Substitute - Chapter 39

Marked by the cursed Darksign, Naruto Uzumaki finds himself tethered to two worlds: the unforgiving lands of Dark Souls and the shinobi realm of ninja. How will a world of Dark souls face a Chosen Undead with chakra? And how will the shinobi world confront a warrior reborn in the Lands of Lordran?

Octavius, misled by friends, embarks on a quest to clear his father's name, ultimately facing a tragic end with his sister.Their journey results in devastating loss, leaving him powerless and yearning for revenge against those who harmed his family. Spirits offer him a chance to reincarnate, but he refuses, saying;“What’s the point of a new life if I keep running from my problems”The entities are taken aback by his unwavering decision, having never encountered a spirit who refuses to escape their troubled past. They warn him about the evil being that now resides in his old body, but that only motivates him. He believed In the saying - to defeat a monster, you have to be twice as monstrous.Embracing his fate as The Phantom's Gambit, they traverse the shadowy path of retribution, their identities blur, secrets unravel, and the line between savior and monster fades.This is a tale of darkness and redemption, where justice is a blade, and revenge is the only way forward.

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.

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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?

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It had been two years since their marriage. However, every time he had s*x with her, he always did it from backwards.

She was more than angry. “Sheng Youting! Why do you avoid my face every time when you had me? Is it because that you are afraid to see it’s me rather than my sister that you get laid?!”

“Are you asking me to look at your face when I’m in you? OK, as long as you can bear!”

He was like a beast and all she could do was to accept what he gave…

Yu Lan had loved Sheng Youting for 11 years despite no response from him. Inferiority became part of her when she was with Sheng Youting. However, when she found it was so hard to continue her unrequited love and finally decided to exclude him from her world, her heart ached extremely and it nearly cost her life. It turned out that her love had become a habit and if it was stopped, she won’t be a whole man.