Elite Mages' Academy - Chapter 496: Night Exploration

In less than an instant the world as we knew it was at its end.

That’s right. The Apocalypse. In a single blink Zombies appeared and mutated monsters began to rampage all throughout the world. Now it was the human species turn to fight for survival and planetary dominance!

On the same day that the world descends into chaos we meet Yue Zhong. Initially only hoping to get to his friends and escape to a refugee camp our protagonist sets out, inadvertently building a team along the way. After a series of fortuitous events and a few serious hunches our hero decides it’s time to do more than just survive!

Yue Zhong begins to form the foundations of an enormous survival plan… before he suddenly discovers that he has only gotten over the first hurdle…. Unbeknownst to Yue Zhong and company, the world outside of China is mostly a wasteland! Country sized swathes of nuclear radiation and an extreme shortage of supplies in the world after the nuclear explosions was quickly becoming the “norm”. Mutants, Evolved animals and what’s worse, intelligent out of control dinosaurs had quickly appeared and claimed their own sections of the planet. There were several innately powerful Evolved races which appeared that were more than 10 times stronger than humans, nearly all of them possessing bodies impenetrable by normal bullets. The fabled orcs’ were another of these Evolved races, the leader of which had in fact enslaved many of the remaining human beings.

Unceremoniously exposed to such a cold and heartless new world, Yue Zhong is faced with a choice: Find a deep dark hole and hope it goes back to “normal”? Or overcome all obstacles and struggle towards Evolution!!!

- Description from Novelupdates

Matthew, a 25-year-old otaku, never imagined his obsession with fantasy worlds would turn into reality—until a fatal gas leak ended his life and transported him to another world.But this wasn’t the second chance he hoped for. Born as the illegitimate son of an affair, his very existence was a stain on his family’s honor, and his father relentlessly sought to kill him.Yet Matthew, now Claude, survived, again and again, driven by an unyielding will to live.Until one day he discovered his power darkness. Feared and reviled in this world, dark mages were hunted and burned alive.Knowing his gift could become his downfall, he trained in secret under Theo, his true father.When he turned sixteen, he, his mother, Dalia, and Theo planned their escape from the small town.But their attempt was thwarted by knights and clerics from the Promised Land.Though he narrowly escaped with his life, the cost was high—his family’s safety shattered.Wounded and desperate, Matthew fled to the fabled Elysian Plains, the last hope for those like him.Just as he reached the border of the Elysian Plains at eighteen, an ambush left both him and his mother gravely injured.Collapsing on the sacred ground, he heard a voice echo in his mind:[Welcome to the Elysium of Darkness System, Lord of Calamity.][Your first quest is available!][Increase the number of dwellers in the Elysium using your seeds and blood! Spread your legacy by making demons and witches bear your children!]

“I’ll say it again, I’m not really a genius singer, nor a genius creator! I have no love for singing! My ideal is to be a carpenter!”

“But Mr. Xu, you have won the Grand Slam of awards, and your albums have accumulated the world’s number one sales! Your lyrics and production have won so many kings and queens with one hand! You are considered by everyone to have crushed one by yourself. era!”

“Didn’t you agree to talk about woodworking? Don’t you want to do it?”

“No, boss! But this is your TV station, you have to think about the ratings! Everyone just wants to hear how awesome you are, not your woodworking hobby! The story of being banned?…Okay, okay, can we talk about last year’s rich list? We all know that there are four Chinese women in the top 50 of the world’s richest list, all of them are single, and it is rumored that they are all single with you…”

“Actually, woodworking is very interesting, let’s talk about woodworking!”

“Why don’t we talk about An Xiaojing An Tian? Everyone is very curious. She is not married, but her three children are all surnamed Xu, and…”

- Description from novelbuddy

Plot Summary: This novel combines the popular “villainess” genre with the contemporary concept of VTubing, where the protagonist, a typical villainess character, becomes a VTuber—an online persona using a digital avatar. As she navigates her dual life, her influence extends beyond the virtual world, leading to increasingly violent and chaotic consequences in reality. The story delves into the psychological impact of living a double life and explores themes of power, manipulation, and the dark side of internet fame.Why Read It: The novel offers a fresh and thrilling take on the villainess trope by incorporating modern digital culture elements. It’s particularly appealing to readers who enjoy stories that explore the darker aspects of fame and influence, with a unique blend of fantasy and real-world issues. The narrative's intense and sometimes graphic nature sets it apart from more conventional stories in the genre, making it a compelling read for those looking for something different.