The Desolate Era (Web Novel) - Book 45, Chapter 4 - Within the Annihilation Hive

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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Dear readers! Without any ads, maybe you will prefer .

[ Warning: Mature content (R-18)]In a world where the strong is king and weak don't have any right to even raise their heads.Eric, a boy of humble origin, was beaten to half-death state and thrown into the Demon abyss.Luckily, he survived and even got a life-changing opportunity in the form of [Godly Devil System]However...“What? I'm a half devil and the most suitable path for me is of a Dual Cultivator?!”Join Eric as he rises from the bottom, breaks the societal norms, and create a place himself for the world.

A high-schooler who loves playing FPS games were reincarnated in the fantasy world. And usually, those who were isekaid were blessed with overpowered magic and a legendary beast. However, our main character is different.Instead of those things, he awakened a shop system where he could purchase American freedom! And since modern guns is as good as magic, he decided to make full use of this ability and make a name for himself in this new world.Fireball? Cute. My M203 grenade launcher makes a bigger boom.Summoned beast? That’s nice, I’ve got a UAV with thermal optics.You can split oceans with magic? Cool. I can erase cities with a nuke.Whatever overpowered spell you’ve got, I’ve got something better.

"Bowzer, we'll stop here for the night."