MTL - America’s Big Hero - v2 Chapter 561 : for the country and the people

“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.

Li Wei lived a dull, overworked life—until destiny (or a rogue truck) intervened, catapulting him into a world of mystical cultivators and deadly power struggles. Waking up in the body of Li Wei, the infamous and lazy heir of the Immortal Ice Sect, he finds himself in a precarious position: surrounded by enemies, burdened by a reputation for arrogance, and targeted for assassination. The only thing worse than inheriting this life? Realizing his new body’s cultivation potential is off the charts... if only the previous owner hadn’t been an idle narcissist.With the sect matriarch as his coldly disappointed mother, a stoic yet dangerously competent protector in the ice-cold beauty Leng Yue, and a mysterious “Young Master System” pushing him toward reckless behavior, Li Wei must balance survival with ambition. Every quest forces him to embrace the absurdities of an over-the-top cultivation world—whether humiliating enemies or accumulating riches—while concealing his true identity as a transmigrator.But as he’s exiled from the safety of his sect and thrown into the chaotic world below, Li Wei quickly learns that charisma, cunning, and a knack for manipulation might be even deadlier than swordsmanship. After all, why fight fair when you can command, deceive, and dominate?With ancient relics, feuding clans, and dangerous beauties complicating his journey, Li Wei's rise through the cultivation ranks is anything but conventional. What starts as a quest for survival may just become a path to unstoppable power... assuming his outrageous system quests don’t get him killed first.Will Li Wei overcome his past’s shameful legacy, outsmart his enemies, and become the true master of his destiny—or will his laziness, scheming rivals, and shameless arrogance bring him to ruin?

The royal bastard of House Vasquer, Argrave, changed after his stay studying magic at the Tower of the Gray Owl.

The sickly man's awkward posture and cruel behavior have been replaced with a neat dignity and acerbic wit.

Though once listless, he now strives towards his goals with a life-or-death tenacity.

Most come away thinking he seems to know too many details about too much. Few can claim to know his motives or his goals.

Yet behind that confident appearance, the primary contributor for an open-world RPG's wiki battles existential dread and things far beyond his ken as he struggles to adapt to a grim, gothic fantasy world mirroring his favorite game.

The prospect of fighting against a world-ending calamity loses all of its appeal when it transitions from entertainment to reality.

Argrave is spurred towards unwanted heroism to preserve his life as he struggles desperately to keep this sinking ship afloat.

His name was Brayden Neal, and he was an ordinary citizen. At eighteen years old, he was bestowed the title of a king!

After ten years of fighting in the northern borders outside the kingdom, he finally returned home. He swore to kill three people the moment he arrived at the capital…