Ashen Ascension: The Divided Flame - Chapter 15: Undercurrents

Jaden lived an ordinary life. This was the life that he had lived for several years now. This kind of life was one that had existed ever since the death of his parents.His parents died in an accident, leaving him an orphan. The moment that his parents died, his uncles came over and took over everything that was supposed to be taken by him.He tried going to court, trying to see if he could get back the wealth that belonged to his family, but due to the connections that his uncles possessed, he did not succeed.Completely abandoned by his relatives and friends that existed before the death of his parents, Jaden was left to fend for himself.He managed to get a job as a bouncer in a club. But as a coincidence, he ended up irritating someone that he was not supposed to offend. And with that, he was beaten and left in an alley to die.But it was at that exact moment that out of nowhere, he was bitten by a dog. Jaden could not believe it. He had never expected that he was going to die just like this. And even before dying from the wounds that he had suffered from the beating, he was going to be infected by rabies?But the strange thing that happened was the fact that after the dog bit him, a holographic screen appeared in front of him.[Congratulations on being chosen by The Bodyguard System.]And with that, Jaden's life changed completely.

Earth is the human civilization’s cradle, but humans cannot possibly live within its cradle for eternity.In 2264, the first deep-space colonization spaceship of human civilization leaves the solar system and enters the boundless darkness…Zhang Yuan, son of the man behind the spaceship’s main control system, is one of the half a million volunteers to embark on the 20 light-year journey to a new planet.Follow Zhang Yuan on his journey of gaining new knowledge, exploring the unknown, and finding out what's the secret behind the intelligence enhancer his father left him.

Ethan is a man nearing forty who has squandered his life behind a screen. Since his teenage years, he has poured everything into online games, chasing digital achievements while real life quietly passed him by. Now, with reality finally weighing on him, he realizes how empty his existence has become.Despite decades of obsession, he has only one thing to show for it: the #1 account in the world’s most popular MMORPG, Lost World Online—a fully immersive virtual game operated through neural-link technology. It is an account powerful enough to guarantee fame, sponsorships, and a second chance at life.But overnight… it vanishes.No warnings… No errors… His account simply ceases to exist.Ethan spends the entire night frantically searching for answers, contacting the developers through official forums, only to be told that nothing can be done. Without the account, even streaming or professional contracts are impossible. Exhausted and hollow, he finally gives up and falls asleep, deciding to forget his regret, half hoping everything would be a dream when he wakes up.When Ethan opens his eyes, he finds himself standing before the character creation screen of Lost World Online.It feels like a dream, yet his mind is clear, his body well responsive, not even like a game. Paying little attention, he goes ahead and creates a character and initiates the game.Then, his vision is swallowed by darkness.A violent rush of wind slams into him, and when his senses return, he is standing inside a bustling town from the game. Before he can question the missing opening cutscene—something that should always play after character creation—his attention is seized by the scene around him.The town was celebrating an Annual Festival. This was a festival that only ever occurred once, a festival that marked the first day Lost World Online was launched.Realizing the impossible, Ethan hurriedly calls up his system interface—only to find that there is no options menu, no settings, no log-out button…“This cannot be real.”

Su-jin is a high school student whose life is filled with loneliness. Weighed down by school bullying, personal struggles, and isolation, she finds herself growing weary of everything. At that moment, a mysterious shadow enters her life—a man she only sees in her dreams, through his face remains hidden. Surprisingly, his influence extends beyond her dreams, shaping her into a stronger, braver, and happiest person.As time passes, Su-jin finds herself drawn to him, yet his presence brings more than just emotions—it leads her to extraordinary friendships and unexpected adventures.Among them is Yeong-ae, a skilled spy who enrolls in Su-jin's school to investigate the mysterious death of a girl named Ha-na. And then there is Jung-hee, a young detective who begins working as an undercover high school student on a major case. Along the way, she unexpectedly meets Su-jin, which gradually develops into a deep friendship.Day by day, Su-jin's life becomes like an adventure book; each page of which becomes an unfolding adventure filled with excitement, romance, secrets, challenges, and discoveries. But in the midst of this mystery, will she ever find the invisible man who stole her heart?