Selene's path leads her to interact with mysterious humans and vampires. At the age of 23, she gets transformed into a vampire. Further, her journey takes a U-turn, when she meets a witch and becomes one of them. A crystal bracelet takes her to the parallel world. She travels back and forth towards both worlds. In the meantime, Blight rain affects people with hallucinations and paranormal activities. Will Selene find a cure? Before the Blight rain comes to an end, she gets to know about mass murders happening in her world. How will Selene be able to find the cause of those murders? Selene gets a chance to ascend to Ceres, and becomes the royal heir to protect the Earth. On her walk to a park, she touches a magical book and becomes a triling. Now what is Selene??? 


A Tri-ling!

A vampire, elf & fairy... Have a read to discover the fantasy realm.

A short story about the Foxes' Wedding folklore in Japan

Cranberry was leaning on Zombie's shoulder and dozing off while the carriage was jumping on the uneven pavement.
As she was falling asleep her hand was subconsciously wandering in search of Zombie's right hand, so the servant offered it to her with a gentle smile.
"Mmm..."
Feeling the familiar coolness Cranberry made a funny sound and relaxed completely.
The blue undead, careful to note wake his master up, moved slightly so that his master could take a bit more comfortable position, and nodded with satisfaction.
At least for a few more days, Cranberry will be able to enjoy freedom away from her mother.
"..."
Zombie clenched his teeth glaring out the window at the innocent horizon.
A night before, right before going to bed, Cranberry let her inner thought slip and she confessed that she was worried about her mother's reaction.
Even though the local branch of the adventurers guild bought their made-up story without even a sliver of doubt, the same outcome will be impossible with lady Raspberry.
In Zombie's opinion that woman wasn't acting like a head of the family, but rather as a selfish dictator that used everyone else as she wanted, and if anything went against her wishes she would punish the nearest person whether they were involved or not.
Though that was more of a fact than an opinion...
So even if Cranberry would be proven innocent, she would still get to be punished by her mother.
Maybe it was his title's influence, but Zombie felt that killing lady Raspberry would be an absolutely reasonable outcome.
...but Cranberry was strongly against that.
No matter how harshly her mother treated her, or how much she tried to control every aspect of her life, Cranberry loved her mother and wanted to win her approval.
It might had something to do with the enormous amount of pride that Cranberry had, but still, Zombie caught himself wondering what's so good about a parent like that.
In his old world, a dangerous thought like that would never even appear in his mind, but now as both the undead and the eternal servant - so a monster - he couldn't find any remorse stopping him from ending the lives of others.
An undead monster, even if it was a human before, usually had a hatred for all living creatures after all.
In Zombie's case, the only lives that he usually directed that hate towards, were those of who tried to take him away from his master.
"Nnn...!"
Cranberry moaned in her sleep and Zombie hurriedly checked what was wrong.
Thankfully it was only a strand of her red hair tickling her nose, so he carefully brushed it aside so she could rest without interruption.
Zombie observed his master for a while with great interest.
Truth to be told, he already forgot how it felt to be asleep.
Even when he was straining his memory and trying to remember details about his past life, every time he reminiscent about sleep, it seemed very odd to him.
Cranberry fidgeted and clenched his right hand tightly.
That made Zombie smile.
The first time that Cranberry slept with Zombie's right hand was when she was eight and had a high fever.
Zombie was by her side, unable to help her in any other way, so he just undid the stitches and used his otherwise useless hand as a cooling pad.
And it seemed like from that point Cranberry took a liking to the comforting coldness of Zombie's undead body, using him as a replacement for the ac whenever she was feeling too hot.
Each time she did that, Zombie felt happy.
Considering how strong and studious Cranberry was, she rarely needed help, but Zombie wanted to be of use.
"Graough... (Now that I think of it, I kind of act similar towards her as she acts towards her mother...)"
The blue undead sighed looking at the blue sky outside the window.
"...no, not similar at all... I actually care about you..."
"Graough?! (M-master?!)"
Cranberry's sleep-talking made Zombie flinch and gasp in shock.
But Cranberry didn't say anything else and she also didn't wake up.
With her cheek squished against Zombie's shoulder, she continued sleeping peacefully, unaware of how much she surprised her servant.
"Graough...? (Weird, does she understand my groans or not...?)"
Zombie groaned confused looking at the carriage's roof.
After few moments he gave up on figuring her out and instead focused on the bag with books that Cranberry took with her on the journey.
Of course, he got permission to read whatever he wanted beforehand from the girl herself.
He opened the bag and started checking out the content.
The book titled 'A good wife' made him frown, but he still checked the few first pages.
It was really something else... Content of that book would have definitely caused the author to be canceled online by the masses.
The blue undead closed the book with a bitter expression, wishing he could just throw it away.
But, good or not, it was his master's property, so no matter what was written inside, he would never destroy it.
So he put it away and grabbed another one.
'Art of seduction', another title that raised Zombie's brow.
But that one turned out to be a proper guidebook for acquiring many different charm-type skills.
It even had words of encouragement for the players to bear with the urge to punch their targets in the face while trying to appeal to them in the right way.
"Graough...! (Ooh! That explains a lot...!)"
Zombie's eyes widened when he realized that was the reason for Cranberry's odd behavior toward Durian.
"Graough... (Still... even if I'm undead, it wouldn't kill you to at least try it on me first...) Graough? (Training with you is one of my privileges, you know?)"
He said poking his master's squishy cheek.
"...nnn...!"
Cranberry frowned and fidgeted in her sleep.
/Master's skill upgrade 
Charm (level 9)\
"..."
Zombie saw the message pop up and quickly looked away.
"Graough... (Though it is weird that it levels up without her activating it...) Graough...? (Could it be a passive skill...?)"
He wondered.
Then he suddenly frowned.
"Graough...! (Wait...!) Graough...? (Why does she even need a charm skill for...?)"
Zombie tilted his head even more confused than before.
"Graough... (I wish she would trust me enough to let me in on her plans...)"
He sighed putting away the guidebook and taking out another book.
'Elven folklore'.
This one seemed even more detached from Cranberry's usual taste than the other two books.
She normally preferred hard books delving deep into history or the properties of the system and how to use it for her own gain.
Folk tales usually didn't interest her at all.
Suddenly Cranberry slid down from his shoulder and ended up with her head on Zombie's lap.
The blue undead smiled and put away the book without even checking the contents.
"Graough. (Master, it's your fault that I'm not that smart.)"
He complained and leaned back onto the cushioned seat.
"Graough. (Instead of reading I'm watching you all the time.) Graough... (Seriously, you don't have the right to complain that I ended up as a dumbass...)"
He groaned and started observing his master's peaceful face with a peaceful expression.


[Season 1 - Cranberry] 
After getting forcefully reincarnated into a world of an otome game he has no clue about, the protagonist is then killed and brought back to life by the prideful villainess with one desire.
To rule the world.
As the ruthless girl's Eternal Servant, how will he dodge the fate that the game system has in store for him?

[Season 2 - Zombie]
He has been granted a second chance.
Thrown right back to when it all began - with the memories necessary to make everything right and the overpowered skill to back up his conviction - how will the protagonist deal with even greater danger than what he faced during the first playthrough?
Read now with the start of the second season of the Villainess and I, her Zombie!

***
Cover by amazing @DraNKa
***

Singularity, a term used by Ryutenji-san to describe one's rights to exist in this world. Without it, a person is simply deactivated until being seen or deemed exist by people who entered this world as participants of the Rain Goddess' trial. Despite I'm not a participating in any trials, I was given this so called singularity. What is Ryutenji-san thinking?

To think that I was absolutely nothing before this frustrates me. Everything I thought I had done, is simply assumptions from people. If I existed for someone in this world, that would be Rinka-chan. How about these memories? Am I really in love with her as it seems?

