twenty eight strings in the shadows

This is an era where heroes emerge in great numbers! This is an era where death and hope exist side by side! This is an era where the old order and the fires of new civilizations collide! What kind of grand epic will be written by the decaying federation, the fanatic empire, the obstinate theocracy, and the stirring foreign races?

Most people are born ordinary, but there are always some who, despite being born ordinary, aspire to greatness. From an exploited undocumented worker to the godfather of the dark; From those who obey the rules at the bottom of society, to the emperor behind the scenes who makes the rules; The country belongs to the federation when the sun shines, but it belongs to me when the night falls! "Sometimes, shadows can not only be as vast as light but can even cover it!" "We never extort anyone, every penny we make can pass through our conscience." If someone knocks on your door at night, they either bring my regards or brings the destruction for your arrogance. As for what you will get, it depends on how you choose, my friend!

"I should have stayed home and played video games." This was Ray's last thought before darkness engulfed him after he was hit by a car. But surprisingly, instead of finding himself before the gates of hell after dying, Ray found out he was transmigrated into another world. The world Ray was transmigrated to was called Arora World, a place where you can use different kinds of skills, magic, and even acquire powerful classes. Ray found himself in the body of a young boy named Evan, who was studying in a hunter academy after awakening his abilities at the age of fourteen. At first, Ray was happy that he was transmigrated into the body of someone who had awakened his abilities and could use the magic he always wanted to use. However, as Ray went through Evan's memories, he finally realized that everything was not as simple as he had expected. Evan had a unique physique that didn't allow him to increase his power like other people. Because of this useless unique physique, Evan was the weakest hunter in the entire academy. And that was not all; the more Ray looked at Evan's memories, the more he realized just how troublesome his situation was. "I know I entered this body without buying a ticket, but isn't this too much?" Ray said in a depressed voice after going through Evan's memories. Will Ray be able to survive in this new world? Is the physique of his new body really useless? Join Ray on his adventure to find out.

Ye Xuan transmigrated back to when he was an infant cuddling in the embraces of his nine older sisters. He activated the God-tier Sign-in System. [You are hugged by your eldest sister, who is the COO of a financial conglomerate. You signed in and obtained RMB100000000.] [You are fed medicine by your second sister, who is crowned the God Hand. You signed in and acquired god-tier acupuncture skills.] [You trained along with your third sister, who is a Martial Arts Grandmaster. You signed in and your overall physique improved.] [You live-streamed with your fourth sister, who is the top news anchor in the country. You signed in and acquired extraordinary good looks.] …… Ye Xuan could sign in daily! After staying in the city and signing in for eight years, Ye Xuan had accumulated an astronomical amount of wealth and become a billionaire. On his eighth birthday, his nine sisters were forced by the grand elder of their clan to get married. Just when everyone had lost hope of turning things around, Ye Xuan hopped down from his eldest sister’s embrace and said, “You’re marrying my sisters off against their wills. Have you consulted me about this?”

When Xia Liang wakes up, he finds the entire world has changed, and prices have plummeted. The prospective match from the arranged date actually only demands fifty cents for bride price! A house in the city center could be bought for just one hundred Yuan! A sports car that used to be worth tens of millions now only costs a few tens of Yuan! Looking at his balance of one hundred and twenty thousand, Xia Liang realizes he might have become the richest person around!

In a world where everyone is a slave, someone is born who cannot be controlled. At the same time, an unstoppable villain rises on a quest for revenge. But the truth is darker than he ever imagined, and now he must face an unbeatable enemy — including himself. *** Bruno was a young man born on Earth, the son of an influential modern Emperor. Despite having everything money could buy and receiving the best and most rigorous training to succeed his father, he chose the opposite path, defying his family’s ruthless rule. The price of his innocence? A merciless death and the complete erasure of his existence by the deity controlling his fate. On Earth, the law of the powerful was absolute; a slave could never rebel. But then, he wakes up again. He’s reborn in a world of cultivation, where freedom was promised to those strong enough to claim it. Now, he could soar like a free bird and carve his own destiny... or so he thought. The harsh reality of this new world soon showed him how insignificant he still was. He realized he had only changed masters. The freedom he sought was an illusion. The heavenly laws treated everyone as servants, and their rules were unbreakable. Bruno learned this bitter truth after losing everything that made him happy due to an unjust rule. But who was he to question? Hopeless, Bruno died... and was reborn as Alm, an unstoppable villain. With a soul poisoned by pain and vengeance, he sowed chaos across the universe. Planets were destroyed, countless lives taken, and his name became synonymous with terror. A hero rose to oppose him, wielding a sacred sword of hope. People from all corners of the universe united against Alm, raising their voices and weapons to stop the villain who defied the heavens. But Alm was no longer just fighting for revenge. He was challenging the heavenly laws that sought to control him, fighting fate and all living beings. And against all odds... the sacred sword shattered. The alliance of the entire universe was defeated. The villain won! Now, Alm found himself alone in the empty void of a dead universe, facing his own inner demons. Who could be more ruthless to him than himself? “What have I done?” At that moment, the doors of truth opened to him. Everyone was a puppet of a supreme figure, an entity that manipulated minds and even the heavenly laws. “I will find you, no matter where you are!” Thus, the last emissary of the true Heaven’s Will awakened. Alm, who once only relied on his sheer will and rage, now had a system to guide him. But his opponent was an immortal existence, above even the heavens. The villain who destroyed an entire universe now faced a new beginning. He discovered that the universe he devastated was just a tiny grain of sand in an infinite cosmos, where countless other universes existed. And so begins the legendary tale of the villain’s rise... and the Sacred Round God? A strange Duality of Shadows existed within one person. But this time, he wouldn’t be alone. *** To clear up any potential confusion or frustration, here are some key points about the story. I’ll avoid major spoilers, but a few things will be revealed. You might find this concerning at first, but just check the book cover—it shows the main character and his only partner. She first appears at 10 years old, but rest assured, there’s no inappropriate content or early romance. At around 13, SHE starts developing feelings for the protagonist, but he doesn’t respond until she’s an adult. With her determined personality, she tries to seduce him at 17/18, but it doesn’t work. Their relationship only happens much later. The book has nods to other works, with my own spin on them, and focuses on avoiding elements I find problematic in other stories. Lastly, the beautiful book cover was commissioned and created by HDIArt.

