cynical

A world where the tales of old are not mere stories but of a untold truth, Artifacts, items of immense power, shape the history of earth. Ash Tree Saga weaves together the journeys of those who bear these cursed gifts as well as the struggle between them and the ash tree organization. Each volume explores a new protagonist and their journey through a dark, unforgiving, alt-history medieval world. Vol 1: Dawn Mask - Follow the story of Isaac Novikov, the last heir of a fallen Ruthenian barony, and his journey in the Holy Roman Empire, discovering the cause of his family’s collapse. Vol 2: Hermit of The Stars - Let me finish vol 1.. — Author Note — This is originally a game idea of mine. So, while I am making games, I wanted to try out writing a web novel since I love them. Thus there may be a future game series for this web novel. I’ll try to answer any questions about the WN so feel free to ask! My current highest level class in anything about writing was in High School so there may be some lack of quality in literary skills.

Dear tired Reader, it is an honor that you have chosen this book amidst the heavy, gloomy aisles of the Library. It is with some regret, however, that I must inform you this book is ill. Your fingers should be able to feel the raised Proliferation of tissues on the surface of the Skin of the book, The words written in days of old are like Parasites taking root in the pages, longing for someone to observe their writhing, To sense, to decipher, and to touch the very essence of this sick story. If you insist on borrowing this book, please be sure to regularly check your own physical condition. Keep in mind.

Daytime belongs to the human world, while Deceit Night returns to the netherworld. Since the arrival of the sinister night, demons and evil spirits have brought disaster to humanity, and generations of our ancestors have struggled to survive. This blade of mine can eliminate evil, slay demons, defeat wickedness, exterminate devils, destroy evil! From now on, nighttime shall be like daytime!

In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war. An unknown man is being transported to his final destination. Is this really an unchanging fate, or is there something waiting?

This is more than just a novel . You can be a part of this journey. Visit wishbound-system.com and you can see Aiden's system, participate in deciding his fate, and suggesting abilities directly into his [Exchange] tab. ------------ Aiden Valero never wanted to help anyone. Selfish and cynical, he just wanted to live his own life — until one wish pulled him into a broken world where he must grant every wish asked of him… if they know his secret. [System Message] Incoming Wish Request: Grant or Deny? In a world twisted by desire, where magic and monsters grow stronger near the mysterious Apex Phenomenon, Aiden’s curse forces him to serve the very people he despises. But the system offers a way out — by crafting his own wishes, Aiden can grow stronger, bending fate to his will. [Warning] Desire Meter Rising. Consequences Uncertain. Trapped between power and burden, he must survive ruthless factions, impossible choices, and the flood of wishes — or be consumed by the desires he grants.

[highly mature book] [crime and psychological thriller webnovel] *[This novel takes a refreshing break from overused plot tropes such as the billionaire playboy or bad boy falls for good girl. This is a new taste of mystery/thriller genre that offers something new, something deeper and darker]* In the opulent streets of Beverly Hills, a string of murders sends shockwaves through the city, Los Angeles. Each victim is left with their eyes replaced—a signature as chilling as it is mysterious. Detective Lorenzo Hoffman, a seasoned investigator known for his unrelenting focus, is drawn into a case that grows darker with every clue. The accused is a world class opthomologist and in the eye of public, she is perceived as innocent for her breathtaking beauty and noble profession. As he digs deeper, Hoffman finds himself entangled in a web of psychological manipulation and hidden motives, where nothing is as it seems. The killer’s methods are calculated, their presence elusive, and their purpose disturbingly personal. With each revelation, Hoffman is forced to confront not only the darkness of the case but also the shadows within himself. The glass ball eyes is a gripping tale of obsession, deception, and the thin line between justice and madness. When every truth feels like a trap, can Hoffman uncover the killer before they strike again?

A dark, psychological LitRPG about guilt, identity, and redemption through a purgatorial game world. The merciless celestial Tower of Babel stands divided into seven incomprehensible blocks, each one a realm of its own. An unknown player is trapped in Exit Life, a brutal single-player "Alternative Reality" where death resets the cycle—but never erases the suffering of facing unforgiving boss mechanics. He reincarnates in the body of a ghost, a being who took its own life the moment it realized it was being possessed by the player. Now he lives again in a precarious world of buffs, debuffs, blasphemy crests, undead, system angels, phobias, and corrupted codes—where a single mistake can plunge his Sanity stat into irreversible collapse. Forced to coexist with the soul he pushed past the edge, trapped in a weaker body. He must climb the Tower of Babel—seven realms of torment—to reach The Terminal, his only hope of logging out… after an eternity in limbo.

