Wandering Knight - Chapter 16: A Disparity in Talent

“There are always people who want to be evil!”

“The end of the world is coming soon, I must survive!”

Shen Cong, a patient of paranoia, saw other people’s opinions on the Internet about the end of the world in 2022, and immediately believed.

After which, He didn’t go out of his home, stayed and built his own doomsday vehicle, honed his ability to survive. Until one day, Doomsday actually came.

- Description from Novelupdates

[Mind Reading + Drama + Family’s Favorite + Wealthy Family + Entertainment Circle]Ji Fei’s soul was mistakenly hooked, and she transmigrated into the body of a resentful wife about to be divorced from a wealthy family.[Oh my! After the divorce, I’ll be rich, beautiful, and single. Who needs a husband? What? I was framed… Divorce! Quick, divorce! If they discover the truth, I won’t be able to escape!]Mr. Qin, about to sign the divorce papers: ???Soon after, the company’s trusted executive secretary is taken away by the police.With the divorce attempt failing, Ji Fei can only continue being the wealthy family’s wife, fortunately with a drama-watching system to keep her company.[What? The orphan my sister-in-law wants to adopt is her husband’s ex-girlfriend’s child? My brother-in-law is trying to mooch off the family!]The sister-in-law, who was being pressured to adopt due to infertility: !!!That night, the sister-in-law kicks out the ungrateful family.[Shocking! The younger brother-in-law mistook someone for his childhood sweetheart, breaking his true love’s heart. When he discovers the truth, won’t he have to grovel for forgiveness?]The younger brother-in-law, who was defending the innocent-looking girl and criticizing his fiancée: What!A few days later, the younger brother-in-law kicks out the innocent-looking girl knocking on his door at midnight and smoothly kneels before his fiancée’s door.[How wretched! The younger sister-in-law is so blinded by love, about to elope with an arrogant, sleazy man behind the family’s back. She doesn’t even know that the meal was just takeout re-plated by that scumbag?!]The younger sister-in-law, who was describing how her boyfriend cooked a meal for her, making her feel true love, and hoping the family would accept her delinquent boyfriend: …After returning to school, the younger sister-in-law’s head clears up, and she dumps the meal box on the scumbag’s face.[I’ve finished all the drama around me, time to check out others’ drama.]The entire Qin family transforms into drama-hungry spectators: Wait, what drama? Take us with you to watch!!!Life has three joys: watching drama, gossiping, and joining in the excitement!!

“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.

Japan – National News BroadcastThe polished news anchor sat upright, her gaze sharp as she adjusted the stack of papers before her. The newsroom behind her hummed with quiet urgency, the weight of the moment settling over the broadcast.“Authorities are baffled by a sudden and unexplained surge in sleep-related deaths across Japan,” she began, her voice steady yet tense. “More and more citizens are passing away in their sleep without any prior health concerns. Experts are working tirelessly to determine the cause, but no clear explanation has emerged. Authorities urge the public to remain vigilant and report any unusual symptoms before bedtime.”A graphic appeared, displaying the spike in fatalities over the past month. Behind her, unsettling photographs flickered across the screen—blurred images of individuals found in their beds, their faces frozen in expressions of terror.The anchor’s tone shifted. “Health officials recommend citizens avoid excessive fatigue and maintain healthy sleep habits. More updates will follow as investigations continue.”---United States – Paranormal PodcastIn a dimly lit podcast studio, the host leaned forward, his eyes wide with curiosity. Across from him, a rugged man in a worn flannel shirt, gripping a faded photograph in one hand and a beer can in the other, leaned back in his chair.“So, you're telling me you saw this creature firsthand?” the host asked, clearly intrigued.The man scoffed, shaking his head. “Damn right, I did. Ugly thing had wings bigger than my body—slow but sneaky. Thought it could steal my pigs again, but I was ready this time—camera in one hand, shotgun in the other.”He slammed the table for emphasis, then shoved the blurry image toward the host. The photograph depicted a small, red-skinned humanoid figure with large, bat-like wings, its eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.“Spit, the thing didn’t know what hit it when I fired!” the man chuckled, his voice full of excitement.The host held up the picture to the live chat. “Alright, what do you think? Mothman? Demon? Or is our friend here just seeing things?”The chat exploded with theories—some skeptical, others eager for the investigation to continue.---China – Liangyuan Street MarketSurveillance footage from a bustling night market in China captured a chilling scene. A woman in a red qipao walked gracefully through the crowd, her figure striking in the soft glow of lanterns.Suddenly, she paused. Her body flickered—like a glitch in a video—before vanishing completely, as though she had never existed.The footage zoomed in, replaying in slow motion. In the final frame before she disappeared, her face distorted unnaturally, her eyes hollow and empty.The screen cut abruptly to black.