Second slot

Adam was in his thoughts when suddenly there was a burning sensation. He looked at the book and saw a new text on the cover.

[Current popularity: 5 ("Who?" - Only your friends and family know you. Stay strong.]

[Available Abilities:

"Creating the Magic of Words:

Your writing skill allows you to create magical spells and rituals in the world of history.

Limitation: Magic abilities must match the level of the book and the character's abilities.

Price: $105"

"Creating Epic Battles:

You can describe and create epic battles and battles, including tactics, strategy, and special techniques.

Restriction: Battles must not exceed book and character level abilities.

Price: $15"].

[Acquire?]

[Yes] / [No].

- Paid? - Adam puzzled, - Hmm... I'll be able to manage the narrative much better with this. So...

Adam reluctantly clicked on "Yes," and then the name of the skills lit up and Adam felt his head explode.

Five minutes later, Adam was able to feel the new knowledge.

- By the way, where did the money go? - Adam was puzzled, so he pulled out his phone and saw the notification.

"Your account has been debited with $120".

He flopped down on the couch and sighed. Who would have thought this book would be so technologically advanced?

Adam stood up and looked at the book in his hand. Flipping through the page, Adam saw a thin handwritten inscription.

[Second slot blocked. Unblock it for $5000?]

When Adam saw the price, his eyes popped to his forehead and his heart almost stopped. He crouched quietly and stared at the inscription, feeling frustration and despair.

- Are you saying... that even here you have to pay?! - Adam suddenly shouted, feeling desperate. It seemed to him that this book was designed to steal more money from him.

However, it would be foolish to deny the fact that the book was worth much more than $5,000. Adam was sure that had the book been in the possession of a rich man, he would have become the most famous writer and later screenwriter in the blink of an eye.

Of course, Adam would never give up the book that had become his home after a long period of stagnation and disappointment. He still couldn't forget the feeling of pleasure when he controlled the book's fate with his own hands. The feeling when he and the main character were one.

"Sometimes it's shocking," Adam admitted to himself and grimaced, "I still can't believe I'm living in a story. After 'The Summoned Hero,' I feel out of place."

After he got out, Adam felt like an outsider. It was as if this body were not his, but he was the Kobayashi, the protagonist. It was as if Vera, Anastasia, Martha, and Emilia were his real lovers.

Such a clash of personalities was on the verge as if one more step and Adam would forget himself forever. And the split personality would not be the scariest moment in this case.

- What if... the next time I lose myself? - Adam suddenly thought about it and shuddered, - N-no, I don't want that.

And then hesitation and doubt appeared on his face. Greed and common sense fought an uphill battle, making Adam's headache.

Finally, Adam stood up abruptly and headed for the desk, which was already covered with a thick layer of dust. With an unreadable expression on his face, he carefully opened the lock on the nightstand and then opened it.

There was a thick envelope on the nightstand. Adam hesitantly took it in his hands and sighed.

- It looks like I'm going to have to use this.

Adam's tone was low and his voice filled with reluctance. Even so, Adam opened the envelope containing the dollar bills. After counting the total, Adam made sure that all of the $5,575 was there.

And so, in a battle between greed and common sense, greed won.

Money in an envelope was once long ago the livelihood when the first book was published. It was very successful, but Adam cannot call this book quality.

He was ashamed whenever he thought of the plot, the characters, and their relationships. If there were only two words to describe this book, they would be: "Dirty fanservice".

The profits, naturally, were large. Adam spent two thousand dollars on a useless brand-name item. And just as he was about to spend the remaining five thousand, sudden criticism poured in on Adam.

It is said that someone purposely sent Adam's book to serious editors and then to news sites. There he received a mountain of criticism, both for his bad style and for his plot and lewd content.

Because of this change, the site where he published his work blocked his book and Adam's account.

At first, of course, Adam was furious. Who wouldn't be? But then came the realization, "Am I doing it right? "

Of course, the thirst for money and easy money is commonplace. It's understandable. Especially when the audience is like that.

But Adam asked himself, was this what he wanted? Were his dreams of terrific worlds and the pleasure of creating his own, small world, just that?

And Adam came to the bitter but hard truth - no!

At the same time, he began to write works that are aimed at a narrow category of readers. Therefore, there were few hits and little general interest.

But he didn't give up and kept writing. One book, a second book, a third... a tenth! But none of these books could become popular.

"Maybe it's the audience that's so nasty" - Adam thought to himself and sighed.

He put exactly $5,000 on the second page, causing the bills to catch fire and disappear, inflicting emotional damage of the highest order on Adam.

Adam even heard "FATALITY!" in his head, which sounded very appropriate for the situation.

A minute passed. And then two. But even after five minutes, nothing happened.

"What the hell? Have I been cheated?" thought Adam anxiously and touched the second page.

As soon as Adam's finger touched the sheet, new words appeared in place. Adam's eyes lit up and he began to read the new text.

[Shadows of Death]

Adam blinked but was still in his room. He was perplexed, even trying to poke at the sheet again, but even so, nothing was happening.

It was only half an hour later that new lines appeared and Adam, who was drinking tea (which was made from raspberry leaves), stood up abruptly, causing the tea to spill onto his left thigh.

- Ouch! - Adam cried out, quickly putting the tea on the table, and then began to read a new text.

[First Purchase Bonus Revealed. Contributor will receive a "story barrier" and "Character Control" for 15 hours (real-time)].

Adam rubbed his chin happily and blinked. The next second he was in a gloomy room, and front of him lay a dismembered corpse. And from the looks of it, it was a human corpse.

- Bue… - Adam puked the contents of his stomach, unable to restrain his gagging.

However, the former shock in the face of the corpse disappeared as his vomit began to dissolve as it hit the stone floor.

- What the... blu... hell?! - Adam yelled, causing his voice to echo.

At the same moment, a book appeared in front of Adam, and flipped to page two.

[In the darkness walks the gloomy magician,

dressed in a black, hooded robe.

Stepped in the darkness, carving up a corpse,

he found the truth of souls!]

Adam grimaced and looked at the corpse, whose stench could have killed five grown men.

- No, I'm certainly not going to cut it up! - Adam exclaimed and turned around.

His face grew stranger and stranger with each step, and sweat trickled down his forehead.

- I... can't leave? - Adam muttered softly, once again facing the corpse.