THE FOOL - Chapter 29: Shadows Persona

Just as nuclear weapons are merely a by-product of science, immortality is but a small gift in the pursuit of the Dao.The patriarch of the new method, the great sage and virtuous teacher, Zhen Fa Zhenren, the strongest cultivator in ten thousand years, is recruiting personal disciples. The reference books are as follows:“Topology in Talismans—Starting with the Little Rain Talisman”“Artificial Intelligence Research in Magical Artifacts: A Preliminary Exploration of Artifact Spirits”“Elemental Decomposition of the Nine-turn Golden Elixir”“Basics of Formation Pathways”Note: Preference will be given to those who have published papers in the Journal of Immortal Dao.

Athar VonCruz, an orphan, had always been at the bottom rung of the society. He had been bullied, belittled and pushed down for his entire life.Beast taming in this world is not a hobby or a profession but is the only way of survival for a human and to gain power.Athar invests his entire life savings for one of the beast eggs; the only chance he has to rise and get ahead in his life.The egg cracks, and a creature of unknown potential emerges from it. In that pivotal moment, Athar's destiny irrevocably shifted. In that moment, Athar unearths a strange and wondrous secret; a hidden power that would become his ultimate trump card.Read how Athar VonCruz carves out a path out for himself and strives to reach the pinnacle of life.

[A soul forsaken by the Gods and a body on the verge of death - The Darklord of the Endless Abyss has noticed your existence and is offering you a contract. Will you accept?]As he lay on unfamiliar land, his body covered in wounds and blood, Levi heard the voice of providence that he had craved for years.In a magnificent and mutated future, the advancement of technology and space exploration has opened new paths unknown to humanity. Being the curious creatures they are, and with hopes of saving the dying Earth suffering from resource depletion, humans began to explore these unknown lands.It was there that they discovered the treasures of the otherworld - artifacts and magical items that defied all scientific knowledge. But along with these treasures, humans also encountered dangerous and vicious monsters capable of tearing them apart with a flick of their fingers.However, humans were persistent. The treasures of the otherworld were too enticing to ignore. They struggled against the odds and found a way to fight these monsters by making contracts with the gods.The gods of the unknown lands bestowed extraordinary powers upon humans in exchange for the promise of extinguishing all the monsters. But not everyone was so fortunate, like Levi, who failed to pique the interest of any gods, and became one of the Forsaken.The Gods had forsaken him, so Levi decided to forsake the world - he made a contract with the Demon King himself!

“Look at him,” someone snickered from a few rows over. “Smells like he sleeps in a dumpster.”“Probably does,” another voice added, louder this time. Nox just stared at his textbook, the words blurring. He had heard it all before.Then, Mark, one of the main reasons his life was a living hell, swaggered past his desk. Mark always had a smirk on his face. “Oops,” he said, not even trying to sound accidental, as a full cup of bright orange juice tipped over, splashing all down the front of Nox's already ruined shirt. The cold liquid soaked through instantly. Laughter erupted around the room. It was loud, clear, and mocking. Nox slowly looked up. His eyes landed on Ms. Joy, who was watching the whole thing. She had seen Mark deliberately pour the juice on him. He raised his hand, a small, tired gesture. “Ms. Joy,” he said, his voice flat. “He just poured juice on me. Are you just going to ignore it? Again?.” Ms. Joy looked at him, then at Mark, who was now theatrically wiping his hands. A small smile played on her lips. Then she chuckled. Just a little airy laugh.“Oh, Nox, don't be so dramatic. Boys will be boys, right Mark?” Mark puffed out his chest. “Yeah, Ms. Joy. He's just sensitive.” The class laughed even harder at that. Ms. Joy joined in, her laughter ringing out with theirs. Hearing them all, hearing her laugh, something in him finally snapped. It wasn't a loud break, more like a quiet, final click. He realized it then, with a cold, hard clarity. No one was coming to save him. No teachers, no police, no parents he never had. No one cared. If he wanted this to stop, he would have to be the one to stop it. He was the only one who could.His face remained blank, but his mind was suddenly very clear. He reached down slowly, his hand going into his worn-out school bag. The laughter died down a little as a few students noticed his deliberate movement, a strange stillness about him. He pulled out a gun.The classroom went silent. Utterly, completely silent. Mark's smirk vanished, replaced by wide, terrified eyes. Even Ms. Joy stopped laughing, her face paling. “What… Nox, what are you doing?” she stammered, her voice suddenly shaky. He didn't answer. He looked around at their faces, one by one. Fear. He saw fear now. Good. He was ready. He was going to make them all pay. He was going to end it, all of it.Just as he was about to raise the gun properly, a bright blue screen appeared right in front of his face. It was translucent, and only he seemed to see it. [Congratulations! You have met the requirements!] [1st Player Chosen!] [You have won the System!]