Stigma Effect - Chapter 52

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.

October is a woman who was cold and devoid of emotions. This was true, until she met Lexus who let her experience a whirlwind of emotions she never thought she had with a gift she never thought she'll receive.Lanna October Park is the calm and charismatic Assistant Director of the Halo Company. She talks only when needed and was not yet seen smiling by her colleagues which made her known as the Halo Company's Ice Director. But unknown to them, she was in fact the eldest daughter of the Park Real Estate Empire of the whole City D.Indifferent with her family's wealth, she decided to be independent and climb the ranks in the business world using her own capability but her stepmother is more threatened by her and so baked a lot of schemes to bring her down and make her unfit to inherit the business.Because October let her guard down for just once, she fell for one of her stepmother's schemes and was then became the talk of the city the very next day.Unbeknownst to her stepmother, the man she was with was in fact the notorious CEO, Lexus Song.Getting her innocence was one but getting pregnant was another making her career and work credibility being questioned.“I'll take responsibility.” He said.“No need. I'm already responsible enough to take care of my child.” She rejected and turned to leave but was then yanked back and bumped into his hard chest.“Then take responsibility to me.” He said shamelessly as he leaned down to whisper in her ear, “You took my innocence so you have to take responsibility, dear wife.”

David crossed over to a new planet after getting killed on his previous one. This new planet is dangerous and filled with supernatural creatures like monsters and demons. Without enough power to protect yourself, you could get killed at any time.Unfortunately, David only has average talent and struggles to progress on this new planet. After 3 years of trying to become more powerful, he is eventually expelled from his warrior school due to his average talent.Faced with this situation, David doesn't know what to do. He is unsure if he will be able to survive on this planet or protect his family. For 3 years, he has not received any kind of help or advantage that would make his life easier.Ultimately, David almost loses hope and accepts his fate as an average person. However, just when he has given up, he suddenly receives a cheat or “Golden finger” that gives him the chance to become as powerful as the other geniuses on the planet.Will he get the chance to become powerful? On this new planet, he can be killed at any time by supernatural creatures. To learn more about David's journey, continue reading.

Qin Chen crossed into Taiyi Holy Land as a sweeper, and at the age of sixteen awakened the system. As long as he signed in at different places, he could get different rewards.

Sign in at the Land of Emperor Ruins and get the world’s No. 1 Chaos Holy Body and the Chaos Emperor Sutra!

Sign in to seal the magic land and get the quasi-emperor soldiers!

Sign in at the Refining Hall and get the God-level Refining Technique!

Sign in at the medicine garden and get the medicine of immortality!

Sign in at the Imperial Palace and get the Emperor-level forbidden magical power ‘Resurrection from the Dead’!

…

Qin Chen thought that he would just sign in silently until the world was invincible.

One day, the relics of the Great Emperor will appear in the Holy Land, all the holy places, families, and ancient dynasties have come, and there will be an unparalleled demon king in the relics, killing countless powerhouses, ruling the world, and wanting to destroy the Holy Land.

In desperation, Qin Chen could only walk out, slapped the Demon King to death, and sighed: “I just want to be a sweeper and sign in silently. Why do you force me to take action?”

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