After an accidental one-night stand with a mysterious man, Charlotte Johnson had eight children. Four years later, Charlotte lived a blissful life with her eight genius children. Although her life was tough, in her eye's, everything was worth it. However, Henry Stevens, the wealthiest and most powerful man in the Imperial City, disrupted her previously uneventful life. At first, he thought that she was playing hard to get, so he was disdainful of her. However, afterwards, he realized that not only was she the mother of his children, but also the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

On a cold winter day, Yun Bao, who was already unconscious, was kicked out of the house by her biological father. "You're so evil at such a young age. You pushed your stepmother down the stairs. Now, the baby in her stomach is gone. Are you happy now? Why didn't I strangle you when you were born? You bring bad luck to this family!" Her father exclaimed before beating her up harshly. Yun Bao, who was only three-and-a-half years old, couldn't take it and collapse on the snowy ground. Just as she was about to die, her eight uncles made it in time to save her! Did she nearly freeze in the snow? Was she about to lose her life after being beaten up? Did people accuse her of hurting her stepmother's baby? Did she cause her mother's death and her father's bankruptcy Faced with all these negative rumors, her eight uncles chuckled. "Doesn't he enjoy hurting others? Turn off all the air-conditioners in the house. Let them stand outside for the entire night!" Her first uncle said. "Doesn't he enjoy hitting others? Give me the sack. I'm going to ease up the tension in his muscles," her second uncle said. "What does imminent bankruptcy mean? I'll make him bankrupt right away!" Her third uncle exclaimed. As for the miscarriage? It wasn't even real! Yun Bao's grandfather found out the truth and tossed the evidence to her jerk of a father. He also taught him a lesson with his walking stick. After being beaten up by his ex-wife's family, Yun Bao's father refused to back down. He said to himself, "That bitch brings bad luck to everyone in her life. They won't have a good life!" However, after Yun Bao returned to her mother's side of the family, not only did her uncles' lives not worsen, but they kept getting better and better. Even her grandmother, who had been bedridden for the longest time, recovered and was able to get onto her feet again. One day, a dominant CEO who appeared out of nowhere adopted her. Her entire family pampered her like a princess!

Crestwood used to be peaceful. Now people lock their doors before sunset. The town has become consumed by a string of brutal murders, each victim connected in ways the police fail to understand. To everyone else, the deaths seem random. But Aubrey knows better. There’s a pattern hidden beneath the bloodshed—something watching, choosing, waiting. And when the pattern begins circling her, she realizes she was never outside of it. Desperate for answers, Aubrey gathers the friends she trusts most, only to uncover a terrifying truth: all of them are connected by something far deeper than coincidence. Their lives, their encounters, even the tragedies that shaped them feel orchestrated, as though they had been guided toward one another long before they were born. But the deeper they dig, the more reality itself begins to unravel. Because behind Crestwood lies something far worse than a murderer. There are forces moving beyond human sight—silent influences shaping lives, steering choices, and bending fate toward an outcome only they understand. To them, people are nothing more than expendable positions in a larger design, living entire lives unaware they were never truly in control. Everything was proceeding exactly as intended. Until one of them changed. Among Aubrey’s group, one fate begins drifting beyond what was planned, triggering a chain reaction no one foresaw. What should have remained controllable becomes unpredictable. Dangerous. For the first time, something within the system is no longer obeying the role it was given. And if even one pawn can move on its own… Then the ones controlling the board may finally learn what fear feels like.

Alex, the Unseen Blade, wasn't supposed to steal the spotlight. In the grand tapestry of fate, he was merely a supporting color, a whisper in the shadows against the hero's blazing sun. Gifted with powers that defied logic and shrouded in an aura of enigma, Alex could bend time, dance with death, and erase himself from existence. Yet, he yearned for a life on the sidelines, a quiet escape from the chaos destined for the "chosen ones." But fate, it seemed, had a cruel sense of humor. When an ancient prophecy awakens a slumbering evil, the hero falls short, his light sputtering in the face of darkness. Thrust into the unwilling limelight, Alex must choose: embrace his extraordinary abilities and forge his own path, or watch the world crumble under the weight of a prophecy he never asked for. https://discord.gg/KGDCdNnW