Novels like The Eighteenth Level of Despair
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as The Eighteenth Level of Despair, best match first.
- 101 Otherworldly Space: A Cycle of Reincarnation Beginning with a Nightmare 异域空间：从噩梦开始的轮回之旅 [Infinite Flow + Reincarnation Paradise + No Female Lead + Evolution Through Killing] Chen Yu dies unexpectedly and enters the world of reincarnation. He then becomes one of countless contractors, traveling through the Myriad Worlds and completing one mission after another issued by the System. All these mission worlds come from the anime and games he encountered in his previous life... 368Reads7.5Score—14d adds
- 102 The Sound of an Axe 斧声 I work at a state-owned factory. The coworker who had lived next door for three years had been silent for three days. The moment I opened the door, I saw an axe embedded in her head... 8Reads—Score—14d adds
- 103 Hymn of Evolution 进化赞歌 They embarked on the path to godhood, unaware that someone had already walked it before them. Su Yi led a team into the legendary Land of Enlightenment. They said that anyone who could comprehend the universe's [Rules] there would earn the right to challenge the Creator and become a god in the new world. The team members had no memories of their past. They knew only that this was the one and only path. They supported one another, comprehending the Rules at death's door time and again and pushi 2Reads7.6Score—14d adds
- 104 Night of Life and Death 生死夜 During the Dasheng era, at the end of every ten-day period, black fog would seal off a place and bring buried disasters back to life. Shen Yan, a low-ranking clerk in Huaishui County, witnessed his mother’s murder with his own eyes. Yet when dawn came, the family register, the neighbors, and even the county office all insisted that no such person had ever existed. The blood-written message his mother left behind, “Don’t trust the Yellow Register,” became his only clue. He and his companions plun 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 105 Reincarnation Paradise: Eyes of the Abyss 轮回乐园：深渊之眸 (A fanfic set in Reincarnation Paradise, confirmed no-CP) Despair. The abyss. The unknowable. When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back at you; but that doesn't mean the abyss won't notice you when you refuse to face it. When you see the girl with red eyes, remember: her greatest strength is her eyes, and your weakness... is also your eyes. 43Reads8.7Score—14d adds
- 106 Infinite Haunting Realms: Beginning with a Murderer's Memories 无限诡域：从杀人记忆开始 [Infinite Flow] [Mild Horror] [Mystery and Crime Solving] [No CP] Lin Yu is certain that he killed someone, but the corpse he disposed of with his own hands vanished into thin air, and a vivid red line of death appeared around his neck. When he opened his eyes again, Lin Yu had been dragged into a strange instance... (Slow burn!! Important characters appear later. No golden finger, and he is not invincible.) Each instance seems to read their deepest memories. Every escape makes the so-called "re 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 107 Horror Street 恐怖街 [Infinite Flow + Mild Horror + Mind Games + Original Worldbuilding + Tight Logic + Ensemble Cast + Cthulhu Mythos + Every Mystery Gets Solved + High-IQ Characters] On Zhongshan Avenue, a dilapidated bus carrying eight passengers drove into a sinister place… The missing passengers’ relatives wept and wailed, but their cries were helplessly swallowed by the tide of the times… As the years passed, the case file eventually lost its validity and became an unsolved cold case. But one passenger was not 1Reads8.9Score—14d adds
- 108 The Night Flight Lost and Found 夜航失物局 On a rainy night after being laid off, lost-property archivist Lu Wen receives an impossible claim slip: go to the subway entrance and retrieve a child’s umbrella that won’t be lost until tomorrow. The moment he touches its handle, he hears seventeen seconds of sobbing from the future. From then on, his camera captures tomorrow night, and the last train takes him to a platform that doesn’t exist on any map. Every lost item he returns brings him closer to the truth, but farther from his own memor —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 109 I Put on a Mask and Became a God 戴上面具，我成了神 I woke up with amnesia from the start. Did I kill someone? The security footage shows me brutally slaughtering two burly men all by myself? Yan Zhile: That wasn't me. I put on a mask and got possessed by a god. Do you believe me? Police: Why not say you're Ultraman while you're at it? From an ordinary college student to the Host of a forbidden mask. She takes down scumbag dads, slays heavenly fiends, and tames ancient divine beasts. When she has collected every mask, she stands atop the Ea 27Reads—Score—14d adds
