MTL - Strongest Martial God - Chapter 13 .Xing Xiang Zonglai

A top hacker was chosen by the Lord God to be reborn into countless worlds, always as an expendable villain.

With no free will, every world became a dead end. Every one of his lives ended tragically.

Finally, after wresting control of the Villain System, this ace hacker decided to enact revenge. Even if his very bones were rotten, he’d choose to occupy the very heights of morality, if only on the surface.

Thus, he would change his fate as an abused slag.

- Description from novelupdates

When a fantasy kingdom needs heroes, they skip the high schoolers and summon hardened Delta Force operators.Lieutenant Cole Mercer and his team are no strangers to sacrifice. After all, what are four men compared to millions of lives saved from a nuclear disaster? But as they make their last stand against insurgents, they’re unexpectedly pulled into another world—one on the brink of a demonic incursion.Thrust into Tenria's realm of magic and steam engines, Cole discovers a power beyond anything he'd imagined: magic—a way to finally win without sacrifice, a power fantasy made real by ancient mana and perfected by modern science.But his new world might not be so different from the old one, and the stakes remain the same: there are people who depend on him more than ever; people he might not be able to save. Cole and his team are but men, facing unimaginable odds. Even so, they may yet prove history's truth: that, at their core, the greatest heroes are always just human.

Zuo Chengan was thrown into a brutal survival game, only to awaken its sole god-tier skill: The Eye of Truth.From that moment, he began to see the game—and the world—for what they truly were.A broken branch lying by the roadside?Ordinary players: “Just a useless stick. Toss it aside!”Zuo Chengan: “A hidden NPC is offering a feast of rare delicacies.”A suspicious dish placed before the group?Ordinary players: “Don’t touch it! It’s probably poisoned!”Zuo Chengan: “Completely safe. And utterly delicious.”A monstrous creature blocking their path?Ordinary players: “Terrifying! Avoid it at all costs!”Zuo Chengan: Silently studies its hidden weakness.What began as a game to push humanity toward evolution revealed itself to be something far more sinister—a trap, a scheme of ruthless exploitation.The desperate battles fought in the game’s dungeons were nothing but a spectacle, staged for the amusement of another world.With his all-seeing Eye of Truth, Zuo Chengan ascended through the 12 Heavenly Trials, dismantling the web of lies spun by the false gods. His piercing sight exposed the malicious truths behind the game.Standing at the summit, blade in hand, he declared, “I will cut through this endless night, tearing apart the shadows of chaos to reveal the light of truth. Let the world see reality once more!”

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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