The confusing memories given by Ryutenji-san and the ones I have before I met Rinka-chan, some of them contradicted each other. I even saw myself died to save her, it seems like I'm really in love huh? The memories of her are indeed sweet. But she have her own trial, she will leave this world one day and return to her own. It is better not to develop too much feelings on her. But what is this contradicting feelings I had on my chest? Wanting to be by her side, wanting hold her tight, not wanting her to leave... This is something abnormal in me. I'm sure I'm going mad.

...

Writing a lot of sweet stuff happened today is nice, but there are also a lot of things happened today... Zombies that merge with people to maintain their existence, Haruko knows how to finish her own trial, and Yuuma that became weird after following Ryutenji earlier. 

I stopped my pen and opened the curtains, a vast sky with stars appeared before me. I had no idea, what is my trial going to be. If Haruko wants to study folklore, then she solves mysteries that are associated with folklore. If I wanted to see Yuuma again, what is the mystery that I had to solve about Yuuma? Perhaps, it was a very simple task, that I neglected since the start. It was a long day, I shall hit the sack for today. 

... 

I gave Yuuma-kun my singularity, that day would come, I guess I was doing the right thing. For Rika-chan for not noticing this despite being fed with so much information about this world... Not even one of the participants ever wondered about mechanics that revolves around this world. This girl is very observant, however, looking too closely without looking at the big picture is her fatal weakness. Yuuma-kun, I'll entrust you with my role, if I fall...

"You seem troubled, Mr. Busybody." It's Jun.
"Ah... Isn't it Jun?" I said as I chuckles. 
"You want to self-destruct? Even if you bought her time, she wouldn't be able to make it. She has fallen to temptations she was supposed to reject from the start." Jun said. It was true, if she outrightly rejected Yuuma-kun's existence, then it will be the end of her trial. I can only ask Yuuma-kun to guide her after that.

"You are really an idiot. If it wasn't because of them, I wouldn't even have to be here." Jun lamented. 
"That's a different story from you, huh?" I said. The night passed by in a blink. Perhaps all the participants were already asleep at this point. 

...

It's summer break. I woke up after a night sleep with sweet dreams. Should I make him ask me out for another date? No, there are zombies everywhere. When I'm thinking hard to doing something else, Yuuma knocked my door. 
"Rinka-chan, I have something to talk with you." He said. Oh my gosh! Is it about confessing? I gotta dress up! 

I quickly changed my clothes and brushed my teeth, I made sure to brush them throughly so that it will be fine if we even kiss! Ahhh it's too embarrassing! I finally finished preparing myself. I opened my door. It's him, bringing toast and tea into my room. Is he being so considerate to bring me my breakfast? He's so cool... 

"Right... About this world, I understood much from Ryutenji-san. This world is not going to last long, that is why I'm helping you to finish your trial as soon as possible." He said. No... Even he knew about this... No, please make him forget, make him forget! Make him confess! 
" Umm, what did you want to say again?" I asked, hoping to prompt the confession I wanted. 
"I said, This world is not going to last long, that is why I'm helping you to finish your trial as soon as possible." He said.

No way... Why is my ability not working now? Please work now, this is not what I wanted now! I wanted to be with Yuuma, nothing else!
"So, let's head out and find some clues. I'm sure we can figure it out together." Yuuma said. I'm blinded in rage and kicked Yuuma out of my room. 
"Stupid Yuuma! Yuuma is the biggest idiot!" I blurted, which I slowly regretted afterwards. 

I stayed in this world solely because I could live the life I want, not someone who opposes my wishes as him. He said he learnt something from Ryutenji, that means he is responsible for this. I walked out of my house, hoping to find him anywhere. As expected, he appeared. Which means my ability is still working? I approached him, with several questions in mind. 

"Ryutenji, why is my ability not working on Yuuma?" I asked.
"Because... This is a secret." He replied. What? Even you are playing games with me. I lost my good mood for today. I head back home and locked myself in my room. 

I felt angry like I have never been before. Because my wishes didn't come true. Did I took all the wishes for granted? Was is a limited use ability? What do I need to do to replenish it? I contacted Haruko to ask for help.
"What is it, Rika-san? I'm still working on the mysteries from the book." Haruko said. 
"I wanted to ask, if my ability is limited?" I asked. 
"Let me see..." Haruko said, sounds of pages flipping can be heard, but Haruko promised to give me a call after she found it. Since Haruko's information was always reliable, I agreed with her, and that ends the call.

... 

Rinka-chan is angry because I told her about I understood everything, I wonder why. When I was given awareness, I'm already Tachibana Yuuma. If I was not given this role, could I be playing someone else's role instead? This world is a world created by the Rain Goddess, Ame. To think that she fooled every single person in this world, she must be an evil goddess. 

Not long after, a thunderstorm started, with booming roars of thunder that astonished me. Did she heard what I said? I'm sorry! Soon after, the sky cleared up, returning to the summer hot weather as before. She's really a childish one, I dare say.

Back to the issue, I was told by Ryutenji-san to not allow Rinka-chan to stay in this world any longer. To do that, she need to clear her trial, in which I had no idea how to do it. Without thinking much, I headed out. Hoping to look for any clues. 

Ryutenji-san stopped me outright when I was about to leave my house.
"Yo, Yuuma-kun. We met again. Shall we resume from where we stopped from yesterday?" Ryutenji-san said. I nodded, and pointed at Rinka-chan's window, notifying him that Rinka-chan will hear us. He then started walking. 

"In several days, Akari, the central city the two of you went yesterday, will be infested by people who were supposed to disappear but rebelled against the laws of this world." Ryutenji-san said. I was surprised. 
"You mean the people who were associated with trial participants who had left this world?" I asked. 
"Great minds do think alike huh? Correct. Rinka-chan, on the other hand have a better term for them. A 'zombie'." Ryutenji-san said.
"Zombie... Is this a science fiction now?" I asked. Everything in this world started to make no sense. This world is no longer real to me, even if I was born here in this world, with these knowledge, I start to understand Ryutenji-san. He was worried about everything since the beginning. Knowing the world will one day collapse, yet all he can do is observe, wait and appear when needed.

"Of course it is not, this is just a world, or rather an illusion that manifested from the will of the Rain Goddess. Everything here is just temporary, however some individuals in this world might attained an incomplete form of singularity, granting them thoughts of their own, causing them to rebel against the idea of disappear. Imagine a dream which is supposed to be forgotten after waking up which didn't disappear as desired, what will they do?" Ryutenji-san said in awe, adding another question.
"They kept following the person who woke up?" I replied with uncertainty.
"They haunt their hosts, as if they had a mind of their own. Given no one will willingly disappear simply because they were unneeded." Ryutenji-san said.
"Soon, you will have selfish thoughts... Please reconsider your role. Whether to see her off from this world, or disappear together with this world." Ryutenji-san added. His words weighs on my shoulders, I, get to choose? That's right. I've attained singularity... We parted ways after I reaffirmed my role to myself.

People said that if you wished upon a star, your dream would come true. And so, I wished.

"I hope to see him again..." I wished.

I thought it wasn't true, so I gave up. Things happened differently when I woke up in the next morning, I see him again... But no one including him, remembers me. 

"I loved you... I always loved you."
How am I able to say this aloud if I never existed in his world?

