Reincarnated as a Genius Mage - Chapter 48: Step one

The prosperity is about to come to an end, and the poor boy quietly rises.

Traveling across time and space, seek the leader of the world.

- Description from novelbuddy

Her sister steal her lover

She thought it was a dream

after rolling and waking

Nightmare Reality

Her loved ones, her love, her life

They were all trapped in that big fire

burned to ashes

Japan – National News BroadcastThe polished news anchor sat upright, her gaze sharp as she adjusted the stack of papers before her. The newsroom behind her hummed with quiet urgency, the weight of the moment settling over the broadcast.“Authorities are baffled by a sudden and unexplained surge in sleep-related deaths across Japan,” she began, her voice steady yet tense. “More and more citizens are passing away in their sleep without any prior health concerns. Experts are working tirelessly to determine the cause, but no clear explanation has emerged. Authorities urge the public to remain vigilant and report any unusual symptoms before bedtime.”A graphic appeared, displaying the spike in fatalities over the past month. Behind her, unsettling photographs flickered across the screen—blurred images of individuals found in their beds, their faces frozen in expressions of terror.The anchor’s tone shifted. “Health officials recommend citizens avoid excessive fatigue and maintain healthy sleep habits. More updates will follow as investigations continue.”---United States – Paranormal PodcastIn a dimly lit podcast studio, the host leaned forward, his eyes wide with curiosity. Across from him, a rugged man in a worn flannel shirt, gripping a faded photograph in one hand and a beer can in the other, leaned back in his chair.“So, you're telling me you saw this creature firsthand?” the host asked, clearly intrigued.The man scoffed, shaking his head. “Damn right, I did. Ugly thing had wings bigger than my body—slow but sneaky. Thought it could steal my pigs again, but I was ready this time—camera in one hand, shotgun in the other.”He slammed the table for emphasis, then shoved the blurry image toward the host. The photograph depicted a small, red-skinned humanoid figure with large, bat-like wings, its eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.“Spit, the thing didn’t know what hit it when I fired!” the man chuckled, his voice full of excitement.The host held up the picture to the live chat. “Alright, what do you think? Mothman? Demon? Or is our friend here just seeing things?”The chat exploded with theories—some skeptical, others eager for the investigation to continue.---China – Liangyuan Street MarketSurveillance footage from a bustling night market in China captured a chilling scene. A woman in a red qipao walked gracefully through the crowd, her figure striking in the soft glow of lanterns.Suddenly, she paused. Her body flickered—like a glitch in a video—before vanishing completely, as though she had never existed.The footage zoomed in, replaying in slow motion. In the final frame before she disappeared, her face distorted unnaturally, her eyes hollow and empty.The screen cut abruptly to black.

I thought being laid off from my job was the greatest of my worries but I just had to wake up in a ship's cockpit after my space game crashed. Now I have no map, no friends and no money.But that's ok, I've started from the bottom before! With my starter ship I will scour through space as a Mercenary and maybe even start up a Mercenary Company while I'm at it! This ain't my first rodeo in space after all!Except... Apparently my crew members are weird?The guy who bumped into me yesterday was found sliced up and floating outside the space station.The girl who tried to honeytrap me was reported missing with only a finger found in an alley.And then that merchant who scammed me had his entire ship blasted into bits by unknown vessels the very next day.Some people say my crewmates were behind it but they must be mistaken, right?I only know one thing for sure...In space, no one can hear you scream...