I found myself enjoying the schedule more than I initially thought. I like planning ahead, but most plans are either my following immediate action or long-term goals.

Having every action I need to take written down to the minute isn't what I'm talking about. I don't need a piece of paper telling me when to go to the bathroom or when to take breaths within lengthy sentences.

In the afternoon, I appeared on a TV interview and discussed the incident. I mostly talked about my gratitude for all the support I got from people offline and on.

Then I appeared on a radio show and talked there. My story hasn't gotten old yet, so it wasn't a waste. The host had decent snacks.

The following morning, I did a podcast interview with some famous guy I had to be briefed on before going on. A retired Ranker with a huge following from his podcast, but a few older people recognize him more for his endeavors during his day as a Ranker.

The host asks more questions than I do, but it was an interesting and enjoyable experience. We touched on many things, not just the incident. From my background to the other ‘controversies’ I got into, including the time I led a ‘mob’ through a broken city or when I won (kinda) a civil suit against an affluent Clan family.

From there, I went to a photo shoot for some reason. I don't know if the photo studio crew was collecting medical evidence or if I was going to be on the cover of some sports magazine.

Besides something to cover my unmentionables, I was naked. The scars on my body make it look like I was put through a meat grinder and won. But the more noticeable scars are the ones that look like animal teeth and claws ripped my body apart. Regardless, scarred flesh peppers my skin.

I did some reflection after I got asked by some asshole about the state of my arm. They oiled my body, more specifically, my muscles. They did the bare minimum because I didn't like it.

“So… are you broke or sentimental? Because I don't think you are stupid.”

“Pardon?”

“Getting a healer to regenerate your arm or fix those ugly scars shouldn't be too expensive, just tens of millions. Also, the prosthetic market is booming.”

I didn't continue the conversation, but I'll fix my arm after the publicity tour. I want to do something else first. Regarding my body, but that's to come.

Later, I had a late lunch meeting with some reporters. We had a sit-down interview. It was more intimate than the other ones. I wasn't told what publication they worked for, just that Free Chain owed them a favor since they really helped fan the flames while I was gone.

If I wanted to know about the people I've been talking to, I could have just asked my PR Manager or Free Chains. But I didn't ask. They got more spicy details. I hope they're happy with them.

The rest of the day was free time. I don't want to half-ass it, so I didn't spend this time training. I use this opportunity to catch up on lost time with the people and creatures around me.

And the incessant paperwork that somehow piles up. I'm going to have to restructure my Guild. I do not want this much work. I don't even have a salary.

I need a secondary position where I can shirk all my responsibilities while keeping all the benefits. I tell Free Chains this, and he tells me he'll work with the others to find a suitable vice guild leader.

The third day had a tonal shift. I guess my PR manager and the others feel that the rule of 3 applies to press tours since I only have three ‘appearances’ a day.

I appeared on a pretty famous morning talk show. I didn't know about it. Apparently, my mother watched it before she went into a coma.

I have vague recollections of this host appearing on our television while we ate breakfast back in Bluefield.

The morning show host did most of the talking and storytelling. I don't know if we paid her to do this, but she hyped me up. She talked about all the good I've done in the world, including all the search and rescue I've done, the charity I made a while back, and the people I healed.

I was there to tell her and the public that I was going to appear at a charity event happening later that day. The next thing I did was appear at the charity event. It was more of a community project, but we raised money and built houses for people.

I hope those people needed the help. I don't get information unless I ask, and I usually don't. The more I know about what I'm doing, the worse my acting skills.

I have explicit instructions from literally everyone who had a part of this plan to not act like myself. It wasn't a 180 of a personality shift, more like a 60°.

Being told straight to my face that my normal demeanor is off-putting to people should have made me feel something. I had to re-learn how to not manually blink for this press tour. Which I failed because I had to manually blink at random intervals at normal times.

I had to be less apathetic. I had to have more energy and things I don't care about. I had to not be so blunt. I had to tailor my body language and vocal tone to the specific people I was talking to.

Like I said, it wasn't a 180. So, the changes were noticeable but slight. I don't know how psychopaths do this shit... this is exhausting.

I'd murder people, too, if this was the only way to fit in.

I did enjoy the charity thing, though. People were very happy, and a few fans came specifically to see me and stayed to help.

I liked this level of attention. The cameras and lights bother me. They are less flattering and more annoying.

After all that, I went to a late-night talk show. I was supposed to talk about my experiences after the incident. How it affected me in my daily life. But I went off script, and we talked about philosophy.

My skin isn't thick enough to boldly lie and say that I've been affected in a major way. Physically, I mean. I'm still pretty damn angry.

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It did more good than bad, but I got a talking to from my PR manager.

The final notable day was a live interview with the reporters I had to sit down with. I use my initial interview as a rehearsal. And since they already knew my answers, they could tailor their questions in a specific way. I guess that "specific" way made things better?

I realize this on the first day, but I fucking hate this shit. So much of my time is spent pandering. If I had one public appearance a week, this would be manageable.

I haven't had a proper training session in a few days. I have a weird amount of pent-up energy. I want to run full speed across a mountainside or some bullshit.

I guess the others noticed. My PR manager and the people she hired since then changed my schedule to give me more free time.

They decided to kill two birds with one Flash Gordon for now. Impromptu public event, something to encourage healthy living or something.

Anyone can join me in exercising. We had a public place and a permit quite quickly. I was warned on four separate occasions to not do my 'actual exercise routine.' The amount of blood I leak from one round of weight training could drown a small animal.

