Hunter of the Lost Gates - Chapter 9 - : Secrets Beneath the Surface

In a world where everyone has the chance to ascend to heaven and claim the title of the No. 1 God by touching the Stone Tablet, battles rage across the three realms—Heaven, Hell, and Earth.People fight fiercely to climb to the top, each striving for ultimate power and dominance.But me? I’m Ragnarok, and I’m not really interested in godhood.My best friend, Jason, however, has always dreamed big. He wants the two of us to become the Duo Gods of the Universe, with one of us as No. 1 and the other as No. 2.Jason is like a brother to me, and I’ve always had his back. So I’m just going along for the ride, supporting him as he chases his dream.What neither of us knows is that I’m the strongest being in existence—a power even I’m unaware of.Join me on this thrilling journey to godhood as I uncover the truth about my strength, fight alongside Jason, and face challenges across all realms.

A villainess known by all as a wicked woman who has done all sorts of evil deeds—Ducal Lady Violet.
She regained her memories of her previous life after she fell into a lake and almost died.
The very moment she woke up, she immediately visited her father, Duke Everett, and asked one thing.

“Please confine me to the annex.”

And so, she imprisoned herself there.
Now that Violet was secluded away from the world’s criticism and reproach,
She immersed herself in her previous life’s memories and started painting them.

“What the hell are you up to this time?”

Everyone was suspicious of just what she might be scheming.
However, the misunderstandings surrounding her gradually got resolved one at a time…

Ethan's head throbbed violently as he opened his eyes, his vision hazy and unfocused. A dull ringing filled his ears, drowning out his thoughts.“What’s happening…?” he thought, his mind sluggish, struggling to catch up with reality. One moment, he was asleep—or at least, he thought he was—and the next, searing pain forced him awake.His vision swam, shapes blurring together in a disorienting mess. But then, muffled noises filtered through the haze—frantic, panicked sounds. Someone was trying to scream, their voice smothered, choked by something.A cold shiver ran down his spine.As his sight gradually sharpened, Ethan's breath hitched.He was on all fours, looming over someone. A girl.Her body twisted and writhed beneath him, ropes biting into her wrists and ankles. Her mouth was gagged, muffling her cries. Her wide brown eyes, brimming with fear and fury, glared up at him.Ethan's body locked in place, his blood running cold.“What the…?” His mind reeled, thoughts slamming into each other in chaotic disarray. “What kind of bizarre dream is this?”Panic clawed at his chest. His breath came in ragged, uneven gasps as he scrambled backward, only to realize his limbs felt sluggish, uncooperative, like they didn’t belong to him.“Is this… is this some kind of twisted fantasy I never knew I had?” A sickening thought slithered through his mind, making his stomach churn.The girl's frantic squirming slowed for a moment, her gaze flickering with confusion as she took in his expression—his trembling hands, his wide, horrified eyes. But the fear returned just as quickly. She struggled harder, her body arching, her muffled screams rising in pitch.Ethan wanted to speak, to say something, anything, but before he could force out a word, a glowing blue window materialized before his eyes.His breath caught.A translucent, hovering screen?“What…?”Lines of glowing text scrolled across its surface.---[System Activated…][Host Confirmed.][Simulating Previous Data…]Ethan awakens in a mysterious world, shackled by a curse that clouds his judgment and drives him toward choices he never wished to make. Burdened by guilt and responsibility, he must navigate the fallout of his actions while unraveling the truth behind the curse—and his place in this enigmatic new reality.

Kiyoshiro Takeda lived a life without purpose, drifting through his days with no direction. But one fateful moment changes everything. Now, he finds himself in a world unlike any he has ever known, given a role he never asked for. A new life, an unknown destiny, and a looming catastrophe that only he can prevent. But can someone who failed in his old life truly become the last hope?