Chapter 1: "Supreme Lord"

  Zheng Chu sighed as he stared at the loading screen. He had assumed the conversion to "Supreme Overlord" would be instantaneous, but now he saw it would take some time.

  Just as he thought waiting a little longer wouldn’t be an issue, another window appeared with a message from the Ultra System:

  "Host, the system is deyed because your identity carries many benefits and responsibilities. Decompressing all information will take at least 12 hours."

  Zheng Chu felt dissatisfied with the slow process, assuming the system was advanced technology. However, he also felt somewhat happy—12 hours were nothing compared to 20 years of struggles and an entire month of "boot-licking" for a woman he had no interest in.

  "For many college boys, being beside a beautiful, wealthy, and powerful woman might seem incredible," Zheng Chu thought. "But not for me. I won’t deny that pursuing her feels good, but after the first 7 days of indifference and cold treatment, any spark of affection dies instantly."

  As a web novel reader, Zheng Chu understood perfectly what pursuing a woman with such a powerful background entailed.

  "At best, the young dy’s family will offer you money—maybe a million yen—to walk away and never show your face again," he mused. "At worst, the family itself will make you vanish from this world without a trace."

  After weighing these factors, Zheng Chu decided to focus on his professional side and dedicate himself to self-improvement.

  He checked the time on his Xiaomi smartphone: 12 a.m. He rexed slightly, seeing only half a day remained.

  "I thought it’d be easy," he told himself. "Just lie around in this private hospital room, sleep, eat, and sleep again until the next day. If no problems arise, everything will be fine."

  With that thought, Zheng Chu decided to nap longer. But before he could fall asleep, he heard the room door open.

  He tried to ignore the noise and sleep, but the nurse’s voice called out:

  "Mr. Zheng Chu, it seems someone has come to pick you up."

  Zheng Chu sat up in bed, still pretending to have just woken up, and saw the usual nurse fnked by four female bodyguards—two on each side—all dressed in bck suits and porized sungsses.

  Though they were strikingly beautiful, each radiating an aura of grace and combined elegance, Zheng Chu refused to be swayed and said:

  "Sorry, I don’t know you."

  Before he could say more, one of the bodyguards on the right spoke:

  "Mr. Zheng Chu, our Grand Mistress requested we retrieve you for a conversation."

  Hearing this, Zheng Chu fully grasped the situation.

  "To think the An Family would act so quickly," he muttered.

  "Fine, I’ll go," he said. "But at least let me change clothes."

  "Unnecessary. Everything is prepared at the Secondary Mansion," the bodyguard replied.

  With that, the four bodyguards escorted him out of the room—two behind him and two gripping his arms to prevent escape.

  For the first time in his life, Zheng Chu felt such shame at being subdued so easily. Not even during his "boot-licking" days had he felt this way. Now, he felt like the world’s worst scum being led to sughter.

  After boarding the limousine without resistance or protest, he sat in the middle of the back seat, surrounded by an atmosphere both calm and uncomfortable.

  The trip wasn’t long—an hour and a half at most. Though a mini-fridge was inside, he chose not to touch anything, just in case.

  Upon arriving at the mansion’s entrance, he was genuinely impressed. The courtyard gardens had a cssical, antique style, while the mansion itself leaned toward a more modern 20th-century design.

  At the door, two maids in simple, practical uniforms greeted him.

  The four bodyguards handed him over to the maids and left for other duties. Though the maids seemed harmless and frail, Zheng Chu stayed guarded. If this was the cssic "rich family offers two choices" scene, choosing wrong could make this mansion his tomb.

  Finally, they escorted him to a room with a bed and an adjoining bathroom.

  After entering, they informed him the meeting would occur in an hour. With no other choice, he complied.

  He had an hour to bathe and dress. The clothes on the bed looked simple, but he suspected they were custom-made and far from cheap.

  Well, time to head to the bathroom.Inside, he saw a rge, pristine white bathtub and shampoos from unfamiliar luxury brands.

  He hurried through his bath and changed. To kill time, he y on the bed, eyes closed, while internally conversing with the system:

  "Host, did something happen?"

  "Nothing major. The An Family just captured me."

  "Ah, ok, wait—what?"

  "Like I said, they sent people to drag me before the Matriarch."

  "Host, aren’t you afraid they’ll harm you?"

  "I am. But think: if they wanted to hurt me, they’d have done it already. For the An Family, making me disappear would be effortless."

  "That makes sense. Then why bring you here?"

  "If I’m not mistaken, this is the scene where the girl’s family gives you two options."

  "What options, Host?"

  "Pay me to vanish… or vanish me."

  "Both options are terrible. But according to the mission, since An Mu rejected you so cruelly, why would they pay you to stay away if you already promised never to bother her?"

  "Simple. No one would believe a poor, parentless young man like me would willingly abandon a rich person’s coattails. They’ll assume I’ll break my promise."

  "So, Host, what will you do?"

  "Simple: I’ll refuse both options."

  "Host, you don’t value your life."

  "It’s not that. Accepting the money means I’d have to leave the city for somewhere remote. Money helps short-term, but without skills, it’ll run out. If I reject everything with a good expnation, I’ll survive this."

  "Let’s hope so. Otherwise, you’ll be my first host to die before completing this mission’s reward."

  "True. Speaking of which, can you show me the ‘Supreme Overlord’ identity description? I didn’t have time to study my choice."

  "Of course, Host. Here it is."

  [Description: "According to ancient legends, Supreme Overlords are immensely powerful entities that appear only once in all existence. When they emerge, it doesn’t matter who you are or how strong you are—facing a ‘Supreme Overlord’ guarantees crushing defeat. Typically, no Supreme Overlord reaches full potential due to the long, arduous path. If you ever get this chance, don’t waste it."]

  [Benefits: "Infinite" Mental Strength enhancement, "Infinite" Physical Strength enhancement, "Infinite" Money, "Infinite" Constitution enhancement.]

  [Conditions: Favorability Points Meter, Counterattack Points Meter, Darkness Points Meter (Locked).]

  After reviewing the information, Zheng Chu had more questions than answers and called the system again:

  "System, what does ‘Infinite’ mean next to the enhancements?"

  "Host, it means exactly that: ‘infinite.’ Once the conversion completes, your potential becomes limitless. You can improve endlessly."

  "Is infinite improvement a joke? Is that even humanly possible?"

  "Host, this existence grants infinite growth potential because reaching the pinnacle requires immense sacrifice and effort. Thus, constant improvement is necessary."

  "I think I get it. But what about the meters? What are Favorability, Counterattack, and Darkness Points? Why is the st one still locked?"

  "Host, Favorability Points upgrade physical/mental strength, constitution, or acquire s

  kills. Counterattack Points enhance those skills. As for Darkness Points, the system has no data—it’s locked, even from me."