cynical

"We will be here for you...financially" In the bleak 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.

"Here you go, this is your wage for the week." After passing over a small pouch, the woman with her legs crossed behind the desk casually made a 'Check' in a notebook and then, without looking up, waved her hand to dismiss him and said: "Remember to file your taxes... Next!" "Wait a minute!" After pouring out the coins from the pouch and looking at the eight large and one small, totaling nine filthy coins in his palm, Leon couldn't help but widen his eyes in shock, almost wanting to pounce on her and fight to the death right there and then. "Damn it! I just repelled the evil god who was trying to erode the world this Tuesday! You bastard even wants to deduct the salary of the savior?"

In the year 1469, the Aztec Empire in Central America was at its zenith. A soul from the future transgressed time to come here, intent on saving the fate of the Indian people from destruction and establishing an empire in Central America! The Age of Exploration had just begun its prologue, with European colonizers venturing into the unknown world. Europeans were on the rise, intent on conquering the rich lands of America and colonizing the vast New World. They were poised to embark on an expansion that would take them from America, to Africa, to India, to the Far East, and control the world for the next five hundred years! But now, an immortal spirit sought to change all of that. He would unite Central America under one rule, inherit the two-thousand-year legacy of American civilization, and resist the invasion of Western colonizers. He would spend centuries leading Aztec civilization onto the path of destiny to conquer America! Without the land and wealth of America, what would become of the Westerners? And in which direction would the world turn?

After his wife's affair and the discovery that his child belongs to another man, Li Feng is cast out into the rainy night. Since fate won't allow him to live an ordinary life, he resolves to live an extraordinary one. “How many roads must a man walk down, before they call him a man" --- <Blowing in The Wind> Bob Dylan

[The latest masterpiece by the author of Reverend Insanity] In the heart of a volcano, the mechanical fairy palace left by the ancients longed for a successor. The mother sacrificed her life to obtain the treasure seal of the fairy palace, entrusting it to Ning Zhuo on her deathbed. Buddha Heart Demon Seal! To deliver oneself to enlightenment, and others to demonhood. The bearer of the seal, by lightly engraving the Heart Demon Seal, could control mechanisms as if they were feathers. While others wielded it, exhausted in spirit and heavy in mind; Ning Zhuo could command it with ease, light and graceful as in a dance. Ning Zhuo said, "Mother, your child will surely fulfill your trust and claim that fairy palace!" Indeed: The chance encounter with a spirited secret, where skill merges with supreme logic. Universes open to new realms, where natural beauty rivals the heavens. Ancient bells transmit the law, dancing under the moon's pure radiance. With the true form embodying myriad things, who in the world could contend!

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!

An epic journey of a basketball player's life... "Writing stories is like shooting hoops; you keep scoring and missing, then continue, relentlessly, until you leave the court." The distant and fervent world of basketball across the sea became the stage on which the young men released their energy and let their imaginations soar during the monotony and uncertainty of adolescence. He hopes that children who love playing basketball can have real basketball to play...

[Disclaimer: This story is not peak fictional or actually that good] [Archiverse world] ---- This webnovel is a written amateur first drafted of a series i decided to create on June 3, 2025. It was originally called the Architecture Series but changed to Archiverse Sandbox...believe me this series isn't anything like LOTM (lord of the mysteries) or shadow slave, it's not necessarily well written but does contain the original concepts that may change into the future ---- that's all that was needed to discuss, hope you readers are doing well...

The good-natured Hou Yuxiao arrived in a martial arts world clearly divided between good and evil with a magical dual-colored lotus flower and became the Family Head of a small, insignificant Demon Path family in a county town, overseeing three younger brothers and a sister. The second brother was hot-tempered, the fourth brother was prone to fratricide, the youngest lived amongst the Demon Path but spent all day studying Confucian classics, and the only sister turned out to be a... Looking at the four problematic children, Hou Yuxiao fell into deep thought! It was a time of great contention, with Dynasties desperate for virtuous talents, seeking to stabilize their reign over The World, with sects dominating certain regions, aspiring to tower over all living beings, with families carrying on centuries of legacy, aiming to pursue happiness forever, with gangs reigning supreme, striving to build everlasting power, with academies resolving doubts and imparting knowledge, hoping people would promote the practice of farming and reading to future generations, ... Thousand-Faced Handsome Man Hou Yuxiao, Black Extinction Demon Blade Hou Yucheng, Nation-Topping Demon Consort Hou Yuling, Blood Sword of Sunrise Hou Yujie, and Saint-Overturning Demon Confucian Hou Yuduan... Years later, looking back, the Hou Clan had already ascended to the pinnacle.

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.

