MTL - Growing Fond of You, Mr Nian - Chapter 1 In this circle, if you like it, there is no you

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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There was nothing left to lose in his life.He had lived as a hero. He had started at the bottom and worked his way up to the top, at the end he become the best, yet he had always been betrayed by those he had tried to protect.Humanity did not deserve his protection.When everything went out and he could no longer even hope to beg for his life, he could do nothing but look up at the blood-red sky among the corpses of demons and angels.He wished for one more chance, just one more chance.And when that chance was given to him, he swore that he would change everything. He would no longer be a hero to save people, but an anti-hero to save the world.Sacrificing hundreds of people to save an elf, poisoning hundreds of people to save a group of half-demons.He didn't care about any of that anymore, he would protect those he cared about and send everything else to hell.Not even the gods or goddesses could stop him.

Time had run out. Azrael hadn't been chosen by the system, leaving him Forsaken with no hope for a prosperous life.But he wasn’t going to let it end like this. Even if it meant trading his life for a single chance, he would take it. It was either a life of greatness, one where he would reach the very top… or a short one, dying here, unmourned and forgotten by a cursed world that never cared he existed.“An early end in pursuit of greatness sounds better than a slightly longer one filled with stagnation and regret.”In the end, all the things he had done hadn’t been for naught. The sacrifices up until now had been worth it.[Inborn Trait activated][System devoured][Inborn Trait is fusing with the system][Devouring System has been granted]To his surprise, however, his system proved to be far more extraordinary than the others, granting him a unique path that only he could follow.With that realization, one thing became certain: no matter what monster or human stood in his way, he would reach the very top of the hierarchy, regardless of the cost.

Chen Feng looked cautious in the awakening room, lest he had no martial spirit, but was detected to have nine martial spirits, and the audience was in an uproar.

Everyone thought that his martial spirits were ordinary, but they didn’t know that Chen Feng’s nine martial arts were not ordinary plants, but nine divine trees that were unique in the ancient times, and each of them possessed incredible power!

Such a divine tree, as long as one, is enough to step into the peak of the human race, and he has nine!

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