Building a Kingdom and Conquering the World - Chapter 23: Winter Orcs

A world with magic, mythical creatures, mystical herbs, labyrinths, and treasures.A world where the strongest adventurers get to be the ones to enjoy fame and riches.A world where various rankings decide your worth.This is the world where Shye Crowley and his sister were born.As the children of two fairly known diamond-ranked adventurers, Shye and his sister, Maia, enjoyed a prosperous lifestyle.Unfortunately, after departing for a mithril-ranked quest in hopes of ranking up, their parents couldn’t return.Years passed and life went downhill fast for the siblings.Fortunately, a fateful encounter bestows him a system that could change their fate.

The story of “Lustful Paradise” is a sultry tale of passion and desire.Lucifer, a young and handsome college student, is in the throes of a sexual revolution. His lustful eyes land on anyone who catches his fancy, and he is not afraid to pursue his targets with reckless abandon. But Lucifer is not satisfied with this. He is looking for a bigger challenge, a greater conquest, and he is determined to find it.But there is more to Lucifer than meets the eye. An unknown secret lies hidden beneath the surface. It is a secret that will change everything and a secret that will bring chaos and destruction. And it is a secret that will soon be revealed in the most unexpected of ways.Will Lucifer's lustful desires lead him down a dark path? Or will he find redemption and love in the arms of someone unexpected? Only time will tell. But one thing is certain: Lucifer's lust will not go unquenched.

When our protagonist becomes the game character Jun Karentia, she thinks she has it made. She may be just a lowly support mage, but with her knowledge of the game, she knows she can finagle her way to the good ending following around the main character, Fabian. The problem? This game doesn’t end after one playthrough. Jun is prepared to guide Fabian through the second playthrough to the true ending when… Fabian abandons her. Now the Grand Duke Mayer Knox—captain of the Dark Knights and the secret final boss—is determined to have her join his party. Can Jun turn the final boss into the main character? Why is Mayer Knox so intent on having her in his party? And when will these rumors about being his lover stop?!

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.