A Background Character's Path to Power - Chapter 38: Gaslighting a Dragon for Peace

George Sterling, once a successful lawyer turned actor, then turned magician, finds himself in dire straits as the rise of Artificial Intelligence takes away all his livelihoods. As he nears the end of his life, a family heirloom, a mysterious ring passed down from his father, transports him to an unfamiliar world seemingly distant from reality.

Upon awakening, George discovers a newfound opportunity that awaits him. Initially tasked with portraying the Wizard of Oz to survive, he delves into this new role. However, as he embraces his new identity, an even greater challenge lies ahead: he must venture into the realm of pretending to be a god.

This book uses characters and elements from L. Frank Baum's original Oz series which has entered the public domain and allows me to use them in my original book as long as I do not use the characters and elements from the adaptations that haven't entered the public domain.

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The Soaring Dragon Continent is a world of summons, you can only become strong if you become a summoner! Yue Yang, an average high school boy, was suddenly transported into this world. When he woke up, he was greeted with a lot of worried faces and found out that he had assumed another person’s identity. Turns out he’s the good-for-nothing third son of the Yue Family, who had just recently drowned himself because of a failed engagement. Unlike the third son of the Yue Family who was useless in summoning, Yue Yang succeeded in making a contract with a summoning grimoire on his first try, even when the other guy failed for the past fifteen years. Others would have a headache making contracts with beasts afterwards, but countless beasts tried to gain favour with Yue Yang instead, acting like a good kid before him.

Yue Yang the brat, however, didn’t feel grateful at all: “Scram, Mythical Beasts! Do you think you are cool like that? Go away from me now, I only like beautiful summons!”

Even when royal families approached him for his talents, the shameless brat replied, “I’m not interested in government stuff, I’m only interested in beauties!”

- Description from novelupdates

Ye Zhenzhen, the omnipotent queen of the film industry, transmigrated as the despised cannon-fodder villainess and wicked stepmother in a novel. Her husband was wealthy but had a superficial relationship with her, and her stepson was adorable but indifferent towards her.According to the book's original plot, this cannon-fodder villainess was about to face a tragic ending...Ye Zhenzhen thought, 'Since I've transmigrated into the book, why should I fear these 2D characters?'In the face of her cold and distant plastic husband's words, she retorted, “How can a grown man with a body temperature of thirty-seven degrees speak such icy and heartless words to his wife?”Then, she was faced with the irrational demands of her stepson's classmate's mother, “Ye Zhenzhen, you owe me an apology.”She scoffed disdainfully, “Apologize to you? Will you kneel and listen to me if I do?”With her outstanding professional skills, she turned her life around by hosting a parent-child variety show, becoming an overnight sensation, and receiving countless acting offers!The stepson, who used to address her distantly and never as his mother, suddenly said, “My mom, Ye Zhenzhen, is the kindest and most beautiful woman in the world!”Haters: “So what if she's pretty? She married an old man for money!”One day, her plastic husband appeared at a charity gala and introduced himself, “Hello, everyone. I am Ye Zhenzhen's husband, the rumored old man.”The audience below couldn't believe their eyes and ears! The handsome and wealthy CEO of Huan Ya Group was Ye Zhenzhen's husband?!Haters: “Being slapped back in the face like this hurt like hell!!”

Adrian Voss was a forgotten beta tester—erased by a corrupt game company that put profit over players.Now reborn in Primordial Abyss with a glitched class that lets him control dungeon bosses, he doesn’t grind levels… he grinds players.Every monster he subjugates becomes a weapon. Every raid boss he enslaves earns him passive income. And every overconfident guild that steps into his domain?They drop loot when they die.But this isn't just another OP power trip. Adrian doesn't win because he's stronger—he wins because he's smarter. He lays traps like a raid leader, exploits mechanics like a dev, and rewrites the system from the shadows.From dungeons to PvP, he turns the most advanced gaming system ever built into a weapon that stabs its creators in the back.Now the streamer assassins, sponsored guilds, and even the developers are hunting for the one they call...The Dungeon Phantom.Too bad they don’t realize:The real dungeon isn’t the game.It’s the one they’re walking into.Let the hunt begin.