Paintings of Terror - Chapter 17: Ke Xun’s Analysis

Enter a world of superhuman abilities and mysterious organizations as you follow the story of Jiang Bei, the enigmatic founder of the Infinite Alliance.With the power to extinguish stars and melt anything in his path, he is hailed as a god among men and the torch of the Dark Era.But what secrets lie behind his incredible powers, and what will he do to protect his legacy and extend his life?

“So basically... I'm a Necromancer from my game... in this world?”“...And I'm useless?”“Yeah, right.”---Alexander never expected his dull life to change—until a single message appeared. What seemed like a prank or an ARG from his game became something far more real.He transmigrates.Now, in the body of Asher Morgan, a nineteen-year-old with a lonely past. His plan? Stay under the radar, play it safe, and live like he always had—a gamer, a slacker.But fate had other plans.At Velcrest Academy’s Inauguration Ceremony, where students awaken their powers, Asher receives the worst possible class.“Outcast. Worthless.”That becomes his new name—until fate decides to change plans.The system glitches.—[ERROR… ERROR… Recalculating Awakening Process…][Hidden Ability Detected—Reawakening Process Initiated][SSS-Ranked Ability Unlocked: Sovereign of the Dead][Secret Evolution Triggered—Job Upgraded: Lord of Draconic Souls]—At first, he is frustrated, but then, he remembers....if the old Asher had lived to see this moment, he would have been miserable, abandoned, and forgotten.He reluctantly accepts his fate, ready to prove them all wrong.

“Next, we have the most noble recipient of the Order of the Garter, the Grand Cross of Saint Michael and Saint George, the Grand Cross of the Bath, the Victoria Cross and the lower grades of Knighthood, the leader of the anti-colonial movement, the bell-ringer of the East India Company, the hero of the Crimean War, a Fellow of the Royal Society, a lifelong dear friend of literary giants such as Dickens and Great Dumas, a steadfast supporter of scientific luminaries like Faraday and Darwin, having served as assistant under-secretary, deputy under-secretary, and permanent under-secretary in departments of the Home Office and the Navy Department of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the inaugural Cabinet Secretary and head of the civil service, the first graduate and most distinguished alumnus of our school. Please welcome Sir Arthur Hastings to deliver a speech on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the University of London.”Arthur's gaze swept across the crowd before him, looking at the young faces and murmured, “Agares, what do you think I should say?”The Red Devil's wraith hovered behind him, saliva almost dribbling from the corner of his mouth, “Look at these ignorant souls; they still worship you as a hero. Why not say something they'd like to hear?”Arthur took a deep breath and let out a deafening roar, “Oxford is a bunch of whores' bastards!”“Oh!!!!”The audience erupted into thunderous applause.“Cambridge is the same!” he added immediately.The applause grew even more fervent...(The protagonist, possessed by a devil, travels through 19th-century Britain in a world without magic)