Forbidden Heat R18 - Chapter 5: A Present from Edward

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.

A hundred centuries ago, Daoist Jing Yuan died from lightning. A hundred centuries later, he comes back to life, but discovers that the stars have shifted and the world has transformed by leaps and bounds.

Marketplace: Selling herbs for 10 coppers each, alleviates fevers and detoxifies, reduces swelling and relieves pain.

Jing Yuan: Isn’t this the main precious herb used for Foundation Establishment Pills?

Auction house: Advanced level cultivation method starting at 30,000 spirit-stones!

Jing Yuan: Isn’t this the trashiest cultivation method you could find anywhere on the streets?

Art gallery: “The 100 Influential Figures of the Cultivation World”

Jing Yuan: Aren’t these my good friends A, B, C, D and old enemies 1, 2, 3, 4?

Bookstore: “Jing Yuan: A Biography“, “Memoirs of Jing Yuan“, “An Intro to Daoist-Master Jing Yuan’s Legendary Life“, “Honored Master Jing Yuan Teaches You How to Guide Qi into the Body“, “The Seven Habits of Founder Jing Yuan”

Jing Yuan: ?? Isn’t this me? Wait, when did I gain seven habits?

The companions he once journeyed with have long passed away, and not even 1/10 of the formerly glorious cultivation legacies remain. Yet, in this world without him, his legend still exists. This kind of feeling, is a bit embarrassing…

- Description from Novelupdates

This thought had grown deep in William’s mind!

The world has become a video game-like place. Monsters began to appear everywhere on the planet, governments began to dispatch armies to protect cities, but powerful monsters were unaffected by common weapons.

When despair was about to make humanity destroy itself, people began to awaken powers that made them strong enough to deal with the mighty monsters.

These people were called “Awakened Ones”.

Years passed and society got used to dealing with monsters. Children who once dreamed of becoming actors, musicians or youtubers, now dreamed of “Awakening” to receive powers, fight monsters and receive the fame and money that came with this dangerous profession.

Leo was also like those children, and when he turned 17 his powers also awakened, but very different from what he imagined it would be.

[Congratulations, you have awakened the “Hack” power. Your first skill is “Aim-bot.”]

[Aim-bot: Regardless of which weapon you use, no shot will miss.]

And the stronger Leo got, the more powers he would unlock.

“Aim-Bot, Wall Hack, Speed ​​Hack, Fly Hack, Kill-Aura, Teleport Hack… all the hacks people used in games now I can use in real life?!” Leo was shocked when he saw the abilities he would unlock.

“I often heard people say that the world is a playground for rich and powerful people, now this will become my own playground!” Leo told himself a few years ago as a joke, but no one could have imagined that those words would become an absolute truth years later.