12 O'Clock Marionette - Chapter 64

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.

Zhou Rui had just turned 20 when his life took an unexpected turn. He was hit by a truck one day. Just as he was convinced he was about to die, something strange happened. Instead of waking up in the afterlife, he opened his eyes as a baby. Later, he learn he had reborn as Lumien Ofnir, the youngest son of a baron.As Lumien grew up, he realized this world was nothing like Earth. Magic was real, and creatures like goblins, orcs, dragons, titans, and other mythical creatures were part of everyday life.Fortunately, in this dangerous world, Lumien received another blessing. It was a system.Follow Lumien's journey as he begins to explore this new world with the support of a Harem System. The mysterious cheat that allows him to copy and develop the magical powers of any woman he has slept with.[Author’s Note: The earlier chapters might feel slow and boring, but I promise it’ll all be worth it once the pace picks up.]

Sabrina Jewel found out she was pregnant after so many pregnancy tests. The same day, her husband, the powerful President of Jewels Group of Companies in NY city, Robin Jewel, brought another woman home after Sabrina had endured his escapades with ceaseless women and tried to be a good wife.“What? After all the sperm, you could not for once be pregnant. Not even a miscarriage. She did your job for you,” Robin pinned the blame on Sabrina.Sabrina’s world crumbled right before her eyes. She left her family for this idiot but not anymore. His father knew who she was but Robin never took the pain to even research about her throughout their three years of marriage. Since he got another woman pregnant, she was done for good.“I have had enough, Robin. It’s either she leaves or I leave….”

Jianjing was reborn into a parallel world and became a genius novelist.Or rather, the soon-to-be deceased young genius novelist…[System Warning]: You committed su*cide, estimated time of death in 10 minutes.[Mandatory Mission]: Escape from the enclosed room.[Reward and Punishment]: Successful escape means the author continues the story, failure means the story is abandoned.Jianjing: WTF?!System: This is just the beginning, face the storm ahead!Jianjing’s view of herself: An ordinary bestselling novelist.Others’ view of her: “Novelist Detective”, “Honorable Citizen for Bravery and Justice”, “Police Consultant”, “Surprise Guest for Horror House Shows”, “Human Representative Against Unknown Creatures”…