I just ran for eight hours around a track after a few mock spars and feats of strength.

Although I will appear in more things in the future, the main idea of this publicity tour was to cement my presence as soon as possible.

I'm going to become king eventually. Hopefully, the process and transfer of power will be easier than the traditional means. It will be hard if we have to do a coup d'etat. People are generally content with the current administration. There isn't any risk of war. There are powerful people within this country who want to maintain the status quo.

Depending on when and how Percy replies to my message, this publicity tour might turn into a presidential campaign.

Hey, no age restrictions. The current president is 34.

The last thing for the day went well into the night. It was a Q&A streamed on my Rankable page. I just answered questions that the various online citizens had to ask. It eventually devolved into me showing off my beasts and playing bad fighting games against randoms in the chat.

Apparently, I'm good at chess. It does help that I have practically every board state and strategy in my lexicon. Was it cheating? Yes. Did I do it unapologetically? Yes.

Did I still somehow manage to lose to Flash Gordon? No comment.

~~~

I'm at Master Wang's estate, about to do something akin to suicide.

My master doesn't want a bunch of animals roaming his home, so everyone but Khan is there with me. Rain is also here, but not to help. More out of morbid curiosity.

“I was closer to this requirement before, but it failed due to technicalities. I don't want to explain too much, but I need to die.”

“Okay.”

Master Wang prepares to punch me in my head. I immediately interject before he can do anything.

“I need to just reach zero hit points. If anything, my body should be intact. Especially my hearts and head.”

I already told Duchess and the others about my plan. Assisted suicide. To unlock the second condition on my unique rank title, I need to drop the 0 hit points and regenerate to max in a minute.

Although I could flood my body with death energy, something I can do since I embodied it, I don't think that’s something you could walk off.

I'm not confident in my precise control to drop my body to 0 and leave me ‘alive’ enough to recover

So I asked the master of body breaking.

“I need to drop the zero hit points and regenerate using nothing but my hearts. I'm quite durable and have a staggering health pool. I could carve myself with my sword or utilize my beasts, but I'm not a masochist. Do you have a more effective way?”

Rain snickers for some reason.

My sword does have a skill that drains my health in exchange for damage. I could drain all my health, but all that damage has to go somewhere. Probably wherever I drop the sword. That's not too much of an issue, but I feel like that would strain my life force and reopen my old wound.

Plus, the feeling isn't exactly pleasant.

At that point, I'll let my beasts do the job for me. At least then, they could get some training in. I have to take off the ring, though. It's draining all the health I regenerate. So, I sliced my finger off because it was easier than removing the ring by normal means.

I'm missing a finger, but that's more manageable to grow than an entire arm.

“I do have a technique. It's a very strong one. Something that I refuse to use in actual battle.” Master Wang strokes his beard like a wise martial artist and looks off into the distance like he’s reminiscing. The lights in the ceiling illuminate his bald head.

I shudder to imagine the skill that Master Wang would not use against his enemies. I recall he skinned a guy once. Casually on the street.

At least, that's the story he told.

“What is the skill for you to not use it? Is it that gruesome?”

“No. It's not messy. Boring. It ends the fight too quickly. Neither I nor my opponent will be sweating. No bones will break, no blood will be shared. What's the point of fighting if you get rid of all the juices?”

Master Wang puts his palm over my heart.

“The technique is named with four words. But it was nicknamed the Heart Stopper by my foes and peers. It stops hearts. The technique can also start hearts. But naming it the Heart Stopper Sometimes Starter doesn't shorten the name and makes the nickname redundant.”

“I have two hearts. Will this work?”

“I have two hands.”

“Okay.”

“The skill will literally kill any creature that relies on a heart to live. I have to be precise and have a deep understanding of your anatomy, or there will be complications.”

“Is that a problem?”

“Nope. I'm deeply intimate with your internals. I did an open heart surgery on you. On a different occasion, I manually pumped your hearts to keep you alive. A few months ago, I had Rain scan you with x-rays when you slept overnight.”

“Pardon?”

“Worst case scenario, I burst your internal organs and break your sternum and 80% of your ribs. Best case, an instant drop to zero. I've done this before, usually as a means to mess with people I don't like. We are essentially hard resetting your circulatory system.”

The last time I did something suicidal as a means to get stronger, I left my tamed beasts out of the loop. This time, they will be here for me. I look at my beasts and give them a reassuring nod before I look back at Master Wang.

“Should I be laying down for this?”

“Too late.”

With that, two palms cupped exactly where my hearts are. I felt a force travel through my clothes, skin, and flesh unimpeded. The impact strikes both my hearts at the same time. They didn’t suffer any damage. They simply stopped.

I can feel my [Verdant Heart (Draconic)] fight to ‘reignite’ to the point where I contemplated if I needed to quell it with a [Royal Decree]. The feeling is weird. I feel stiff and suffocated. Strength is leaving my body, and my mana is stagnating.

I can simply use two mana, one for each heart, and fix this issue. But I trust my Master and my tamed beasts explicitly. I fear what Rain is going to do to me, however.

I fell to my knees. My ears ring. My vision blurs. I get confused for a second when I realize I’m face down on the ground now. I can feel the warmth of my body bleed into the floor. This is almost like an out-of-body experience, except I’m trapped in a prison of flesh.

My eyes don’t close, but I lose all vision.