Naruto: The Mist Within - Chapter 18 - : Precarious Balances

An ordinary office clerk was accidentally reborn into a vast and mysterious world of Xianxia, becoming a member of a small cultivation clan.The story begins in an endless sea of sand, in an oasis called the Yuquan Lake Oasis.

[Sys--... ini--tializing...][Err0r: M3m0ry c0rru--ion d3tect3d. Pr0c33ding 4nyw4y.][Miss10n: Unkn0wn. Purp0s3: Und3f1n3d. Proc33d.]Laverne never believed in the supernatural. To him, life was already complicated enough without worrying about things like ghosts or reincarnation. But when a reckless act of bravery ends in fire and chaos, he wakes up to something far worse than death—an unfamiliar world governed by an unfathomable system.Marked as an Anomaly, an existence that shouldn't be, he finds himself entangled in forces beyond mortal comprehension. The world he is reborn into runs on the concept of Ka, the essence of life and fate itself. Yet, unlike others, his Ka does not conform—it rebels. The system that governs this world struggles to define him, its very framework warping around his presence.With each step forward, he realizes that his mere existence is enough to tip the scales of destiny. Some will seek to control him. Others will try to erase him. But one truth remains:'In a world where fate reigns supreme, what happens when something stands outside of its design?'

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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- Description from novelbuddy