Path of Dragons - Chapter 42Book 8: : A Warning

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

Yan Xi was the eldest young lady of Beiqiao City’s top four families, the Yan family. Despite her talents, she was sickly and destined to die young. She was an unattainable dream girl for many.

One day, she had a dream, and the setting was in a novel. In the novel, for the sake of alleviating his pain of losing his wife, and soon his daughter as well, her father adopted a girl named Chen Xiangxiang who looked just like her. The girl was docile as a deer and very therapeutic, which made her all the more lovable. This girl became her substitute, and after a series of heart-wrenching incidents, everyone, from her father, brother, fiance, to her friends, they all doted on this girl. Meanwhile, she, the real rich daughter, was schemed against. After being disfigured, she jumped from a building and fell to her death.

Now, she returned to the moment when she was just discharged and before the tragedies happened. She lowered her head and looked at the person before her. She smirked. This time, she would control every development, and those who intended to harm her could forget about escaping.

The game spoilers turned out to be fake. The characters I gathered thinking they were heroes are actually all villains. In other words, I accidentally created a villainous organization.

Yin BiYue has made the worst purchase ever. After transmigrating countless times into the bodies of canon fodder villains, he buys a ‘Fiend Halo’ from the Rebirth Company, supposedly the best aid for an up and coming final BOSS!

He’s ecstatic to finally get a villainous role where he won’t die after just a few lines, if any at all, and is raring to become the best opponent a protagonist will have… However, why was everyone looking at him with pitying eyes? Why was the protagonist rushing over to help him get out of his crimes? Most importantly, why was his ‘Fiend Halo’ just making things worse?!

Meanwhile, the intern salesperson at the Rebirth Company discovers that he might have accidentally sold a prototype White Lotus Halo to a certain villain…

- Description from Novelupdates