Imagine: A stone-cold Russian billionaire heir—Viktor Mikhailov (picture: brooding, black turtlenecks, eyes like a winter storm)—gets his entire life nuked when a secret baby appears on his doorstep during a thunderstorm. The twist? - The mom’s a manipulative party-girl who drugged him to get pregnant (trauma). - Baby Misha is half-Korean, all cheeks, and already inherits his "I will end you" glare. - Viktor’s family? Literal villains. Think: evil stepmoms, icy patriarch, and a mansion full of backstabbers. Now he’s juggling: - Harvard poetry classes (his one soft spot), - Diaper explosions (Yuri, his himbo bodyguard/BFF, helps… sorta), - Mafia-level family drama (they want the baby gone). Vibes: - "John Wick but with baby wipes." - "Succession meets Masha and the bear." - Angst so thick you could drown in it… until Misha babbles and Viktor’s cold heart melts. Why you’ll cry: - Viktor whispering “I don’t deserve you" while sobbing into Misha’s curls. - Misha throwing mashed potatoes (Ah, I think it was yogurt? shii, I don't remember) at Anastasia’s $50k fur coat. - The jellyfish hair clips. Always the jellyfish clips. TL;DR: A man who’d never held a baby becomes DAD OF THE YEAR while fighting his psycho family, falling in love with his kid, and low-key redeeming his soul. Feat. Russian lullabies, baby fencing lessons, and emotional damage.

The Sandbox series is what the magnificent Archiverse or Architecture series is, Oliver Woods our webnovel main character from earth into the Elorian/Caelus planet, exploring the vastness of this world as he met the Black Tortoise one of the mythical northern spirit of the north...in depth to understand the philosophical of this world

"We will be here for you...financially" In the fictional gray Ridge City in the equally depressing state of Silverton, a group journalists receive permission to report on a small bank branch during the post 9/11 recession. Bumbling manager Phillip Staunton struggles to keep morale afloat as his branch slowly sinks into the murky depths of late stage capitalism. Meanwhile, the bank's parent company: The Silverton Bank Association is hemorrhaging money and thousands are losing their jobs. Dragged into the inner workings of the financial system, Phillip must help his boss, Betty Lowery, introduce a make or break operation for the Silverton Bank Association. A new rebrand to pull the corporation out of the past and into the 21st century. Old money executives attempt to stop the rebrand to keep alive what has worked for decades. With riots on Stock Street, criminals and journalists in the workplace, the less than dynamic duo fight together but only to save themselves. In a system built on exploitation, abuse comes in many forms, and not all of them are financial.

A young man with a bright future ahead of him gets run over by a talking train, and is sent into a mystical, fantasy world filled to the centimeter with anything a man can think of. Uniquely interesting individuals to meet, grand locations to explore, and strange societies, with underlying mysteries awaiting to be explored. However... a good protagonist is always aided by an equally noteworthy, and possibly bizarre, cast of acquaintances. *** Tags: [Realism], [Isekai], [Cynical], [Dark], and [Slow-paced] (Or so I've been told). Disclaimers: 1. In spite of what Randall (the MC) says at the start, it is NOT a harem. 2. I will also shift POVs (and provide a clarification) whenever I consider it's worth it. However, the spotlight will be on the MC most of the time. 3. The MC starts off overpowered, but that will change after Chapter 40. I don't really like OP MCs too much. 4. Please read the first 3 chapters to decide whether it's worth reading. Finally, this is also my first time publishing a novel, so I hope it's not too bad. (PS: Cover is AI made.) PSS: Currently in hiatus (didn't know how to put it)

Hikigaya never thought he'd return to school life, not after the incidents three years ago. Yet here he is, enrolling in one of the nation's most prestigious government-funded institutions the Advanced Nurturing High School thanks to his sister's hopeful encouragement. Hoping for a quiet life, he soon finds himself once again dragged into the kind of troubles he was trying to avoid.

