The Aesthetic of Beautiful, Strong, and Tragic

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[Recommending my friend's completed novel, Global Ascension, a tragic beauty with secret identities, by Zimu Tao, ID 5520005]

Blurb:

Gong Du is the least popular deity in the Three Thousand Divine Realms, with dominion over disease.

Every world has a protagonist group, and they gather the world's fortune around them.

His job is to keep the group safe while also giving them enough challenges to help them grow and earn that fortune.

Gong Du puts everything he has into it, creating obstacles for the protagonist group while also acting as their teacher, senior, or comrade-in-arms, offering them guidance.

But his ending has long been decided. He is destined to meet his death.

World One:

[A federal general overthrown by revolution, secret identity side effect: stomach trouble]

Gong Du plays the role of a gentle, cherished teacher while using his identity as a federal general to put the protagonist group through trials.

Later, in his role as a federal general, he kills his own beloved teacher persona, forcing the protagonist group to work harder and overthrow the Federation.

But... as he is dying, Gong Du looks at the protagonist group, all of them crying their eyes out, and falls briefly silent.

World Two:

[Superpowered world, secret identity side effect: Capgras delusion]

Golden sunflowers always follow the sun. A bold young man holds a flower and vanishes into the sunlight.

“I died in the past, to guard your future.”

World Three: Ancient-era treacherous minister

“Spring in Jinling is beautiful.”

[Anti-piracy setting: 50% for ten days. Purchases are unavailable unless the required ratio is met.]

A statement from the many protagonist groups:

Across countless worlds, there is always someone like this.

Sometimes he walks alone down a thorn-strewn road.

Sometimes he dies in the darkness just before dawn.

Sometimes he grovels and flatters, yet stands tall just before he dies.

Sometimes he spends his whole life unable to grasp the light he swore to protect.

This person is their teacher, senior, or companion, a guide to many, and the regret they are most afraid to face.

P.S. The protagonist is no good person, and is a real piece of work. He's a master of acting and scripting, never gets found out, and knows exactly how to play the victim without batting an eye. All relationships are platonic, with friendship and family bonds.

P.P.S. For specific content warnings and a reading guide, see the author's note in Chapter One.

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Recommending my friend's novel, Global Ascension, by Zimu Tao, ID 5520005.

Blurb:

Chu Zaizhou was a gaming legend known as a hardcore grinder. One day, he happened upon a game called Savior.

To unlock every hidden achievement and side quest, Chu Zaizhou created hundreds upon hundreds of alternate accounts and played through the storylines with them.

# I'm the one destroying the world, I'm the one saving it, and I'm the one caught in a love-hate relationship with myself: D #

Chu Zaizhou: This is awesome!

Then one day, he woke up to find the game had become reality.

"What Should I Do After Waking Up as the Savior?"

"I Never Put Any Points into My Main Character's Skills!"

To keep his utterly defenseless main body alive and save the world, Chu Zaizhou announced on the spot that he was founding a “Superpower Academy.”

Every student, teacher, and even the janitor was one of his alternate accounts.

Chu Zaizhou: Clutching my liver.jpg

The world of Plane D619 was overrun by supernatural incidents. Just as people were losing hope, a superpower academy appeared out of nowhere!

Its people were unbelievably powerful and knew exactly how to deal with the supernatural.

Chu Zaizhou: That's just muscle memory from all the grinding.

They stood united against outsiders. Any spies who came their way were doomed.

Chu Zaizhou: A lightbulb stuck among a bunch of alts? Out you go!

Within the academy, they fought one another without mercy. The cold, aloof [Sage] kept watch over the gentle, compassionate [Prisoner]; the [Twins] were fated never to meet because of a curse; the [Oriole], who sang for an ideal, died to a comrade's thorns...

Chu Zaizhou: They're just random character settings...

Bystander A: So this ancient school has been protecting us for all this time...

Bystander B: Oh my god, oh my god, I want to bang my head against the wall for Teacher Lu! Why would they lock him up when he's so gentle?

Bystander C: Don't go! He'll smile while taking your kidneys!

Bystander D: Go check the trending post. The backgrounds of these big shots... spitting blood.jpg

As the world grew better and better, people began speculating about the identity of the never-before-seen principal.

Before long, rumors began to spread:

To help the world overcome its crisis, the principal sacrificed himself and merged with the academy. He was the leader who lit the torch in the night, a god walking among us.

[Congratulations on achieving your ultimate personal achievement: Ascend to godhood!]

Chu Zaizhou: ...Could it be that I'm just a shut-in playing video games?

Theme: See the whole person