A Royal Obligation - Chapter 44: Summer Palace (2)

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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Yang Yi crossed over the world with a storage space with him. He ended up in some desolate wilderness populated by flying beasts and dangerous predators and also crawling poisonous bugs and snakes. To prevent getting bitten in the ass by venomous bugs when going to the toilet, let the great infrastructure begins –
Our goals are:
Eat well till full stomach.
Having clothes to wear but also being good looking.
To have a house that could cover all seasons.
Roads that leads to every place; develop agriculture, industry and commerce together.
No shortage of both material and spiritual needs.
He was DETERMINED to build a safe, comfortable and prosperous modern city in the wild world together with the native tribe with max efforts.

- Description from Novelupdates

Lucille is re-employed in the house of an overly cool, good-looking magician!

After being unceremoniously kicked out of the mansion where she worked for three years, Lucille comes to the countryside in search of safety and a peaceful life. She is introduced to a new job as a housekeeper, but it turns out to be in the home of a quiet, eccentric, white-haired magician called “Sensei”.

Sensei, who hates “unnecessary things,” is very strict in his treatment of her. Lucille, who wants to protect her good job at all costs, begins to observe sensei from the shadows…

“C-cute!”

Lucille gradually discovers the cuteness of the difficult sensei’s unexpected appearance and finds herself becoming more and more attracted to him…

The owner of the mansion that drove Lucille out has a strange obsession with her and plans to bring her back.

A magician who has utmost respect for sensei attacks.

Please, let me live in peace! Sensei won’t like it!

This is a romantic fantasy about an old wizard and a carefree, easy-going housekeeper who overcome various problems in their lives by using or not using magic, while nurturing their feelings for each other.

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After centuries of ruling the underworld with terrifying power, Lilith dies in an epic battle, only to be reborn in the human world. But instead of a grand rebirth as a queen of darkness, she's reincarnated as something far more mundane—a secretary. Rather than despair, Lilith finds this new life amusing. After all, who would suspect the devil herself to be working a 9-to-5?Settling into her new reality, Lilith embraces her role, living in a luxurious apartment and working diligently in her office. Though her devilish instincts are hard to suppress, she's determined to be the perfect secretary. But when people push her too far, the devil within still comes out to play.When a creep in the office dares to look at her the wrong way, she calmly fixes her gaze on him. “You keep staring like that, and I'll show you what a broken wrist feels like.” The man quickly scurries away, leaving Lilith with a satisfied smirk.Even the rich, entitled girl from accounting isn't safe from her wrath. “You think you can push me around just because you've got money? I've burned entire kingdoms for less. Don't test me.” She says this with a calm smile, her eyes glinting dangerously.The day continued like that—stopping creeps in their tracks, putting rude heiresses in their place, and being the flawless secretary she intended to be. But, of course, her boss—the CEO—had his eyes on her, more curious than ever. And while the entire office might fear her or wonder about her, she remained blissfully indifferent. This was fun. And she wasn't here to impress anyone but herself.Who knew being a secretary could be so... interesting?