MTL - Number of People - Chapter 8 A character scroll Qi Luqing unfinished debut

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.

To exact revenge on her fiance who cheated on her, Xing Shu plotted against her fiance’s uncle, Cheng Lang. “Was my nephew unable to please you?”

On a large, messy bed, Cheng Lang pinched Xing Shu’s chin. The black Buddhist bracelet around his wrist swayed from side to side. Everyone said Cheng Lang was a religious man who stayed away from women.

However, after sleeping with him for a night, Xing Shu expressed how it was actually easy to manipulate him. She only needed to say sweet things to him in a soft, gentle voice, and he’d give her anything she wanted.

“Mr. Cheng is only putting on a show with Xing Shu. He’ll dump her very soon!”

“Xing Shu is a shameless woman. Mr. Cheng would never fall for someone with ulterior motives like her!”

Everyone in Jing City waited for her to make a fool of herself, but nobody knew how Cheng Lang pinned her against the bed at night. “Xing Shu, mention getting a divorce again if you dare.”

Ever since then, Cheng Lang, a man who once belonged on the altar, was brought down by Xing Shu. He experienced what it felt like to be in a relationship like a normal person, and he found joy in it.

This is a world where soul card masters manipulate soul cards to fight

Originally, everyone was honestly combining card decks and high-level summons according to card abilities, until Yu Cang awakened the entry recorder, and the painting style of the whole world became strange.

Whether it is a high-level card group, a dangerous secret place, or even a dream or an event, you can extract exclusive entries and build soul cards based on the entries!

Your Jedi doesn’t eat any milk? Tap a “Yingcao” entry directly, triggering a chain effect and slowly recovering life.

You got a top-quality fire-type dragon card, but your natal deck is water-type? Easy to handle, let me know about this “water storage” entry?

What? The summoning conditions for the Alien Chuanghuang Dragon are too difficult, and it is almost impossible to use it in single combat. It can only be used as a war-specific soul card?

Then… Learn about ritual magic? Or simply extract the “Alien” entry directly and create a card group tailored for you!

The magic soul card is not laid out, can’t you prevent it from sticking to your face? The “permanent” entry becomes a turret in seconds, and the infinite fireball method brutally kills!

Encountered strange sea tactics, can’t get in? Directly paste the “resonance” entry, showing textbook-like blasphemy!

…

“I’ve never seen a card maker like Yu Cang. Have you ever seen a soul card that requires three pages of ability introduction? His hands are full of such cards!”

And it all started with Yu Cang being bullied by academics.

- Description from novelbuddy

What’s worse than finding out you’re that Louis XIV when you’re a baby?

Of course there is, for example, it’s still a magic version.

- Description from novelbuddy