All The Skills - A Deckbuilding LitRPG - Chapter 41: Kitchen Management (Cooking/Leadership Class)

Themes: Black Market Trading, Global Crime Networks, Boundaries of Human Nature and Morality, The Struggle Between Truth and SurvivalStory Background:In a modern metropolis, the surface level of prosperity conceals the darkness and corruption lurking beneath. Ethan, a highly skilled detective, spends his life navigating the shadowy corners of the city, uncovering the hidden secrets buried beneath the mundane facade of everyday life. When he is drawn into what initially seems like a simple suicide case, he becomes entangled in a conspiracy involving the global black market, power struggles, and transnational crime.Main Characters:Ethan (Protagonist): A seasoned, calm, and intuitive detective who excels at finding the truth in complex cases. On the surface, he is a quiet, solitary man who prefers to avoid social interaction, but deep down, he is haunted by unresolved cases from his past. Faced with dark forces, he is both determined and full of doubt.Lila (Female Protagonist/Key Ally): Ethan's investigative partner, an intelligent and resourceful intelligence officer with a mysterious background. Her past is also shrouded in secrecy, and she seems to have an undisclosed connection to the “Black Angels” organization. She provides crucial assistance in Ethan's investigation, but her motives remain unclear, casting suspicion on her true intentions.Victor Saville (Antagonist/Main Adversary): A charismatic yet dangerous businessman, who appears to be a successful entrepreneur but is, in fact, one of the central figures of the global crime syndicate “The Black Angels.” Cold-hearted, clever, and ruthless, he controls a global black market network, overseeing arms trafficking, human trafficking, and drug smuggling. He is not only a key figure in Langley's death but also the biggest obstacle in Ethan's investigation.The Mysterious Woman (Key Character): An elusive woman who repeatedly appears during Ethan's investigation, warning him not to delve deeper into Saville and the “Black Angels” organization. Her identity is unclear, but it is evident that she holds vital secrets about Saville and his network. Her appearances leave Ethan bewildered—whether she is an enemy or his only ally remains uncertain.

A young man that was always cautious with his life ended up dying in the most random way possible, buried by an avalanche.

As he died, within his last moments, he heard several mechanical voices resonating inside of his head, and he was granted many wishes in the form of Skills, Fortunes, and a new Body.

Now, reborn as an Ice Dragon, he is thrown into a world of fantasy that seems way too much like Norse Mythology named Yggdrasil, which is also, somehow, a Cultivation World?

What a weird mashup of concepts!

Accompany him as he explores this world, survives against the deadly monsters that roam this world, and fights to find a place to belong to, and a purpose to this new life.

However, he is not the only Reincarnated who was given wishes, and soon enough, the world he was thrown into will be engulfed in complete chaos.

“The masterminds are cooler than heroes,” I mutter as I stare at the chess pieces before me. It is easier to be the one who sits in the shadows and moves the pieces, likewise deciding the flow of the game.Heroes will foolishly sacrifice their lives for the good cause and villains will sacrifice the world for their own gain, but masterminds will use both the heroes and villains to their own benefit.Why, you ask? Well, that's because I've lost my life once while trying to be a hero so, I don't want that anymore. I'd rather be a mastermind who molds the world as per my convenience and live peacefully. Because, why not?***[Defender of Divine Glory says you are the hope of this world.]What?[Goddess of Wisdom believes that you will be the one to save the world.]Wait, what?![Propose the Grand Duke the idea of a fake marriage.]And, why would I do that?![Stop the assassination of Prince Eric.]Why would I save him?![The candidates for the throne are:... Who will you choose?]Ah! I give up...It seems like a curse that anyone who wishes for a slacker life in Isekai will have to go through the most troublesome things.In my past life, I died because of one rookie mistake but after being transmigrated in the world of fantasy I've gotten an opportunity to start afresh, but unlike the protagonists who look for their love and glory, I'd rather make money and live a life of a slacker.I have magic, I have power and I have money, what else do I need?Well, that was the plan but this damn system is getting on my nerves. I mean who in their sane mind would want to mess with the complicated royal family and political affairs? But that's not all though.I've also become the saviour of this world. Things just can't be anymore worse!Besides, the penalty of failing this quest is...[Failure: Destruction of the World.]It seems like if I screw up in selecting the right person then the destruction that is going to befall the world won't be stopped.If I speak of my reward then it's this vague thing.[Reward: Fulfillment of any wish.]“If that's the case then, I'd rather choose the person who would be the best fit for the throne.”And that's how I decided that I would become the Kingmaker.

#Forbidden Love, #Sweet, #Doting, #Sweet Revenge“Why can't they let me go? I have done everything for them! I sacrificed everything, and I gave them everything, even my own eyes... I betrayed the only person who ever loved me! Why are you doing this to me? Why do they have to do this to me? ” Zhou Yuxi, who was blind and crippled, crawled through the floor, she didn't know where to head or where to move to, but she was determined to crawl forward.She was determined to end this kind of life! She was determined to crawl to the end; she wanted to end all these miseries.“Just go on as you are going! Your end is just there... Just nearby, go on...” She could hear that voice that she wasn't familiar with and couldn't decipher if it was a female or male! But why was that voice telling her the end was just close by?Did this mean that she just needed to crawl forward, and she would get to the end?She struggled but kept moving until she felt she was at the edge of the unknown floor; she didn't stop but crawled forward, only to fall.“Nooooo! Don't...” She could hear that familiar voice trying to stop her but it was a tad bit too late. She opened her crippled hands trying to feel the fresh air.