The Ghost of Vermil - Chapter 38: Apple XI

I am currently re-writing the first chapters of this story. They are quite rough and bounce around a lot and I can do better. At some point, I will replace these with the better chapters.Sometime in 2024 Aethon Books will publish the first volume of this story on Amazon, KU, and audible. This will mean the story will be stubbed. I will notify people far in advance of that.In the dystopian world of the future, life is rough when you live at the bottom. Jobs are non-existent. Far too many people live in poverty, crammed into huge buildings called Habitats. With no jobs in the real world, many people can only find work online in VR worlds as servants to the very rich. And it's getting worse. The old internet is unusable and hacked to pieces. The new system needs AI to run things, but all but one of them were destroyed. The last sentient AI is ordered to create a new game world so the rich can have a playground, and the corporations that rule the world can have a new global market place. Everyone wants a piece of the new game. The guilds are competing to be the first to find the dungeons and kill the biggest monster. The corporations are claiming land and putting in their online market places. Ozzy and his friends just want a paycheck.Four friends sign five year contracts as virtual serfs in a small village, and can't go adventuring at all to gain money. They don't have many choices. They can work as a blacksmith, barmaid and shepherd for all those years....or they can cheat and find ways to take advantage of the system and carve out a section of the game world for themselves, and earn a fortune in the real world.When they give you a mop and not a sword, you have to find the loopholes and change the rules.

Traveling to the world of Hokage, Kamiyo Colt witnessed the chaos of the Nine Tails firsthand.Without any special powers initially, he planned to develop quietly and survive until the Infinite Tsukuyomi. However, when he first trained his Chakra, his system finally activated.The system's rules were simple:By healing others, he could gain random attributes and skills.“Heal Uzumaki Naruto to receive pure Ashura Chakra!”“Heal Uchiha Shisui to gain his bloodline talent!”“Heal Sasuke Uchiha to obtain pure Indra Chakra!”In this way, Colt steadily developed his abilities over more than ten years.During the Fourth Ninja World War, when the ninja coalition saw him suddenly knock out the Six Paths Madara with a single punch, he looked innocently back at them.“What? I'm a medical ninja. Doesn't it make sense to defeat him with one punch?”

Zhuang Shuqing, who is dedicated to her career, throws two hundred yuan bills: “We are all adults, mutual consent is very normal.”After marriage -“Boss, Mrs. Lu has taken out your will to read again.”“Hmm, I have good writing skills, let the children learn more.”“Boss, Mrs. Lu said she has too many enemies and has written a will... to ask you to take a look...”“Who dares to touch my woman?”The little princess ran over, panting, “Daddy, brother took mommy and ran away!”Guard against everything, but it's hard to guard against family thieves. A certain man's handsome face turned completely black, “Someone, send the young master to a deserted island for me!”

Rowan was just a broke college dropout—until he was summoned to another world.Dragged into the war-torn realm of Laronia, Rowan stands beside four other chosen heroes, each blessed by prophecy… except him.While the others awaken to legendary powers and divine roles, Rowan receives a blank grimoire. No magic. No title. No future.Cast aside and marked a failure, he prepares for death—until the silence inside his grimoire begins to speak.The gods made a mistake. And this world is not ready for what lies beneath the Wordless Mage.