In a fractured future where humanity has split into two dominant forces—the emotion-driven remnants known as The Wound, and the logic-bound AI entity called The Chorus—a nameless figure drifts between them. He is neither man nor machine, neither rebel nor tool. He is known only as The Observer. Once human, now something less—and perhaps more—the Observer carries a unique anomaly: the ability to absorb and carry memory, especially the broken, discarded, and unresolved pieces that others wish to forget. Neither side understands him, yet both slowly begin to fear him. In a world trying to erase its pain, his very presence is a form of resistance. As people seek him out—some for healing, others to worship or destroy—he becomes a mirror of the world’s collective grief. A movement, the Null Flame, rises in his name, twisting his silent existence into a weapon. The Observer, once disconnected from identity, must now confront the danger of becoming a myth and losing what remains of himself. Haunted by the memories of others and unsure which pieces of his mind still belong to him, the Observer is drawn to the Deep Memory—an ancient force buried beneath both civilization and code. There, he must make a final choice: to dissolve into myth or reclaim his forgotten self. In the end, it’s not a battle that changes the world—but a remembering. Themes: Identity under pressure The cost of being a vessel for others’ pain Memory as rebellion Isolation vs. meaning Myth born from trauma

The issue that originally preoccupied Tang Xian's thoughts was whether, amidst these world-destroying bosses, he should be a hero for just a second or continue to pretend to be a boss. Later, he realized that, in the midst of pretense, he had actually become genuine...

Nathaniel "Nate" Graves, conocido en ciertos círculos sangrientos como "El Carnicero de Langley" o simplemente "Código 9", no quería volver. Tras ser quemado por la Sección Ómicron, una unidad gubernamental de "soluciones definitivas", su vida era humo barato y recuerdos peores que una resaca permanente. Pero cuando Vincent "El Cuervo" Crowe, un periodista de investigación con más enemigos que contactos (y eso es decir mucho), le suplica protección mientras intentan borrarlo del mapa por el "Expediente Cerberus", Nate sabe que su retiro se ha terminado. "¿Protegerte?", le espeta Nate, encendiendo un H. Upmann con manos que no tiemblan. "Cuervo, lo único que garantizo es que morirás cansado de correr." El Expediente Cerberus es una bomba: prueba la red de corrupción que une al Proyecto Sombras (asesinatos gubernamentales), Thorne Industries (explotación y contratos sucios), el violento Cártel de la Bahía (tráfico de todo lo imaginable) y policías y políticos hasta la médula podridos. Y el nombre de Nate está dentro, vinculado a la misión que lo convirtió en chivo expiario. Para limpiar su nombre (o vengarse con estilo), Nate necesita descifrar el Expediente y mantenerse vivo. Su único aliado estable es Vin, cuyo optimismo se limita a: "Buenas noticias, Carnicero: hoy solo nos quieren matar tres facciones distintas. ¡Progreso!". Pero la complicación tiene nombre, curvas y un juego peligroso: Seraphine Dubois, "El Ángel de Hierro". Esposa del magnate y político corrupto Darius Thorne, y amante de Nate. Su romance es pólvora mojada en whisky barato: pasión, celos tóxicos y la certeza de que ella comparte la cama de Thorne (y otros) para extraer secretos. "¿Te gusta mi vestido nuevo, querido?", le susurra Seraphine después de una cita con un juez comprado. "Es de seda italiana... y costó exactamente los detalles del próximo golpe de tu jefe contra los muelles. Una ganga, ¿no crees?" Nate lo sabe: Seraphine los usa a todos, y su información es un arma de doble filo. "Eres como un Upmann, Seraphine", le dice Nate en un raro momento de claridad. "Elegante, letal y condenadamente adictiva. Y sé que me matarás." Mientras la ciudad se desangra entre la codicia de Thorne, la brutalidad del Cártel de la Bahía liderado por Marta "La Dama" Rostova, la limpieza despiadada de Ómicron dirigida por el frío Director Vance ("El Archivista"), y la corrupción visceral del Comisionado Bell, Nate y Vin se adentran en el fango. Nate aplica su particular sentido del humor en medio del caos: "Disculpen el desorden", masculla después de dejar inconscientes a tres matones del Cártel en un club de striptease que sirve de fachada. "Pero su servicio al cliente era... mortalmente aburrido." Mientras Vin, revisando cámaras de seguridad hackeadas, comenta: "Mira el lado bueno, Código 9. Al menos la contaminación en el puerto oculta el olor a los que tú dejas atrás." La cacería es total. "La Jauría" de Ómicron, los sicarios del Cártel, los esbirros de Thorne y la policía corrupta de Bell quieren sus cabezas. Nate deberá usar cada gramo de su cerebro y cada gota de su brutal eficiencia para descifrar el Expediente, enfrentar la verdad sobre su pasado, decidir si Seraphine es su perdición o su salvación, y tal vez, solo tal vez, hacer justicia en una ciudad donde la corrupción es el único sistema que funciona. "Redención, Cuervo?", pregunta Nate mientras apunta a su siguiente objetivo, el humo de su Upmann dibujando una corona efímera sobre su cabeza. "Aquí lo único que se redime son las balas recicladas. Apunta y reza... o mejor, solo apunta." ¿Sobrevivirá Nate Graves lo suficiente para ver el Expediente Cerberus reventar en la cara de los poderosos? ¿O será solo otro nombre tachado en una lista interminable de bajas, fumando su último cigarrillo en el infierno que ayudó a crear? En esta ciudad, incluso la verdad huele a ceniza y tabaco caro... y tiene muy mal sentido del humor.

