Ascendance of a Bookworm - Volume 7, Chapter 8: Understanding Both Sides (Part 2)

Starting from today, I am retired. But what should I be doing? I neither have the skills, nor the mind to do business, my only advantage is this pair of hands which have taken this world. What a headache…

Note: The usage of the term “retired” here doesn’t mean retiring from old age, work etc. It’s a specific term to refer to not involving oneself in the affairs of a certain society.

What if being the protagonist was actually the WORST possible choice?Li Hanfeng thought he'd gotten the short end of the reincarnation stick—transmigrated into a cultivation world with “only” Upper Grade spiritual roots. Sure, he joined the prestigious Shushan Sect, but compared to those Heavenly Grade chosen ones? He was clearly destined to be a background character.Then his golden finger awakened.The Karma Detection System.Suddenly, Li Hanfeng could see the true cost of every “opportunity” before him. That mysterious cave everyone's excited about?[Great Karma: Ancient Tomb][Death Rate: 97%].The beautiful junior sister asking him on a “simple” mission?[Path of Destiny][Triggers: Sect Destruction, Heavenly Tribulation, Outer Domain Demons].Wait... being the protagonist means a 90% chance of horrible death?!NOPE.While other disciples fight over “destiny” and “fortune,” Li Hanfeng discovers something incredible: his system doesn't just detect karma—it “rewards him for avoiding it”. Refuse a death flag mission? Get premium cultivation pills! Skip the mysterious inheritance? Unlock rare techniques! Dodge the protagonist route entirely?His cultivation speed actually INCREASES.“Junior Sister, I'm busy that day.”“Senior Brother, that treasure isn't for me.”“Sorry everyone, I'll pass on saving the world.”[Karma Severed Successfully! Reward: Immortal-Grade Technique]But there's a problem: the more protagonist flags he dodges, the stronger he becomes. And the stronger he becomes, the more the world tries to drag him into main character scenarios.Ancient masters want him as a disciple. Mysterious beauties keep appearing. Evil sects mark him as a threat. Even his own karma system seems shocked by how overpowered his “background character” route is becoming.Li Hanfeng just wanted to cultivate peacefully and avoid death flags.Instead, he accidentally became the most terrifying existence in the cultivation world.The kind of person who's so strong that destiny itself has given up trying to make him the protagonist.

Qin Lin was playing a nostalgic game called “Ranches Story” when he was electrocuted. He suddenly discovered that he had the ability to enter into the game. He could even bring a watermelon he had planted in the game back to reality.

At first, his plan was to sell watermelon for 2 yuan a catty. In that case, he could earn 20,000 yuan by planting 10,000 catties worth of watermelon in the game every day and selling them in reality.

Later on, he discovered that by leveling up his ranch, he could obtain high quality crops that surpassed that of the real world. If he reared livestock, they were of far higher quality than that of reality. After he built factories, he obtained various recipes that far surpassed that of the real world. Everything changed after that.

Lieutenant Jack Fritz is a self centered American man of German descent. He like many joined the United States Navy in hopes of getting an easy life and easy money. In fact getting money and taking it easy is all he has ever really wished for in life.However life seems to have other plans in-store for Jack as he suddenly finds himself at the beginning of World War 3. Though his fight does not last for long as he is suddenly blown to bits by a missile and sent into the afterlife, but instead of going to heaven Jack is dragged to another place where he is given another chance at life by some fiery demon for a price.Having been given no other chance Jack does as the demon says and earns himself life again. Though he doesn't return to his original world, but a medieval one. With no guidance and no higher purpose given to him he simply decides to do the best that he can within this new world of his. This time he will for sure earn that perfect life of his and possibly a lot more.But little does Jack know his fate is not his own and there are many sinister things in-store for him. Also the world he finds himself in is not a safe or simple medieval world, but one beset by dangers from all sides that are already little by little driving humanity towards its extinction.