A Painting of the Villainess as a Young Lady - Chapter 157

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 .

Programmer Tao Zhiyue transmigrated into a cannon fodder in a bloody CEO article. He was the first love in the book that caused the protagonist Huo Ran to become disabled and heartbroken. In the end, he was revenged to death by the protagonist’s husband and wife, especially miserable.

Tao Zhiyue ran away without hesitation.

As a dead house, he firmly squatted at home with the computer as a companion, indulging in the wonderful sand sculpture online world, so unhappy.

Just kidding, even if the plot wants him to meet Huo, there is no chance, okay?

When browsing the forum one day, he saw such a delusional phishing post:

[Title] I was pursued by four people of the same sex, but I am a straight man, how should I politely refuse?

Tao Zhiyue, a gay man, replied with a sneer –

Then he inexplicably had met an old-fashioned netizen.

Tao Zhiyue tried to teach the straight male netizen some coquettish manipulations of rejecting other people’s love, and the effect was remarkable, and he successfully strangled the other party’s peach blossoms!

Later, the netizen, who he had an increasingly ambiguous relationship with, invited him to formally meet him, and he went to the appointment with a throbbing heart.

The tall and handsome man stretched out his hand nervously, blushing: Hello, my name is Huo Ran.

Tao Zhiyue:! ! ! ! ! !

A decisive programmer who loves life and never works overtime × Occasionally the pure love of elementary school chicks straight ball rich second generation attack, double first love.

- Description from Novelupdates

In this wild future dimension, Earth has been totally flipped on its head thanks to some crazy cosmic mutation rays. Psychic and cutting-edge tech have merged, totally reshaping human life.Here, chasing immortality isn't just a pipe dream, and hopping between stars is just another part of the daily grind.But let me tell you, this world is anything but chill—it's packed with complex schemes, intense showdowns, and heart-pounding action.Let's talk about Ethan. He's the black sheep of the Blackwood family, slapped with the shameful title of a F-grade Psychic user. His life was as dull as watching paint dry—until fate decided to throw him a curveball and kickstart a new chapter in his life.Ethan stumbled upon a virtual game where players can raise families with Psychic.At first, creating a virtual family was just a way to kill time, but as the game began to mesh with the real world, it blew the lid off some mind-blowing truths. Ethan and his virtual descendants forged an unbreakable bond. Together, they faced the future, diving headfirst into thrilling adventures that only made them stronger.Years down the line, these virtual descendants had become insanely powerful, and in a wild twist, they popped up in the real world. They tracked down Ethan and hit him with a, “Welcome home, Forebearer!”“...”This wasn't just a game anymore—it had become Ethan's new reality, and he and his virtual offspring were about to shake up the world big time.

In a world where 99.9% of all men were wiped out and future births only had a 0.1% chance of being male, the role of men in society became that of celebrities graciously donating their seed to the masses. With the world population declining, pregnancy has become a social status, affording women government assistance, health insurance, and citizenship should they find a man to bless them with seed. With an only 1 in a 1000 chance of finding a guy, many women will do anything it takes to get close to a man and become pregnant. And should those women bear a male, it’s like winning the lottery, the remainder of their lives set as they receive massive stipends and no responsibility but to nurture their sons. Clyburn was reincarnated into such a world. Can a former unsuccessful business man properly navigate a female-centric world full of woman who just want to use him for his seed? With an overprotective mother, two caring sisters, and the mind of an adult, he might just.