Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou - Volume 4, Prologue

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.

The engagement of the most adored daughter of the Li Family was broken off. Her furious family members railed against the heartless man and vowed to make him pay the price. * Later on, Li Qiao met her ex-fiancé’s big brother by chance. Some said he was the most mysterious man in Nanyang and his name was Shang Yu, aka Shang Shaoyan. While some others called him the overbearing and obsessive underground Overlord of Nanyang from whom everyone should stay away. Standing in the misty rain, Li Qiao gazed at the ruthless and untamed man with a shallow smile, said, “Hello, I’m Li Qiao.” She would become her ex-fiancé’s sister-in-law, if not wife. * Li Qiao and her ex-fiancé met again on the street several months later when he sneered at her, “Are you following me? Haven’t you given up hope yet?” A harsh voice berated him from behind, “Show some respect to your sister-in-law!” From now on, only one rumor was circulating in Nanyang City – The merciless Overlord of Nanyang had one woman he uncritically doted on. Her name was Li Qiao.

Thirty years old—that was the age people often referred to as the time to stand tall and firm.At this age, some were splendid and dazzling, intoxicated in a world of wealth, while others were desolate and dim, confined to rope beds and clay stoves.Lin Mo belonged to the latter. At thirty, he was still a porter, toiling away to earn a living.His daughter was bullied by a male classmate at school—simply because his family was well-off, the school chose to turn a blind eye. His wife, already pregnant, was secretly working at a supermarket to supplement the household income without his knowledge.As he lay awake looking at his wife by his side and his daughter sleeping soundly in the little bed, Lin Mo felt so aggrieved he shed tears. Despite working hard every day until his back could no longer straighten, he still couldn't change the dire state of their lives.However, it was at this time that the Daily Intelligence System suddenly awoke.[Daily Intelligence has been updated][1. Neighbor Wang Youcai secretly used his retirement funds to tip 10,000 yuan to a beauty in a live stream under the nickname Black Chicken.][2. The police will perform a surprise inspection at the Red Romance Foot Bath at 12 o'clock tonight.][3. Victory Bird will launch a ground assault against Hass in three days.][4. The pet dog from 1402, Unit 1, Building 5 of Earth Garden Community is missing, and its owner Li Xiaoru is offering a 10,000 yuan reward for its return.][5. The pet dog belonging to Li Xiaoru that went missing is trapped in a sewage drain on Development Road.][6…]Initially, Lin Mo just wanted to use this system to make a bit of extra cash to alleviate his stifling life.

The days where adventurers would roam the land and grow strong are long gone. More than 99.9% of the world's population is level 1, and in fact, leveling just isn't something people think about anymore, as almost every spawn point on the planet has been gone for close to a thousand years. Only the elites, the super rich, or the super lucky have access to spawn points, and because of this, they are like Gods among men: like superheroes. For people like Zach, life is a mundane, ordinary experience of getting up, going to school, working, and then going back to bed. But that's all about to change when he stumbles upon one of the only unknown spawn points in existence. And in doing so, his life is about to descend into a wild chaos he never could have expected. (Lit RPG, fantasy, action, slow burn)