The Master Programmer - Chapter 2: A Favour in Disguise

For ten long years, Adam was a prisoner within his own body, paralyzed and helpless, silently observing a world he couldn't interact with. As his life finally ebbed away, connected to hospital machines, his last conscious thought wasn't one of peace, but a desperate, burning wish hurled into the void: If I get a second chance, let me be the strongest.The universe, in its mysterious ways, answered. Adam was reborn, not into light, but into an infinite, suffocating darkness. Yet, within this void, he discovered an astonishing truth: he possessed unimaginable power. Reality itself seemed to bend to his mere thought; he could conjure wonders or horrors with a whim. He was, by all measures, the most powerful entity imaginable. But this godlike power came with a cruel twist – he was utterly trapped, unable to escape the encompassing darkness.His prison, he soon grasped, wasn't empty space. It was the consciousness of another being. He was an unseen passenger, a silent god locked within the mind and soul of Eric, the unassuming Third Prince of a kingdom unknown to Adam. Eric, frail and seemingly ordinary, was completely unaware of the cosmic powerhouse dwelling within him.Adam's initial goal was simple: escape or seize control. But a chilling revelation halted his plans – his existence was inexplicably tethered to the prince's fragile life. If Eric died, Adam's own newfound power, perhaps even his very being, might shatter. A reluctant protector was born from a desperate prisoner.Now, Adam walks a razor's edge. He subtly guides and shields his unwitting vessel, Eric, from the dangers of court intrigue and hidden enemies, intervening with earth-shattering displays of power only when Eric faces certain death. These brief, terrifying moments where the “weak” prince unleashes godly might leave the world baffled and fearful, whispering legends of the prince's hidden potential.To navigate this precarious existence and perhaps forge a path to his own freedom or dominance, Adam devises a unique tool: a 'System' granted to Eric. Is it a gift to empower his host, a means to strengthen the vessel for eventual takeover, or a dangerous gamble with unforeseen consequences?As Adam fights unseen battles, protecting Eric while plotting his own endgame, questions linger. Can he ever break free? Will Eric discover the terrifying truth of his inner 'guest'? And what will happen when the world realizes that the power shaking kingdoms doesn't belong to the prince, but to the ancient, godlike entity trapped inside him? His journey is one of immense power bound by frustrating confinement, a hidden war fought within a single soul, where the fate of a prince and the ambition of a captive god hang in the balance.

The heavens and earth change when the blood phoenix descends.

I let out a bitter laugh. “It’s ironic, isn’t it? You spent years making my life a living hell, and now you look at me like I’m the very air you breathe.”Lennox’s face fell. “Olivia, it wasn’t supposed to be like this—”I cut him off, my eyes blazing with anger. “Oh, but it was. You wanted me broken. You wanted me to suffer. And I did.” I paused, my voice trembling. “But not anymore.”Louis, who had been silent, spoke softly. “Olivia, we—”I shook my head and took a step back, putting distance between us. “No. Whatever you think you feel, it doesn’t matter. It’s too late. You had a choice. And every single time, you chose her. Over and over again, you chose Anita.”Levi shook his head. “We were wrong.”I met their gazes. “Yes, you were. And now, you’ll have to live with it.”With that, I turned away, refusing to let them see the tears burning in my eyes.••••••••Olivia Parker was once the cherished daughter of a respected Gamma—until betrayal shattered her world. Branded the daughter of a traitor, she was stripped of her title, her dignity, and the life she had known, forced to serve as an Omega among those who once respected her.But fate wasn’t done with her yet.On the night of the mating ceremony, Olivia discovered the cruelest twist of all—she wasn’t fated to just one mate, but three. And not just any three. Alpha Lennox, Alpha Louis, and Alpha Levi—the ruthless triplet Alphas who had spent years tormenting her.Bound to a marriage they never wanted, the triplets made her life a waking nightmare. They paraded their lover, Anita, before her, ensuring she never forgot her place, never forgot that they would never want her.But fate has a way of playing its own game. As secrets unravel and buried truths come to light, the triplets begin to see Olivia for who she truly is—not just a Luna in title, but the woman they never realized they needed.Only now, she’s done waiting.

He had four disobedient disciples, who now achieved success, won recognition and established their own sects.

The embarrassing thing is that it was him who drove those four out of his sect to make them independent.

But one day he had an incident and lost his cultivation. His life was hanging by a thread. Wandering around, he walked into his third disciple’s territory.

What should I do?

Mountains and seas can be tamed, days and nights can disappear.

Only you, the exceptional you, refuse to give up.

——

A man blessed with fortune, the best in his generation, had an accident and started anew; broken in body but firm in spirit, he now uses his wisdom to guide his evil disciples back to the right path.

Notes :
The title 参商 (Shēnshāng) has two meanings:
1) Constellations Shen (ch. “Three Stars mansion”, eu. Orion) and Shang (ch. “Heart mansion”, eu. Antares), which never appear at the same time.
2) Two friends/relatives who are separated/estranged and irreconcilable.

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