MTL - The Little Merman - Chapter 31

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 .

Yang Qizhou unexpectedly obtained a text-based role-playing game called 【Deceit World】 and discovered that the rewards he received in the game could be brought into reality, and various bizarre events also began to unfold in the real world.In the era of ancient earth, ancient god sacrifices, the return of the old gods, strangeness rises, horror rampages, the unknown and the mysterious coexist, distortion and evil thrive, the sun cannot be directly viewed, the night cannot last long, dreams involve calamity, and the river of death holds terror... This is an era where even deities can fall, and even the sky can decay.Yang Qizhou obtained the 'Blasphemous Dark Crow' and, relying on the ability to restart fate, embarked on the path to become the 'Master of Blasphemy'.

Forget about moving to the other side of the world and starting over.The Apocalypse is here!As the only survivor of the Tutorial Quest in his area, Elijah awakens the Class of “Depraved Hero”, an ominous-sounding Class with a Legendary Rank!Additionally, because of the insane difficulty as well as his Clear Rank, he gains the Skills that, according to the mysterious figure that is the Administrator, he needs most.[You have Developed the Skill “Absolute Authority[A]”.][You have Developed the Skill “Slave Mark[C]”.]

The Age of Gods has long since ended, their voices no longer heard on the continent of Douluo. Humanity, standing on the shoulders of legends from its history, advanced soul technology to inconceivable heights. The humans of Douluo invented weapons of mass destruction, mechanized armor, and living metals. With these advancements, they went on to conquer the oceans and discovered two new continents. To fuel these new technologies, humanity hunted the soul beasts to the very brink of extinction.

Once the dominant force of Douluo, the few surviving soul beasts now hide in the darkest recesses of their last sanctuary. The weakest have all been hunted, leaving only the strongest to scheme in the heart of the forest. The soul beasts, not willing to fade away, plot an uprising for their survival. In the midst of this, a god from a long forgotten era awakens in the depths of the Great Star Dou Forest to seek vengeance for the soul beasts.

As darkness encroaches from the abyss, hope is found in a young boy who holds a power beyond divinity within himself—Tang Wulin! Hope for both humanity and the soul beasts, as the bridge between the two. He finds his way into the fabled halls of Shrek Academy, where he learns to wield his prodigious powers, makes friends and finds allies, eventually rising to become a towering leader.

As he learns to harness his strength, danger lurks within the shadows as the various factions of humanity maneuver and plot to usurp Shrek Academy. Tang Wulin discovers the threat to the only world he knows as he sinks deeper into the intrigue. Meanwhile, camouflaged by the chaos and unbeknownst to the humans, the soul beasts’ plot continues to steadily advance.

To defend what he loves and reclaim what was lost, Tang Wulin must seek out the legacies of legends past and unlock the full might of the Golden Dragon King!