- 110 After Sacrificing Our Teammates, We All Became Gods 献祭队友后，我们全员成神 A driverless Route 13 bus carries seven losers cast aside by reality into the Myriad Worlds. An unemployed planner, a teacher on the verge of a breakdown, a spineless doctor, a cowardly programmer, a boastful salesman, a taciturn stunt double, and a laid-off machinist. This is the worst starting team in history. But every “sacrifice” triggers a wild evolution. 🔹 Vehicle upgrade path: Rusty old bus → Mobile luxury apartment → Matte black-and-gold war chariot, the Xihe (with a red-gold Golden Crow 473Reads6.5Score10614d adds
- 111 Rule Horror: I Report This! The School's Teaching Aids Are All Made from Students 规则怪谈：我举报！这学校的教具都是拿学生做的 Rule Horror: I’m reporting this! The school’s teaching aids are all made from students 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 112 Global Hauntings: My Profession Lets Me Rewrite the Rules 全球诡异：我的职业能修改规则 Bizarre phenomena descend across the globe, and dungeon rules invade reality. On the day of the college entrance exam, the exam hall where Lin Ye is taking his test turns into a deadly dungeon. Everyone awakens a combat class, but he gets a useless one: Rule Proofreader. While others kill the bizarre creatures with knives, he edits the rules with a red pen. The blackboard reads: “Find the classmate who isn’t human within ten minutes.” Lin Ye raises his hand and changes “find” to “fail to find.” 18Reads—Score—14d adds
- 113 Rule Horror: One Wrong Step in Correcting History Means Instant Death 规则怪谈：修正历史错一步就抹杀 Office drone Zheng Jie hadn’t even finished slurping his instant noodles when he was yanked straight into the Titanic! [Time-Space Correction Mission activated: Save 3 deviants. One wrong move and you’re erased!] A faceless female attendant in a white dress, a strange knocking sound at the door, a killer crewman with no features… This cursed ship is full of rule-based traps, and the Titanic still has to sink on schedule. In 30 minutes, time and space will collapse and everyone will be wiped out! 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 114 Super God Fantasist 超神幻想家 [Modern Urban High Martial Arts] [Urban Superpowers] [Manifesting Imagination] [Infinite Armaments] [Shadow Invasion] [Ensemble Cast] [Debut Author] The Star Gates burst open, and superpowers awakened. The old order collapsed, and humanity entered the perilous Star Awakening Era. Huan Yunfan was reborn into this world, wielding the supreme power known as the “Imagineer.” “Analyze” all things and “construct” reality! He could effortlessly shatter the boundary between energy and matter. Mythica 124Reads—Score414d adds
- 115 Tomb Raiding: From the Start, I Drew an SSS-Rank Character Card 盗墓：开局抽中sss级人物卡 [Tomb Raiding]+ [The Mystic Nine]+ [Card Draws from the Start] Zhang An transmigrates into the world of Tomb Raiding, becoming a powerless nobody with no background. But it doesn't matter: he activates his golden finger from the start and begins drawing character cards! As long as he draws a character, he gains that person's identity and abilities! Zhang An hits the jackpot on his first draw, pulling a super-secret member of the Zhang family. Along with an incredible identity, he gains a full se 12.8kReads5.3Score1.1k14d adds
- 116 Myriad Worlds: A Contract Game, and My Sugar Mommy Is Serious About It 诸天：契约游戏，金主姐姐当真了 [After transmigrating into the worlds of various games, Chen Yanzhi starts with two talents: the S-rank talent “Absolute Control” and the hidden class “Melee Mage.”] So what if he starts with two talents? So what if he has a hidden class? He still has to deal with the mountain of messes his predecessor left behind. Thankfully, he has a wealthy benefactor: an older sister. Luo Yuzu, a rich young wife, is generous with her money, and they each get what they want. They agreed it was just a contract —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 117 Superpowers Descend: An E-Rank Ability Ravages the World 异能降临，E级异能蹂躏世界 [Everyone Has Superpowers] + [Superpower Organizations] + [No Harem] + [Clever Protagonist] + [Near-Future Post-Apocalypse] After a nuclear war, everyone awakened superpowers. Those with high-level abilities became the elite, while those with low-level abilities were reduced to beast-people. Eighteen-year-old Shen Yan had once been a star everyone admired, but he awakened the lowest-grade superpower ever recorded: E-rank. His childhood friends abandoned him. The person he had once loved looked d 7Reads—Score—14d adds
