Worm (Parahumans #1) - Chapter 206: Scourge 19.2

Japan – National News BroadcastThe polished news anchor sat upright, her gaze sharp as she adjusted the stack of papers before her. The newsroom behind her hummed with quiet urgency, the weight of the moment settling over the broadcast.“Authorities are baffled by a sudden and unexplained surge in sleep-related deaths across Japan,” she began, her voice steady yet tense. “More and more citizens are passing away in their sleep without any prior health concerns. Experts are working tirelessly to determine the cause, but no clear explanation has emerged. Authorities urge the public to remain vigilant and report any unusual symptoms before bedtime.”A graphic appeared, displaying the spike in fatalities over the past month. Behind her, unsettling photographs flickered across the screen—blurred images of individuals found in their beds, their faces frozen in expressions of terror.The anchor’s tone shifted. “Health officials recommend citizens avoid excessive fatigue and maintain healthy sleep habits. More updates will follow as investigations continue.”---United States – Paranormal PodcastIn a dimly lit podcast studio, the host leaned forward, his eyes wide with curiosity. Across from him, a rugged man in a worn flannel shirt, gripping a faded photograph in one hand and a beer can in the other, leaned back in his chair.“So, you're telling me you saw this creature firsthand?” the host asked, clearly intrigued.The man scoffed, shaking his head. “Damn right, I did. Ugly thing had wings bigger than my body—slow but sneaky. Thought it could steal my pigs again, but I was ready this time—camera in one hand, shotgun in the other.”He slammed the table for emphasis, then shoved the blurry image toward the host. The photograph depicted a small, red-skinned humanoid figure with large, bat-like wings, its eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.“Spit, the thing didn’t know what hit it when I fired!” the man chuckled, his voice full of excitement.The host held up the picture to the live chat. “Alright, what do you think? Mothman? Demon? Or is our friend here just seeing things?”The chat exploded with theories—some skeptical, others eager for the investigation to continue.---China – Liangyuan Street MarketSurveillance footage from a bustling night market in China captured a chilling scene. A woman in a red qipao walked gracefully through the crowd, her figure striking in the soft glow of lanterns.Suddenly, she paused. Her body flickered—like a glitch in a video—before vanishing completely, as though she had never existed.The footage zoomed in, replaying in slow motion. In the final frame before she disappeared, her face distorted unnaturally, her eyes hollow and empty.The screen cut abruptly to black.

Cheng Zhu, a young and accomplished individual, stumbled upon a question online: 'If you had the chance to be reborn and go back to the past, would you take it?'As someone recognized in his circle for having the most 'spirit', Cheng Zhu scoffed at the thousands of comments from people wishing for rebirth.He responded with a simple 'No', alongside a screenshot of his impressive bank balance.But in the next moment... he was reborn!

In the hospital, Fang Ya lay on the cold bed. As she did not have the money for surgery, she could only watch as her life slowly faded away.

On her deathbed, looking back on her life, she relived all of her regrets.

What she regretted the most was that she had chosen to leave her marriage with nothing and refused all the assets given to her by her nouveau riche ex-husband.

Darkness enveloped her. When she woke again, she found herself reborn.

She was reborn in the year when her nouveau riche ex-husband abandoned her and making ends meet with their daughter.

She could not believe it. She had once prayed to God, and God seemed to have answered her prayers—He gave her a second chance!

This time, she did not reject the property distribution from her nouveau riche ex-husband. She took the nine-digit sum of money as well as a set of courtyard houses in the capital city.

In this life, she would give her daughter a luxurious life. They would no longer be homeless and destitute. She would no longer have to give up her life because she had no money.

Not long after the divorce, she met He Feng coincidentally.

At this time, He Feng had just returned from the European battlefield. He returned home with dazzling military achievements, only to receive a divorce agreement from his wife.

In the few years that he was on the battlefield, his wife had already fallen in love with someone else, and that person was rather rich too.

He Feng brought his child to the city where Fang Ya was working and took up a position in the Public Security Department.

Someone introduced him to Fang Ya and wanted to matchmake them.

Fang Ya, who was reborn, knew He Feng’s entire life experience. In a few decades, he would be a five-star admiral with immense power and battle achievements.

Moreover, after the divorce, he never remarried. It was said that he was hurt by love. His loyalty would not allow him to trust any other woman.

During the blind date, the tall and stern man appeared to be a little taciturn.

Fang Ya knew that He Feng only planned to remarry because of his child. He did not want his child to follow him everywhere on his military travels.

Once he settled down, he probably would not even consider marriage anymore.

Without much hesitation, Fang Ya agreed. He Feng was a good man and was worth marrying.

Female protagonist: Reincarnated in her later years and experienced all the vicissitudes of life. After marriage, she assisted the male protagonist to overcome obstacles based on memories from her past life. She also assisted him to ascend to the peak of power smoothly.

The male protagonist: An ordinary man who was a member of the special forces. From the most ordinary soldier, he transformed into a man who eventually became the general of the Empire.

After crossing over to another world which seemed to be a fusion between many anime worlds, The Fantasy System was unlocked for Mu Fan. After finishing the tasks given by the system, Fantasy points are given which allows him to gain access to the Fantasy store that was full of daily talents and more.

Yuuki Asuna: You know how to cook a lot of dishes. Can you teach me?

Sagiri: I don’t know anyone called Eromanga-Sensei.

Many more characters and interesting plots await us.

- Description from Novelupdates