Thud, thud, thud!
Sounds as though a massive hammer being drawn back and smashing against the ground echoed.
It was hard to imagine that human bodies hitting against a metal door could produce such sounds. And those were even… dead bodies.
By right, the durability and whatnot of a corpse should actually be very low.
To be able to create such a great ruckus, these were evidently not your average zombies.
The corpse transporter hiding somewhere out there was likely much more formidable than the driver.
"It's bending!"
"It's bending!"
A yelling Auntie Shufen pointed at the door frame.
Due to the pounding, the door frame had visibly bent a little. Although the metal door was very solid, the door frame wasn't quite as sturdy.
If this went on, the zombies would probably be able to break through the walls in five minutes.
With a sinister expression on his face, K suddenly charged into the tiny room at the side.
A short while later, K came running back out and then toward the bus resting stationary on the other side. He turned on the engine. Leaving the lights off, he drove toward the metal door, veering left and right the whole time.
The bus turned and stopped with its side to the metal door, blocking it off.
"Ha!" K jumped down the bus and ran happily into the other bus. 
This time, he didn't need to change the direction that the bus was facing anymore—ramming straight into it would do!
Originally, a gap had remained between the bus and the metal door. But with this crash, the two came into intimate zero-distance contact.
The metal door was now fully and thoroughly blocked off.
"With this, they can't get in so easily anymore." K was incredibly pleased with his heroic undertaking.
The red scarf in front of his chest[1]… No, even his limbs that were originally weak and sluggish felt a lot stronger.
Auntie Shufen generously gave him a thumbs up and complimented him, "The young man still thinks on his feet pretty quickly after all, doesn't he?"
"Monk, this is much more useful than you shooting everywhere thoughtlessly," said K to Tang Luo.
Tang Luo replied, "You can block the door, but it's not necessary."
K sneered.
'Be stubborn all you want.'
He involuntarily looked toward Mico.
Compared to the praise from a middle-aged lady, a typical man would definitely prefer to receive the favor and attention of beauties instead.
Except that there wasn't the scene that K had imagined.
Mico didn't look at him with adoration and idolization in her eyes. On the contrary, she was looking in the direction of the metal door with unconcealable horror in her eyes.
"What's…"
K looked toward where Mico was looking at.
The remaining two words, 'the matter', were swallowed back down alive.
On top of the bus that was blocking the metal door was a zombie.
"Zombies don't possess any intelligence, but most corpse transporters do. There's no need to block the door when you can just use a ladder to climb in," said Tang Luo.
K couldn't help yelling, "Then what the hell were they slamming against the door for earlier!" 
"Just trying their luck before the ladder arrived, I guess? If they had managed to slam their way in, wouldn't it be much easier than climbing in using the ladder?" replied Tang Luo. "Giving it a go didn't pose any loss to them anyway."
As they spoke, the zombie had already fallen from the top of the bus.
It landed on the ground in an awful way. It seemed like it had even injured its leg and it started to limp. Its movements slowed down significantly.
The walls and the metal door of the terminal were moderately higher than the bus.
It was impossible for every zombie, which climbed in to have the same body durability as the one that had nearly slammed the door open.
If they fell onto the ground, even becoming paralyzed from the waist down was something within reason. But with the buses there, part of the height was instead lowered.
The damage they would have suffered from the fall was significantly reduced.
Bang, bang!
Tang Luo shattered all four limbs of the zombie with a few shots.
There wasn't anything like blood and flesh flying everywhere. The only things there were broken bones and air-dried cured meat. It was a typical corpse that had been dead for many years.
The loss of its limbs successfully prevented the zombie's actions even though the corpse transporter's commands were still in effect.
Its body wriggled like a caterpillar and continued to attempt to get nearer to Tang Luo and the rest.
Its contorted form under the moonlight sent chills down one's spine.
By this point, the second zombie also landed on top of the bus.
These zombies were unlike those hopping zombies[2] in zombie movies.
The way they moved was more similar to the zombies in western movies, though not the slow-moving kind. Their speed was probably comparable to the speed of a normal human.
"Get on the bus," said Tang Luo after he blasted the second zombie into a few parts with a few shots.
"Get on the bus?" K didn't understand what Tang Luo meant.
Getting back onto the bus at this point?
"The one that's filled with corpses," replied Tang Luo. "We had slightly cleaner ones, but you have wasted them."
K had an awful look on his face.
What did he mean by waste? If he hadn't used the buses to block the door, that horde of zombies would have rushed in here a long time ago, alright?
"You'll drive." Tang Luo walked toward the bus that they had taken to the terminal. He stepped on the wheel and leaped on top of the bus with great ease. "Bring these zombies around in circles. I'll shoot them down."
"…"
So it could actually work like this too?
Without waiting for K to respond, Auntie Shufen had already run into the bus. Mico was hot on her heels.
Auntie Shufen opened the window and shouted at K, "Young man, what are you still standing there for? Hurry over and drive! All of us are already on-board!"
"Where am I supposed to drive to?!"
Nothing was going smoothly in the mission this time. K felt extremely troubled.
"You know, around in circles! Even I know better than you!" answered Auntie Shufen.
A terminal the size of a soccer field was enough for a medium-sized bus to go around in circles and take those zombies out for a walk.
In addition, they could even run over a few to death.
"…"
K endured the stench from the corpses in the bus and ignited the engine.
At this point, more zombies entered the terminal. The sound of the door being slammed into had also stopped.
Knowing how to drive didn't mean that K knew how to drive a bus.
Unlike how he had carelessly driven the buses earlier, having to truly operate a large vehicle like this was a task of mammoth proportions to K.
The bus veered all over the place. It looked like it was in extreme danger of toppling over.
Monotonous and mechanical gunshots rang out.
Tang Luo accurately shot off the limbs of one zombie after another. They were then run over by the bus and thoroughly lost their ability to move.
However, there was no sign of joy on K. He hadn't forgotten about the presence that had almost broken down the metal door.
That definitely wasn't a zombie which a tiny pistol could shoot its limbs off, nor could they run it over with a bus.
Up till this point, rather than calling the zombies that they had encountered zombies, calling them moving corpses instead would be more accurate.
When their quantity was under control, they didn't present much of a threat.
K believed that the mission couldn't be so simple that they could get through it by leading the zombies around in circles.
As though Murphy's law, K's premonition was very accurate.
A big and tall figure flipped over the metal door and crashed heavily onto the bus' top. Its landing alone actually caused a deep indentation in the metal exterior of the bus.
It was evident just how heavy it was.
Under the moonlight, one could see that the color of this particular zombie was unlike the bluish-gray, bluish-white, and grayish-white of the other zombies. Instead, there was a metallic luster, like that of bronze ware, to it.
It was over two meters tall and had large and thick limbs. Its hands were huge, much like palm-leaf fans.
'A bronze-armored zombie?' K wondered to himself.
It was beyond normal for all sorts of products of the imagination to appear in the Game of Gods And Demons.
That outstanding color and luster of its skin strongly resembled the bronze-armored zombie that K knew of.
Ring, ring, ring!
Crystal clear bell chimes traveled along with the wind over to them.
It confirmed everyone's guess of, "There's a corpse transporter hiding somewhere".
No more zombies came in after the bronze-armored zombie's arrival.
It was hard to tell whether this was because the reserve of zombies had been fully depleted or because the corpse transporter wanted to concentrate on manipulating the bronze-armored zombie and didn't have the leisure to manipulate other zombies.
There was also the likelihood that the corpse transporter felt that the bronze-armored zombie alone would be enough to put an end to the terminal's unexpected guests.
The bronze-armored zombie's movements were a little sluggish. 
It took a total of ten seconds for it to jump from the top of the bus to the ground.
This also gave K a chance to properly adjust the direction of the bus. He stomped on the accelerator and rammed fiercely into it.
Boom!
The bus was in intimate contact with the other buses beside it. The front of the bus struck the bronze-armored zombie.
At once, glass shattered and formed a large spread of snowflakes.
The driver's seat was mashed together.
Fortunately, K had been prepared a long time ago and had already fled before the impact.
In comparison, Auntie Shufen and Mico were all over the place instead.
K crouched low and stared hard at the windscreen that was still in one piece.
An arm reached out. Blue light surfaced. He was all ready to launch his skill.
Right at this moment, the bus suddenly moved in the reverse direction.
Unable to maintain his balance, K instinctively braced his hands against the ground, preventing himself from falling.
Crash!
The windscreen fell off, revealing the bronze-armored zombie that was completely unscathed.
K reached out once more, about to launch his skill the next instant. He aimed at the chest of the bronze-armored zombie.
If luck was on his side, it could totally cut the bronze-armored zombie into two.
K refused to believe that the bronze-armored zombie was really as impenetrable as bronze and iron.
Before going through six missions and receiving an all-rounded stat upgrade, an Employee of Gods and Demons leaned more toward the typical glass cannon. They could kill an opponent very easily, but it was also very easy for their opponent to kill them.
Thus, seizing the first strike was extremely crucial in battle.
Of course, the moment their skills were unable to break through the opponent's defense, the situation would become incredibly awkward.
It was very easy for them to end up in a situation where they were at the complete mercy of others.
Just as K was about to strike, a white figure came down from the front of the bus and pushed the bronze-armored zombie down. 
"You guys can leave, let me do it."
They heard Tang Luo say.
K's movements paused for a moment.
Before he could react, the monk, who had only just suppressed the bronze-armored zombie, was flung to the left. He crashed against the bus that laid parallel next to him with a boom.
The loudness of the crash didn't lose out to the one K had caused when he rammed the bus into the bronze-armored zombie earlier.
In his peripheral vision, K caught a glimpse of the area where the monk and the bus had collided. It was sunken inward and formed a shallow pit.
The bronze-armored zombie reappeared in front of K.
However, following a series of harried bell rings, the bronze-armored zombie ignored K, who was inside the bus.
Slightly shifting the direction it was facing, it crouched a little and turned to the side with its shoulder aimed at Tang Luo.
It was a standard Tieshan Lean[3] stance, a close-quarters combat technique in the Baji Fist[4].
Small broken rock fragments flew everywhere. K felt like what had charged over wasn't a human but a huge truck that had gone out of control.
Boom!
Yet another deafening boom rang out.
The bus lying parallel next to him was thrust into the air, like a toy car that had encountered a spoiled brat with extreme destructive tendencies.
It overturned a few times in the air before crashing heavily onto the ground.
The wheels facing upward spun under the moonlight. After spinning a few rounds, one of them even dropped onto the ground. Except that this strike, which was comparable to a strike from a battering ram, didn't really achieve many effects.
One second before the strike connected, Tang Luo had already ducked to the side and successfully evaded it.
The bronze-armored zombie turned and looked at Tang Luo, who had dodged its attack.
With slightly stiff movements, it charged toward him in silence, as though a moving metal tower.
On the other hand, Tang Luo's actions were a lot more nimble and graceful. He retreated and put distance between himself and the bronze-armored zombie, diligently ensuring that he didn't fall into enemy hands.
K got off the bus. Under the moonlight, he saw the white-robed monk contending with the bronze-armored zombie.
Every strike dealt by the bronze-armored zombie produced a low and heavy whoosh as it moved through the air.
Unfortunately, its speed was a little too slow. Tang Luo evaded every attack by the barest of margins. He was even able to counterattack.
Except that even the monk's skill, Gautama's Palm Hit, could only produce a crisp thud when it connected with the bronze-armored zombie.
The bronze-armored zombie barely even staggered.
One was unable to overcome the other while the other couldn't break past its opponent's defenses.
The situation entered a stalemate right away.
[1] The full phrase 'The red scarf in front of (one's) chest became even more vibrant' refers to someone feeling proud of themselves for doing something good. It originated from the red scarves that elementary school children wore as part of their school uniforms
[2] Refers to the 'jiangshi', literally 'stiff corpse', of Chinese legends and folklore
[3] 'Tie shan' literally means 'metal mountain'
[4] Literally 'Eight Extremities Fist'. A Chinese martial art that features explosive, short-range power and is famous for its elbow and shoulder strikes


