The banquet hall glittered with gold and crystal.
Laughter echoed beneath the massive chandelier as the elite of Sky River City gathered to celebrate the Lin Clan's newest business alliance.
And at the very back of the hall—
stood the joke of the evening.
"Why is he even here?"
"Isn't that the Lin family's useless son-in-law?"
"Shh—keep your voice down. Even trash has feelings."
Laughter followed.
Ethan Graves lowered his eyes, fingers tightening around the tray he was holding.
Three years.
Three years since he had married into the Lin Clan.
Three years of being treated like a decorative stain no one could scrub off.
Across the hall, his wife stood beside her father—elegant, cold, untouchable.
Lin Yuhan.
Beautiful. Talented. A cultivation prodigy.
And completely out of his league.
She didn't even look at him.
"Yuhan," a young man's voice rang out confidently. "I heard the Azure Dragon Pavilion has accepted you as an inner disciple?"
The speaker was dressed in white, radiating effortless charisma.
Daniel Carter.
The true genius of Sky River City.
Young master of the Carter family.
Peak Level-Three Body Tempering at twenty-three.
Destined for greatness.
Unlike Ethan.
"Yes," Yuhan replied calmly. "It's just a small achievement."
"Small?" Daniel laughed. "At this rate, you'll surpass all of us."
Their eyes met briefly.
A perfect match.
The crowd whispered approvingly.
Then someone spoke loudly—
"Compared to certain people who rely on marriage to survive."
Silence.
Dozens of gazes shifted.
Toward Ethan.
Daniel smiled faintly. "Ah… Brother Ethan. You're here too?"
Brother.
The word felt like mockery.
Ethan forced a smile. "Young Master Carter."
Daniel stepped closer, lowering his voice just enough for everyone to hear.
"I heard the Lin family invested in your 'business idea' last month."
A pause.
"And lost five million."
Soft gasps.
Ethan said nothing.
Because it was true.
Or rather—
It had been sabotaged.
"But don't feel bad," Daniel continued gently. "Some people simply aren't born with talent."
Laughter exploded.
Even members of the Lin Clan didn't hide their disdain.
Lin Yuhan finally looked at him.
Not with anger.
Not with pity.
Just disappointment.
That look pierced deeper than the laughter.
Ethan's nails dug into his palm.
He wasn't from this world.
He had awakened here three years ago—inside a novel he once read.
A third-rate villain.
The useless son-in-law whose only role was to be stepped on by the protagonist—
Daniel Carter.
Everything was scripted.
Every humiliation.
Every failure.
Every stolen opportunity.
He knew the future.
Tonight, Daniel would gain favor with the Azure Dragon Pavilion elder.
Next month, the Carter family would absorb two smaller clans.
And within a year—
Daniel would stand at the top of Sky River City.
As for Ethan?
Divorce. Ruin. Death in a roadside "accident."
He had struggled for three years.
Tried to change things.
Every attempt failed.
As if fate itself rejected him.
Maybe…
Some people truly couldn't escape the plot.
"Since we're all friends here," Daniel suddenly announced, "why doesn't Brother Ethan demonstrate his cultivation for us?"
A cruel sparkle flickered in his eyes.
The crowd loved the idea.
"Yes! Let's see!"
"I've never sensed any spiritual energy from him!"
Ethan's body stiffened.
He was still stuck at Level-One Body Tempering.
The weakest stage.
Even teenagers surpassed him.
Daniel stepped back, smiling. "Don't be shy."
The pressure in the room became suffocating.
Ethan looked toward Lin Yuhan.
Just once.
If she said stop—
He would walk away with dignity.
But she turned her face aside.
"…Fine," Ethan said quietly.
He stepped into the open space.
A basic stance.
He circulated his meager spiritual energy.
It flickered weakly.
Like a dying candle.
Someone snorted.
"That's it?"
Daniel shook his head sympathetically. "Brother Ethan… you should focus on supporting Yuhan at home instead."
The laughter this time was merciless.
Something inside Ethan cracked.
Three years.
Three years of swallowing humiliation.
Three years of fighting destiny.
And still—
He was nothing.
He lowered his head.
And in that instant—
The world froze.
The laughter stopped.
The chandelier lights flickered.
A mechanical voice echoed inside his mind.
[Detecting Host's Extreme Emotional Fluctuation…]
Ethan's breath caught.
[Compatibility Confirmed.]
[Plot Armor Stealer System Initializing…]
His pupils shrank.
A translucent interface burst into existence before his eyes.
PLOT ARMOR STEALER SYSTEM
Host: Ethan Graves
Current Realm: Level-One Body Tempering
Luck Value: 3
Face Value: -27
Destiny Rank: Background Trash
Ethan's heart pounded.
This—
This wasn't in the novel.
The mechanical voice continued.
[Core Ability Unlocked: Steal Plot Armor.]
[Condition: Publicly Humiliate a Protagonist-level Individual.]
[Target Detected: Daniel Carter – Son of Heaven (Low Tier).]
Ethan slowly lifted his head.
Across the hall—
Daniel was still smiling.
Unaware.
A new notification appeared.
[Beginner Mission Issued.]
Humiliate Daniel Carter in Public.
Reward: 10 Luck Points + Fragment of Protagonist Destiny.
Ethan felt something he hadn't felt in three years.
Hope.
No—
Not hope.
Hunger.
The frozen world resumed.
Laughter returned.
Daniel turned. "Hm? Brother Ethan, have you decided to surrender?"
Ethan looked at him.
And for the first time—
He smiled.
A calm, terrifying smile.
"Daniel," he said evenly, his voice carrying across the hall.
"Are you sure… you want me to demonstrate?"
The air shifted.
Somehow—
The atmosphere felt different.
And Daniel felt it too.
For the first time—
The 'trash' in front of him did not look broken.
He looked dangerous.
[Mission Active.]