful of my grandfather.I am fearful of him too.Later, I discovered that what they were afraid of was not my grandfather, but me.Even grandfather is afraid of me....My name is Chen Shi.The Chen of honesty, the Shi of sincerity.

Fifty years ago, the world changed forever when Earth was mysteriously connected to the Primordial World, a reality that operates like a game.This world can only be entered by Awakeners—people who have awakened with special powers. However, out of fifteen billion humans, only one million have this privilege.Enzo, a poor young man with no connection to the Primordial World, should have had no chance of becoming an Awakener.However, against all odds, he awakens... and more than that, he gains an innate skill unheard of before—the ability to make skills with only his imagination.In a world where power determines everything, how will a nameless young man carve his own path?

“Dragons rule the skies, the land, and the seas... humanity survives in the cracks, dreaming of a comeback.”_______Power comes from the beast you tame in this world, and you need to do it at the tender age of ten.Wolves, hawks, snakes, spiders, the stronger your summon, the brighter your future.Too bad for our protagonist.When everyone else summoned salamanders, eagles, or tigers, he got… Well, let’s just say the only thing lower on the food chain is dirt.Laughed at, bullied, and living as the butt of every joke, he’s not exactly winning. But giving up isn’t an option, his aging parents sold everything for his chance, and he won’t let it be for nothing.But hey, this is his story. The weakest beast tamer?Here’s the thing about being at the bottom: it teaches you how to climb. And dragons? The apex predators? Turns out they start small too, so...He’s going to tame everything, every evolutionary line.How?Turns out, his summon isn’t useless after all.Step one: survive long enough to unlock his gift.Step two: tame creatures nobody else dares to touch.Step three: become the strongest tamer the world has ever seen and laugh in the face of those who doubted him.As kingdoms crumble under greed and external threats, the weakest tamer begins his rise.Because in this world, strength isn’t just about the creature you summon; it’s about the bond you forge, the risks you take, and the will to rise when the world drags you down.Follow his path as he unlocks a potential so rare, so terrifying, it leads to dragons… Even better, every evolutionary line leads to the strongest ‘SSS Dragons’._______Warning: Contains world-ending dragons, questionable life choices, ridicule-fueled underdog revenge, dragon-scaled protagonist, morally questionable nobles, insane creature evolutions, over-the-top power fantasy, and enough twists to make you wonder if weakest really means luckiest.A MC who’s out to prove everyone wrong… even if it kills him.Spoiler alert: It won’t.For those who love an underdog, an over-the-top power fantasy, and a whole lot of fun, this one’s for you.If you’re looking for a more serious or a bit grim-dark story, look somewhere else (Maybe Utopian System (;)This one’s about having fun, taming dragons and expectations._______If you want to know more about the cover:Yep, that's Luna lounging like it's a casual afternoon… on two dragons, no less.The white side looks regal, the dark side (dark blue one) radiates menace, and Luna? She’s caught somewhere in between, with her skin and clothes morphing into shimmering scales from their power.Oh, and don’t miss the tiny horns.It’s not just fashion; it’s fusion. High-level beasts tend to leave their mark, and Luna wears it like a boss. Sitting on dragons, half-transformed, and pulling off the ultimate power move.If they can put one dragon in their covers… I may as well put 2!We will use the same Discord from Utopian, come join! https://discord.gg/W3CjfC2cw4_______Silly tags that seem to matter a lot to some readers: No Yaoi, No Yuri, Possibly Harem (Vote! I can write either, and in any case, there will be multiple girls. The only difference is whether he chooses one in the end or goes the “liberal” route.... democracy is yours!), No NTR.

Eli Turner had perfected the art of coasting through life, gaming, lounging, and vibing with no grand ambitions beyond the next high. But his laid-back existence is upended when his laptop inexplicably transforms into a gateway to another world. What starts as a surreal escape becomes a perilous journey as Eli finds himself wielding a mysterious system that allows him to level up, fight monsters, and gain abilities beyond his wildest dreams.At first, the portal world feels like a haven, offering purpose and adventure Eli never knew he craved. Guided, or manipulated, by Azrael, a mischievous god orchestrating the game, Eli rises as one of the system's chosen players. But as the quests grow more dangerous and Azrael’s true intentions begin to surface, Eli struggles to balance the fantasy world with his life back home. His girlfriend, Sara, and his friends are left grappling with a version of Eli they hardly recognize, as the lines between his two lives blur.When the system expands to players worldwide, Eli crosses paths with others drawn into Azrael’s cosmic experiment: Yumi Tanaka, a fiercely disciplined Japanese student with a perfectionist streak, and Arjun Mehta, a charming Indian playboy with secrets of his own. Each carries their own burdens and ambitions, but all three must face the harsh truth: Azrael’s game is far more than it seems.As alliances are forged, rivalries ignite, and the stakes escalate, Eli must confront not only the dangers of the portal world but the growing rift between the person he is and the hero he’s becoming. In a game where every move is a test and every choice ripples across both worlds, the question remains: can Eli, Yumi, and Arjun uncover the truth before the system consumes them all?