Illusions, Lies, Truth - Volume 4, Chapter 3: It Has Begun, Part 1—Trouble Arises

Youth, is meant to be used to shed sweat under the sun!

Youth, is to continuously engage in battles, and secure the win! The endless journey on Heaven’s Road, an endless expedition, a testimony of a hot-blooded youth’s legend!

A dream every man harbors, with the ignition of the blood! Forever young, Undefeated God of War!

- Description from Novelupdates

Mathew survived the entire two weeks of the apocalypse. A great score for someone blessed with brains over the brawn. Yet, even he fell after just fourteen days, giving his all to save the one person he cared for.

But why does a death looks like watching himself from the third person perspective? Is this the purgatory to watch over his own shoulders at the mistakes he made? A punishment for Mathew's sins to repeat those mistakes over and over again?

But wait, what are the three clocks in the corner of his vision, one of which only five minutes away from ticking out?

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.

The world is under invasion by creatures from another world. Martial arts became the most important skill in this world, and all cultivators strived to improve their skills.

Chen Yiming transmigrated to this world with a special ability – the Martial Arts Talent System. The system allowed him to use Skill Points to enhance his talents infinitely.

What if he was born with a physique that was not suitable for cultivating martial arts? He could slowly train in the mountains while waiting for his Skill Points to accumulate. When they reached a certain amount, he could use them to enhance his talent and automatically acquire the physique needed for cultivation.

What if he did not have the complete volume of the martial arts technique he practiced? It wasn’t a problem. With sufficient enhancement to his talents using Skill Points, he could automatically deduce the missing parts in the book.

With the Martial Arts Talent System, he could defeat everyone who got in his way. He could easily climb the ranks in the martial arts world – becoming the top disciple, the top cultivator, then the grandmaster.