MTL - Nine Cents Refining - Chapter 25 Beyond ethereal

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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A ritual gone wrong gave him the world's deadliest Class—now all he wants is blood.Zeth stole the most powerful ritual magic in the world from a mad cultist. A Class that's fueled by the blood of his enemies and human sacrifice. One that's illegal to use, punishable by gruesome death. And now that he has it, he's faced with a choice: hide away for the rest of his life from those who would hunt him down, or embrace the power, becoming the hunter to get revenge on the murderer that stole his friends' lives.For Zeth, that's no choice at all.His enemies have to die. And he plans to use every drop of blood, eldritch ritual, and demonic summoning he can to kill them.

A lifetime ago, Chu Xun was shackled and thrown in jail on false charges. For three whole years, he suffered extraodinary torment from his cellmates every day. Even though he had escaped death many times, he still died from his cellmates’ fists the day before he was to be released.

After death, Chu Xun transmigrated to a different world of cultivation, where cultivation was the one true path. Carrying the weight of his hatred, Chu Xun began to cultivate in hopes of becoming an Immortal Emperor, who could manipulate heaven and earth and travel through time. After painstaking cultivation of three thousand years, he succeeded. Then he sacrificed all his cultivation without hesitation and returned to the day before he was to be released.

This life, he wanted to find out the truth and the one behind his murder in last life. He would continue to cultivate and strengthen himself so that the tragedy would not repeat itself. He wanted to master his own destiny.

In this life, what people would Chu Xun encounter and what experience of love and hate would he have with them? What difficulties would he encounter and how would he overcome? The answer is the book.

Yuka, reborn as the daughter of the universe's richest man, tries to live a simple life. She gets a big shock when she has to join Union University of the Alliance because of government rules.In university, Yuka picks an easy major, hoping to keep a low profile. But her plan doesn't work. She keeps facing tough situations that show off her smart mind and strong skills. Yuka tries hard to live normally but keeps getting pulled into extraordinary accidents.This is the story about how Yuka grows. It's about her trying to hide her real identity while dealing with a world that always challenges her.