Industrial Cthulhu: Starting as an Island Lord - Chapter 158: Hope

Born as a test subject yearning for freedom, he never imagined that a gamble of fate would leave him as a youngest prince of the once-mighty Vijayanagar Empire in the 16th century India. Fueled by his undying thirst for absolute control and endless amusement, he stops at nothing to achieve his desires. Follow along as His actions, driven by a twisted sense of entertainment, plunging the empire into a maelstrom of chaos.Disclaimer:This novel is a work of fiction that explores historical events within the context of a parallel Earth. Any similarities to real-world historical occurrences are purely coincidental and are a product of the author's imagination. The intent is to offer an alternate perspective on history and should not be construed as an accurate representation of actual events. Reader discretion is advised.If you own the rights to the profile picture used by the author, please Let us know in the Comments for proper attribution or its removal. We appreciate your understanding and are committed to resolving any concerns regarding intellectual property rights.

A college student was returning home after studying abroad for several years when the end of the world happened. A dragon appeared out of nowhere and attacked the plane he was in, thanks to an incredible amount of luck and his quick-thinking, he managed to survive the plane crash only to get stuck on a tropical island. A weird system took over the world and brought monsters to Earth. While nations collapsed and the world as a whole was being destroyed by ridiculous monsters, Leon was stuck on a godforsaken island with no chances of being rescued. What will happen to him? How will the world change while he is away? Will he even manage to return? The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred.

If you had a golden apple, who would you give it to?Invited to the banquet, Luo En saw the golden apple in the plate inscribed with “To the fairest goddess” and the three goddesses embroiled in dispute before him, and he picked up a knife with a smug smile.The first step, peeling; he gave the skin to Aphrodite.“To be fair, you're quite pretty. As a layer of skin, you're not bad to look at.”The second step, slicing the flesh; he gave that to Hera.“As the queen of heaven, yet everyone in Olympus from 800-year-olds to animals has cuckolded you, including males, females, and even sheep. Since you can't save face anyway, take these insides.”The third step, he gave the remaining core to Athena.“You were supposed to be born a male god and take over Zeus's position, but due to Zeus's shenanigans, you lost that seed, so here, have this core.”Aphrodite clenched her fists, Hera raised her scepter, Athena summoned her spear and shield...Seeing this, Luo En quickly stepped back, shielding the goddess of discord, Eris, firmly in front of him.“And you still want to be the goddess of discord? Look at me; I got them to unite at once, even better than you with your instigation.”“...”Surrounded by Greek gods sharpening their knives, Eris was left in silence.

The country girl, Emily, was an orphan. She survived off the scraps that she could find from families around her. Every one of them despised her.

One day, a fairy-like little brother came to the city and brought her home.

At first, Emily wasn’t popular in other people’s homes, but she quickly awakened her god-tier learning talent. She could learn pretty much anything and everything in an instant.

Soon, Emily was regarded as a child prodigy. She was proficient in all sorts of arts, including zither, chess, and calligraphy, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

The elders and older brothers who didn’t really like her in the past were all captivated by her and spoilt her like a little fairy.

Every day, her grandparents, parents, uncles, aunties, and brothers fought to pamper her.

Grandpa said, “Baby, can you help Grandpa take a look at this painting?

Grandpa liked to collect oil paintings, but his deteriorating eyesight couldn’t discern good paintings from bad ones, and he kept getting tricked by sellers . So he had to consult the seven-year-old Emily because paintings that passed through Emily’s hands were never wrong.

Her father pleaded, “Baby, help me. The chairman of the Gu Site Corporation wants to get a calligraphy painting from you. This will determine whether my company can land a deal with them!”

Her brothers pleaded. “Baby, are you busy today? When are you going to visit your brother’s school? I promised the principal that I would bring you there. You can’t go back on your word.”