MTL - Guardian - Chapter 25 Mountain river cone

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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The Synders and Thornes had always been the closest of friends. So when Kyra Thorne and James Synders both lost their parents in an accident, twenty-year-old James swore to protect ten-year-old Kyra as though he were her uncle.Twelve years later, Kyra had not only blossomed into a beautiful woman, but she also could no longer ignore the feelings she’d developed for James at nineteen. After three years of struggling to suppress them, she was finally ready to confess.However, what Kyra didn’t know was that James had long discovered her feelings—and had devised the cruelest way to reject her.But, what happened when James unintentionally crossed a line?One thing was certain: Kyra Thorne always got even, even if it meant destroying them both.

“Ji Xiao Li” Chen Yu Bai pressed the body under him and gritted his teeth, “What exactly did I owe you in my past life?”

“I…don’t…know..but you don’t know too? Aren’t you a fortune teller?”

At this instant, even the thousand years ice jade bed under them can feel the chill emitted by this man.

“I am the Grand Tutor! Great Divination Master! Don’t call me a fortune teller!”

- Description from Novelupdates

He died. Not by fate, not by accident, but as collateral in a hunt between beings beyond mortal comprehension.And yet… death was only the beginning.Chosen by a mysterious entity known only as Echo, a sarcastic soul from Earth is offered a chance at a second life. Gifted with ten draws from a divine treasury, he obtains powerful treasures, a rare bloodline, and a mysterious system known as the Limitless System.But what begins as a straightforward reincarnation takes a twisted turn when two dragon inheritances—Thunder and Fire—collide within him.Reborn not as a man, nor as a beast, but as an unknown species—a fusion of human and two True Dragon Inheritences—he awakens in a scorched battlefield beside a dragon egg, unaware that his birth was witnessed by fate itself.After surviving the near-fatal clash of legacies within him, he emerges anew… no longer Zaroth, but Primus Xal’Zaryon Drakonis, a name that shakes the very fabric of mana around him.With his soul, body, and bloodline perfectly harmonized between human and dragon, Primus sets out into an unfamiliar world ruled by ancient clans, dangerous beasts, and kingdoms teetering on the edge of Eternal War.But power always draws attention—and with the secrets of his origin, the Limitless System at his side, and a destiny marked by a Primordial-level Mark of Fate, enemies will rise from shadows unknown.