The Nebula's Civilization - Chapter 23: Demonic Magic

Set in the Shadow Slave world...a time before Sunny was born...this story follows a simple soldier who must survive in a dystopian, apocalyptic landscape where magic and gun warfare collide.In a far-off Quadrant known as North America, a young soldier named Hope is 16 years old when he gets infected by the Nightmare Spell. He passed! But...he feels a bit scammed...?A flaw that makes him fade from people's memories...A cursed attribute that makes him remember everything endlessly in eternal wakefulness...It's as if the Spell is twisting his future and existence into an almost improbable one.All he has ever known his purpose to be was to serve as a simple soldier. Not too powerful. But not so weak either. And maybe, just maybe like some others, become an Awakened. Although he never dreamt of being one.Now that his whole life is compromised after his First Nightmare, his first objective is to survive on his own. But as he tries to escape his fate, his actions seem to lead him further from his goal.He struggles against obstacles that slowly grow bigger and out of proportion.Maybe the Dream Realm and the Real World aren't so different than one may think.Hope's journey involves uncovering secrets and gaining knowledge about his true nature and his new role in the world.Is he fit to be a hero?Could he redefine it?***Please read the READER DISCLAIMER in Volume 0.This is my spin-off novel of “Shadow Slave” by Guiltythree.But please don't expect the same writing style, setting, and characters, especially the main character.This story reveals more about how people/cities/governments operate after the Spell’s arrival. I always find it interesting how maybe one country handles it fairly, but how others handle it with desperation to the point that you question humanity.There will be easter eggs pointing to the original novel either intentional for the plot or unrelated to it, but all for fun.I am a new author so props to all who bear with me and helps me improve my writing. If it is not for you, please don't leave outright hate comments. Eat wassabi instead if you want pain. Critique and advice would be great too.

After waking up, a strange app was installed on Lin Bai’s phone.

The news on the app came from the future.

And as long as Lin Bai participated in the events and changed the future, he would be rewarded.

[World News: Pfizer US announces that it had developed the first-ever Corona Virus vaccine, stock prices shot up 500% in one day.]

[World News: Three days later, Elon Musk declares himself the godfather of DogeCoin on Twitter, forcefully manipulating DogeCoin prices.]

[Regional News: New developments on the old man car accident, son of old man offers 10million dollars for clues of the culprit.]

[Local News: Hard work won’t disappoint you, S City old lottery buyer who had been buying the same number for 30 years finally won 1st prize!]

[Local News: Daughter of the richest man in S city was kidnapped, violated, and murdered, the culprit is......]

Wait！

Lin Bai looked at the obituary photo in black-and-white on the latest message.

That person in the photo, isn’t that the school belle Yu Jinmo who’s chasing me?

What happens when, in the midst of struggling to keep up with life, you suddenly discover that you were a princess in a past life? Now, you're just a waitress with a drunken mother and a pile of bills to pay. But deep down, you know one thing: you’ll find the stupid jerk responsible for ending your royal life, no matter what it takes.Alexia POV:Then there are the spoiled, narcissistic rich jerks who think their daddy's car gives them a free pass to treat women like objects. Not today, Satan. These guys are like walking perfume ads with egos bigger than their bank accounts. I swear, they should just marry themselves—they're clearly their own type.When one of those jerks lands at my table, I can smell the entitlement from a mile away. I don't even wait for the inevitable sleazy pickup line or the “accidental” brush of their hand against mine. Nope. I pawn them off on one of the other waiters faster than you can say “unpaid rent.”

Kang Li woke up in the body of the sickly beauty, the youngest daughter of the Kang family in Aoli Village, who had been spoiled and pampered all her life.The original host had a tough life, first being dumped, then marrying a divorced man in a fit of anger to become a stepmother, only to find herself unfortunately becoming the control set for another stepmother in the courtyard.She could certainly be considered a top contender for cannon fodder among supporting female characters.But to Kang Li, none of this was a problem.All she knew was that the so-called divorced man was a returned overseas research talent, busy with work, with a high salary and good looks, and was hardly ever at home. In these times, where food and clothing were scarce and communication was done by shouting, marrying him was nothing but good news to her, who just wanted to live the life of a salted fish.Kang's Mother: ...my daughter's gone silly!Brothers (sisters-in-law, nephews, and nieces): ...our sister (young auntie) has gone mad!However, apart from the head of the household, Captain Kang, the rest of the family were all sweating on Kang Li's behalf, worried that the delicate and frail treasure of the house (sister, young aunt) wouldn't be able to handle the grievances of being a stepmother and might hurt herself from the stress.The villagers who knew about the Kang family's situation gathered together, spewing sour words and gossiping, especially those who bore no good will and were just waiting to see the Kang family's downfall.Yet, Kang Li's life after marriage was not only blissful, but her husband doted on her, her stepchildren adored her, calling her mom the moment they opened their mouths. They clung to her like people possessed, and the wife (stepmother) had them following her every step.A certain flabbergasted system: I thought the host I was bound to was bronze-tier, but it turns out she's actually king-tier.Luo Yanqing was naturally indifferent, with only work on his mind, but somehow, he started to find himself looking forward to holidays, although he rarely managed to go home once a whole year.