After transmigrating to the ‘Journey To The West’ as the monk Tang Seng and successfully retrieving the scriptures, Tang Luo goes into seclusion to cultivate, only to “wake up” to a completely different world.
All the gods and Buddhas in the heavens have disappeared and only the concrete jungle of towering buildings stand tall and straight around him. He has actually returned to the contemporary age!
Except that he is now a player of The Game of Gods and Demons, weaving through various mission worlds as spirits and demons run amok.
Heavily injured? Barely any vital energy in the real world for cultivation? No problem, with his trusty Jade Lotus of Virtuous Merit, all will be fine.
Follow Tang Luo the Victorious Fighting Buddha as he clears missions in the Game, meets old friends and makes new allies, and punishes evil and advocates good to earn power of virtuous merit while he tries to find out what exactly had happened back then!
Demonic aura detected!
“Step back and let Master here handle it.”
Tang Luo reveals a “kind and benevolent” smile, just like in the past.

Shang Jiuti and Lou Xiaoxiao suddenly held on their rifles, their faces filled with tension and nervousness. It was due to a sound akin to a gunshot that came from the lake.
Chen Shaoye also stood beside his sniper rifle. He was also as tense as the two women. In fear of something suddenly appearing, he stood on the same spot like a log, his eyes ceaselessly looking around.
On the other hand, Chu Han grabbed his iron axe as he then walked towards the front of the group. The women then followed him into the source of that gunshot. He flung the weed around with his axe, cutting some in the process. What it laid bare was water that was ice cold. Splashes were created when they continued to walk towards the lake despite the ice cold water they could feel on their toes.
Chu Han`s phase-one strength also gave him heightened senses, he was currently able to feel that Lou Xiaoxiao was quivering intensively while Shang Jiuti`s breathing was ragged.
Suddenly, Chu Han stopped moving.
The sound of splashing water was then replaced by a sudden silence. Behind Chu Han, Lou Xiaoxiao and Shang Jiuti held their breaths as they firmly locked themselves on the spot.
Hua... Hua...
From afar, the sound of splashing water broke the silent atmosphere.
Although the moon was not so bright that night, a sliver of moonlight still permeated through towards that place, giving it enough lighting. As their eyes began to adapt to the light, the scene on the front was laid bare for their eyes to see.
It was Bai Yun`er.
The girl was swimming at the center of the lake, her back turned towards Chu Han and his group. Her long hair draped onto her face, laying bare her swanlike neck to the group. The water covered her body. She raised her arms and then dropped it down on the surface of the water, creating a splash.
"Shit! Taking too long when you`re just taking a bath!" Luo Xiaoxiao was so mad, "I thought there was something wrong. Why did she go so far?"
The place where Bai Yun`er was staying at was quite a distance away from their camp.
Shang Jiuti breathed a sigh of relief as she wiped the beads of sweat that dripped down her face.
Chu Han simply said nothing, just staying completely still. He stood there quietly, an unknown glint flashing across his eyes as he looked at Bai Yun`er.
Lou Xiaoxiao did not bother lowering her voice, directly letting Bai Yun`er hear what she just said. Bai Yun`er turned around, her naked body laid bare to the group. Her almost perfect body was glamorously displayed towards the group but she did not even show a hint of bashfulness.
Her cold appearance, delicate collarbone, and spotless arms was displayed in front of Chu Han and the other two women like some kind of item up for auction, not something that should not be displayed in front of others.
"Cough! Cough! Cough!" Lou Xiaoxiao choked herself with her own saliva.
Shang Jiuti`s face reddened as she could not help but look towards Chu Han. He was looking at her intently! All of a sudden, Shang Jiuti felt jealous. She looked at her body as she compared it to Bai Yun`er`s.
At the very moment that Shang Jiuti and Lou Xiaoxiao was still reeling from the shock they felt, the sound of splashing water could be heard.
Hua---
The torrent of water squarely hit the three people`s lower bodies. Their trousers was now drenched as it added another level of coldness to their bodies.
"Ah!!" Luo Xiaoxiao suddenly screamed.
Shang Jiuti`s face turned pale as she looked at Lou Xiaoxiao.
The crystal clear water allowed them to clearly see what was at the bottom of the lake. Countless pairs of white pupils that looked like kelpies1 and sets of teeth now eerily filled the lake.
There were zombies!
There was a vast amount of zombies on the lake.
A vast amount of zombie heads dotted the water surface, creating a honeycomb-like structure. Along with the splashing of the water, they quickly rushed towards where Chu Han and his group were located. There was even a vast amount of dead fish that was carried along with the splashes!
Zombies needed to feed. They eat almost everything, not only human meat but also the meat of animals. They ate everything that was alive, wasting nothing in the process.
It was not strange that there were zombies in the water since fish was also a good type of food for them.
But it could not be denied that they liked human meat the most!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Retreating strides along with the splashing of water clearly indicated the urgency of retreating as Lou Xiaoxiao quickly dashed to the lakeshore in total panic.
Shang Jiuti was quivering. She was still a woman even though she`s not a common woman. She could still feel fear but she did not let it get the better of her.
"Did you kill them?" Chu Han then looked at Bai Yun`er on the other side of the lake.
The number of dead zombie heads floating on the surface was so scary and eerie. Their bodies sank to the bottom of the lake. Their heads was the only thing that floated and it seemed that they all shared the same process of dying.
"Yes." Bai Yun`er casually replied as she then continued with her bath. She did not feel bashful and she also did not feel fear. Shang Jiuti and Lou Xiaoxiao were so shocked they did not know what to say. They asked to themselves, "Was she still human?" Chu Han narrowed his eyes. Bai Yun`er was not that strong but she was at the embryonic stage of a killing machine. She was born to kill. Within an hour, the number of zombies she killed was unfathomable. Her unpredictability added another level of danger to her being that even Chu Han instinctively started to fear her.
Luckily, he was not Bai Yun`er`s enemy.
Luckily, he met her before she had gone mad.
Looking at the heads of zombies that dotted the surface of the lake, Chu Han could not help but ask his self the question, "Was she really a mutant?"
He simply did not see another explanation to her absurd fighting capabilities. It absolutely did not belong to a seventeen year old girl. But he simply could not confirm his hypothesis. Bai Yun`er had already stopped fighting at that moment so he could not sense a fluctuation from her.
Evolved people, or mutants, created a fluctuation of unknown origins during fighting that could be sensed by other mutants. Those fluctuations grow stronger along with the strength of the mutant, but it could not be felt by normal people or during tranquil times. It was a strange thing that happened for no reason.
Taking a deep breath, Chu Han continued, "The rotten meat and the dark blood would scatter along the lake very soon. You better finish bathing quickly."
"Yeah." Bai Yun`er still answered as usual but she was really moving more quickly. She listened to Chu Han.
Chu Han looked at the bottom of the lake that now seemed like a mass burial ground before going to the shore. Lou Xiaoxiao and Shang Jiuti had already gone far in fear of the eerie scene they had seen. It was not just the scene of countless zombie heads dotting the surface of the water that greatly scared them, Bai Yun`er`s casual attitude despite what she had done also frightened them a lot.
She could actually still calmly take a bath on a lake infested with dead zombies? It should be natural to go to somewhere more sanitary and less eerie.
Could a normal person do what she had done?
1. Water sprite: in Scottish folklore, a malicious water spirit that takes the form of a horse and lures people to death by drowning (I don`t know how pale white eyes look like a horse-shaped sprite but yeah, t`is the meaning of kelpies)


