Coiling Dragon (Pan Long) - Vol 18 Chapter 21: Green Snakes

“The masterminds are cooler than heroes,” I mutter as I stare at the chess pieces before me. It is easier to be the one who sits in the shadows and moves the pieces, likewise deciding the flow of the game.Heroes will foolishly sacrifice their lives for the good cause and villains will sacrifice the world for their own gain, but masterminds will use both the heroes and villains to their own benefit.Why, you ask? Well, that's because I've lost my life once while trying to be a hero so, I don't want that anymore. I'd rather be a mastermind who molds the world as per my convenience and live peacefully. Because, why not?***[Defender of Divine Glory says you are the hope of this world.]What?[Goddess of Wisdom believes that you will be the one to save the world.]Wait, what?![Propose the Grand Duke the idea of a fake marriage.]And, why would I do that?![Stop the assassination of Prince Eric.]Why would I save him?![The candidates for the throne are:... Who will you choose?]Ah! I give up...It seems like a curse that anyone who wishes for a slacker life in Isekai will have to go through the most troublesome things.In my past life, I died because of one rookie mistake but after being transmigrated in the world of fantasy I've gotten an opportunity to start afresh, but unlike the protagonists who look for their love and glory, I'd rather make money and live a life of a slacker.I have magic, I have power and I have money, what else do I need?Well, that was the plan but this damn system is getting on my nerves. I mean who in their sane mind would want to mess with the complicated royal family and political affairs? But that's not all though.I've also become the saviour of this world. Things just can't be anymore worse!Besides, the penalty of failing this quest is...[Failure: Destruction of the World.]It seems like if I screw up in selecting the right person then the destruction that is going to befall the world won't be stopped.If I speak of my reward then it's this vague thing.[Reward: Fulfillment of any wish.]“If that's the case then, I'd rather choose the person who would be the best fit for the throne.”And that's how I decided that I would become the Kingmaker.

“It was an era taken over by a single online game, the “”Second World.””

The “”Second World”” offered a vast amount of classes and skills...

Micheal, our protagonist, reincarnated back into this era and realized he had a few bugged passive skills that would put him as one of the best.

[Passive skill: Damage Reduction: When you receive damage from an enemy, the damage will be reduced accordingly to the reduction percentage. Skill lasts for 10 seconds and takes 10 seconds to cooldown.]

[Passive skill: Damage Reflect: When you receive damage, the damage will be reflected accordingly to the reflection percentage.]

[Passive skill: Damage Multiplier: When you deal damage to an enemy, the damage you dealt will be multiplied.]

[Passive skill: Sword Attack Nullifier: When you attack an enemy with a sword, the enemy will kneel in front of you and catch your blade with their bare hands.]

[Passive skill: Priest: When you suffer from damage, automatically heals yourself.]

[Passive skill…]

[Passive skill…]

.........

After reading through all his passive skills, he suddenly realized how invincible he as.

Even though he didn’t possessed a single active skill, he could still triumph over everyone else with his passive skills.

One day, when the “”Second World”” mysteriously merged with the real world, monsters and divine beings began to invade Earth…

That was when Micheal realized that his passive skills have also given him the power to kill these divine beings…”

A man with a lifelong martial arts background, raised in Asia due to his family's profession, moves to the US for education and work. He discovers Historical Medieval Battles through a colleague and becomes deeply passionate about it. He trains hard and becomes skilled enough to represent his country.During a competition, his armor fails, and he's struck in the head with a two-handed axe, seemingly dying. But is this truly the end?

In a world where the very fabric of reality is held together by fragile threads known as the Veil, humanity faces an ever-present threat from the void—a dark, consuming force that seeks to unravel everything. The ancient Guardians once stood as protectors, weaving powerful Knots to keep the void at bay, but their knowledge has faded, and the Knots are beginning to fray.Cole, an unlikely Weaver with the rare ability to sense and manipulate the threads of the Veil, embarks on a perilous journey alongside the skilled warrior Selene, the stoic guardian Marcus, and the enigmatic scholar Elara. Together, they must navigate a land ravaged by void-touched creatures and discover the forgotten secrets of the Guardians to repair the Knots and stop the void from consuming their world.But the deeper they delve into the mysteries of the Veil, the more they realize that the void is not their only enemy. Hidden forces work from the shadows, manipulating the fraying threads for their own gain, and ancient powers thought long buried are stirring beneath the surface. As the Knots unravel and reality itself begins to fracture, Cole and his companions must face not only the void, but the dark truths of their own world—and themselves.withHeart is a gripping, character-driven epic of survival, sacrifice, and the delicate balance between light and darkness. The series explores themes of destiny, power, and the fragile threads that bind us all together, weaving a story where every choice could mean the difference between salvation and oblivion.