Plague Doctor - Chapter 20: The Withered Tree In His Dream

“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.

Reincarnated into an eroge brimming with cunning and seductive women, Shia quickly learns this world is no paradise. His childhood friend? A manipulative beauty with a penchant for control. The maid? A silver-haired, venomous tsundere. Even the elegant motherly figures hide sharp fangs behind their kind smiles.Fortunately, Shia knows this world’s secret: a unique system that only he can use. From making alliances with snake-like in-laws to hosting wild parties in the elf kingdom, Shia takes charge as the self-proclaimed administrator of chaos. But taming bad women isn’t easy, and Shia’s life quickly turns into a whirlwind of power plays, unexpected friendships, and wild nights.

In the dog-eat-dog Cultivation Realm, Fang Qingyuan, a disciple of the Beast Taming Sect, holds an ancient Immortal Mansion, yet chooses a path that leaves his fellow sect members dumbfounded—When his fellow sect members are staining Secret Realms with blood to fight for heavenly materials and earthly treasures, he pilots a Profound Turtle Beast ship across rivers, making a fortune by ferrying passengers;When the prodigies of the sect face near-death experiences to subdue ferocious beasts, he uses the Immortal Mansion's spiritual spring to cultivate hallucinogenic vines, secretly monopolizing the Black Market's medicinal herb business;When the Elders are at their wits' end over the beast tides, he has long since established a Myriad Beast Pasture within his Immortal Mansion, secretly hoarding strategic resources and jacking up the prices!“All this fighting and killing is too dangerous! Lying low and making money is the eternal Heavenly Dao! Cultivation isn't about meditating and practicing techniques, it's about understanding human relationships and worldly affairs!”

“Even if this universe is truly nothing more than a brutal bloody shadowy forest, we Cultivators will burn all that we have just to give off a single weak flickering spark in the darkness!