The Desolate Era (Web Novel) - Book 4, Chapter 1 - His Waiting

Lingyun, a fierce and savage cultivation genius takes over a dead teenager’s body. Coincidentally, they are both named Lingyun. Set in a alternate version of the 21st century, teenager Lingyun has been killed by someone with a grudge.

After being torn from the only life she knew, 16-year-old Margo is forced into a new home with strangers who call themselves her parents. Haunted by memories of her past and consumed by feelings of isolation, she struggles to adapt to her unfamiliar surroundings. School offers little relief—until she meets Lucien, a mysterious boy who appears just when she needs a friend the most.Gabriel is everything Margo needs: kind, attentive, and always ready to whisk her away from her troubles. Each night, he invites her to secret places—an abandoned playground, a fog-choked garden, a crumbling train station at the edge of town—each more unsettling than the last. Yet with every chilling rendezvous, Margo feels more alive... more seen.But something isn’t right. Gabriel never comes to school during the day. Her adoptive parents never see him. And when they catch her talking to thin air, their concern deepens into fear. They say Gabriel isn't real—that he’s a figment of her imagination. Margo wants to believe them, but Gabriel feels real. More real than anything else in her life.As the nights grow colder and more twisted, Gabriel’s true nature begins to surface. Shadows move where they shouldn’t. Time warps in his presence. And the places they visit seem to echo with whispers from another world. Margo is forced to ask herself: Who—or what—is Gabriel? Why does he only want her? And what will happen on the final night he asks her to come with him?As the line between reality and delusion begins to crumble, Margo must make an impossible choice: stay in a world where she feels loved, or return to one that barely feels real.But one thing is certain—some friendships never let go.

So, I died. Face-planted on my keyboard after a 72-hour coding marathon. Very heroic. My one dying wish? To finally get some sleep.But the twist is : I got isekai'd. But I wasn't reborn as a legendary hero with a harem and a cheat skill. Nope. I'm a rock. A Dungeon Core, to be exact.My new job description is simple: create a terrifying labyrinth, murder heroes, and generally be a menace to society.Yeah, hard pass. That sounds like way too much paperwork. My new life goal is achieving a perfect 100-year nap.Luckily, I found a bug in the System—or maybe it's a feature? My unique “Slumber System” gives me way more XP (they call it Dungeon Points here) when adventurers take a nap than when I, you know, kill them. My assigned fairy guide, FaeLina, is having a non-stop panic attack about this. Apparently, “aggressive coziness” isn't covered in the Dungeon for Dummies handbook.So, I leaned into it. I started building the world's first 5-star dungeon resort, complete with fluffy moss beds that feel like clouds, a tea shop run by a friendly slime waiter, and pillows that hug you back. The place went viral. Knights come for the naps, mages for the therapeutic tea, and bards for the sweet, sweet content.The problem? My five-star reviews are tanking the property values of the 'Blood Pit' dungeon next door. I'm being forced into official Dungeon Tournaments where my ultimate weapon is a lavender-scented fog machine. And the stuffy bigwigs on the Fairy Council are starting to think my little “peaceful revolution” is a threat to their entire “kill-stuff-for-profit” business model.But the more I build, the more I realize this isn't just me being lazy. I'm uncovering an ancient, world-changing secret about why dungeons really exist, and it's a truth the gods themselves tried to bury.My name is Mochi, and my quest is to level up from a sleepy rock to the God of Dreams. My final boss isn't some dragon or demon lord. It's the original God of Combat himself.And I'm going to challenge him to a Nap Off for the fate of all reality.Who knew the path to ultimate power was this comfy?

Originally, the question Tang Xian was thinking about was whether he should be a hero for a second among this group of destructive bosses, or continue to pretend to be a boss.

Later he found out that if you pretend to be fake, it becomes real.

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