MTL - Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece - v9 Chapter 178 The Surrender of Athens (1)

Cain was living his best life as the leader of CROSS, a gang ruling Zone A, District 4.At 21, thanks to constant cigarettes and booze, he looked older than his years. He didn’t finish college or have a job, but he made a living through “guard fees” from local markets and his shady side business.One night, his life turned upside down when a shooting star crashed through his window, transforming into a cute fairy girl in a pink dress and rabbit hat, who declared herself the Idol-Idol Goddess!Now, Cain has to juggle being a gang leader and a rising idol star. Can he balance both lives without blowing his cover?[RPG System Style. No Harem. Drama. Romance. Face Slapping. Idol. Magical Realism. Urban Setting. Beautiful Female Lead. Strong ML. Smart ML. Handsome ML. Cold ML] XD

This is the first part, the second part is “Playing Fish Trapped in a Secret Room (密室困游鱼 Mi Shi Kun You Yu)”.

In 2007, at the WCG Asian Tournament in Singapore. In just a few hours time, between left and right hands, there goes a life and death battle. In the Chinese team that year, there is a professional player who’s only 15 years old, nicknamed “God’s Left Hand”. At that match, he sits right next to her.

Their professional lives start from 14 years old until they retire, disappear, at 25 years old.

In these non-mainstream tournaments, where a small niche of the population follows closely, their only possessions are a mouse, keyboard, and headphone each. There they won gold medals one after another for China.

He Youran grew up in the countryside. Her father did not love her, her stepmother did not love her, and her grandmother was very annoyed with her.

When she was 18, her father gave her away to the handicapped Lu Qingzhuo to cancel out his bad luck.

On the first day she moved into the Lu family, she fell to the ground and almost broke Lu Qingzhuo’s manhood.

On the fifth day after she moved into the Lu family, she ruined Lu Qingzhuo’s famous painting worth ten million with a cup of coffee.

On the 20th day after she moved into the Lu family, she burned down the kitchen.

Lu Qingzhuo, who could not move easily, nearly choked to death from the smoke.

He Youran, “I’m really sorry. As compensation, let me treat your leg, okay?”

Lu Qingzhuo, “…Is this country bumpkin wife of his dumb?”

The Lu family heard the news and happily waited for the Lu family to kick Youran out of the family, only to find out that things did not progress the same way they expected them to be.

The best hospital in Imperial Capital, “Professor He is the best surgical professor our hospital ever has.”

The number one school in the world, “He Youran is the most excellent student our school has ever produced in a century.”

Hua Country’s virology research base, “Professor He is our department’s highest executive officer.”

The most sought-after singer in the entertainment circle, “Allow me to introduce He Youran to everyone. She’s my number one composer, Lan Zhao.”

Everyone who knew He Youran nearly went mad.

A certain handicapped man posted on Weibo: [@heyouran, baby, when are we registering our marriage?]

He Youran: [Huh? Didn’t we agree that our marriage is canceled?] The Lu family, “...”

How did the world transform so rapidly suddenly?

Setting: Female lead: Seemingly innocent and scatterbrained, but truly possessed impressive powers.

She was the creme de la creme in many fields. Male lead: Silent, reticent, loyal, and sincere.

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.