To Be a Power in the Shadows! - Chapter 1

In the waves of steam and machinery, who could achieve extraordinary? In the fogs of history and darkness, who was whispering? I woke up from the realm of mysteries and opened my eyes to the world.

Firearms, cannons, battleships, airships, and difference machines. Potions, divination, curses, hanged-man, and sealed artifacts… The lights shone brightly, yet the secrets of the world were never far away. This was a legend of the “Fool”.

- Description from novelupdates

In the year of 632, a young Emperor was crowned at an age of eight. He was crowned with a crown of a dying Empire, plagued by enemies, internal strife and plague. This was the Sassanid Empire, and he was Yazdegerd III, the last Sassanid Emperor. He was meant to guide the Empire out of these dark times and he was meant to revive the fallen giant.

But it was not to be. After continuous defeats of the Sassanids, the Empire eventually succumbed to the pressure, both external and internal.

But what if?

Table of Contents:

This story contains numerous points of view - you will be told the story and its parts through the eyes of more than one person.

There will be romance - at least I hope so. I am not sure how I'll develop the relationship between the main couple, but I plan to have a bit of romance there.

This story isn't Self-Insert.

There will be many characters, some more important than others.

Although this is a fiction, most of the characters and events occuring are real and this book works with historical events.

And last but not least, you may find this book offensive. After all, it rewrites history completely. And if you do, just don't read it.

Enjoy!

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The Soaring Dragon Continent is a world of summons, you can only become strong if you become a summoner! Yue Yang, an average high school boy, was suddenly transported into this world. When he woke up, he was greeted with a lot of worried faces and found out that he had assumed another person’s identity. Turns out he’s the good-for-nothing third son of the Yue Family, who had just recently drowned himself because of a failed engagement. Unlike the third son of the Yue Family who was useless in summoning, Yue Yang succeeded in making a contract with a summoning grimoire on his first try, even when the other guy failed for the past fifteen years. Others would have a headache making contracts with beasts afterwards, but countless beasts tried to gain favour with Yue Yang instead, acting like a good kid before him.

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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