Endless Ocean: Survival Begins with a Dugout Canoe - Chapter 2: Punishment

Lao Chen was just an old, underpaid security guard in a rundown apartment complex, living a miserable life under a stingy, ungrateful boss.His wife left him, his daughter wanted nothing to do with him, and poverty was his only constant companion.In the end, death came in the form of a drunk driver, leaving him broken and forgotten on the cold pavement.But fate wasn’t done with him. In his final moments, he prayed—desperate, pleading to any deity who would listen.And someone did.The God of Wealth and Love took pity on his wasted life and granted him a second chance.Wake up again as Zhao Yiming, a 25-year-old gambler and alcoholic drowning in debt with nothing but a good face and a strong body to his name, he was given the Affinity Money Maker System—a mysterious power that let him gain wealth and influence by forming relationships, whether as lovers, friends, or even enemies.Before he knew it, he had stumbled his way into unimaginable riches.But things never go as planned. One moment of recklessness—one affair with the wrong woman—led to an unexpected murder.Now, the system has thrown him onto a new path: The Villain Route. With a negative perk that keeps the police off his trail but tightens the noose around his future, Zhao Yiming is faced with an impossible choice.Will he claw his way to the top and become the billionaire he was meant to be? Or will his second life end behind bars, just as tragic as his first?

“Well, well, well, it looks like someone has missed the memo,” I chuckled, as I stared into his bewildered eyes.“You, my friend, are in the land of fiction, where everything is just... make-believe.” I snorted.“What are you talking about?” he asked, still trying to make sense of my words.“ I'm talking about the fact that we are characters in a freaking novel!”“The woman you foolishly slept with is one of the main characters!” I sneered, finding humour in his predicament.“...”,“You know the story, don't you?” he demanded, his tone sharp. “Write it out or give me the gist of it.”“Sigh…”'How does he accept things so easily?' I thought.“So, let me get this straight,” I began, frustration seeping into my voice. “The novel we're in doesn't even have a proper conclusion, and there are five women playing lead roles along with a man who is the protagonist. Sun-Jung, a boy from my class, is the protagonist and Ruby here, is supposed to be the villain as the heir to the devil's throne.”---------------------------------------------------------Meet Kael Hashirae, the mysterious and richest man in the world. Despite his incredible power, he is humble and compassionate towards those in need. But everything changes when he falls in love with a mysterious girl, and his world is turned upside down. Join Kael on his journey as he navigates through love, power, and the unknown in this world of captivating incomplete novel.---------------------------------------------------------[Sometimes the purest good is drawn from the vilest evil ]The concept of human nature has been questioned numerous times throughout history. Debates on the issue have come and gone, but the underlying question still remains on the minds of societies across the globe :“Are humans generally filled with an innate sense goodness and light or are we debase creatures at heart continuously tainted with the stains of vice?”'Human Beings', a self-centred kind of mortals believed or should I say still believe that a good heart or performing good deeds will lead them towards the path of enlightenment.This whole concept seemed funny to me, because beings that don't know what enlightenment is talk about path towards the same while hiding their desires deep inside them.---------------------------------------------------------Maybe it's time to change my ways,The lure of money, power, and fame has lost its blaze.Being a King is more than just a scheme,I've found peace in music, money, and meditation, it seems.If only I could recall why I began this quest,Seeds in my pocket, but the garden's a distant nest.But I won't give up until I find my way,Planting trees to harvest bats for the big leagues, I'll play.

Those people killed her grandmother, murdered her younger brother, trampled the people she deeply cared about, and even took her own life.

It was because she trusted her ambitious stepmother and half-sister;

because she mistakenly believed that womanly virtue is to have no talent;

because of her noble status and origin….This is what caused her death.

Buried in river water, Ouyang Nuan, gritted her teeth and spoke, “I, Ouyang Nuan was wronged in death. Even if it takes forever, I will become a devil, and in the next life, will not let you off!”

When she once again opened her eyes, Ouyang Nuan was sent back in time to when she was twelve years old. Around this age, her forehead was scarred, her brother fell into the water, and in three years she will be married…

In this life, she will try to change everything to guard and protect those she cares for from those with treacherous intentions. She will live a glorious life!

- Description from Novelupdates

This book was inspired by My Hero Academia: Adaptation“Who decided being quirkless means you can't be a hero? Those are just rules made by people who never tried to break them.” When a battle-hardened warrior dies in one world and awakens in the body of a quirkless boy in another, the rules of heroism are about to change.Armed with combat experience from a darker realm and an iron will forged in warfare, he sets his sights on U.A. High School - the pinnacle of hero education. But in a society where superpowers are everything, his approach to strength might just shatter the entire system.Behind a gentle smile lies the mind of a warrior. As he builds his power through unconventional means, one thing becomes clear: rules were meant to be broken, and this world's definition of “hero” is about to be rewritten.Sometimes the strongest ability isn't a quirk at all. It's the will to change everything.