MTL - The Life Through Books of the Salted Fish Family - Chapter 180 tree = balance

“Sarah, I promise to help you rise again, to bring back the light to your career and take down whoever shall stand in your way, but in exchange, be my wife” Mason whispered.“I... I appreciate your offer, Mason, but a contract marriage? Can we really keep it a secret?” Sarah returned reluctantly.In the aftermath of a heart-wrenching betrayal, Sarah Chen, the esteemed songstress of Wuhan, crosses paths with the Mason Liu. Heir to Asia's most influential dynasty, Mason, with promises of restoration and secrets, proposes a contract marriage to Sarah in exchange of helping her bounce back to her position as number one of Wuhan. As she hesitantly agrees, will Sarah find not only a path back to stardom but also an unexpected journey of love and self-discovery in Mason's perfect world?

Lin Fan was transported to another world, into the body of a normal disciple. Given the environment he was in, Lin Fan faced the risk of being killed at any time. However, something was out of place.

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.

=========================================

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?

……………………………………………………………

Dear readers! Without any ads, maybe you will prefer .

Damien Julian is an 18-year-old loser, who has been bullied and mistreated his entire life, at home, he has to deal with his abusive father, and at school, he is constantly been bullied by delinquents, and to make things worse he is always looked down upon by his peers, till one day a mysterious screen appear before him as it said.

[The world has seen the lingering evil in your heart]

[Would you like to be one of the nine demon kings of this world]

[If so what are you willing to sacrifice?]

In the heat of the moment, Damien made a deal with the world, that he would give up everything he owns, or do anything it wants, and in exchange, he shall be reborn as a new Demon King, and what the world required from him as payment was.

[In exchange for power, become a slave of the world, and act as an anti-body for all eternity]

At that moment, Damien agreed, but little did Damien know, that becoming a slave to the world meant he has to be its immune system, what that entail is, that anything that threaten the world must be destroyed even if he has to wipe out humanity, to save it, or assassinate historical figures to bring fort balance or even manipulating events that can potentially end the world, to save the world, this is the story of a necessary evil, not the story of a hero who cares for others.