The Highest Bounty - Chapter 246 - Giant Golden Dragon

The world froze.Literally froze. The chattering students, the falling cherry blossoms outside the window, even the dust motes in the air – all suspended in perfect stillness.“Oh wonderful hero,” a melodious voice echoed through the room. “Your world faces a terrible crisis, and you have been chosen to—”“No,” he said flatly.A pause. Then a shimmer of golden light coalesced into the form of a beautiful woman in flowing robes. She blinked at him. “I... what?”“I said no. I'm not interested in whatever quest or destiny you're selling. Pick someone else.”The goddess's perfect features creased in confusion. “But... but you've been chosen! The prophecy speaks of a warrior with a fierce spirit, one who—”“Lady, I don't care about your prophecy. I've got enough problems here without adding some fantasy world's issues to the mix. Now un-freeze time and leave me alone.”“You don't understand,” she pressed. “Our world is being ravaged by the Demon King's armies! Millions will die without—”

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.

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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?

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The sky and the earth are infinitesimal as a grain, and a life of peace is like the sea.

Lu Heng, who crossed over to the other world, found himself transformed into a huge white wolf, a mountain God of a remote mountain with a group of villagers under his rule.

In this strange and wild world, demons and giant beasts run rampant, and human order is almost non-existent.

These, however, are not what Lu Heng needs to think about. What he needs to think about now is how to tell this group of villagers that he does not need little girls.

Besides, he actually doesn’t want to be a God anymore…

In a world where the boundaries between dimensions are thinning, a young man named Kael Ardent is thrust into the Eternal Nexus, a realm where countless worlds converge. Here, the laws of reality are dictated by Aether, a mystical energy that fuels both creation and destruction. Kael discovers he is a Nexus Warden, a rare being capable of manipulating Aether to bridge worlds and command the forces of the Nexus.But the Nexus is not a place of peace. It is a battleground for Eldari, ancient beings who seek to control the Nexus and use its power to dominate all existence. Kael must navigate this treacherous realm, forge alliances with warriors from other worlds, and unlock the secrets of his own latent powers. As he grows stronger, he uncovers a prophecy that foretells the rise of a Prime Warden, a hero who will either save the Nexus or doom it to eternal chaos.