12 Miles Below - Book 4 - Prologue

[WSA 2025 Entry]Ivan Mendoza, a world-renowned robotics engineer, met his end at the hands of those who feared his genius. But death was not the end. Awakening in the body of Kael Valtieri, heir to a destitute border territory in the magical kingdom of Ardania, Ivan finds a second chance in an unfamiliar world driven by arcane forces.In this realm, magic reigns supreme, yet it is woefully inefficient and bound by antiquated traditions. Armed with the knowledge of advanced robotics and engineering from his past life, Kael sets out to merge science with sorcery, aiming to revolutionize the very fabric of magic. His quest? To uplift his impoverished territory and safeguard it against the lurking dangers beyond the border.But Kael’s journey takes a thrilling turn when he stumbles upon the remnants of an ancient, forgotten civilization. Hidden within their ruins lies golem technology—astonishing constructs far superior to anything Earth’s science could fathom. Driven by curiosity and ambition, Kael deciphers their secrets, melding ancient ingenuity with his modern intellect to forge unprecedented defenses.As Kael uncovers the dark history of this world, he learns of rifts that once unleashed monstrous beings from other dimensions, nearly annihilating humanity. Though a powerful artifact sealed these rifts, its strength is waning, and an impending cataclysm looms.Now, with time running out and the continent teetering on the brink of another monstrous invasion, Kael must wield his hybrid mastery of science and magic to confront the rising tide of darkness. Can one man, armed with the knowledge of two worlds, avert a catastrophe and carve out a new destiny?Prepare for an epic tale of innovation, mystery, and survival in a world where the past and future collide.

After getting betrayed and killed by the only person she’d loved, Miss Shang wakes up in the body of the cowardly crown prince Shang Wuxin, who, due to her own circumstances, was actually a girl cross-dressing as a boy. After inheriting the crown prince’s memories, Shang Wuxin has three things on her agenda:

1. Clean up the house

2. Gather loyal followers and soldiers

3. Get the throne

The aristocratic Lu family has produced a joke, a beautiful one, but a joke nonetheless. The daughter they have been rearing all this while turns out to be an imposter! With the real heiress returning to take her rightful place, everyone is eager to know the outcome of the imposter…Will she be able to survive in poverty after living a life of riches?Having just transmigrated, Huo Yao imagines that this experience will be pretty interesting. However, imagination and reality are always so different!Dad: “Daughter! Take this black card. It has no limit! Use it freely.”Mom: “My dear Yao Yao! If you don’t like this jewelry, I’ll get them to change it immediately.”Huo Yao: “…”Weren’t they supposed to be poor and ordinary? What is with this hidden lavish behavior?Her eldest brother, an investment company’s CEO: “Sis, inherit my company!”Her second brother, a top lawyer: “Whoever dares slander my sis will face the full brunt of the law!”The third brother, an international genius doctor: “Bullying my sister? Should I display the prowess of my scalpel?”Mysterious fourth brother: “My sis is the cutest!”Huo Yao: “…”What happened to being a good-for-nothing person who lives off her parents?A top aristocrat secretly changes into his cheap clothes and drives his crappy old car to her. “Baby, my heart is yours. Why don’t we get married to test if I’m telling the truth or not?”Everyone who knows about it, doesn’t dare say it out loud.All they can do is curse inwardly: “Bah! Keep acting! No one believes it!”

The year is 2025. A devout Christian named Arthur Bennett wins a lottery to participate in a revolutionary virtual reality experience at a high-tech company called Elysium. The program utilizes a unique VR pod to immerse users in a world based on a popular anime.As the other participants—a mix of personalities with varying degrees of anime knowledge—prepare to enter the simulation, Arthur remains the only one who has never indulged in anime. Upon entering this new world, he discovers an unsettling truth: pain is excruciatingly real, despite the creators' claims of a dampened pain response.He eventually finds himself trapped in prison, unable to log out, and demanding to be released from the program. Calls go unanswered, and the world of ninjas becomes a nightmare where hunger, thirst, hygiene, and even death are all real.Angered that he was deceived, he abandons all sense of logic and vows to become a villain no one would have ever anticipated.