Antagonist Protection Service - Chapter 26: Reward

Su-jin is a high school student whose life is filled with loneliness. Weighed down by school bullying, personal struggles, and isolation, she finds herself growing weary of everything. At that moment, a mysterious shadow enters her life—a man she only sees in her dreams, through his face remains hidden. Surprisingly, his influence extends beyond her dreams, shaping her into a stronger, braver, and happiest person.As time passes, Su-jin finds herself drawn to him, yet his presence brings more than just emotions—it leads her to extraordinary friendships and unexpected adventures.Among them is Yeong-ae, a skilled spy who enrolls in Su-jin's school to investigate the mysterious death of a girl named Ha-na. And then there is Jung-hee, a young detective who begins working as an undercover high school student on a major case. Along the way, she unexpectedly meets Su-jin, which gradually develops into a deep friendship.Day by day, Su-jin's life becomes like an adventure book; each page of which becomes an unfolding adventure filled with excitement, romance, secrets, challenges, and discoveries. But in the midst of this mystery, will she ever find the invisible man who stole her heart?

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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The backstage manipulator of the Immortal Cultivation World, the sole law in the real world!After transmigrating to the Immortal Cultivation World, Su Ping diligently cultivated for twenty years.Trapped by his mediocre talent and seeing no hope for Foundation Establishment, he decided to lay low and become a wealthy layabout.Fortunately, he activated the Fishing Man game system.Not only could he obtain unscientific and non-immortal cultivation game props, and magical fish species through the fishing game, but also Pot Cave Heavens.He could even exchange his fish catches for Town Return Talismans, allowing Su Ping to return to Water Blue Star.Thus, the Immortal Cultivation World henceforth had a self-proclaimed Fishing Man as the backstage manipulator.And Water Blue Star gained a backstage boss who followed no rules but his own!

In the swamp, mosquitoes danced, and a five-meter long bay crocodile was firmly bound at the snout, its vertical pupils gleaming with ferocity. At that moment, a young man cover in mud was straddling it, and he was very modest in the face of audience’s praise.“I’m Bi Fang, a professional explorer. I have trekked atop the roof of the world and traversed through the Valley of Death, and I’ve even challenged the mysterious Amazon. Even the National Geographic has named me the world’s premier survival expert, the king of the wild at the top of the food chain, but trust me, that’s all an overstatement…”Under the crimson clouds, Bi Fang silently tightened the rope in his hand and, seeing that the bay crocodile beneath him had finally stopped struggling, he pulled out the Hunting Knife and killed it with a single strike to the underside of its jaw.“Today is the second day of survival. I thought I would have to endure another hungry night, but now it seems, dinner has taken care of itself.”