Apotheosis – Ascension to Godhood - Chapter 13

On her wedding night, Jian Ran met Zhou Huai'an, the man rumored not to like women.After that, she was cautious and humble in front of Xu Zichuan every day.Until that night, when blood flowed and rain poured, she learned the truth.She collapsed in the pouring rain, hugging herself, laughing madly with tears streaming down her face.Then, she slowly bent her proud spine, trampling her dignity into the mud.In the end, when Jian Ran left, Xu Zichuan went mad.Zhou Huai'an kneeled on the ground, “Jian Ran, I was wrong. What must I do for you to return to my side?”

Nobody thought the end of the world as they knew it would come like this.In a dystopian future, 95% of the population was sent to another universe, one resembling the game Jack had played, “Elder Heir Online”.He would've normally enjoyed such an opportunity, but the company 'DiveCore', from his real world, came along.As long as any of them breathed, his revenge wouldn't be complete.Using his knowledge of the game, and willingness to go through the worst to exact vengeance, he will slowly become what he avoided when he played the game in the real world: a villain.

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.

“Breaking News! A 28-year-old IT worker beats three university kids to death with a spiked bat over a dog!”Abandoned at birth, and named John Wicked, he suffered a life of solitude and harshness. His only companion was a dog named Alfred who was with him since he was 8 years old.Alas, on his 28th birthday when he was returning home from the company with a gift for Alfred, what awaited him was three university students beating his dog senseless--the reason being that Alfred barked at them.They escaped after beating him, too, but John Wicked lost his only family there as the sky broke into tears as if weeping alongside John, holding his dear companion's lifeless body.After getting revenge and being put on death row, John Wicked felt no regret for his actions, and the public also didn't support him.If the world didn't understand him, he didn't need to understand the world. He took his own life because he didn't want to die by the so-called justice of this world.But that wasn't the end. That was the beginning of John's new life after making a deal with an Eldritch God.Join John and Alfred's journey in the fantasy world where humans tame monsters and live an intricately connected life.