Assassin's Chronicle - Chapter 531: Charm

A man reborn, more interested in his next meal than clan politics, finds himself caught in a power play that could reshape Konoha.Uchiha Masashi has seen it all before - literally. With memories of his past lives and abilities that shouldn't be possible, he'd rather perfect his combat skills than deal with clan drama.But when the newly appointed Fourth Hokage shows up with a proposal to unleash the Uchiha's power beyond their traditional police role, even Masashi has to pay attention. The clan sees opportunity. The village sees profit. Masashi sees the threads of fate that once led to his clan's destruction starting to weave again.As the Uchiha rush to prove themselves “ten times better than the Hyūga,” Masashi walks a fine line between duty and survival.He knows too much - about the Nine-Tails incident that could destroy his clan's reputation, about young Shisui's tragic destiny, about the wheels already in motion.The question is: will he bother trying to change any of it?After all, in a world where even the strongest must sometimes bend to fate, sometimes the smartest move is to grab some dango and watch it all unfold.

Based on the popular Vocaloid series, by HoneyWorks, called “Kokuhoku Yokou Renshuu (Confession Rehearsal)“:

Natsuki, a third-year at Sakuragaoka High School, who holds unrequited feelings for her childhood friend, Yuu, who’s in the Film Club. However, instead of being honest about her feelings, she makes him be her confession “rehearsal” partner. Unable to say her true feelings, things start to get complicated when Miou and Akari, who are also in the Art Club, get involved! Will she ever be able to confess for real!?

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.

=========================================

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?

……………………………………………………………

Dear readers! Without any ads, maybe you will prefer .

The world is full of mysteries. Strange, seemingly unexplainable events occur more often than we may realize. A young boy may catch an illness no doctor can explain. An office may catch fire for no apparent reason. And perhaps, someone may die a sudden and unexpected death – their bodies blighted beyond recognition.

Some might believe that these events are merely freak accidents.

However, Ye Shaoyang knows otherwise.

The youngest inner disciple ever in the prestigious Daoist Maoshan Sect. Talented, handsome, and a hillbilly from the mountains who still uses a brick phone in the modern age.

Follow the tale of our quirky, snippy, but honorable hero, after he finally descends the mountains after fifteen years of being out of touch with normal society. Read on as he combats horrifying apparitions, charms ladies, and finds himself in all sorts of trouble along the way!

A story that delves into Daoism, Chinese sorcery, and the supernatural from Asian mythology.

- Description from Novelupdates