Infernal Ascendancy - Chapter 2: Summoning of the Five Pillars

[The 34th Galaxy Award for Best Online Novel][The No.1 on the Science Fiction Literature IP Adaptation Value Potential List (2023)][The Best Chinese Science Fiction Online Novel]…Have you heard?When the night is deep and silent, if you open your music player, put on headphones, curl up under the covers, and cover your head, listening to the same song on loop.After the loop has played forty-four times and you fall asleep, if you’re unlucky, when you open your eyes again, you will no longer be lying in your own bed, but will have entered a bizarre space completely isolated from reality.That space… on the surface, it appears to be places we commonly see, such as one’s own bedroom, the living room at home, the underground garage, the bathroom, the basketball court, construction sites, etc., but if you observe carefully, you’ll realize that everything is different…everything.====This is the story of an ordinary person, named Common, who after acquiring supernatural abilities, gradually transforms and grows in an alternate world, ultimately reaching the pinnacle of their experience.

—〔WSA 2025 ENTRY〕—What happens when fate twists reality itself? What if someone finally obtains the one thing they've longed for since birth?Arvian got reincarnated into a horrible novel after performing a ritual to claim mysterious rewards offered by Webnovel—the Webnovel System and an Exclusive reward.Waking up in a cave surrounded by a villainous organisation, Arvian found himself; luckily, he was reincarnated with his own body.He sees cruel people, bloodlines, demons, reapers, monsters, and elves, and unfortunately gets dragged by UNHUMAN MISSIONS.Follow Arvian as he finds himself stuck with unhuman missions after failing a mission.Ding!][System Initializing...]...[All Activation Conditions met][Webnovel System Activated!]Congratulations! The Webnovel System has been successfully activated![Webnovel System]:「Gain 3x rewards for completing quests, missions, or eliminating enemies.」「Access the Novel Store, where you can purchase any item or ability of your choice from the novels you have read.」

Layton just wanted a weekend alone in the wilderness. Instead, he woke up in a nightmare.Earth has been inducted into a multiversal system, and survival is no longer guaranteed. Forced into a brutal wave dungeon with no warning, no tutorial, and no gear, Layton accidentally locks himself into the weakest class—Healer.That’s when things start feeling… off.He’s leveling way too fast. His so-called “support” class? Feels anything but weak. And his only ally? A too-intelligent, bloodthirsty predator that might be more than just an animal.Something is wrong with this system. Layton just has to survive long enough to figure out what.

Adam begins as an ordinary high school student whose life is shattered when his parents vanish. The police later declare their deaths a double suicide, a conclusion Adam refuses to accept.His persistent quest for a real investigation leads him into a dark conspiracy when two corrupt police officers kidnap, torture, and murder him. In his final moments, they reveal his parents were also murdered by an untouchable, powerful entity.Instead of dying permanently, Adam awakens with a new reality: he has been granted a 'System' and the supernatural ability of 'Return by Death,' forcing him to relive his final days.Confused, Adam tries to confide in his trusted teacher, only to be betrayed and killed once again. This time, he learns the staggering reason for his persecution: a $100 million bounty has been placed on his head, making everyone a potential enemy.Dying again and again is horrible. The pain changes Adam completely. The sad, normal boy he once was is gone. He becomes a cold and ruthless killer. He trusts no one. If he even suspects someone might be a threat, he will kill them without a second thought. His only goals are to survive this deadly game and get revenge for his parents.During one of his loops, while investigating, Adam crosses paths with a female classmate being tormented by bullies. He saves her in a moment of detached action and quickly forgets the incident, focused only on his own war. For the girl, however, this act of salvation ignites an intense and devoted love.This devotion becomes a tragic and recurring element in his nightmare. The girl, willing to do anything for him, repeatedly throws herself in harm's way to protect him, often dying in his place across multiple loops.Adam is now trapped not only in a fight against a vast conspiracy but also in a cycle of watching an innocent person die for him, further cementing his transformation into a hardened protagonist who has lost nearly everything, including his own humanity.