One day, darkness enshrouded the world. 
According to the Meltdown theory, Earth’s magnetic field faced a change, and along with it, natural laws changed too. Though some laws related to physics could still be applied, a lot of scientific theories and laws had been overturned, prompting everyone to re-discover their underlying principles. Humanity’s scientific foundation was not the only one which faced changes; the field of genetics had transformed too. 
One of the biggest disasters brought by the magnetic field’s change was the zombification of more than 80% of the world’s population. 
After years of struggling, a few lucky survivors would evolve and awaken a hibernating power hidden in them. 
Chu Han was never that lucky…
While holding on against the first wave, humans weren't the only ones getting stronger. Soon, phase-1 zombies evolved into phase-2 then phase-3 and so on. 
Ten years after the mysterious meltdown, the world dominated by humans changed hands. Zombies were the new overlords, and humanity was facing extinction.
One day, Chu Han`s consciousness returned ten years before the end of the worlds. A loud noise awakened him in Minqiu University’s dormitory. With only one day to prepare before the Apocalypse’s outburst, he slowly realized that he had been reincarnated! 
Chu Han’s sudden reincarnation brought an unexpected power, which he hadn’t in his previous hellish world. To be more precise it wasn’t a power, but a system! The Meltdown System! 
Despite losing his monstrous strength gained through years of harsh training, Chu Han was confronted as the Meltdown System could grant him talents in exchange for credits, which he could get with every zombie he killed. 
This is a story about a world on the edge of ruins, the Meltdown System, and Chu Han, trying his best to save the people he could not save before.