- 118 Infinite Horror: What Do You Mean You're Mentally Ill? 无限恐怖：什么叫你是精神病 [Not a Pure Rules-Based Horror] + [Infinite Flow] + [Two-Personality Psychopath] + [Original Instances] Humans can’t fight ghosts. But what if you stopped being human? Every ghost has at least one rule for killing. But if you can keep it in check, treat its rules like daily quests and complete them. Song Yuan, a law student, inexplicably died while playing Valorant, only to transmigrate into the body of a deranged psychopath with the same name who was about to be sentenced to death. At the very 57kReads8.6Score13.6k14d adds
- 119 EN Global Reincarnation: I Know Every Plot 全球轮回之我通晓所有剧情 He snatched the Flame Queen in Resident Evil! He conned the Palm of the Buddha in Kung Fu Hustle! He learned talismanic secrets in Mr. Vampire! He ransacked Iron Man's manufacturing technology in The Avengers! In this world where everyone enters reincarnation trials, Xu Long knows every story inside out, making him the biggest winner of all! 1.5kReads6.6Score12914d adds
- 120 Tomb Raiding: The Ninth Gate’s Living Yama, Here to Make Sure You Finish the Job 盗墓：九门活阎王，专治不补刀 Jiang Qing stayed up late reading the original tomb-raiding novel and was so furious at the Zhang family’s habit of “beating their enemies but not finishing them off” that he spat blood. Then a semitruck crashed into the thirteenth floor and sent him straight into the tomb-raiding world, where he bound himself to the [Finish Them Off System]! “Ding! Host has completed one pulverization of bones and scattering of ashes. Reward: mutated Qilin bloodline!” From then on, the tomb-raiding world gained 2.9kReads—Score27714d adds
- 121 Starting with the Nika Fruit in a Crossover World, Time to Take Off? 综漫开局尼卡果实，我要起飞了？ [Infinite realms + quick transmigration through anime worlds + amusement-park style + battles and mind games] In the One Piece world, can you believe an enemy can keep bouncing around after a bullet punches through his heart? In Demon Slayer, bullets made from ball steel are simply more useful than Nichirin Blades! In Attack on Titan, what the hell is with Reiner surviving after being smashed to a pulp? Sasuke lightly tapped Hinata's chin with his index finger, struck a JoJo pose, and said to Na 43Reads—Score—14d adds
- 122 The One-Fifth Death Game 五分之一的死亡游戏 [Clever mind games + deduction + all kinds of scenarios + no System + no harem + plot-focused] On a whim, Lin Shuo took part in a quiz show offering a cash prize of one hundred thousand yuan. And so the gears of fate began to turn, as one deadly game after another came his way. A hidden, lethal poison: how could he identify it quickly? A terrifying old building haunted by ghosts: how could he escape alive? An unsolvable locked-room mystery involving werewolves: where were they? A train trapped i 1.2kReads8.7Score13614d adds
- 123 Forbidden Horror: Don't Look in the Mirror at Night 禁忌怪谈：晚上不要照镜子 Taboo Horror: Don’t Look in the Mirror at Night —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 124 Horror Park: I Teach in the Ghost Realm, and the Boss Cries While Doing Homework 惊悚乐园：我在鬼域搞教育，BOSS哭着写作业 Horror Paradise: I Teach in the Ghost Realm, and the Boss Cries While Doing His Homework 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 125 The Miserable Good Life of a Born Unlucky Saint 先天倒霉圣体的霉好生活 When the world ran short of spiritual energy and the gods one by one lost their jobs, only the God of Misfortune survived, using her immense bad luck to save the world. Her unlucky nature was so potent that everyone else kept their distance. As haunted death zones plagued by ghosts and curses appeared one after another, a single misstep could mean eternal doom. But Yu Yingfan, the woman who became a god through bad luck, could not only stride through them with ease, but also save the world along 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 126 The Hermit Wanyan's First Book 惘然居士的第1本书 Luo Chen was sleeping at home when, without warning, he woke up in an infinite-horror world. It is a dangerous place known as the World of Reincarnation! Here, a glowing orb called the “Main God” throws people from the real world who feel disillusioned, numb, or hopeless about life into a bizarre cycle of reincarnation! Every ten days, the Main God forces them to enter a horror-movie world and take on a series of dangerous missions. They can survive only by completing them. Watch how the protago 194Reads5.8Score—14d adds
