MTL - Virtual World: Close Combat Mage - v3 Chapter 931 Give me fifty cities

“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.

The year was 2026, and the world wasn't what it used to be. Ever since the Abyss Gates cracked open three years ago, spilling monsters and dungeons across the planet, life had turned into a chaotic mess. Cities were half-ruined, half-rebuilt, and people clung to whatever normalcy they could find. Hunters—those brave or crazy enough to fight the monsters—became the new heroes. Everyone else? Well, they just tried to survive.Fin wasn't a Hunter. He wasn't a hero either.He was just… Fin. A lanky 19-year-old with messy brown hair, a chipped front tooth from a dumb skateboard accident, and a power that everyone called useless. Absorption. Sounds cool, right? Like he could suck up energy or steal someone's strength. Nope. All it did was let him “feel” things he touched a little more than normal. He could tell you the exact texture of a brick wall or how warm a coffee mug was—big whoop. No fireballs, no super strength, no flashy moves. Just a glorified touchy-feely trick.“Fin, you gonna eat that sandwich or just stare at it like it's gonna confess its life story?” Meg's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.He blinked and looked across the rickety table at his best friend. Meg was short, loud, and had a wild mop of dyed purple hair that she swore made her look “intimidating.” It didn't.

In a world where everyone changes jobs, I actually awakened to a unique dual career.

And a life-defying career?

High-quality items to cherish? I synthesize directly.

Cherish high-quality skills? I synthesize directly.

Senior pet cherish? I continue to synthesize, wait, how did this beast girl become so big after synthesis?

Let’s start with the synthesis of three skeleton summoning books…

Synthesis – [Undead Army]

Three more dark staffs to synthesize…

Synthesis – [Death Scepter]

The game competition of billions of races in the universe, our solar system, can we earthlings stand on a broader stage!

…

- Description from novelbuddy

What if you could hack the strongest heroes and turn them into your devoted companions?Once feared as the Heavenly Demon, Zain stood above all—unstoppable, unrivaled, unchallenged.But his reign came to an end when so-called righteous cultivators banded together to eliminate him, believing they had purged the world of its greatest evil.Yet death was not the end.Reborn in a world dominated by heroes and champions of justice, Zain awakens a mysterious Hero Hack System—a power that doesn’t just defeat heroes but rewrites them.With a single command, he can shatter their convictions, twist their destinies, and rebuild them into something new.A ruthless warrior queen? Now a loyal blade at his side.An untouchable holy maiden? Now eager to obey.The strongest hero who once stood against him? Now kneeling before him, waiting for his command.With every hero he hacks, his harem of once-unshakable warriors grows. But as he reshapes this world to his will, one question remains—who gave him this system, and what price will he have to pay?They ended his reign once. This time, he’ll reign over them all.