Both of them spoke in unison to show their support towards Ye Xiwen. Bao Qin Wang was put in a tough spot. He could neither advance nor retreat. He could only look at them bitterly before leaving with his group.
“How are you guys here?” Ye Xiwen asked. He didn’t expect that he would actually find Jian Wu Chen and Mu Ling here. However, the most unexpected thing was to see the wolf cub.
There had been no news of him ever since Ye Xiwen and the wolf cub got separated. Ye Xiwen had never expected that he would actually see him here.
Ye Xiwen finally came to know everything from the wolf cub. Jian Wu Chun had gone for the closed-door training after the two of them were separated. Later, both Jian Wu Chen and the wolf cub had entered True Martial University. Nobody said anything about the wolf cub since many disciples had brought beast mounts. 
Then, both of them joined the organization called Sword Tomb, and gained the status of high-level experts. They met with Mu Ling inside the Sword Tomb organization since he had also joined it.
Then, they had received the news about the appearance of a ‘sword code’ and came looking for it. The ‘sword code’ had crossed through more than half of the foreign battlefield. This had brought in numerous experts who had been pursuing it. Of course, the members of Sword Tomb were the most interested among these people.
This entire organization was comprised of sword experts. They were aware of the importance of cultivating a good sword technique. They simply could not go on without cultivating a good sword technique.
These three hadn’t thought that they would bump into Ye Xiwen here. It was purely an accidental encounter.
Everyone had made good progress, while the wolf cub had made the greatest. It had reached the peak of half-step legendary eighth stage, and was about to enter half-step legendary ninth stage. Ye Xiwen couldn’t help but envy this kind of speed. However, wolf cub had mysterious origins and it seemed as if he faced no barriers in his cultivation.
Jian Wu Chen had also progressed quite quickly after obtaining an inheritance. He had reached half-step legendary eighth stage. He hadn’t been as strong as Mu Ling in past. However, he had overtaken Mu Ling now, who was still at half-step legendary seventh peak.
“Boy, you are pretty good ah. I’ve heard a lot about your name; not bad, not bad. You haven’t lost this old man’s respect!” The wolf cub assumed the role of an elderly, and started treating Ye Xiwen like a youngster. Ye Xiwen slapped him, and sent him flying to the other side.
Wolf cub returned to Ye Xiwen’s side, and said in a depressed tone, “What the hell! We are meeting after so long, and you slapped me? Public morals are degenerating with each passing day. You just hit your old friend!”
“You must go to that giant stele if you’ve come here for the sword code. I have seen it submerging into that stele with my own eyes. I even chased it, but my speed fell short!” Ye Xiwen said.
Ye Xiwen had honestly told Bao Qin Wang about the whereabouts of that ‘sword code’. He certainly wasn’t afraid of Bao Qin Wang; he just didn’t wish to invite calamity for no reason. 
This sword code had attracted many tyrannical experts. He was likely to come across a lot of trouble if he didn’t stay away from it. Ye Xiwen wasn’t afraid of any trouble. However, he didn’t feel like taking the initiative to look for some.
Ye Xiwen wouldn’t have been in the slightest bit of trouble if that woman in red hadn’t made those irresponsible remarks. 
He would’ve certainly accepted it if the ‘sword code’ were really in his possession. However, it was not, and he still ended-up getting accused for it.
“That’s strange. How it can disappear?” Jian Wu Chen frowned and asked.
Jian Wu Chen had no doubt in Ye Xiwen’s words. There was no need for Ye Xiwen to lie. This meant that the problem lay with that sword code.
More and more powerhouses had begun to advance towards this area following the disappearance of the sword code.
However, this strange matter was just beginning.
A mysterious Divine Egg appeared above a tall mountain on the third day since the ‘sword code’ had started attracting many people to arrive at this place. No one knew which monster’s egg it was. Countless experts forged a battle in order to compete for this Divine Egg. Even Ye Xiwen joined the battle. However, that Divine Egg turned into a Divine Hou (1) and vanished from everyone’s line of sight.
A bad premonition flourished inside Ye Xiwen’s heart. However, more experts arrived after hearing about that Divine Hou. According to the legend, it was one of the nine sons of the Dragon King. It possessed a real dragon’s blood in its veins and was exceptionally noble. Ancient gods had used it as a mount in the past.
Divine Hou was so terrifying that it used to take dragons as food. Many people were quite excited since they would have boundless future prospects if they were able to catch a Divine Hou.
Someone found that Divine Hou in a valley the next day. A heaven-shattering war broke out among several experts in order to compete for it; they still failed to catch it in-spite of heavy casualties. 
Finally, the Divine Hou disappeared into that same giant stele.
Suddenly, everyone’s gazes were drawn towards that stele. Nobody knew when it was established and what was engraved on it. Some people even sent messages back to their inheritances in order to gain some knowledge about it. However, even they didn’t know anything. No one knew for how long new disciples had been practicing in this foreign battlefield. However, this place had never been discovered still. 
“This Divine Hou is one of the nine sons of the Dragon King!” Mu Ling said, “These people are really going crazy over it!”
“I heard that Divine Hou is not one of the nine sons of the Dragon King… rather it is a sixth grade zombie (2). In fact, it is even more powerful than the Drought Demon (3)!” Ye Xiwen said.
In the ancient mythology, there were White Corpse, Blade Corpse, Jumping Corpse, Flying Corpse and Drought Demon. The Divine Hou could not be called as zombies as per Buddhist say. It possessed no less than the power of gods, and could challenge gods and devils alike. It could kill the gods and slaughter the devils. Only such a zombie could be called ‘Hou’. Such a zombie could have a thousand years or even ten thousand years worth of abilities acquired through practice and cultivation. Some people called such a zombie a devil. It would initially turn into a ‘Drought Demon’, and then the Drought Demon would evolve into a ‘Hou’. A Hou possessed great magical powers. It spewed fire from its mouth and ate dragons as food. That was why Buddha had used it as a mount, and in this way had suppressed the dragon. 
Suddenly, everyone’s complexions changed drastically. If it really was a zombie… then it was quite terrifying. The ‘sword code’ as well as the Divine Hou had disappeared in that stele one after another. What kind of secret did that stele contain?
"Damn it! There won’t be a mass grave beneath it, right?" the wolf cub said in his typically uncouth manner.
Ye Xiwen had also asked Ye Mo privately about this Divine Hou matter. But even he didn’t know the answer very clearly. The zombie race itself was classified as ‘mysterious’ among the three realms. As if they had suddenly appeared from outside the three realms, and weren’t even made of the so-called five elements. The members of the real zombie race weren’t seen during the daytime. They were usually nothing more than a corpse with muddled consciousness.
“Regardless, more and more people have joined in. It is an indisputable fact!” Jian Wu Chen said, “We will soon see the results irrespective of how mysterious that place is!”
“Ah, I also have the same premonition!” Ye Xiwen nodded and said.
“Ye Xiwen, come out to die!” Suddenly a loud shout came from the distant sky. It reverberated in the sky from a distant place. A terrifying and peerless aura instantaneously shrouded the small courtyard where Ye Xiwen and the others had lodged. An extremely dreadful force of oppression swept down along with boundless killing intention. They were ice-cold and piercing in nature.
That loud shout was like a sonic boom; it had completely shaken the entire city. This city wasn’t very big. Moreover, everyone in this city was an expert with successful cultivation. Therefore, even a little sound could make them go off like a boiler.
A figure stood mid-air; right above the small courtyard where Ye Xiwen was settled. He appeared to be over 20 years old. He was clad in a magnificent robe. His eyebrows were like a sword, and his eyes were like stars. His eyebrows were ramping all the way to his temples. He looked extremely handsome, but had an ice-cold expression on his face. It seemed like his aura was powerful enough to repel even those who were located a thousand miles away.
Experts through the city released their soul searches to see who had got so furious.
“Who is this man, ah! He is so rampant. Even more arrogant than I am!”
“Didn’t you see the emblem embroidered on his chest? That is the emblem of Law Enforcement Hall. As per his strength — he must be Luo Yi Hang! He is so young… but he has already reached half-stage legendary ninth stage. He definitely has boundless future prospects. No wonder he could become a leader of Law Enforcement Hall’s young disciples!”
“Sure enough! He is not just talented, but also has formidable strength. Can it be that he’s come looking for Ye Xiwen because the guy killed his juniors?”
“Exactly! Ye Xiwen is an undisciplined guy. A few members of Law Enforcement Hall looked down on him and provoked him… so he killed them all. The higher brass of Law Enforcement Hall was unable to investigate this matter properly. So they let a high-level expert like Luo Yi Hang deal with this matter. It is clear that he must punish Ye Xiwen in order to establish the prestige and dignity of Law Enforcement Hall in the eyes of new disciples. How will the Law Enforcement Hall maintain the rules and discipline in the university if everyone starts to disobey them!”
A terrifying aura belonging to the peak level of half-step legendary realm had shrouded this small city. There were no truth level experts inside the city. However, there were many half-step legendary and legendary realm experts; even they couldn’t bear this kind of murderous aura.
“Bang!” An imposing aura leapt-up from that small courtyard. Ye Xiwen came out of the small courtyard. He was riding on a rainbow light.
“You are Ye Xiwen, correct? Not bad; you dare to come out on your own. You’re not a coward!” Luo Yi Hang coldly looked at Ye Xiwen. He certainly showered praises on Ye Xiwen, but he didn’t have a bit of smile on his face. There a cold look in his eyes on the contrary.
Ye Xiwen didn’t say anything in response. He simply released his golden divinities. The invincible divine power contained in those golden divinities immediately blocked Luo Yi Hang’s imposing aura.
Luo Yi Hang’s imposing aura was much stronger than Ye Xiwen’s. He was at half-step legendary ninth stage, while Ye Xiwen was merely at half-step legendry’s small compete realm. In general, Ye Xiwen strength shouldn’t even be comparable to an expert of half-step legendary sixth stage.
(To be continued)
Hou – A mythical creature. It‘s popular name is Denglong also known as Wangtianhou, Chaotianhou, or simply ‘Hou’. According to the folklore, it is one of the sons of the Dragon King. It has been used as a mount of ancient gods. It can eat the brains of dragons. It can spew flames and can defeat dragons. It resembles a horse with scales all over its body. 
Appearance: It has various characteristics which resemble animals: horns like a deer, head like a camel, ears like a cat, eyes like a shrimp, mouth like a donkey, hair like a lion, neck like a snake, scales like a koi fish, front paws like an eagle, and rear paws like a tiger.
Zombie: Also known as Jiang Shi or Corpse. 
Draught Demon: Also known as Hanba or ‘Nüba’ is a Chinese drought deity. Wherever it goes, it invokes draught. 


Ye Xiwen was previously only an ordinary university student on Earth, but unexpectedly crossed through into the world known as the Zhen Wu Jie world! In this world, formidable warriors are able of turning over mountains and collapsing the ocean, destroying the sky and extinguishing the earth! He originally had ordinary aptitude, because of that he received the mysterious special space! Any martial art can be deduced within the mysterious space, other people practice for decades, he only needs a year! So long as he has enough spirit stones, any talents he faces are all floating clouds!

