The Place You Called From - Volume 1, Chapter 4: One Who Sees the Stars

Marcus was a rising star in finance, until his boss's petty revenge left him fired, and near broke. The woman he loved was gone. His future was a joke, his life adrift, and with nothing left to loseHis only way out was Dominion, the world's first true VRMMO, a game that promises to become humanity's second world, where in-game gold translates to real-world wealth. For Marcus, it wasn't a game; it was a desperate last chance to rebuild his life and support his sister.But on the day of character creation, the system glitched.While other players were assigned random stats, Marcus was given the impossible: Maxed-Out Base Attributes and a legendary, unchangeable Luck stat of 20.The system tried to fix him. It failed.Now, Marcus doesn't play the game. He exploits it. Armed with a broken skill that reveals every secret and a drop rate that makes him instantly rich, he is the statistical anomaly the developers never accounted for.

When Alex woke up, he discovered he had transmigrated into the body of the ultimate villain of a cultivation novel, the Saint Lord of the Hale Family.In the original story, he was nothing more than a tragic tool, existing solely to be exploited by an overpowered male protagonist. No matter how fearsome his cultivation or how supreme his authority, his fate was to endlessly hand over treasures, opportunities, and women, until he was finally discarded and destroyed.Among those women was Isolde.She was personally nurtured by Alex from childhood, raised with the vast resources of the Hale Family. Rare heavenly materials, divine techniques, priceless treasures, she lacked nothing. Cherished as the apple of his eye, she owed Alex and the Hale Family a debt beyond repayment.Yet all of that was overturned by a single bowl of plain porridge.Deceived by shallow warmth, Isolde ignored decades of kindness and willingly severed all ties with the Hale Family in order to join the male protagonist’s harem.That was only the beginning.Later in the novel, she personally assisted the male protagonist in killing Alex and participated in the complete annihilation of the Hale Family's elders, disciples, servants, and even newborn infants, none spared.When Alex first transmigrated, it was precisely at the moment this adulterous couple stood before him in open defiance.Emboldened by years of indulgence, Isolde confidently made her demand, certain that Alex would forgive her as he always had, no matter how grave her betrayal.But this time, the ending changed.Alex spoke calmly, decisively and ruthlessly:“You may leave, but leave behind the Seven Orifices Divine Heart your family bestowed upon you.”

25-year-old Albion lived an unimpressive parasitic life of a NEET and otaku, leeching off his loving parent's allowances to enjoy watching animes, reading manga and novels at home.When faced with the cruel reality of contracting cancer through smoking, he selfishly ran away from home and sacrificed his life on a strange day of drastic changes.'Since I'm going to die anyway, let me save another life in exchange.'Those were his thoughts before shoving a person out of harm's way and getting struck by a truck.'If I could get a second chance, I want to live a fulfilling life and not waste it like this.'However, Albion's new life resolution was quickly challenged by a stroke of divine providence.“What? I'm not dead yet? Holy cow, I transmigrated into the body of a notorious hidden boss who controls half the world's wealth in an alternate universe after he failed his heavenly tribulation? I never have to worry about money? I can live forever? Lucky me!”Albion thought he had shot to the peak of life, but he could not be more wrong. The immortal body was too strong for a mortal soul like him to control. He can only move for 5 minutes a day!He became immobile and paralyzed for the rest of the time! The Four Horsemen of the Dark Emperor thought he was crippled and turned on him! They couldn't kill him physically due to his invincible body so they dropped him to the bottom of the ocean to drown!His body was immortal. He could not die.Thus, he lived the following life in the dark depths of the ocean before being swallowed into the stomach of a giant sea serpent!Before he could enjoy his new life, he had sunk to the lowest point of his life, literally!However, the world rapidly changed after the notorious True Immortal disappeared for two years! The Apocalypse arrived, and so too, the System!Ding![You have slain a Lv.1 ancient sea serpent. 100 EXP has been gained.][You have leveled up.][You have become a Lv.2 Hunter.][Title acquired: Hunter.]Albion: ???“Did the sea serpent get food poisoning and died from eating me or something?” Albion wondered in the pit of the sea serpent's stomach.[System calibration complete. Goldfinger has been activated.]“Never mind, my time has come! With the system in hand, I will take back everything and rule the w–wait, what? This body's cultivation needs to be sealed in order for me to move freely without impairments?”“Sigh, forget it, ruling the world is too hard. I'm a wanted man anyway. Let's just hide somewhere, watch my animes, and reading my manga and novels…”Albion was nerfed harder than the Big Bang at the beginning of time. However, what's his, will still be his.“Until my soul becomes strong enough to fully wield this power, I'll just treat it as a 5-minute Super Saiyan mode I can enjoy once a day…”He was not the Dark Emperor, but the Dark Emperor was now him. The Four Horsemen that turned on him, their day of retribution will come!Little did Albion know, the world had more things in store for him than his quest for vengeance. The dimensional rifts that appeared everywhere and the interdimensional creatures that spilled forth from there are actually…!Find out on the next episode of drag–Ahem, to be continued.

“VILLIAN!? Is that what you call me? Do you know what I have been through?

FATE dealt me this hand, and I'll find peace in it. Even if I have to end the world, I'll sit a king on its ruins.

I'm not a good guy. I won't even pretend that I am. But then again, who in this world can truly claim that title?

At least I know my heart. What about yours?”

.....

Chiron lived an unfortunate life, but his problems only got started when he was reincarnated in his dangerous Hit novel.

Behold, a lesson to all authors... MC's have it difficult too.