Xia Lun slowly turned his head.
Standing behind him was a slender figure, young in age—about the same as Xia Lun—with deep red, unkempt hair that sprawled messily, clearly neglected. Though his face bore a sallow complexion, the underlying features were undeniably refined, with delicate and well-proportioned facial traits.
The stranger wore a set of somewhat tattered light armor, a dagger strapped to his waist, and carried no other equipment. Curiously, he also held an old, weathered harp in his hands.
Liyana’s eyes brightened slightly. Among all the applicants today, this one came closest to meeting her previously unreasonable demands.
But her gaze soon dimmed again. After all, the man looked downright destitute. A rogue who had fallen to such a state… Liyana doubted he had much skill to offer.
“You there…” Xia Lun hesitated, unsure how to address him.
“I’m male,” the man said firmly. “My name is Moke.”
Though his appearance leaned toward the feminine, his voice was robust and resonant—precisely why Xia Lun had hesitated earlier.
Liyana sighed regretfully.
Moke took a seat across from Xia Lun. While Xia Lun studied him, Moke likewise sized up the trio before him.
Xia Lun sat in the central position, clearly the leader. To his left was a woman whose face was hidden beneath the hood of her mage robes, and to his right, a carefree-looking elven archer.
They all seemed as young as he was.
“Grrr—”
Moke flushed with embarrassment as his stomach betrayed him with an untimely growl. He hadn’t eaten in two days.
Xia Lun immediately raised a hand and ordered a steak, bread, and a bowl of creamy hot soup.
“Sorry…” Moke lowered his head, his voice quieter now. “I’ve made a fool of myself.”
“There’s no shame in it. In fact, I find you quite admirable, Moke,” Xia Lun said earnestly. “You’re a rogue, yet even in your current state, you haven’t resorted to stealing from others… That tells me you’re a man of principle.”
Moke replied calmly, “A rogue should never take what doesn’t belong to them—except for treasures within dungeons and secret realms. That’s the most basic rule of our profession.”
Beside them, Liyana cleared her throat subtly, her earlier dismissiveness fading.
The food arrived swiftly, and Moke dug in without hesitation, devouring the meal ravenously. Liyana swallowed hard, her appetite inexplicably returning at the sight of Moke’s hearty eating, despite having already dined.
“Thank you for the meal.”
Moke finished quickly, wiped his mouth, and exhaled in relief.
Xia Lun leaned forward. “Now, let’s get down to business.”
Moke straightened in his seat, attentive.
Xia Lun: “Moke, you’re a rogue?”
Moke: “That’s right.”
Xia Lun: “What rank?”
Moke: “High-tier.”
Xia Lun glanced at Moke’s shabby attire. “Forgive my bluntness, but how does a high-tier rogue end up in such a state?”
Moke wasn’t surprised by the question. His eyes dimmed slightly, but he answered plainly, “I can’t find a party. Alone, I can’t handle the monsters in the dungeons.”
“A high-tier rogue can’t find teammates?” Liyana interjected, skepticism dripping from her voice.
Moke gave a bitter chuckle. “Every time I enter a dungeon, I somehow trigger a monster rampage. My teammates end up dead or severely injured. People say I’m cursed—a harbinger of calamity. No one wants to team up with me.”
Liyana and Xia Lun exchanged glances.
“That’s ridiculous. What kind of excuse is that?” Liyana said, astonished.
“But it’s the truth,” Moke sighed. “For some reason, I seem to attract monsters… even though I’m just an ordinary human.”
“That’s not a problem for us,” Aina spoke for the first time, her voice cool. “We’re strong.”
Aina wanted Moke to stay.
If what he said was true—if he really could draw monsters to them—then Xia Lun would have more opportunities to act. And that meant she could finally gauge his true strength.
Xia Lun’s earlier words had been gnawing at her.
He claimed he was absolutely certain he could take the Demon King down with him. She wanted to see whether this so-called hero had the power to back his words or if he was just full of hot air.
“Moke…” Xia Lun’s gaze shifted to the harp in Moke’s hands. “Mind explaining the harp?”
“Ah… this is a bit embarrassing, actually. Being a rogue is just my side job.” Moke straightened, cleared his throat, and plucked a graceful melody from the strings. With solemn pride, he declared, “My dream is to become a renowned bard.”
