Tales of Herding Gods - Chapter 197: Strong Practitioners Like Clouds

Shen Hua, the daughter of the Shen family that ran an embroidery business in Fengzhou, was pampered since she was a child. She had a pretty face and smooth, fair skin. Unfortunately, her body was weak, and she'd run out of breath after walking merely a few steps. She didn't have very long to live.The Shen family gradually faced its downfall, and her wedding was delayed again and again.Cui Yun, the eldest son of the Cui family, was a noble and stern man. He was entrusted to look after Shen Hua. Why not just marry her? He thought.Since Shen Hua reincarnated, she had focused all her attention on the embroidery business. She hoped to change her life and regain her former glory.When she heard about Cui Yun's decision to marry her, she fainted on the spot.After waking up, she turned him down with tears in her eyes. “I don't have very long to live. I don't want to waste your time.”Cui Yun was very considerate. “It's not a big deal. I know you feel touched, but there's no need to cry. Since you already depend on the Cui family, you might as well just become part of us. After you die from your sickness, I'll even hold a grand funeral for you.”Shen Hua felt hopeless. But I'm only pretending to be sick!***Cui Yun had many younger female cousins.Many of them had confessed their feelings for him, but he turned all of them down nonchalantly.“It's getting late. Please look after yourself.”Shen Hua had never met such a clueless man when it came to romance.One night, while she was on her way home, she took a shortcut and passed by the Cui family's courtyard. Cui Yun stopped her.He was standing near the entrance, and his sleeves danced to the wind.“It's cold outside. Would you like to come in and stay for a while?”

In humanity’s final war against the Demon Lord, the strongest heroes fell—not by the enemy’s hand, but by their own, twisted into madness by a cruel illusion. Betrayal. Bloodshed. Despair… and then, silence.Only one person remained: Riley—the weakest warrior of them all. Powerless. Ignored. Forgotten.But he saw through the Demon Lord’s deception. The tyrant was on the brink of death—so weak even a fly could’ve finished him off.And Riley did just that, drawing every last ounce of strength to bite off the demon’s head.Victory? Not quite. A final, desperate strike from the Demon Lord pierced him from behind, killing him instantly.But fate wasn’t done with him yet.Riley awoke ten years in the past—when the online game [Apocalypse] was launched. Before demons descended. Before monsters overran the world.And this time, he wasn’t starting from nothing. He had a decade of experience—and a second chance.Even more shocking, he didn’t awaken his old D-rank Strength Boost talent. This time, he received something far more terrifying: an SSS-Rank Gluttony talent!He could now devour anything—monsters, items, talents, even traits—and gain their power.Ding![You have devoured: Iron Fang Wolf][Acquired: +4 Strength, +2 Agility, Skill: Bite (F-rank)][You have devoured: Goblin ShamanAcquired: +8 Intelligence, Skill: Mana Bolt (E-rank), Talent: Minor Spellcasting Efficiency][You have devoured: Flaming Salamander Drake][Acquired: +22 Endurance, Trait: Dragon’s Resilience, Skill: Flame Breath (C-rank)]Now, there is no demon, no god, no monster who will stand in his way. He will devour everything—and save the world.But the power of Gluttony was a double edged sword. If he wasn’t careful… he could be the one getting consumed.

Shishio stared at the beautiful girl in front of him, and he couldn’t look away. Her waist might be the narrowest waist that he had ever seen, and he was wondering how it felt to hug that waist. Finally, he made up his mind and decided to say hello to her, but suddenly…

[Target has been found!]

«Huh?»

[Welcome to Scumbag System!]

[The more woman you have, the more rewards you will receive!]

[As a starting gift, you have received «Japanese Food Cooking Mastery»!]

[As the first target has been found, you also receive 500 million yen on your back account!]

[The journey has only been started!]

[Work hard, young man!]

«???????»

Shishio frowned and said, «I refuse!» without hesitation, but after a while…

«I refuse!.. I really refuse!.. I really try hard to refuse!.. Sorry, I can’t refuse it…»

Shishio tried really hard, but he couldn’t…

***

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, business, events, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Night City, it's a place of endless wonders and horrors. Opportunities and dangers, but before Motoko Kusanagi can access any of them. She first has to build up enough strength to walk again. Learn the basics of living in a world that was just a game to her before. Good thing she found a Shard hidden in her stuff that opens the door of opportunity. But like all opportunities in Night City, it usually ends up in a gunfight.Self-Insert with a modified Cyberpunk 2077 Gamer System. Not a direct Ghost in the Shell Crossover. MC just happens to share the name.