Guo Deming touches his mouth, feeling a little irritated, as if something was missing. "System, I feel really fucking pissed off."
[Host, it could be due to your headache, your exhibiting signs of being hungover.]
The young man touches his throbbing forehead and frowns even harder. It wasn't that he wasn't aware of it, but somehow he felt he was already so used to worse headaches that this level of pain was ignorable. "Hm.." he hums before slowly sitting up, a sense of nausea welling up in him as even this amount of motion made him feel ill. "Send me the information of this world, please."
The system complies obediently and a string of information and memories enters his mind, causing it to throb harder, fortunately the pain was still at a manageable level and did nothing more than to stimulate his irritation further.
Not only those the system mentally pass this information on, it also pulled up a screen with the relevant plot points and Guo Deming's current identity.
This world is a world set in an urban fantasy type plot. With demons and magic hidden and lurking in this seemingly normal modern day life, only a few of the lucky, or unlucky, people can have the opportunity to peek under the mask. Whether they gain benefits or misfortune though is entirely up to their choices and a little bit of fate.
The male protagonist Pei Shaohua was a poor university student that came from the orphanage and managed to get through life with hard work and scholarship money. His main goals was to be rich, marry a good wife and live well, which was very relatable. And according to his temperament, perseverance and natural talent it was more than an achievable plan.
As a poor student, of course he must have part-time jobs to try alleviate some burdens of his current financial situation. One of those was working at a rundown antique store. The owner and his daughter only a year younger than himself, were very kind to him, an orphan.
The orphanage he lived in was crowded and poorly funded, so Pei Shaohua often was hungry and new clothing was really only a dream. Even if he won a bit of money from studying, most of it was taken by the orphanage director for 'safekeeping'. It had reached the point he was nearly starving and desperate to go beg on the streets. At his lowest point it was the antique shop owner's kindhearted daughter who reached out to help him, and the equally kindhearted antique shop owner allowed this, letting the other have a warm bath and a hot meal.
So Pei Shaohua held a lot of good feelings for both of them that grew overtime. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he half treated them like family by the end.
Pei Shaohua was the type who would not appreciate kindness and was full of gratitude to these two people. Not only that, the antique owner's daughter was lovely both in appearance and temperament so his heart also experienced the fluttering of first love, though at the time he wasn't fully aware of it.
Seeing that their livelihood was on antiques, Pei Shaohua worked hard on his studies and also spent his free time learning about various antiques and artifacts with his new goal of helping the little antique shop prosper. The more he read the more he felt antiques were really interesting and his self motivation became greater.
Unfortunately the antique circle was a very difficult place to wade into, so Pei Shaohua still pursued his aim of becoming rich as his main quest and working at the antique shop while studying antiques as a side quest.
Don't look at Pei Shaohua's honest and hardworking personality, because of his background his practicality and love for money was strong to the point it could be called ruthless. If he didn't have a strong moral framework it would be easy to go corrupt. Money is power, and as long as it's there a man can be happy, and a small antique shop can flourish.
Unfortunately man proposes and god disposes*, and in the middle of his first year of university Pei Shaohua encounters a scene of carnage.
*People can make plans, but how they turn out depends on God/fate. E.g. can plan to have a lovely picnic and arrange everything but there's a freak hailstorm on the day.
The antique shop owner had happily brought home a dirty little puzzle box one day, and joyfully showed his daughter and Pei Shaohua the box, certain it was a genuine artefact though he had yet to discern the origins. The most exciting thing is there was something inside, and such an intricately carved and complex box would most likely hold something good.
His daughter was not very interested in antiques but supported her father enthusiastically. At the same time, Pei Shaohua who shared the antique owner's enthusiasm for these things energetically joined in and expressed his own fascination and opinions over the box.
Sadly Pei Shaohua still had to focus on his education and pursuit of making more money. Apart from the antique store which he works at on the weekends, on weekdays after classes he does higher paying part-time jobs that a senior with good connections had helped him get such as being a food delivery driver on his electric bike, and working as a kitchen staff at a popular cafe. Therefore after the box's arrival he could only spend two days playing with it and five days thinking about it.
He couldn't help it, the box was really fascinating. While it was just small enough to barely fit comfortably on his palm it was full of ancient inscription, hidden locks, carvings, different materials.. It was as intriguing as it was addicting.
The antique owner felt so as well, and even more obsessively, spending day and night researching and trying to figure out how to unlock it. The owner's daughter was concerned, after all she lived with her father under the same roof and felt the changes more but after communicating with Pei Shaohua who felt it was just the old man being caught up in the excitement of discovery she pushed down her unease and ignored it.
But ignorance was only bliss as long as reality doesn't make it's way through. And reality was truly cruel.
Obsession seemed to have completely taken over the once gentle and loving father, and Pei Shaohua was woken up in the middle of the night to the antique owner's daughter's frantic calls. Rushing to the antique shop Pei Shaohua's heart became even more panicked as he saw the shop smashed up. What was more chilling was nobody seemed to be aware of it.
Running inside toward the screaming he sees the antique owner pervertedly pouring his barely conscious daughter's blood onto the box, which had turned into something like a diamond-shaped flower bud. The entire room was also covered in various ominous runes and items making the scene extremely horrifying to witness.