He braced himself for laughter, but none came.
Aina was indifferent, Xia Lun was serious, and Liyana… had zoned out.
“You… don’t mind?” Moke ventured.
“Every dream deserves respect,” Xia Lun nodded. “And if you’re joining us, all I care about is your skill as a rogue. What else you pursue is your own business.”
“I can detect and disarm most traps. I have a talent for it,” Moke assured.
“Good. Tomorrow, we’re heading into a dungeon. If you perform as expected, you’ll be our new teammate.”
“Really?” Moke’s eyes lit up. “I mean it—I might attract powerful monsters. Even so, you’d take me?”
“If it’s as you say, that’d be perfect,” Liyana grinned. “Because no matter what shows up, Xia Lun and Aina will wipe them out effortlessly. Looking forward to your performance, ‘monster magnet.’”
For weaker parties, Moke’s ability would indeed spell disaster.
But for a strong team, it could be exploited to their advantage.
Moke just hadn’t met the right group yet.
Xia Lun stood to leave but paused. “Oh, Moke… your music is beautiful. I believe you’ll make a great bard.”
But instead of brightening, Moke’s expression turned wistful.
“Thanks… Xia Lun. I’ll do my best.”
“What’s wrong?” Xia Lun frowned. “Your playing is wonderful. You should be more confident.”
“But bards don’t just play… they sing.” Moke ruffled his hair in frustration.
“And my singing is terrible.”
y came from. The chests contained supplies, currency, class-change scrolls, skills, talents… and even godhood! The laws of the world were completely rewritten. This became a world where everyone gambled with their fate! Some people, despite having nothing, opened a divine artifact and rose to the top, eventually ruling the world. Others went bankrupt, opened nothing but worthless junk, and leaped from skyscrapers in despair. Lin Ye arrived in this world from another reality, utterly bewildered. “What is going on? Why is everyone a gambling addict?!” “Opening chests? No way. I refuse to gamble. I’ll start with myself!” Until— On his first chest, he obtained a Mythic Talent: Void Incarnation! He could become completely intangible, pass through all things, and reduce everything to nothingness! … On his fiftieth chest, he obtained a Mythic Weapon: Blade of Karma! With a single slash, karma shattered, twisting the universe and overturning the myriad phenomena of creation! … On his ninety-ninth chest, he obtained a Mythic Divine Treasure: Primordial Purple Energy! It could split open the heavens and earth, create all things, and evolve countless worlds with a single thought! Lin Ye: “Now that I think about it… shouldn’t someone have told me that every chest is guaranteed to contain something Mythic?!”
e, Immortal Body, Transmigration, System, Progression Fantasy, Academy Setting, Third-Person Perspective. Alternate Title: Transmigrating into a High Martial World and Reading Live Comments. Bad news: I transmigrated. This is a terrifying high-martial world, and my original, pathetically weak body fell into a coma and never woke up. Good news: I got a Popularity Points system upon arrival. I can see live comments and even create an unkillable alternate identity. Starting out, the alternate identity has all stats at 1. The system tells me that to grow stronger, I must participate in the plot, gain popularity points to allocate stats and grow stronger, and ultimately awaken my original body. And so, carrying my original body on my back, I officially entered Huaqing Academy, where the story's protagonist resides. From that moment on, Chen Guan kicked the original plot to pieces. Live Comments: [Doesn't anyone find this mysterious coffin guy creepy? He can summon indescribable grey misty hands.] [Is this guy a hero or a villain? What kind of onion became a spirit?] [By the way, does anyone know who's in the coffin? Shouldn't the debt for saving his life be repaid by now?] [According to unofficial histories, the person in the coffin was Chen Guan's first love. Their love was once passionate and earth-shattering, but they were separated by life and death due to worldly circumstances. What a star-crossed pair.] ... Years later, the world knew of a demon god born from a coffin, shrouded in grey mist, impossible to gaze upon directly. His foremost divine emissary often wielded a scythe, reaping lives like the god of death. As war approached, facing former friends and a boundless sea of enemies, Chen Guan merely raised his scythe. "Would you like to dance as well?"
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
