Frightening Joke: Above the Mist - Chapter 11: Investigation

A life I didn't ask for..A world I couldn't call my own...I'm Edward Walters. That's what I'll tell anybody if I'm ever asked. Because, that was the name I answered back one Earth.But now, in this new world I reincarnated in— a medieval one of swords and magic— I'm known by many names.. The Undisputed Prodigy, The Anomaly of my generation, The Legend Blank, and... Charles Liam Flameworth.But I didn't ask for any of these.I didn't ask for the titles, the power, the wealth, the sufferings, the wars, and the fame. I.. I just wanted to go back home. But fate pinned me to this world, giving me no way back.Untill I decided— if fate doesn't give me a chance.. I'll make one for myself. I'll shatter this so called fate, and I'll go back to my family.This is the story of the Anomaly that defied Fate. The one who Reincarnated as a Genius Mage.

Ethan, an elite army commando, loses his life in the line of duty while eliminating a dangerous terrorist cell during a high-stakes anti-insurgency operation. Despite his unwavering dedication and discipline, Ethan dies with a deep sense of regret—he never fully embraced his personal desires and unfulfilled fantasies. As his final breath escapes, he vows that, should he be given another chance at life, he will live it to the fullest, without restraint.Fate, however, has its own plans. Ethan awakens in a strange, unfamiliar world—a land governed by strength, where power is the key to survival, and the strong hold dominion over all. In this brutal and unforgiving realm, Ethan discovers that the rules of life have drastically changed. The only currency that matters here is strength, and only the strongest can ascend to become the ultimate power.Gifted with extraordinary intelligence and a mysterious cheat that grants him unparalleled abilities, Ethan sets off on a path to conquer this new world. With each passing day, he hones his skills, builds alliances, and amasses power, all while exploring his deepest desires. This is a journey of self-discovery and unrestrained ambition, where Ethan’s focus is singular: to become the one true transcendent being, an existence unmatched by any other.Through intense battles, strategic brilliance, and encounters with those who would either aid or challenge him, Ethan fights not only for dominance but for the fulfilment of every longing he once held back in his past life. With each victory, he rises higher, carving his name into the annals of history as the peerless king, above all others—an immortal legend in the making.Content Warning: This story will explore mature themes, including R18 content, but will avoid extreme elements. The protagonist’s journey will also include romantic entanglements, with a harem dynamic, including themes like netori. No yuri, NTR, or netorare will be featured.

A striking man of mysterious origin and peerless talent, he looks back at the world, in all its entirety, with utter disdain. And yet, in the treacherous and unpredictable ultimate formation of the Boundless Secular World, he guards a breathtaking ancient qin with broken strings, waiting silently for the destined one to arrive!

A boy encounters him, and knows for the first time that the world beneath the Heavens is a fickle place. Not even demons, devils, ghosts and monsters can match the frivolity of human nature!

A slender physique, and jade-like beauty, but the sword that strikes between heaven and earth is not unlike a streaming rainbow!

The vastness of the starry sky, the seven emotions and six desires! Greed, anger and ignorance! The teachings of Buddha will grant you boundless strength!

A sea of blood will come, at the cost of all mortal beings full of honest hope!

The ghosts wail as the gods roar, but the sea of blood has no end!

Where, pray tell, is the path I should take?

Since there is no path, no matter how bitter and bloody the sea, even if my boat is made out of bones, I will soar to the heavens above!

- Description from Novelupdates

The super cowardly me installed Super Coward Mode, and the terrifying extraterrestrials started to look cute.“Eating the flesh of an extraterrestrial deity? You’re not human! Ew!”“Even withstanding mental manipulation? What kind of monster are you!”“Enslaving an extraterrestrial deity? You must be out of your mind.”…And then, the reactions around me became strange.