The Phantom's Gambit - Chapter 12: Identity

Procrastinator extraordinaire, Fang Ning, had lost his consciousness after banging his head on a night of celebration. He woke up to a realization that he no longer had control of his body, as a System had taken it over. Will he eventually regain control of his body or will he be trapped in his body forever? How does he maneuver this situation? What’s in store for Fang Ning?

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.

[Participating in WSA 2024]#SYSTEM #GENDERBENDER #CROSSDRESSINGYun Shu crossed over in a game world and became one of the suitors for the General's daughter aka the Female Lead?In this world, the Male Leads are obsessed with the Female Lead, but she has no interest in them whatsoever.To have a safe long life and avoid the bad ending, Yun Shu decided to propose the Female Lead with an assurance of a contract marriage.She also agreed with the conditions in the contract and married her in a moment of desperation to get her freedom back.After the marriage everything became peaceful and all, but why does the Female Lead look at her in a weird way?She will snuggle in her arms and even wants to sleep together in the same bed?“Why are you doing this? You know it very well that I'm not interested in girl's!” Yun Shu yelled at her.But the woman pressed her in bed underneath her as she whispered in her ears, “I'm a man and you are a woman? What's the big deal?”Yun Shu, “...”

IntroductionQiankun Wenqing Valley: After Tang San successfully defeated the God of Destruction, he planned to take action himself and begin taming Huo Yuhao...Suddenly, a mysterious black hole appeared, sucking all the creatures from the Douluo Continent and the God Realm into the plane cracks!Then, a comparison live broadcast appeared, revealing the vastly different lives of two Huo Yuhaos!Huo Yuhao in the Original World: As a child, he was bullied by the Duchess and Dai Huabin. During his time at Shrek Academy, he was deceived and manipulated. Even though he had a girlfriend, he could only look at her but never touch her! His surname was even changed in the finale! Controlled by Tang San like a mere pet, his life was nothing but tragedy.Huo Yuhao in the Parallel World: From a young age, he took control of his own fate—beheading the Duchess, defeating Dai Huabin, and escaping the Duke’s palace with his mother! He saw through the corruption of Shrek Academy in time and led everyone to flee together. As an adult, he took revenge personally, killing the scumbag Duke White Tiger! He destroyed the seal Tang San had placed on Wang Donger’s body, allowing her to give birth to a child, and when Tang San came to settle the score, he cut him to pieces...Original Timeline Huo Yuhao: “After comparing myself with him, I finally realize what a failure my life has been. I want to be like him. I refuse to be a coward any longer! Tang San, die!”Disclaimer: This is translation