Penitent - Chapter 52: The Fort

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.

The virtual reality game “History of the Arcana Continent” became part of reality, and “players” who were synchronized with their in-game characters appeared to protect the world.Lee Hoyeol, who was an ordinary salaryman, took over the body of the character he created in middle school, “Grandfell Claudi Arpeus Romeo.” Under normal circumstances, it would have been an absolute failure of a career, but Grandfell, whose occupation is a “demon hunter,” becomes extremely proud in front of demons!The only demon hunter in this world, Grandfell (= Lee Hoyeol) starts to make a move!

“A cheat system? Do you take me for a fool? Nowadays, where can you find such a good thing falling into your lap? Scram from my head. Is this is new kind of fraud? Or is this a murderer training system of aliens that contains the ability of hypnotism?”

“No, I am the chaos that whispers from nothingness, the nightmare of all living beings in the Southern Ten Stars, the successor of the unparalleled God and… your elder sister.”

“…I only have a younger sister, I don’t have an elder sister!”

“No, you have one. I am an illegitimate daughter. It’s just that your dad didn’t inform you.”

- Description from Novelupdates

On the eve of their wedding, Yan Changsheng brought back a girl and publicly called off the marriage.Only then did Shen Qinghe realize that Yan Changsheng was the crazy male lead from a book, and the girl was the irresistible female protagonist.As for her, she was just early cannon fodder fated to die, and her elder sister was the malevolent female supporting character whom everyone wanted to beat up.Tsk, the plot is just freaking ridiculous!After awakening, Shen Qinghe busied herself with cultivation, protecting her elder sister.Yet, unknowingly seizing the female protagonist's luck, she attracted several crazy male leads, each of them forcibly taking what they wanted from her.She thought Dongfang Wuya was relatively normal, but who knew he was crazier, actually seizing the position of Heavenly Emperor and then forcibly marrying her to become the Heavenly Empress!**As the high and mighty belle of the cultivation world, Dongfang Wuya had countless admirers and fans. Yet he was devoted to cultivation, treating love as if it were dirt.Initially thinking Shen Qinghe was deeply in love with him, he sternly advised her, “Focus on your cultivation, do not get distracted by romantic entanglements!”Later, irked by her dedication to cultivation, he pressed her into his arms and kissed her, seductively coaxing with a playful smile, “Be my Daoist companion, and I'll aid you in cultivation, hmm?”[Asura Field, Cremation Ground, Male Rivalry, Su Wen]