Building a Gaming Empire From Scratch - Chapter 14 - : Chapter 14: What is Top-level Traffic?

Will, a seasoned game designer, found himself reincarnated as the disposable villain in a cliché “kicked out of the party” novel. Faced with his inevitable tragic fate, he had one ambitious dream: to turn the pitiful “losers” from the protagonist’s harem into terrifying blackened bosses who would torment the protagonist!He taught the timid and cowardly wolf-girl maid to imprison the one she loves forever by her side.He trained the tsundere, sharp-tongued loli witch to make her beloved see only her in his eyes.He guided the cold and clueless half-elf princess to use…—

What if being the protagonist was actually the WORST possible choice?Li Hanfeng thought he'd gotten the short end of the reincarnation stick—transmigrated into a cultivation world with “only” Upper Grade spiritual roots. Sure, he joined the prestigious Shushan Sect, but compared to those Heavenly Grade chosen ones? He was clearly destined to be a background character.Then his golden finger awakened.The Karma Detection System.Suddenly, Li Hanfeng could see the true cost of every “opportunity” before him. That mysterious cave everyone's excited about?[Great Karma: Ancient Tomb][Death Rate: 97%].The beautiful junior sister asking him on a “simple” mission?[Path of Destiny][Triggers: Sect Destruction, Heavenly Tribulation, Outer Domain Demons].Wait... being the protagonist means a 90% chance of horrible death?!NOPE.While other disciples fight over “destiny” and “fortune,” Li Hanfeng discovers something incredible: his system doesn't just detect karma—it “rewards him for avoiding it”. Refuse a death flag mission? Get premium cultivation pills! Skip the mysterious inheritance? Unlock rare techniques! Dodge the protagonist route entirely?His cultivation speed actually INCREASES.“Junior Sister, I'm busy that day.”“Senior Brother, that treasure isn't for me.”“Sorry everyone, I'll pass on saving the world.”[Karma Severed Successfully! Reward: Immortal-Grade Technique]But there's a problem: the more protagonist flags he dodges, the stronger he becomes. And the stronger he becomes, the more the world tries to drag him into main character scenarios.Ancient masters want him as a disciple. Mysterious beauties keep appearing. Evil sects mark him as a threat. Even his own karma system seems shocked by how overpowered his “background character” route is becoming.Li Hanfeng just wanted to cultivate peacefully and avoid death flags.Instead, he accidentally became the most terrifying existence in the cultivation world.The kind of person who's so strong that destiny itself has given up trying to make him the protagonist.

On her wedding night, Jian Ran met Zhou Huai'an, the man rumored not to like women.After that, she was cautious and humble in front of Xu Zichuan every day.Until that night, when blood flowed and rain poured, she learned the truth.She collapsed in the pouring rain, hugging herself, laughing madly with tears streaming down her face.Then, she slowly bent her proud spine, trampling her dignity into the mud.In the end, when Jian Ran left, Xu Zichuan went mad.Zhou Huai'an kneeled on the ground, “Jian Ran, I was wrong. What must I do for you to return to my side?”

In the year 2022, gamers rejoice as Sword Art Online-a VRMMORPG (Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) like no other-opens its virtual doors, allowing players to take full advantage of the ultimate in gaming technology: NerveGear, a system that allows users to completely immerse themselves in the game world by manipulating their brain waves to create a wholly realistic gaming experience.

But when the game goes live, the elation of the players quickly turns to horror as they discover that, for all its amazing features, SAO is missing one of the most basic functions of any MMORPG-a log-out button.

Now trapped in the virtual world of Aincrad, their bodies held captive by NerveGear in the real world, users are issued a chilling ultimatum: conquer all one hundred floors of Aincrad to regain your freedom. But in the warped world of SAO, “game over” means certain death-both virtual and real…