- 127 The Patient of Ill Fate 厄命病人 Greed, deceit, sophistry, argument, a need to perform: I possess every weakness in the world. The self-serving man who crawled out of a heap of corpses is using a hundred people’s bodies to piece together a Mother Goddess of his own. | Ensemble cast | Infinite-flow | Performative villain protagonist | Dark and twisted instances | Some manipulative, heavy material | | The protagonist’s values!!! His values are messed up!! Proceed with caution! | “Hello, my name is Zhou Ni.” As green trees wither 475Reads8.2Score10914d adds
- 128 Death List 死亡名单 A horrifying murder that shocked the entire city took place in the capital of Handan. On Christmas Eve, a middle-aged couple were brutally killed, and the only person left at the scene was their eight-year-old stepson, covered in blood. Over the next twelve years, the boy murdered dozens of people by various means. Now he is about to be sentenced to death... 80Reads8.6Score—14d adds
- 129 Everyone Transmigrates: I Become a God, So What Are You Crying About? 全民穿越：我成神，你哭啥 [Seafaring] [Survival] [Disasters] [Shipbuilding] [Talents] [Cthulhu] [One heroine] All of humanity on Blue Star transmigrates into a seafaring survival game. This world is filled with countless evil gods, terrifying monsters, and all kinds of natural disasters. Tornadoes! Mega-tsunamis! Subzero cold! Yet danger also brings opportunity! Humanity can find all kinds of treasures while sailing, embark on the long road to godhood, kindle divine fire, ascend to the divine throne, and become exalted g 816Reads7.2Score10014d adds
- 130 Rule Horror: Help! My AI Miracle Doctor Says I Have to Die 规则怪谈：救命！我的AI神医说我必须死 Rule Horror: Help! My AI Miracle Doctor Says I Have to Die —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 131 Parallel Island 平行岛 In 2065, on an unnamed island deep in the ocean. An ordinary girl with no special abilities. A deadly game where the stakes are her life. Win, and she rises to the top overnight. Lose, and she dies. Traps, betrayal, and an endless struggle for survival: she can only rely on her wits and logic to make it through. But the closer she gets to the finish line, the more terrified she becomes. It seems a shocking secret about the fate of all humanity lies behind this brutal bloodshed. 33Reads—Score12314d adds
- 132 Nine Yuan 九块钱 Nine Yuan 10Reads—Score—14d adds
- 133 Welcome to the Real Nightmare Game 欢迎进入真实噩梦游戏 [Infinite Flow] [Horror Dungeons] [Plot-Heavy] [Mind Games] [No Romance] [Mystery and Escape] [Supernatural] Zhao Ding woke with a start in the middle of the night, only to find that his familiar bedroom had become strangely unfamiliar. The walls had turned old and yellow, inexplicable dust had appeared in his slippers, and eerie knocking echoed through the silent night... Listening to the strange knocking outside, Zhao Ding had no idea that the world beyond his door was no longer reality. The m 33.8kReads8.1Score4.2k14d adds
- 134 Great Ming: I Shake the Divine Aid in Changle to Help Zheng He Sail West 大明：我在长乐摇神助郑和下西洋 In the early years of the Yongle reign, Zheng He prepares to sail west across the oceans. Xie Yifeng, a young man from Changle, is guided by his ancestor's divine consciousness as he transmigrates to the early Ming Dynasty, becoming the only “Maritime Silk Road medium” able to awaken Fuzhou's heroic spirits. Knowing full well how difficult it will be to withstand the dangers of the open sea, Zheng He sincerely asks Xie Yifeng for help. Carrying two great treasures, the Fujian Mountains and River 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 135 Lord God's Paradise: I Got the Dread Throne from the Start 主神乐园：开局获得惊悚王座 (No female lead + ruthless and decisive + horror-game king + theme-park growth + infinite flow) Su Yue is the first “workplace emperor” in the history of horror games to clear an S-rank mission a hundred times. He's had enough of those unkillable ghosts that can only be dealt with by playing along with their rules. At last, he returns to reality, thinking he can lie flat. Then the Lord God's Paradise invitation lands right in his face! Good news: The monsters in this new world have health bars o 1.9kReads7.6Score16614d adds
