Pretending To Be God - Chapter 24: Strategy

Deep below the earth's surface, a mystifying subterranean seascape lurks, an archipelago bathed in inky blackness where suspense and horror hold court. Here lie strange islands and even stranger monsters, far beyond the realms of human imagination. In this domain, mankind is far from dominant; instead, madness and death rule supreme.

Pleading for mercy from the unknown creatures of the deep only leads to a slow, tortured existence. The trapped survivors gradually distort, losing what made them human, both physically and mentally, to the gloom as they remain trapped in this eternal obscurity. Their only hope? A perilous expedition into uncharted sea territories.

Fueled by determination, Charles embark on this daunting voyage aboard his steamship, aiming to reclaim humanity's past glory. Together with his crew, they sought a way out of this hidden sea world, a path back to the sunlit world above, where humans once stood tall.

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I read a few comments from Chinese readers that compared this novel with Lord of Mysteries because of similar elements: Lovecraftian, western fantasy, first industrial revolution, and steampunk. However, I have yet to finish reading Lord of Mysteries to do any actual comparison, but I do think those who have enjoyed that novel would enjoy this as well. Also, the author of LotM, Cuttlefish That Loves Diving, also did a shout-out for this novel, so I guess he approves of it too?

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Edmund Oakforest is expelled from his family after having a relationship with the king's daughter, who was already engaged to the navy commander. To avoid his execution, he is exiled to the unknown with 10 ships and 100 elite soldiers from the oakforest family, with other workers included. After days of travel, he finds himself in an unknown archipelago. Follow Edmund on his great explorations and the rise of a new empire.

The people of Dafang village all say, the personality of the Lian family’s eldest daughter changed dramatically after her engagement was cancelled by her fiance’s family. She became extremely forceful and unreasonable. After hearing this, Lian Fangzhou secretly thought: Forceful? My parents are dead, my little brothers and sister are still young, with no one lending a helping hand, there are too many people looking to bully us showing up at my door! There’s still the most shameless pair of uncle and aunt eyeing our few acres of land, and even scheming to sell me off as a concubine! Treating my siblings as servants at their beck and call! If I was not forceful, how would we be able to live in peace? Don’t tell me that I should act like the previous Lian Fangzhou and die from extreme anger? In order to quell this bunch of demons, break out a wide path to walk on, angelic faces are useless, only the tricks used by malevolent spirits are the way to go!

- Description from Novelupdates

The formless ancient world was infested with despicable demons. They hunted and feasted on mankind, keeping the human civilization constantly in a weak and suppressed state.

During the first known year, a magical mountain descended into the world from the realm of the Gods. Carved on this enormous mountain was a message: ‘Heaven Prevails’…

After the Grand Descent, a name that was given to the descending of the mountain, the Three Great Sages made their ways to Mystic Mountain where they learned to harvest what we now call magic, establishing the Mystic Cults and eighty-one sacred shrines to help aid mankind with the cult’s mystic powers against the eternal fight to the death with demons.

- Description from Novelupdates