The Hunter’s Guide To Monsters - Chapter 3: Encounter

Annabelle Asra:“Wait!” He commanded, hope surged within me. Maybe he will change his mind, but his expression turned icy, and my heart sank as I understood he had no intention of doing so.“I will never allow you to live a normal life, even if the Crimson Moon has shown you mercy, Annabelle. I will make your existence a living nightmare for what you did to my sister.”As I pondered his plans for me once I was no longer part of his tribe, he seized my throat, and his fangs pierced my neck. The pain was unbearable as he marked me. The agony I endured was nothing compared to the torment his mark would bring.Anger, resentment, and bitterness consumed me. A mark typically signifies acceptance and protection, but in my case, it signified the opposite.Betrayed by the Alpha's fiancée, Kari, I was sentenced to death but spared by the Crimson Moon, only to be exiled and marked by my ruthless Alpha, Zachary Ziglar.After surviving and joining a new pack, I discovered I was pregnant without remembering who I had been with. But why did my pup bear a striking resemblance to my tormentor?

After dying from exhaustion in his dreary corporate job, Riku Sakamoto awakens to find himself reborn in the world of his favorite game — EverRealm Online. But he’s not just any adventurer — he’s The Grand Maximus, a max-level legend with every class unlocked and stats that break the system.Yet instead of battles or kingdoms to conquer, he’s greeted by something far more unexpected: the Peaceful Life System — a mysterious power that rewards him with modern comforts for every act of kindness he performs.Help a farmer? Get a fan. Heal a wild animal? Receive electricity. Solve a village crisis? Unlock hot baths, fridges, and fresh-brewed matcha.Armed with nothing but infinite power and zero ambition, Riku settles in a sleepy starter village to live the slow life he always dreamed of. But as he helps the villagers, befriends forest creatures, and lazily reshapes the world around him, his actions begin to ripple far beyond the village borders…After all, who needs war when you’ve got peace, pancakes, and a weatherproof roof?

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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Tired of the schemes and strifes of city life, Bei Feng finally returned to his hometown in the countryside

While picking asters ‘neath the Eastern fence;

My gaze upon the Southern mountain rests;

Rearing a few chickens and ducks, I shall lead a simple and leisurely life!

However, who would have thought that fate would play a huge joke on Bei Feng? All kinds of magical items and beings of the Myriad Worlds could actually be fished out of the Ancient Well in his yard!

Even a chicken reeled out of the well ended up chasing Bei Feng all over the yard and beating him black and blue! Speechless and aggrieved, he asked the Heavens: if, that day, he’d fished out a Dragon instead of a chicken, what would’ve happened to him!

- Description from Novelupdates