Defensive Magic - Chapter 26: Garion’s Nightmare Brigade

The ordinary 18-year-old Edo, during a nighttime walk, finds himself in a fantasy world where he gains a mysterious power that could shape his destiny.

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.

Sun Hao traveled to a world of cultivating immortals. Unable to cultivate, he practices the guqin, chess, calligraphy, poetry, wine, and flower tea are all in the supreme realm. He didn’t know: The pet on his farm was the Nine Heavens God Luan. The lotus in the pond is a peerless demon. The guard outside the door is the ruler of Thunder Tribulation. Later, he discovered: The swordsman who picked up his broken hatchet became the peerless generation of swordsman; the scholar who often listened to him to chant became the ancestor of Buddhism; the girl who came to learn to play the guqin with him became the supreme demon clan. … Sun Hao sat on the throne of Heavenly Emperor, with a shocked expression on his face: Am I a Dao Ancestor? I take the heaven and the earth as the disc and all beings as my sons, and create a shocking situation? I do not know how?

Reborn in a frail body disgraced by its family, Zhuang Xing—the once-legendary Pill God—awakens to a brutal world where martial prowess defines destiny. Surviving an attempt on his life by his own family’s henchmen, he realizes he’s been reborn in the Great Qi Country as the despised son of the Zhuang family.Three months before the prestigious Hidden Dragon Ranking, Zhuang Xing must rise above his limitations to claim his birthright and reclaim his former strength. With enemies surrounding him, will Zhuang Xing overcome his frail shell and silence those who doubt him?