Donna jerked back, her pupils constricting, her mouth half-open as her scream reached her lips.
If she hadn't seen the messenger before, then she would've long lost control of herself and staggered to her feet in terror, unconcerned whether she would flip over the tables or chairs.
Fortunately, she was no longer the young lady who was completely ignorant of the matters of the sea when she first boarded the White Agate. Her voice had only become slightly sharper as she pointed outside the window and stammered, "Th-there's a zombie!
"A headless zombie!"
She used the most commonly seen zombie in folklore to describe the terrifying thing she had just seen.
Cecile shot to her feet and rushed to Donna's side. She looked curiously out of the window where the raging wind was blowing and observed for a few seconds.
"There's nothing," she said truthfully.
Donna shrank back, mustered her courage, and cautiously leaned forward only to see the trees outside swaying, with random clutter flying everywhere. There wasn't a single pedestrian.
"Th-there really was someone there. H-he was wearing a black cloak, and he had no head. His neck was bleeding!" Donna said while gesturing in an attempt to convince the adults in the room.
Her father, Urdi Branch, propped himself up from the table, went to the window, and looked out for a moment.
"Donna, you aren't allowed to read that 'Fonce's Horror Stories Anthology' anymore tonight!"
"B-but…" Donna felt aggrieved and wanted to defend herself.
At this moment, Cleves came up to the second floor and approached, asking, "What happened?"
"Donna said she saw a zombie, a headless zombie," the other bodyguard, Teague, explained with a chuckle.
Cleves was silent for two seconds, then he nodded at Donna.
"It's okay, this shall pass.
"The wind outside is very strong and dangerous. We'll leave when things calm down."
In the eyes of Donna, Uncle Cleves's words indicated that he believed her and had chosen the safest solution. But in the eyes of Urdi, Teague, and the others, this was merely a clumsy tactic to comfort a child.
Seeing that Donna was still a little nervous and that his real employer wasn't too satisfied, Cleves pulled out a chair and sat down as he calmly said, "There's a strange tradition in Bansy Harbor. They don't leave the buildings or respond to any knocks on the door when the weather turns stormy at night."
"If you open the door, will you be taken away by the zombie?" Denton suddenly asked in enlightenment, having seen the messenger with his sister.
"You can think of it that way." Cleves picked up a glass of water and took a sip.
So that's how it is… Donna calmed down, believing that she wouldn't encounter that horrible zombie as long as she didn't leave the restaurant.
It was only then that she noticed that the surrounding customers had all cast their gazes over due to the commotion.
Being stared at by so many people, Donna felt uncomfortable from head to toe. She instinctively wanted to lower her head to avoid everything.
I didn't do anything wrong! I really saw it! Donna obstinately straightened her neck and looked around.
She saw the gentlemen in tailcoats and the ladies in their beautiful dresses retract their gazes. She saw them lower their heads, pick up their spoons, and scoop the dark red blood blocks in their bowls to stuff into their mouths.
Their lips were stained with a tinge of red. Their faces appeared pale under the light of the crystal chandelier. The contrast between the two made Donna feel an inexplicable sense of fear.
She turned her head back and waited for dinner, secretly praying to the Goddess that the gale would cease as soon as possible.
…
Bansy Harbor Telegraph Office.
As soon as Elland and his first mate finished sending their report to the Navy, they realized that the wind outside was howling and that the nearby doors and windows were rattling.
"Really, the weather here is always so unstable." Elland put on his boat-shaped hat and sighed with a laugh.
His first mate, Harris, laughed out loud. 
"Otherwise, how could they call themselves the 'Weather Museum'?"
"It's best if you don't head out. Legends say that you'll lose your head because of that." the telegraph office's staff, a young lady with curly brown hair, reminded them in a slow voice.
"I know, but I've tried a few times and nothing happened." Without a care, Harris opened the door to leave.
Elland stopped him and thought for a moment.
"Will it be okay to go to the cathedral next door?
"Your telegraph office will be closing, right?"
"No problem." The lady with the curly brown hair was still as slow as ever.
Elland nodded, opened the telegraph office's door, and trudged toward the Storm cathedral, dozens of meters away, against the gusts of wind that seemed to be capable of sweeping away a child.
First Mate Harris, who was holding onto his hat, followed the captain as if to express his desire to rush directly back to the White Agate.
However, the moment he opened his mouth, strong gales gushed into his mouth and his whole voice was miserably stuffed back into his mouth.
After croaking for a while, he wisely shut his mouth and stopped making obviously unrealistic proposals.
It was still fifteen minutes to seven, and even in the evening, the main doors of the Storm cathedral were still open for its congregation.
The gale weakened significantly when it reached the area. At the very least, Elland and Harris no longer had to worry about their hats abandoning them.
Upon entering the cathedral, they walked down the dark and solemn aisle. They stepped into the prayer hall and saw a man in a dark blue priest robe sitting in the front pew. He was quietly gazing at the huge Storm Sacred Emblem, made up of the symbols of the wind, waves, and lightning, on the altar.
Elland smiled as he moved closer, patting the familiar figure on the shoulder.
"Jayce, where's your bishop?"
With that pat, the priest's head wobbled.
Then, it fell forward, and with a loud thud, it fell to the ground, continuously rolling about.
Blood gushed out of the priest's neck like a fountain, soaking Elland's face.
A cold and damp feeling reached his heart, and Elland's eyes were blinded with a rich red color.
All that was left in his line of sight was a world of blood, as well as a head that had finally stopped rolling and was staring upwards with a glazed look in its eyes.
…
At 7:15 p.m., Klein and Danitz, who came out of the first-class restaurant, noticed that the wind which had been shaking the boat had calmed down considerably.
After thinking for two seconds, Klein walked all the way to the entrance of the cabin and asked the crew, "Who else isn't back?"
The crew member had seen this passenger enjoy the delicious murloc meat with the Captain, so he didn't hide anything as he said, "Other than the Branch family and the Timothy family at the Green Lemon Restaurant, all the other passengers have returned before the gale started. Heh heh, that place is quite far away, and it also takes quite a long time to dine there.
"Oh right, Captain and First Mate went to the telegraph office, but they haven't returned yet."
Klein nodded indiscernibly and returned to Room 312 in silence.
He stood by the window, looking at the waves that were stirred by the wind. Even without using the mysterious space above the gray fog to divine, his own spiritual intuition made him vaguely sense that something bad was brewing and happening.
After waiting another five minutes, he still didn't see Captain Elland and Donna's family return.
Klein glanced sideways at Danitz, making the famous pirate slouching in the reclining chair sit up straight.
Klein looked away, said nothing, and went into the washroom.
He closed the door behind him, took out the paper figurine, disguised himself, and went above the gray fog, ready to make another divination.
Before, he had considered the potential risks of Bansy Harbor, but now, after the wind had picked up, he intended to confirm the current level of danger.
"Bansy Harbor is dangerous."
Klein held the spirit pendulum and began to recite the statement in a low voice.
After repeating this over and over again, he opened his eyes and discovered that, although the topaz pendant was rotating clockwise, it wasn't spinning at a fast frequency or with large amplitudes.
There's danger, but it's within acceptable limits… This is in contradiction to the revelation from before… Klein whispered to himself as he leaned his elbows on the edge of the long bronze table.
He quickly thought of one possibility, and that was that the current danger wasn't equal to the dormant danger. Only by triggering something or investigating it thoroughly would the iceberg hidden beneath the sea appear.
This dormant danger might've existed for three or four hundred years, or perhaps even longer, and not because of my arrival… Hmm, the current danger might even have nothing to do with the dormant danger. It's a pity that I don't have the necessary information to make a divination based on this conjecture… After interpreting, Klein quickly returned to the real world, left the washroom, and found a chair to sit on.
He was silent, hesitant, and didn't move for a long time, which made Blazing Danitz feel strangely uneasy.
Ever since Gehrman Sparrow mentioned that there was danger lurking in Bansy Harbor, this infamous pirate had been constantly worried.
To be able to make this monster change his mind and avoid the danger at Green Lemon Restaurant, it must be very terrifying… Why is my vacation so miserable? I'm plagued with bad luck! The atmosphere was so stifling that Danitz had to get up and pace back and forth.
It was then that he saw the monster, Gehrman Sparrow, suddenly stand up, button his double-breasted frock coat, and walk over to the coat rack by the door.
After taking his silk hat, Klein looked at Blazing and said without any expression, "You're free."
"Huh?" Danitz only found it surreal.
He suddenly understood what the monster was thinking of doing, and he blurted out in shock, "You want to save the captain and those ordinary people?
"Y-you were the one who said it's dangerous outside!"
Klein put on his half top hat, picked up his black wooden cane, twisted the door handle, and replied calmly, "They cooperated with me.
"They kept my secret for me.
"He treated me to murloc meat.
"He helped me pay compensation for White Shark's loss."
"…"
Danitz didn't react for a moment. Subconsciously, he asked, "How much was the compensation?"
"A few soli." Klein opened the door and walked out.
Madman! This fellow is completely mad! Be it his treatment to others or himself, he's a madman! Danitz's mouth was half-open as he felt speechless.
Luckily, I'm a normal person! I'll stay in a safe place! Danitz retracted his gaze and thought in mockery and amusement.
Just as this thought came to him, the wind howled again, rattling the windows and causing the candles in the room to flicker.
Looking at this dark and turbulent scene, Danitz suddenly thought of a problem.
The ship is anchored in the harbor, which was also part of Bansy Harbor. It's not safe either, and it could also be in danger!
If I were to stay here on my own, then I might as well follow that monster. At least… At least, he's very strong! He ran out of Room 312 and caught up with Klein just as he was about to leave the cabin.
Klein turned his head to glance at him. Although he didn't say anything, his puzzlement was very evident.
Danitz hurriedly laughed. 
"If I were to choose to retreat in the face of such trivial risks, I'll be mocked by all the pirates of the Sonia Sea!"
An excuse… Without exposing him, Klein borrowed a lantern from the crew.
Carrying the dim yellow lantern and holding his hard wooden cane, he walked alongside the boat and entered the dim port in his black suit.
As Danitz lamented, he followed closely beside him.


