Paintings of Terror - Chapter 37: The Only Thing that Can Prevail Over Faith, is a Stronger Faith

Welcome to the world that has shed its old skin.

It's an age of avant-garde technologies that break common sense. Science that transcends fantasy. And yet, it has lost its charm in the face of something even more fantastical.

The presence of mana is for those who are blessed by their origins. The Rankers are the true elites of their circles.

A long lifespan is possible. Gaining superhuman powers is feasible. But what use is personal power when the entire existence of your species is on the line?

Things on Earth are much more serious than the general populace is aware of. A threat of the unknown looms over the existence of everything living and otherwise.

Humanity may soon need to leave the only place it calls home. And seek shelter somewhere else in the infinite universe.

Who would find the Oasis for humans who have never been so powerful or as helpless as they are now? Will it be the hero they asked for? Or will it be the not-a-hero they need?

What happens when that not-a-hero gains one of the most broken powers?

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I am lost and found

In the world of dreams

My serenity awaits

Amid the banshee screams!

Within mayhem, I'll find my reason

Within sorrows, my bliss

In the darkness, I'll see my light

In the desert, my oasis!

- Grayback

Anne, a shy and introvert woman, was in love with Denis for ten years. But Denis had someone in his heart. When his girlfriend left him to pursue her career, he finally noticed Anne and asked her to be his girlfriend.Anne stayed devoted to him for three years, but Denis cheated on her with his first love. Worse, his scheming ex-girlfriend killed her.Fate gave her another chance. Anne was reborn. This time, she vowed to take revenge on everyone who had hurt her.Augustine, the CEO of the Sphere Group of industries, was powerful and wealthy. But he died from his family’s conspiracy.Reborn, he was determined to punish those who had schemed against him.In his past life, he had failed to protect Anne, his savior. This time, he vowed to love her and keep her safe with his life.But Anne no longer believed in love.~~~~~~~~~“Will you marry me?” Augustine’s eyes sparkled with anticipation and nervousness.However, Anne was calm. “Yes,” she replied blankly. “I’ll marry you. But don’t expect anything from me. Love is the last thing I can give you.”He smirked and took a step closer to her. “Miss Clair,” he pinched her chin, “are you sure you won’t fall for me? Can you resist my charm?”Anne’s breathing hitched, her stomach fluttering. The challenge in his eyes and his husky voice threaten to shatter her resolve to never fall in love again.“Let me promise you one thing: in this life, I’ll love you, cherish you always. All I want is your faith.”

When people awaken, their class gets ranked.F means nothing.SS means everything.Nobody talks about SSS ranks, because they aren’t real. Well, they weren’t real until he became one.Lucen Ivara was fine with staying average. Keep his head down, take low-tier jobs, eat something hot once in a while. That was the plan.Then his system came online.It didn’t follow the rules.There were no guides. It seemed limitless. There weren’t any safety rails he could cling into.Just a blank interface and a quiet message floating in front of him.[You are the first.]Now Lucen is crafting spells no one’s seen before, hiding a class that could get him killed, and trying to scrape by in a city where dungeon breaks, guild politics, and hidden power plays are part of daily life.He’s not looking to be a hero.But with power like this, staying invisible might be the hardest thing to do..

Within the dream of the dreamer, the one who was dreamed of awoke.

… Borges

“I exist in the sunlight, the wind, between the heavens and the earth, and also in dreams.”

One night, Yu Hao, a college student who was at his wits’ end had an unexpected encounter with a mysterious visitor – “General” – who had dream travelled. He led Yu Hao in solving the countless riddles that abounded in the realm of the conscious, and lit up the fire beacons on the meandering Great Wall.

Thereafter, the darkness retreated, the sun rose, and when the long night was thoroughly lit up, the him who existed in reality was reborn.

The black dragon that roared, the lighthouse and demonic eye on the coastline, the rain forest before Chichén Itzá, the fierce beasts that wreaked havoc in the Colosseum…the bizarre projection of reality in one’s consciousness reflected the hidden place that the sunlight in reality couldn’t touch – the innumerable sins of the human heart.

The journey of seizing dreams continues, and one can only hope that the sun will continue illuminating the human heart.

…

Fire beacons on the Great Wall were lit up to signal a border invasion.

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