Dual Cultivation: Beasts and Women! - Chapter 21: Demon Gate Aspirants

In a romance novel called “The Secret Lovers of the Academy” the male lead would often torment his fiancée–but wait, why did she cross into this world to become his fiancée, the villainess, instead of the heroine?

Louise Sweeney found the perfect solution to escape the misfortune of being the villainess: “Your Highness, I just want to tell you that we don’t have to be tied with our engagement. We weren’t even officially engaged, right?”

But what was wrong with the male lead’s reaction? To her suggestion, he replied “But our engagement wasn’t false, don’t you agree?”

Song Yun had given the best years of her life to Gu Yuanzhou, helping him reach the pinnacle of his career, bearing him sons and daughters.

On the night that she died in the raging fire, he was entwined in a passionate moment with his shining moonlight.

Only in death did she realize that she was nothing more than a tool to him.

Upon reincarnation, she vowed to take back all she had given him…

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.

=========================================

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?

……………………………………………………………

Dear readers! Without any ads, maybe you will prefer .

Lucan Ironfist came from a noble family, but he wasn't the eldest son. When his brother became the head of the family and he turned 18, Lucan would become a commoner. A strange rule, but that's how it was. So Lucan began to think of a way to live a peaceful life.As he was considering this, his mother arranged for him to become a priest in another city. A priest didn't have to worry about food or housing, and all he had to do was watch over the temple and the statue.It was easy work, so he agreed and arrived at the city. One day, as he was watching over the temple and the statue, a poor-looking girl came to pray. When she prayed to God, light gathered around her body.Lucan was surprised and suddenly remembered the plot of a certain game. Originally, Lucan was from Earth and had traveled to this fantasy world. When he was on Earth, he played a game with a plot where a merchant family's illegitimate daughter, bullied by her family, awakened the power of a saint.Lucan decided to keep this secret and train the saint so that in the future, he could have an easy life and save himself from any crises.