Immortal Paladin - 132A Kingdom of Sand and Stone

Running from her past, Nivritti joins a new job in South Korea as a Script Coordinator in K&Q Media Company. She works for a successful K-pop boyband. On her first day, she is kissed by the leader of that boy band. The problem is, she is five years older than him. Will that kiss grow into a relationship or will be forgotten by both of them?

*****

She tried to pull her wrists, but she failed. She looked at him and again tried to pull her hands but in vain.

“Yes, you do. You have been licking your lips since you started talking. I think it’s an unconscious gesture that you don’t know about,” informed Kyung-Soo.

“Will you please let go of my hands?” she pulled again but Kyung-Soo tightened his grip.

Without hearing her he continued, “and by distracting, I mean that I really want to hear what you have to say but because of your lips all I can think of is this…

He pulled her wrists pulling her close to him, moved one of his hands on her waist and another one on the back of her neck and softly placed his lips on hers and kissed her.

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.

=========================================

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?

……………………………………………………………

Dear readers! Without any ads, maybe you will prefer .

To save her family, she got married and divorced not for her own will. Due to the “derailment”, she was left penniless by a divorce settlement. She finally knew it was Di Juehao, her handsome, indifferent and rascally husband of the rich family, who plotted everything! However, she gave him an impolite impact on The day they divorced! Five years later, Wen Nuan made a good showing and became Top 1 designer of a world’s famous brand. She returned with two kids. Unexpectedly, she was forcibly taken by her ex-husband Di Juehao to the hotel to have s*x as soon as she returned. In the end, Wen Nuan gave him 10 yuan and left with pride: “Hey, 9.9 yuan is the market price for a top 1 male prostitute now. The rest is the tip for you!” But when she rushed to the company, she was surprised to find that his boss was…

- Description from Novelupdates

The chronicle of a swotter reincarnated as a muscle brain, aspiring to be a magician!Synopsis——I, who had always longed for the world of sword and magic, found myself reincarnated into another world. But wait, why the hell was the new world just as academically focused as the last.……Whatever, what matter was I was in the world of magic.Reincarnated I was, I strived to live like the wind, free and whimsical while working hard for the elite course but a shocking twist was awaiting for me—What, I don’t have a talent for magic? I only have the talent for Body-Strengthening magic (musclebrain)?No, Impossible, absurd! I am obviously from the sage clique!No matter what, I will not be bound to the competitive society in this life! With unwavering determination, I set out on a quest to discover how I could become a mage at the prestigious academy in the royal capital. But little did I know, my talent in Body-Strengthening magic was a double-edged sword, leading to misunderstandings and an ever-escalating series of mishaps……However my will is unshaken! I will absolutely live the way I want in this life!