The Strongest Body Customization System - Chapter 77: Adam vs Ian

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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Dear readers! Without any ads, maybe you will prefer .

“My unrequited love is over.” Compared to my perfect older brother, I, Ha Giyeon, was endlessly lacking. My first love and my last love—every single one of them were my brother’s friends. What I got in return for pouring all my affection into them were cold, violent words of rejection. Then came the thunderbolt: I wasn’t even their real son. My family, whose love I desperately sought, kicked me out of the house. Even though I scraped by doing hard labor, it didn’t feel like living. Then came the sudden car accident. Right before dying, I regretted everything and begged— That if I ever got to live again, I would never give my love to the family who scorned and discriminated against me, nor to the brothers who tormented me under the pretense of affection. I would live a life that was truly my own. And as if it were a lie, in the winter of my 17th year, Ha Giyeon returned. As Ha Giyeon began to change, so too did the family and the brothers who had once trampled him…

At dawn.The light of dawn lingered, hesitant to arrive, while the remnants of the setting sun had long faded into darkness. Within the city shrouded in thin mist, the hidden churches in the shadows, veins clinging to the cracks in walls, the gnawing sounds echoing from the sewers, and the murmuring shadows...A lantern bearer strolled forward.

There were two daughters in Jiang Family. Each of them was as beautiful as flowers and jades.

Time had caught up with the famine season. One must be sold to survive.

Jiang Yun Zhu pulled the shorter stick and was taken away by a human broker.

Seven years later, Jiang Yun Zhu’s face was even brighter. She was dressed in rich clothes and surrounded by servants.

At this time, she was already the young madam of Marquis An Ping Manor. It went without saying, she was extremely honorable.

It turned out that the human broker sold her to Marquis An Ping Manor back then.

At this time, Jiang Yun Xiu’s face was battered by wind and frost. Every day, she worried about firewood and rice.

After receiving the brocade handed over by her elder sister, Jiang Yun Xiu gritted her teeth until blood came out. If she was the one who was taken away by the human broker…

Returning to the day of drawing lots, Jiang Yun Xiu snatched the short stick first. This time, she wanted to be the one above others.

Jiang Yun Zhu smilingly took the long stick. She thought it was so easy to go from a maid to the Young Madam of Marquis Manor?

Note: The wealth and honor in the heroine’s dream was earned by her own struggle, not by being sold.

Don’t get sold, live even better!

- Description from Novelupdates