ShadowBound: The Need For Power - Chapter 40: The Realm Of Beasts

After an accidental death, in order to continue to live, Gu Bai had to choose to go through various wonderful books to complete tasks.

Every time he became a variety of small cannon fodder inside the story, Gu Bai’s code of conduct when completing task is – by all means, don’t be inferior, don’t be shameless, don’t be upright… hold on to a golden thigh.

… N times after transmigrating

Cannon fodder: (angry contempt) … You’re already so powerful, why are you still shamelessly holding on to a golden thigh to deal with us!?

Gu Bai: (deadpan) That… holding and holding… got used to it…

- Description from Novelupdates

She, a renowned assassin of the 21st century, actually crossed over to become Su Manor’s most useless good-for-nothing Fourth Miss.

He, Jin Empire’s imperial highness, was an emotionless overbearing demonic tyrant with unrivaled talent.

Everyone knew that she was idiotic and good-for-nothing and bullied her as they pleased. But only he, the overbearing tyrant with the discerning eye, wouldn’t let go of her even if his life depended on it.

For the time being, let’s just see how the stubborn versus stubborn clash and play out in this good show of the chaser and the chased.

What does it feel like to be hunted down by the whole just for being overpowered?___For centuries, the realms feared one thing, the birth of a child under the Blood Moon. A cursed child with the power to destroy everything.Every two hundred years, it happens. And every time, the realms unite to erase that child before their powers awaken.But this time, the Blood Moon didn’t rise. And yet, the child was born.Kaizen, 18 years old, was believed to be powerless, an ordinary hunter with no magic or magic core. What no one knew was that his abilities had been sealed since birth. Not just one, but all five elemental powers, water, fire, earth, ice, and shadow.The same power that once shattered the balance of the world.After a near-death encounter, the seal breaks. His powers begin to surface—unstable, dangerous, and impossible to ignore. Along with them comes a system that forces him to evolve and grow stronger.Now, Kaizen must hide the truth, survive among hunters, and face enemies far beyond anything he imagined. Because if the realms find out what he really is...They won’t hesitate to kill him.They promised this curse would never return.They were wrong.

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.