The Redwood Saga - Chapter 4 - 3: Humilau Gym

Cthulhu Gonfalon is a story about a man who woke up in another world. After a drink over his loss in a game, Sui Xiong ended up in the middle of the sea. Surprisingly, he now found out he no longer existed in a human shape but in a spirit state without any flesh. In order to survive and find a way to return to Earth, he then searched for a body to accommodate his spirit. After several confrontations with some creatures under the sea, he decided to settle for a jellyfish flesh. This Jellyfish was extraordinarily huge. With its tentacles, it caught others’ spirits to nurture its own power. In this world, Sui Xiong wasn’t only matchlessly powerful but he also had an ability to cast magic. With this gifted ability and combined with his knowledge from the civilized world on Earth, he could help a deceased person resurrect, change a person’s look, and do tons of other crazy things that he didn’t know.

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.

In a parallel world where everyone was a Beastmaster, people would tame, train, and evolve their beasts. The Federal Government would give everyone their own beast egg at their coming-of-age ceremony. However, to evolve and grow the beast, they would need potions, gems, and other rare ingredients. Fortunately for Su Bai, he had awakened the Divine-grade Simplification System. With the system, growing a beast was as easy as it could get. “Lightning Rat detected. The evolution path has been simplified. Plugged in. Evolution points +1, +1, +1…”

“Bubble Turtle detected. The evolution path has been simplified. Shower. Evolution points +1, +1, +1…” “Flame Cat detected. The evolution path has been simplified. Sunbath. Evolution points +1, +1, +1…” A few years later, Su Bai, the Divine Beastmaster accepted an interview. “Mr. Su, can you tell us how you achieved your success?” “I spend my time growing my beasts when other people are showering or sunbathing.”

In the most popular 3D keyboard online game “Tomorrow”, an ordinary player, Zhang Zhiyin has a less common hobby–that is to visit Dr. Y, the ultimate boss – giving him gifts and hugs.