To save the antique shop owner's daughter, Pei Shaohua attacked decisively. He knew there was no time for words in this critical time when the girl was bleeding out.
While the surprise attack worked to some extent it only temporarily stopped the antique shop owner who was taken by surprise. That's when it's revealed the old man was no longer the old man but a terrifying lizard demon!
Then what ensued was a typical underdog fight for the protagonist. Pei Shaohua was reasonably fit and smart but he couldn't go against the demon. Just as he was about to get killed the antique owner's daughter who had woken up had rushed to shield him from the killing blow. Holding the bloodstained box she passes it to him before dying.
With her life gone the box opens and a silver ring is revealed. The ring had five indents and only one indent is filled up with a small fiery orange crystal.
Realising the ring was not so simple, with grief and the attitude of sending a doctor to a dead horse* he put it on.
*means still giving it a shot despite the hopeless situation
An item that caused two of his loved ones to die, of course must be the key to unlocking Pei Shaohua's true protagonist path.
By slipping on the ring, he temporarily blacks out and meets his first demon- the Flame Emperor Fire Fox. With his resolve for revenge, and his perseverance, Pei Shaohua passes the Flame Emperor's trial of fire, and is acknowledged by the demon, allowing him to utilise a percentage of his power, which, after some initial struggle, helped him decimate the lizard demon.
The lizard demon before he died revealed two clues to the mastermind behind him- that his master was from a prestigious family, and that his master has a personal connection with the antique shop owner and daughters family.
Thus started Pei Shaohua's journey to become the best demon summoner in the world as well as find out the identity of the mastermind.
Guo Deming quite likes this sort of plot so he read the plot points with relish. However seeing that the rest of the plot was summarised in such a vague one-liner he wanted to send many complaints. "Ah, ah, ah! What happens next? Aren't you supposed to give me the entire plot? You can't leave me hanging, system."
[You need to go to school soon host.] The system replies promptly, [It is better to provide a shorter summary and more information of your identity and goals. At night I will then pass the rest of the story.]
"You're really good," Guo Deming can't help but praise as he swallows down his unwillingness to stop reading, then he closes his eyes to access his new memories. Then he frowns.
In the plot he was really just a passerby character. In fact it could be even said he wasn't worthy of such a title and was just the relative of a passerby character.
Pei Shaohua because of his busy life balancing school and work did not have many friends. Not to mention he was really too handsome so many girls were interested in him causing many men to dislike him. Added to the fact he often rejects their invitations, he had become more and more excluded from campus life. The only person in the university he had a good impression of was a rich second generation senior who admired his work and helped introduce him to good part-time work with generous bosses.
Guo Deming was that senior… that senior's younger step-brother Li Deming. Poor grades. Poor health. Introverted. Gloomy. A waste.
Ah, but at least he is rich.
Guo Deming who suddenly found himself having to be such a person comforts himself. This is his first world, and it would not be too cruel to himself. After reassuring himself, he was once again filled with expectations. "What's my mission?"
[Collect Ten Demons.] The system announces, [At least one should be an Emperor-level demon and the rest must be a minimum rank of at least Duke-level.]
Guo Deming: …
No. This Collector System is just a fraud right? It's really all just an elaborate scheme to kill me right??
But despite his resistance he already knew it was unlikely to be a lie. Guo Deming didn't remember much, if anything, about his original life. He only knew his name and that he had tied himself to this Collector System who promised to help gather back his memories after he reached the sufficient number of points.
The Collector System even told him that he could choose to quit anytime and be enter the reincarnation cycle. Of course the quality of what he reincarnates into is determined by the amount of points he can pay.
Maybe because he doesn't fully remember the situation at the time of agreement, Guo Deming felt the conditions were fair enough. Besides, he was already on the pirate ship, even if he made a scene there wasn't much he could do anyway.
But now… now he wanted to make a scene.
Angry he scolded the system for its heartlessness, "Are you stupid? Is your data corrupt? I'm a first timer, you put me in this mob character who isn't just a mob but also a weak chicken too, fuck, the family has no relationship to demons or magic either!"
[But you're n- You're family still has money.]
Guo Deming despairing massages his eyes with the palms of his hand trying to stave of his headache. "Yeah, but only at the start up nouveau rich level." He sighs emotionally.
Even if the Li family of the original family had millions, Guo Deming understood that in these sort of fantasy elements, the good magical items would reach prices like the hundreds of millions already. There was no way it was affordable.
Not to mention, according to his memory, Li Deming was not likeable and is practically a transparent existence in the family. He wouldn't be able to get much money even if he asked. Well, at least he wouldn't get the high numbers he would need to help him wrangle high-level demons.
Guo Deming felt really depressed as the one positive aspect he found was demolished thanks to the heartless mission.
[Host…] The system hesitates, [Actually, there's something you should know..]
Guo Deming's eyes lit up. He knew the system wouldn't throw him into a pit. Such an unfortunate mission, of course there must be hidden benefits. Could it be he had a special demonic bloodline? He had an amazing ancestor?
[You're going to be late for class.]
Guo Deming: NoLoveForLifeDead.jpeg