Strongest Medical Saint - Chapter 20 Awake

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.

Lin Momo hasn’t had a father or a mother since she was very young and lives with the grandmother who picked her up after being thrown away. One day, a person claiming to be an agent approached her and asked her to pretend to be the daughter of a certain star and participate in the recording of a reality show, and she would be given 20,000 yuan after the filming was completed.

Looking at her poor family, Lin Momo thought for 2 seconds and agreed.

This reality show is called ‘Living with Dad’. Dad takes the baby and randomly draws a family background to experience a different life every week.

The night before the recording of the program, Lin Momo had a dream that after the program was broadcast, only the team of the former singer—Lin Cheng—had bad reviews: the daughter is not cute; the father has no fatherly love; and the father and daughter have no communication at all during the whole process.

The audience pointed out: ‘He doesn’t know how to take care of a baby at all’; ‘It’s really embarrassing’; ‘There is no sense of presence’, ‘I hate this pair the most’; ‘It’s not good-looking at all, I suggest you go offline’ and so on…

Later, more black material popped up, Lin Cheng’s career and reputation collapsed completely, and Lin Momo’s 20,000 yuan was also lost. She was forcibly sent to an orphanage with the ‘help’ of Internet celebrities and caring people.

In order to keep her 20,000 yuan, Lin Momo was determined to perform well.

However, the father-daughter combination of Lin Momo and Lin Cheng still became the contrast team and the audience reaction is palpably different:

Other teams: ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh so cute!
Contrast team: Hey, my daughter is so sensible.

Other teams: It’s great to be a star.
Contrast team: The life of outdated stars is so miserable.

Other teams: This is a parent-child interactive program.
Contrast team: This turned out to be a survival show?!

Other teams: Dad, come on, raise your children.
Contrast team who drew the [Unemployed Families] card: Daughter, come on and support Dad!

Lin Momo: “I have to work hard to make money, otherwise my father will starve to death.”

Lin Cheng: “I have to work hard to make money, otherwise I will have to take my daughter back to inherit tens of billions of property.”

——————

Lin Cheng, who hasn’t ‘appeared’ for half a year, received a call from his agent and was given a contract.

Lin Cheng: “Appearance fee?”

Agent: “None.” The appearance fee is 100,000 yuan, but the backer was invited to dinner for 300,000 yuan, so the remainder is negative.

Lin Cheng: “Script?”

Manager: “None.” The program team didn’t have time to write one.

Lin Cheng: “Draw lots?”

Agent: “Still no.” As the contrast team, there is no right to choose the family background.

Lin Cheng: “Is there a child?”

Manager: “Yes.”

Looking at the ‘fake’ child who looked too much like him, Lin Cheng had a weird feeling.

- Description from Novelupdates

For as long as he could remember, life had always been cruel.A young man in his early twenties—his name now lost to the past—was dealt a life filled with misfortunes.A cold, empty apartment, a soul-crushing job, and, finally, a terminal diagnosis.With nothing left to live for, his only comfort had been escaping into the fictional world of Path of the Elemental Sage, a story of heroes, magic, and survival.But fate had other plans.When death finally came for him, he didn’t fade into nothingness.Instead, he awoke in the world he had only read about—a world of chaos and danger where death lurked around every corner.The air smelled of magic, the sky was filled with possibilities.{«[Status Window]»}[Name: Lyrium Blackwood][Age: 16][Rank: D-][Skills: None][Elements: None}At first, confusion filled his mind.Who was Lyrium Blackwood?Why was he here?And why did this body feel so different?But as his memories returned, so did the realization: this wasn’t some blessing or second chance.He wasn’t reincarnated as the protagonist.No destined savior.No cheat abilities.No grand fate.He was just another mob, a face in the crowd meant to exist and die without leaving a mark.But this young man—the one who had left his old name and life behind—wasn’t the kind of person to roll over and accept his fate.“This world is dangerous. The protagonist isn’t the only one fighting for survival here,”he muttered, his red eyes deep and sharp.Unlike the naïve characters in the story, he knew the stakes.He’d read the web novel.He’d seen the carnage, the betrayals, the disasters that wiped out entire cities.And if there was one thing he refused to be, it was a pawn in someone else’s game.“I don’t care about glory. I don’t care about saving the world. All I care about is surviving—no matter what it takes.”Lyrium Blackwood wasn’t planning to live quietly or avoid danger.The only way to survive in this brutal world was to rise to the top.To be strong enough to stand above both heroes and villains.Using his knowledge of the story’s events and his iron will, Lyrium sets out on a relentless path to surpass the protagonist.Whether through clever manipulation, brutal training, or sheer desperation, he’ll climb higher and higher, leaving nothing to chance.But the deeper he gets, the more he realizes that this isn’t just the story he once read.As fate pushes him closer to the heart of the narrative, Lyrium begins to suspect that his reincarnation wasn’t an accident—and the world itself might be watching him.“I don’t care who or what stands in my way. If the story wants to kill me, I’ll rewrite the ending myself.”----------------------------------I apologize for any mistakes in this story, as it’s my first attempt at writing a novel.

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!?