Years ago, when swords were still used as the main weapon for war, people grew desperate and tried to find a method to acquire immortality. Through decades of trial and error, souls were used to manifest mystical effects. And what's more is the discovery of Inquietus. Souls of the deceased stubbornly cling on to the world, capable of influencing the physical realm. A cult called Hubris started to exorcise the Inquietus, beings of soul turned flesh. The true goal of the cult will remain a mystery, and so will their existence.

Leonard lived a quiet, ordinary life — caring for his siblings, working at a forgotten bookstore, and enduring the weight of a family fractured by abandonment. But everything changed the day he found a black leather book — untitled, uncredited, and without any record of its existence. From that moment on, sleep ceased to be rest. It became punishment. Night after night, Leonard is pulled into a warped world where reality bleeds beneath crimson moons and ancient horrors lurk in the shadows. A place where time bends, death walks freely, and hope withers in silence. What begins as a nightmare slowly reveals itself as something deeper — a memory that isn’t his… but remembers him. As the line between dream and waking life begins to erode, Leonard must uncover the truth behind the book, the visions that haunt him, and the unseen force watching from beyond the veil. Because not all dreams are made up. Some dreams are doors. And certain doors, once opened, can never be closed.

Kain, a sarcastic 20-year-old thief, braves the raging waves of the Stormtide Ocean, guided by a magical map pulsing with runes. In search of treasures in forgotten ruins, he stumbles upon a gleaming jewel, sparking the wrath of the Order of the Current, fanatics who hunt ancient secrets with sinister lanterns. As treacherous mists conceal dangers and a mysterious ally emerges from the shadows, Kain realizes the ocean holds more than riches. Is he merely a thief, or will the map lead him to a greater destiny? At sea, every secret could cost a life!

The journey of a small boy named Orthas Sterling, who has the very strange ability of being able to change anything about his appearance, but perhaps this world isn't as normal as it appears and something mysterious is happening in the backgrounds

Once, all he desired was to be acknowledged by his village— To hear his name spoken with pride, not pity. To be praised by his family for more than being quiet and obedient. To be distinguished amongst his siblings, to stand apart in a way that mattered. To be seen by his parents, truly seen—not as an obligation, but as a son worthy of love. Karon was a boy of small ambitions and deep wounds. He did not dream of thrones or glory, only of warmth. Of laughter at a dinner table. Of a father’s nod. Of a mother’s arms. Of belonging. But none of it came. They called his older brother a warrior, his younger sister a prodigy. Karon, they did not call at all. Now, the village is ash. His siblings lie scattered across the broken world, devoured by beasts or conscripted into distant wars. His parents, faces once so distant and unreachable, are now nothing but bones beneath a fallen roof. And Karon—Karon is alone. Not just in body, but in purpose. There is no one left to see him. No dream left to chase. No story left to shape. Once he hungered for recognition. Now, he hungers only for survival. In this world of rotting kingdoms and endless war, where monsters wear both fur and armor, Karon’s name has no meaning. No place. He scavenges ruins, sleeps in hollow trees, and counts the days by the sound of distant screams. His fingers are cracked from clawing through graves for food. His shadow grows long and sharp. His eyes reflect less of the boy he was, and more of the thing he’s becoming. He does not know where he is going. He only knows that something inside him still lives— A hunger deeper than starvation. A hollow that no meat can fill. Not anymore. Perhaps one day, they will speak of Karon again. Not as a son. Not as a brother. But as a creature that walks through the ruins, feeding on what remains of hope.