On the other side of the city, within the royal capital, two young nobles—now changed into casual attire—walked shoulder to shoulder, their arms draped over each other.
"We've found out where that guy lives."
"Where?"
"The slums."
"Ugh, do we really have to go to such a filthy, stinking place?"
"By the way, why isn’t Rhein handling this himself?"
"He said Princess Vivian has been keeping her distance from him lately. Maybe she doesn’t like him picking fights."
"Tch, that guy. But once he marries the princess, our families might climb a little higher in status, right?"
"Just wait. I’ll gather some men, and we’ll go teach that kid a lesson."
The two summoned a few lackeys and, fueled by alcohol, headed toward the city outskirts. The path from the royal capital to the slums passed through a secluded stretch, rumored to be a hotspot for robberies by the lowborn. But as students of the magic academy, accompanied by their entourage, they had nothing to fear.
Halfway through their journey, they were indeed stopped—but not by mere thieves.
"Heh, this should be fun." To them, killing a few commoners—especially slum-dwelling bandits—was no big deal.
Yet, under the flickering torchlight, the figures blocking their path revealed their true forms: reeking, gray-skinned zombies, some with rotting flesh exposing their ghastly white teeth.
"What the—"
"I’ve been following you for a while, curious how many you’d bring. And this is it?" Fang Zhiyi emerged from the shadows.
"You!" The two men sobered instantly. As magic academy students, they’d attended the mandatory class on magical history—where the legends of necromancers stood out most vividly.
Without another word, Fang Zhiyi let the zombies clumsily close in.
Later, crouched in the graveyard, Fang Zhiyi studied the three fresh corpses before him, a small pouch of scavenged gold coins in hand. Skeletons carried the bodies onto a ritual-drawn circle, followed by a lengthy incantation.
The young men’s corpses gradually withered, their skin turning ashen and brittle, their blood seemingly absorbed by the earth. Then—a twitch of fingers. Crimson eyes snapped open.
Fang Zhiyi raised a hand, sensing the energy. After a moment, he smirked.
"Perfect. Fresh corpses are far more suitable." He eyed the three newly risen ghouls. "You got what you deserved."
When the weekend ended, news of three missing students spread through the academy. Teachers hurried about, and rumors swirled that the Mage Association had dispatched several archmages to investigate.
Fang Zhiyi collected his monthly stipend, informed Ross he’d be skipping class, and slipped away unnoticed.
No one cared about his attendance. To the faculty, his presence or absence made no difference—except for Vivian, who watched with knowing calm. She hadn’t revealed Fang Zhiyi’s secrets to her mentor, having endured betrayal herself. Still, she kept tabs on him, certain he was off practicing necromancy.
In the slums, Lily’s father studied the changed young man before him—and the gold in his hand—before firmly refusing.
"We belong here. I know about the orc threat, and though I was once a deserter, I’ll stand for the kingdom when it calls." The man’s weathered face held unshakable resolve. Fang Zhiyi sighed.
"Brother Zhiyi! Mom’s making stew today—you have to stay!" Lily beamed, unable to hide her joy.
Fang Zhiyi patted her head, already revising his plans.
"You’re still too thin. Mages ought to train more," Lily’s father remarked, eyeing him critically. Fang Zhiyi nodded. "Noted."
"Don’t listen to him—he doesn’t know a thing," Lily’s mother interjected, carrying a dish. "Sit down and rest awhile."
Watching the family, Fang Zhiyi felt his resolve waver.
After dinner, he bid them farewell—but left the gold hidden in a hat by their door. It was one of the few things he could do for the original owner of this body.
At the crossroads, Fang Zhiyi paused, glancing toward the distant forest.
Almost time.
Back at the academy, he was met by a familiar face: Rhein, with Princess Vivian at his side.
Fang Zhiyi smirked. Rhein’s expression darkened as he stormed forward. "Did you have something to do with my friends’ disappearance?"
Vivian followed, her gaze flickering with calculation.
"What are you talking about? Who are your friends?" Fang Zhiyi feigned innocence. "Are you still unwell? Maybe you should go home."
Rhein’s eyes bulged. "Rhein, that’s no way to speak to him," Vivian chided.
Clenching his jaw, Rhein suddenly lunged. Towering half a head taller, he loomed over Fang Zhiyi.
"You—"
"Whoa! Rhein, personal space! I’m not into men!" Fang Zhiyi backpedaled, clutching his chest like a scandalized maiden.
Students milling about during break turned at the commotion. Scandal, it seemed, was universally entertaining.
Rhein’s face flushed crimson. "Fang Zhiyi! I challenge you to a duel!"
Fang Zhiyi rolled his eyes. Destiny really loves its clichés.
"Pass." He shrugged.
Rhein seethed. "You worthless trash! I can’t imagine what kind of gutter spawned you!"
Ah, the classic parental insult. Fang Zhiyi’s smile vanished. Vivian mused silently, plotting how to gracefully intervene.
"What’s that look? Mourning your pathetic parents?" Rhein sneered.
Fang Zhiyi spread his hands. "I’m just wondering—did nature give you a head purely for height?"
Rhein blinked, uncomprehending, as laughter rippled around them. Something felt off.
Shaking his head, Fang Zhiyi lamented the world’s lack of creative insults. Well, if they’re asking for it…
He planted his hands on his hips. Rhein, finally processing the jab, jabbed a finger at him. "You stupid, good-for-noth—"
"Nothing? You dare judge me? Did your brain cells file for divorce? Shake that skull of yours before speaking! Spouting nonsense about family—did you mistake mouthwash for sewage? Barking like a rabid mutt, yet somehow passing for human. Impressive, really."
Rhein was stunned, and so were the people around. Vivian snapped back to reality—since when was Fang Zhiyi so vicious with his insults?
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
【Prologue: The Beginning of It All – Use holy water to heal the saintess tainted by demonic energy, then converse with her.】 Shen Nian stared at his older sister sipping yogurt, lost in thought. So you’re telling me my sister is the saintess, and yogurt is the holy water? 【Main Quest 1: Brave Youth, Become an Adventurer! Reward: Rookie Adventurer Title.】 【Side Quest 1: Find the Adorable Kitty! Reward: 1000 Gold Coins.】 Shen Nian: "Wait, I’m a high school senior here—did some guy who got isekai’d accidentally bind his system to me?" Hold on, completing quests gives gold rewards? Titles even boost stats? Is this for real? (A lighthearted, absurd campus comedy—not a revenge power fantasy.)
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
