The Last Step - Chapter 17: Two Sides

Raelis Varekan was born into royalty but treated like trash. With 0% bloodline purity, he was branded a failure, framed for treason, and executed without a second thought.But despite his expectations, he had come back to the time he was twelve years old, standing in front of the same bloodline testing orb. But this time, something changed.His former 0% bloodline purity was gone, replaced by a 1% result.And with it came something no one else could see: a system that let him grow stronger.[Ding!][+1% Bloodline Purity][Total Bloodline Purity: 2% (Ash)][Next Bloodline Rank at 10% Purity: Ember]With the future burned into his memory and a strange system tracking his growth, Raelis wouldn't make the same mistakes twice. He would become strong and he would use every tool he had to survive the academy and outmaneuver his siblings and the nobles who once betrayed him.And most importantly...Raelis would rise through the ranks and become the one who rewrites the Varekan Empire’s history.

Deep below the earth's surface, a mystifying subterranean seascape lurks, an archipelago bathed in inky blackness where suspense and horror hold court. Here lie strange islands and even stranger monsters, far beyond the realms of human imagination. In this domain, mankind is far from dominant; instead, madness and death rule supreme.

Pleading for mercy from the unknown creatures of the deep only leads to a slow, tortured existence. The trapped survivors gradually distort, losing what made them human, both physically and mentally, to the gloom as they remain trapped in this eternal obscurity. Their only hope? A perilous expedition into uncharted sea territories.

Fueled by determination, Charles embark on this daunting voyage aboard his steamship, aiming to reclaim humanity's past glory. Together with his crew, they sought a way out of this hidden sea world, a path back to the sunlit world above, where humans once stood tall.

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I read a few comments from Chinese readers that compared this novel with Lord of Mysteries because of similar elements: Lovecraftian, western fantasy, first industrial revolution, and steampunk. However, I have yet to finish reading Lord of Mysteries to do any actual comparison, but I do think those who have enjoyed that novel would enjoy this as well. Also, the author of LotM, Cuttlefish That Loves Diving, also did a shout-out for this novel, so I guess he approves of it too?

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A ritual gone wrong gave him the world's deadliest Class—now all he wants is blood.Zeth stole the most powerful ritual magic in the world from a mad cultist. A Class that's fueled by the blood of his enemies and human sacrifice. One that's illegal to use, punishable by gruesome death. And now that he has it, he's faced with a choice: hide away for the rest of his life from those who would hunt him down, or embrace the power, becoming the hunter to get revenge on the murderer that stole his friends' lives.For Zeth, that's no choice at all.His enemies have to die. And he plans to use every drop of blood, eldritch ritual, and demonic summoning he can to kill them.

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