[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?

The main character of this story, Seth, was following his once-a-month routine: going outside. He was heading out to purchase more books, as that was the only thing he looked forward to after work. But on his way to the library, he witnessed a scene that seemed eerily familiar. A little boy was chasing his ball into the middle of the road, and a truck, clearly going over the speed limit, was barreling toward him. In an attempt to save the boy, Seth ran to push him out of the way and closed his eyes as the truck came dangerously close. After five seconds of feeling nothing, Seth opened his eyes and saw something entirely unexpected. [Host Is Required To Gain Information Within 5 hours! Reward: ??? Penalty: Potential Death Scenario] •••••• Seth Laurence (19- previously 25) Personality: Stoic(mostly), cautious, selfish, and precisionist.

In the world of the heavens, there are an elite few in history who transcend the word "genius." They rise through the ranks of cultivation with unparalleled speed, perform feats that defy common sense on a regular basis, and generally educate all who cross their path on just what it means for the difference between two cultivators to be as the difference between heaven and earth. This…is NOT their story. Xu Zuhui has never been considered a genius, or particularly talented, though no one would call him a failure either—no small feat in the cutthroat world of VRMMOs, the dominant form of entertainment on a dying Earth. Indeed, he is one of the lucky few to escape the terrible, ruined real world by uploading to a persistent virtual world based on the world of Cultivation. But though his new body and new life comes with substantial perks, he will soon discover there are substantial risks as well. He’s far from the only strong talent in this new world, and few such people are happy to welcome more into their ranks. In what was supposed to be a virtual world, Xu Zuhui will soon find that the stakes he’s fighting for are very real…and he’ll have to become very strong indeed to survive the events the real hero of this world will inevitably drag him into. Updates MWF, 2PM EST.

When I opened my eyes, I saw blood on my hands. And a stiff, lifeless body lying right in front of me. A distinct mechanical voice echoed. [The Protagonist has died!] [The story will be forcibly terminated.] [Warning! World-Destroying Sequence initialized. Remaining time: 365 days.]

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

"I wish that I never existed." That was his final wish before death, but instead of an eternity of darkness, he found himself standing under two moons. This new world was fraught with dangers, governed by desires, and filled with ambitions to reach the Stillpoint — a place that no one has ever reached. [You have uncovered the hidden curse for the class Wishbound.] [Hidden Curse: Slave of Dreams.] [Slave of Dreams: Any wishes registered by the Wishbound System must be fulfilled, or they would result in termination of the system and user.] "Wait... what? Wait a damn minute—!" Aiden finds himself forced to fulfill the wishes of the humans he despises — but there is a catch. The more wishes he fulfills, the more power he obtains. "If I can be the strongest, then I don't care if I'm a genie or the devil himself!" In his lowest point, Aiden no longer wished to cease existing — but to rise and trample on all others. [-----------------------------------] In our world, a mysterious system appears. Visitors of the wishbound-system.com find themselves capable of influencing Aiden's future and crafting abilities for him to use. What kind of abilities will Aiden be forced to choose from, and what choices will dictate his fate? [-----------------------------------] https://discord.gg/PXQd5Sjm

A dead man on Earth had been mysteriously reincarnated into the world of TBATE as Alden Valerius, heir of the declining noble house Valerius. Little yet to know about his past but it was catastrophic enough to kill off any traces left of his humanity and deformed him into the Dark Triad mindset: Machiavellianism, psychopathy and narcissism, purely for the sake of his survival on the living hell which he unfortunately failed. Now given a second chance in a new world, how will Alden choose to live? A/n: warning of disturbing violent and sexual contents not suitable for all readers. no system that makes the main character can become an OP deadbrain. no random lucky buffs, wishes from some random god. no copy paste from original novel's writing.

I bought the entire book, but the webnovel has deleted it now, so I am publishing chapters under the Fanfic for myself to read. .... Humans are clever in tens of thousands of ways, Gu is the truly refined essences of Heaven and Earth. The Three Temples are unrighteous, the demon is reborn. Former days are but an old dream, an identical name is made anew. A story of a time traveler who keeps on being reborn. A unique world that grows, cultivates and uses Gu. The Spring and Autumn Cicada, the Venomous Moonlight Gu, the Wine Insect, All-Encompassing Golden Light Insect, Slender Black Hair Gu, Gu of Hope… And a great demon of the world that does exactly as his heart pleases!

Follow the high command of the Administrative Guild, a institution founded to bring order and structure to this fantastical world. Also, the guild is run by 5 lichs that almost never agree. So basically, a slice of life with the most powerful old men in the world, in charge of running a not-so-well oiled machine of burocratic efficiency.