MTL - Pirates: Steel Chain Fingers - Chapter 6 coral

In the third year of the Republic of China, Yao Zhi was 14 years old and the jewel of the governor’s office.

At that time, the young man next to the marshal’s mansion was still physically disabled and had his feet deep in the mud. Yao Zhi stretched out her hand and tried to help him, but the boy, who looked fierce, shut his eyes and was heartless. Yao Zhi has been the white moonlight of all young men in Beijing since childhood. Her crescent eyes were curved, and her beauty was incomparable.

Shen Xu regarded her as a god in his heart and never dared to put her in the bottom of his heart.

He looked up at the gods on a bright moonlit night, never thinking that one day she would take the initiative and rush into his chest. Yao Zhi, who became the pinnacle of his two lives, grabbed his clothes and said quietly.

“Shen Xu, if you ignore me again, I’ll kiss someone else.” Shen Xu couldn’t suppress his youthful emotions. He held the god’s waist tightly. He had no choice but to beg her repeatedly. “Zhizhi… “

“Don’t leave me,” she said, knowing that he was young and humble and that he had feelings as deep as the sea for her.

She wouldn’t leave. She would be the apex of the young man’s heart and stay together with him.

- Description from Novelupdates

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.

Hitoshi's life sucked and then a truck made it even worse.But death wasn't the end. He wakes up in a fantasy world as a slave, expecting more of the same bad luck. Then a maid from the super-rich Aoi family buys him to work at their huge mansion. Finally, a break, right?Wrong.Sure, the mansion is amazing. The food is great. And yeah, the Aoi family treats him way better than he expected. But something's... off. Why do they watch him so closely? Why does everyone get weird when he smiles? And why do bad things keep happening to anyone who gets too friendly with him?Hitoshi just wants to be a good servant and make everyone happy. He doesn't realize that his kind heart and helpful nature are stirring up something dangerous within the Aoi household. In this new world, his greatest talent might become his biggest problem.They say no good deed goes unpunished. In the Aoi mansion, every act of kindness pulls him deeper into a web of obsession he never saw coming.“Reincarnated into Madness: Yandere Family's Unwanted Slave” is a story about second chances, magic, and what happens when being too nice leads to some seriously creepy consequences.

This book is fan fiction for the game “The Last of Us” and will include characters from other Apocalypse games. Currently joining: Game version of The Walking Dead, Metro Exodus.