With the rising tide of steam power and machinery, who can come close to being a Beyonder? Shrouded in the fog of history and darkness, who or what is the lurking evil that murmurs into our ears?

Waking up to be faced with a string of mysteries, Zhou Mingrui finds himself reincarnated as Klein Moretti in an alternate Victorian era world where he sees a world filled with machinery, cannons, dreadnoughts, airships, difference machines, as well as Potions, Divination, Hexes, Tarot Cards, Sealed Artifacts… 

The Light continues to shine but mystery has never gone far. Follow Klein as he finds himself entangled with the Churches of the world—both orthodox and unorthodox—while he slowly develops newfound powers thanks to the Beyonder potions.

Like the corresponding tarot card, The Fool, which is numbered 0—a number of unlimited potential—this is the legend of "The Fool."

The word folklore, a compound of folk and lore, was coined in 1846 by the Englishman William Thoms,[2] who contrived the term as a replacement for the contemporary terminology of "popular antiquities" or "popular literature". The second half of the word, lore, comes from Old English lār 'instruction'. It is the knowledge and traditions of a particular group, frequently passed along by word of mouth.[3]
The concept of folk has varied over time. When Thoms first created this term, folk applied only to rural, frequently poor and illiterate peasants. A more modern definition of folk is a social group that includes two or more persons with common traits, who express their shared identity through distinctive traditions. "Folk is a flexible concept which can refer to a nation as in American folklore or to a single family."[4] This expanded social definition of folk supports a broader view of the material, i.e. the lore, considered to be folklore artifacts. These now include all "things people make with words (verbal lore), things they make with their hands (material lore), and things they make with their actions (customary lore)".[5] Folklore is no longer considered to be limited to that which is old or obsolete. The folklorist studies the traditional artifacts of a social group and how they are transmitted. Transmission is a vital part of the folklore process; without communicating these beliefs and customs within the group over space and time, they would be relegated to cultural archaeologists. These folk artifacts continue to be passed along informally, as a rule anonymously, and always in multiple variants. The folk group is not individualistic, it is community-based and nurtures its lore in community. "As new groups emerge, new folklore is created… surfers, motorcyclists, computer programmers".[6] In direct contrast to high culture, where any single work of a named artist is protected by copyright law, folklore is a function of shared identity within a common social group.[7]
Having identified folk artifacts, the professional folklorist strives to understand the significance of these beliefs, customs, and objects for the group, since these cultural units[8] would not be passed along unless they had some continued relevance within the group. That meaning can however shift and morph, for example: the Halloween celebration of the 21st century is not the All Hallows' Eve of the Middle Ages, and even gives rise to its own set of urban legends independent of the historical celebration; the cleansing rituals of Orthodox Judaism were originally good public health in a land with little water, but now these customs signify for some people identification as an Orthodox Jew. By comparison, a common action such as tooth brushing, which is also transmitted within a group, remains a practical hygiene and health issue and does not rise to the level of a group-defining tradition.[9] Tradition is initially remembered behavior; once it loses its practical purpose, there is no reason for further transmission unless it has been imbued with meaning beyond the initial practicality of the action. This meaning is at the core of folkloristics, the study of folklore.[10]
With an increasingly theoretical sophistication of the social sciences, it has become evident that folklore is a naturally occurring and necessary component of any social group; it is indeed all around us.[11] Folklore does not have to be old or antiquated, it continues to be created and transmitted, and in any group it is used to differentiate between "us" and "them".
Origin and development of folklore studies[edit]
Main article: History of folklore studies
Folklore began to distinguish itself as an autonomous discipline during the period of romantic nationalism in Europe. A particular figure in this development was Johann Gottfried von Herder, whose writings in the 1770s presented oral traditions as organic processes grounded in locale. After the German states were invaded by Napoleonic France, Herder's approach was adopted by many of his fellow Germans who systematized the recorded folk traditions and used them in their process of nation building. This process was enthusiastically embraced by smaller nations like Finland, Estonia, and Hungary, which were seeking political independence from their dominant neighbours.[12]
Folklore as a field of study further developed among 19th century European scholars who were contrasting tradition with the newly developing modernity. Its focus was the oral folklore of the rural peasant populations, which were considered as residue and survivals of the past that continued to exist within the lower strata of society.[13] The "Kinder- und Hausmärchen" of the Brothers Grimm (first published 1812) is the best known but by no means only collection of verbal folklore of the European peasantry of that time. This interest in stories, sayings and songs continued throughout the 19th century and aligned the fledgling discipline of folkloristics with literature and mythology. By the turn into the 20th century the number and sophistication of folklore studies and folklorists had grown both in Europe and North America. Whereas European folklorists remained focused on the oral folklore of the homogenous peasant populations in their regions, the American folklorists, led by Franz Boas and Ruth Benedict, chose to consider Native American cultures in their research, and included the totality of their customs and beliefs as folklore. This distinction aligned American folkloristics with cultural anthropology and ethnology, using the same techniques of data collection in their field research. This divided alliance of folkloristics between the humanities in Europe and the social sciences in America offers a wealth of theoretical vantage points and research tools to the field of folkloristics as a whole, even as it continues to be a point of discussion within the field itself.[14]
The term folkloristics, along with the alternative name folklore studies,[note 1] became widely used in the 1950s to distinguish the academic study of traditional culture from the folklore artifacts themselves. When the American Folklife Preservation Act (Public Law 94-201) was passed by the U.S. Congress in January 1976,[15] to coincide with the Bicentennial Celebration, folkloristics in the United States came of age.
"…[Folklife] means the traditional expressive culture shared within the various groups in the United States: familial, ethnic, occupational, religious, regional; expressive culture includes a wide range of creative and symbolic forms such as custom, belief, technical skill, language, literature, art, architecture, music, play, dance, drama, ritual, pageantry, handicraft; these expressions are mainly learned orally, by imitation, or in performance, and are generally maintained without benefit of formal instruction or institutional direction."
Added to the extensive array of other legislation designed to protect the natural and cultural heritage of the United States, this law also marks a shift in national awareness. It gives voice to a growing understanding that cultural diversity is a national strength and a resource worthy of protection. Paradoxically, it is a unifying feature, not something that separates the citizens of a country. "We no longer view cultural difference as a problem to be solved, but as a tremendous opportunity. In the diversity of American folklife we find a marketplace teeming with the exchange of traditional forms and cultural ideas, a rich resource for Americans".[16] This diversity is celebrated annually at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and many other folklife fests around the country.

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