Heart of Darkness - Chapter 17

Within the dream of the dreamer, the one who was dreamed of awoke.

… Borges

“I exist in the sunlight, the wind, between the heavens and the earth, and also in dreams.”

One night, Yu Hao, a college student who was at his wits’ end had an unexpected encounter with a mysterious visitor – “General” – who had dream travelled. He led Yu Hao in solving the countless riddles that abounded in the realm of the conscious, and lit up the fire beacons on the meandering Great Wall.

Thereafter, the darkness retreated, the sun rose, and when the long night was thoroughly lit up, the him who existed in reality was reborn.

The black dragon that roared, the lighthouse and demonic eye on the coastline, the rain forest before Chichén Itzá, the fierce beasts that wreaked havoc in the Colosseum…the bizarre projection of reality in one’s consciousness reflected the hidden place that the sunlight in reality couldn’t touch – the innumerable sins of the human heart.

The journey of seizing dreams continues, and one can only hope that the sun will continue illuminating the human heart.

…

Fire beacons on the Great Wall were lit up to signal a border invasion.

- Description from Novelupdates

[Trigger Warning: This dark fantasy romance contains mature themes.]---BLURB:IN A WOLD OF FORBIDDEN LOVE AND HIDDEN TRUTHS, ONE WOMAN'S DESTINY WILL CHANGE EVERYTHING.Ovelia’s life is shattered when she is sacrificed by her family to secure peace between humans and werewolves. Bound to Ace, the future Alpha King, she enters a marriage built on duty, not love. But when Ace’s wolf chooses her as his mate, their fates become intertwined in ways neither could have predicted.As Ovelia navigates the treacherous world of werewolf royalty, she faces betrayal, kidnapping, and the lingering shadow of Ace’s past love. But the greatest danger lies within herself—a secret heritage that could destroy the fragile alliance between werewolves, witches, and elves. When Ovelia’s true identity is revealed, she must flee for her life, only to discover she carries a new hope for the future.With war looming and enemies closing in, Ovelia and Ace must confront their pasts and fight for a love that could unite their fractured world—or tear it apart forever.---

One day, a villainess came to the orphanage.“I absolutely can’t stand children!”“How can someone my age have a child? It doesn’t make sense!”“What’s so great about these little creatures that tire you out all day long…”Setting aside her dislike for children…Somehow, after she arrived, the children started gaining weight.“It’s all because of the contract, you know?”That’s what she says.While personally feeding them sweets she made herself.

“First were the Gates, and now you’re saying the world has been invaded by Aliens and we’re soon going to be turned into livestock…? Great…”—----------------*Ding!*[You have awakened with the Idle Evolution System!]“The wha—”Suddenly thrown into a magical parallel world of the Earth he once knew, Cassius was greeted with powerful beings known as Hunters and the terrifying Gates that plagued the world. Moreover, he received a message…[To Idle, one must stay proactive!][Firstly, you require Character Development!]“Character Development…?”[You seem a bit (A lot) overweight, and you resemble that of a goblin! What say we start there!?]{[Daily Quest 1:]}_________________[Daily Quest - To Idle, one must stay proactive.]GOAL[INCOMPLETE] PUSH-UPS — [0/100][INCOMPLETE] SIT-UPS — [0/100][INCOMPLETE] CURL-UPS — [0/100][INCOMPLETE] SQUATS — [0/100][INCOMPLETE] RUNNING — [0/10km]REWARD - [1 Point in Charisma, 1 Point in Agility, 1 Point in Strength, and 1 Point in Endurance]_________________“Is this torture!?” shouted the ugly, obese transmigrator Cassius.*Ding!*[No, it’s Character Development! ^-^]—----------------100 years ago, Earth was suddenly overwhelmed with the appearance of Gates and the horrifying monsters within those mystical portals. That was the First Major Calamity.Now, one hundred years later, the next major calamity has arrived—the subtle invasion of an Ancient Alien species from deep into the Milky Way Galaxy. Its undercurrents spread far and wide, with the threat an apocalyptic one. Yet, that is but the 2nd of Three Major Calamities as per prophesied by the famed prophet, Baba Yaga.The Third Calamity, and the most dangerous of the Calamities, is one that will bring about the true END of the world, but only if the Second Calamity can be overcome by humanity…What does this Third Calamity detail, one might ask…? To know the answer to that, one would have to brave past the first Two Calamities and stare into the abyss, praying to all Gods known to man that the Abyss does not stare back also into you…