Cultivation: But Not a Game - Chapter 130 - 63: Winning Hearts, Ding Hao’s Unease and Plea for Help

Deep below the earth's surface, a mystifying subterranean seascape lurks, an archipelago bathed in inky blackness where suspense and horror hold court. Here lie strange islands and even stranger monsters, far beyond the realms of human imagination. In this domain, mankind is far from dominant; instead, madness and death rule supreme.

Pleading for mercy from the unknown creatures of the deep only leads to a slow, tortured existence. The trapped survivors gradually distort, losing what made them human, both physically and mentally, to the gloom as they remain trapped in this eternal obscurity. Their only hope? A perilous expedition into uncharted sea territories.

Fueled by determination, Charles embark on this daunting voyage aboard his steamship, aiming to reclaim humanity's past glory. Together with his crew, they sought a way out of this hidden sea world, a path back to the sunlit world above, where humans once stood tall.

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I read a few comments from Chinese readers that compared this novel with Lord of Mysteries because of similar elements: Lovecraftian, western fantasy, first industrial revolution, and steampunk. However, I have yet to finish reading Lord of Mysteries to do any actual comparison, but I do think those who have enjoyed that novel would enjoy this as well. Also, the author of LotM, Cuttlefish That Loves Diving, also did a shout-out for this novel, so I guess he approves of it too?

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Shock! The Eye-Candy of the Entertainment Industry is Reborn as a Top Student!The niece of the Zhang family is said to be the reincarnation of the God of Literature. From childhood to adulthood, she has never scored second place in any exam. Even on the day of a test, when she had a fever of 39.9 degrees, she still effortlessly wrote like a supernatural being—truly amazing.When neighbors talked about this girl, their envy and astonishment were indescribable.This girl was nothing short of a Tsinghua or Peking University candidate; the Zhang family’s ancestors must be smiling from their graves.“Have you heard? That Zhang family girl topped the citywide high school entrance exam again. City No. 1 High School and Experimental High School nearly fought at the Zhang family’s door to recruit her...”“What’s that? The principal of Lanya Noble High School even came with a million yuan to visit her…”The world of a top student is beyond our understanding!——The world of a top student is very lonely!——When one possesses unparalleled beauty but lacks status and power to match it, this becomes the root of all suffering.In her past life, Shen You'an refused to compromise with the hidden rules of the entertainment industry. Her life was one of hardship and destitution, ultimately ending in her dying alone on a snowy winter's night on the streets.Once celebrated as the stunning but talentless beauty of the entertainment world, she left quietly and tragically, without drawing attention from anyone.When Shen You'an opened her eyes again, her firefighter father had just passed away in the line of duty.“Ding.” Your System for Top Students has arrived. Please sign for it.She cut her long hair, put on glasses, and concealed her beauty. Thus, she began her journey to becoming a top student.Until she gains the strength to protect her unrivaled beauty, she would rather let her brilliance be hidden than become a target of envy and harm.

Most people already have their life planned out. Or at least they feel they do.They already have an idea of what and who they are going to become, and how they are going to go about achieving it.But more often than not, life always has an entirely different thing planned. And sometimes, it's something better.This was the same for James. As someone who already had his life planned out, with the best and the safest plan on how to go about it, he knew what had to be done.All he just wanted was to graduate and become a world renowned mechanical engineer. And this was why he studied hard and worked extremely hard at his part time job.Even with how life kept tossing him around and making it seem like he was the only one not moving forward while others were, he was still focused on his dreams.The truth is that he also wants to be like his peers. He also wants to drive the flashy cars the rich drives. He wants to travel the world and experience the best that life has to offer, but all that comes at a cost—money. Something that has eluded him even after busting his ass, working for three years.To make things worse, the job market wasn't looking too good either. It was looking like the two years he has already spent in the university and the two more years he's going to spend are going to be a waste. And there was very little he could do about it.Coming back to his apartment one night, after getting fired from his part time job, James just wanted to give up on everything. But no matter how much he wanted to do that, he couldn't. He has people he wants to make proud.Frustrated with everything and even more with himself, James went to bed after hoping that the next day would be different.But he had no idea that his wish would come true. Out of nowhere, James got a system and one with a feature that fixed the biggest problem he has.[Ding!][You spent $280. 10x Rebate has been applied. You have received $2,800. The money has been sent to the host's bank account.]“Oh, yeah! That's what I'm talking about!”.....Disclaimer: “World Domination Begins With Getting a System in a Modern World” is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.This book may reference real companies and organizations, but these references are for narrative purposes only and are not intended to depict actual conduct or involvement of these entities. The use of these names and references is not meant to harm, defame, or discredit these companies or organizations.

In his past life, Ethan Steele was an ordinary man living in a modern world—working a dead-end job, struggling through the monotony of daily life, and haunted by regrets of missed opportunities.At the age of 23, his life came to a sudden, unexpected end in a car accident. As his consciousness faded into darkness, he was sure it was over.But fate had other plans. In the divine realm, the God of Fate watched over the balance of life and death.Ethan's untimely death was a mistake, an anomaly that diverged from the preordained path of his destiny. It wasn't yet his time to die, and so, the god decided to give him another chance.“You were meant for greater things, Ethan Steele,” the god's voice boomed. “To correct this error, I will reincarnate you in another world—one filled with magic, swords, kingdoms, and adventure. You shall be reborn, but you will not remember your past until the appointed time. There is, however, a... complication.”By divine error, the god accidentally bestowed Ethan with the Harem God System without having any idea about it.This system is a powerful, reality-bending system that would allow him to charm and seduce influential women to build his harem, growing in strength and power with each conquest.“Your memories of Earth will return on your seventh birthday. I hope you enjoy your life here in this world”And with that, Ethan's soul was transported to a new world.