- 136 Blood Curtain: The Final Chapter? 血幕，终章？ Five years ago, one tiny mistake of mine got three coworkers killed. From then on, I lived in endless regret. Five years later, a blood-red screen appeared in the depths of the ocean, enclosing a mysterious continent! Monsters began invading from this other continent. While every country in the world struggled to resist, I was pulled into another dimension, where lies followed rules that could get you killed, bizarre monsters were impossible to wipe out, and I had several unreliable “teammates.” —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 137 Hell Manor 地狱庄园 [Horror and the Supernatural + Suspense and Mystery + Infinite Flow + No Female Lead] A group of strangers receive a blood letter and mysteriously find themselves inside a villa. Their only chance of survival is to uncover the ghost hiding among them. After Xu Yi completes the task by the skin of his teeth, he is relieved to have finally survived. But then he discovers that he has arrived at a place called Hell Manor. He must complete the tasks in eleven blood letters to leave the manor alive. A 10kReads8.0Score83614d adds
- 138 From the Start, I Play the Godslayer, and I Will Execute the Gods 开局扮演弑神者，我将处决神明 The starry sky, outer gods, Great Old Ones! As the mysteries lurking in the universe awaken, the cosmos becomes a breeding ground for evil gods. The Primordial Hall, the mutated flutist. When the universe echoes with the sound of Pan’s horns. When Nyarlathotep pulls the puppet strings, the horror that rules the entire starry sky returns. Beneath the star-filled heavens and their eldritch horrors, a godslayer stands solemnly, blade pointed at the stars. “Tell me, everyone, have you heard the soun 1.9kReads8.2Score18014d adds
- 139 Mysterious Tales: Stop Crying! Smile, Damn It! 诡秘怪谈：别哭了！给老子笑！ Weird Tales of the Mysterious: Stop crying! Give me a damn smile! —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 140 I Joined the Song Army and Helped Yue Fei Defeat the Jin 入宋营，我助岳飞破金兵 I Join the Song Army and Help Yue Fei Defeat the Jin 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 141 Death Game Dimension 死亡游戏空间 “Let's have some fun playing a game~” Out of curiosity, Xu Ge clicked YES and entered a mysterious game space, where he had no choice but to play one deadly game after another. Guess Who I Am, Dating Game, The Countess's Death, The Sin of Pride, Live-Action Ghost Show... Who is behind the mysterious game? And as Xu Ge continues playing, he becomes caught up in an even greater conspiracy. A plot spanning thousands of years, the return of the primordial, changes to the world, and one mysterious in 127Reads8.8Score—14d adds
- 142 Rule Horror: Feeding Records from No. 7 Huaiyin Lane 规则怪谈：槐荫里7号进食记录 Rule Horror: Feeding Records from No. 7, Huaiyin Lane —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 143 Survival Game: I Defy Fate with My Imagination 生存游戏：我靠脑洞在游戏场逆天 [Absurd Comedy + Infinite Worlds + Rule-Based Battles + Internet Memes + Meticulous Plotting + Reverse Tropes + No Romance] When reaction images become primordial deities and terrible memes form the laws of the world, welcome to the “Meme Corridor,” a survival game that runs on imagination, not science. Here, every cringe-worthy meme you once laughed at will become a blade aimed at your life. While other players despair in the repulsion field of “Don’t you come any closer!” or sink into the “ 13Reads—Score—14d adds
- 144 Don't Lie! I Can See the Titles Above Your Head 别撒谎！我能看见你头顶的称号 [Ding-dong! This week's mission: Being single is a crime.] [All adults aged eighteen and over must register their marriage before the mission deadline, or they will die!!!] Ever since Lu Sheng transmigrated to this game-controlled world, he has received a similar mission every week. To stay alive, Lu Sheng has no choice but to try his luck outside the civil affairs bureau. As a transmigrator, he also has a unique special ability. He can see the titles above other people's heads. [An ordinary yet 961Reads8.2Score12114d adds
- 145 Deadly Survival Game 致命生存游戏 (Infinite-loop game, suspense, mystery, survival, no supernatural elements, no urban legends, original games, no independent System, no golden finger) ‘Selecting a game...’ ‘Player level detected: L1. Available game difficulty range: 1–2 stars.’ ‘First game detected. A one-star game is guaranteed.’ ‘Game selection successful!’ A black screen with white text immediately appeared. [Game Name: The Devil Beside You] [Game Type: Multiplayer] [Difficulty: One Star] [Clear Condition: Find the disguised 1.2kReads7.8Score10214d adds
- 146 Hell Academy: Conquering the Myriad Worlds, Starting with the Mist 地狱高校：从迷雾开始纵横诸天 After Fang Xiu finally got into Tsinghua University, he managed to scrape together enough money for his mother’s surgery, only to transmigrate for no apparent reason. He transmigrated to a strange high school and became a “high school student.” To get home and treat his mother, he chose the unorthodox path of power-ups, looping through one damned world after another for that damned diploma. 7Reads—Score—14d adds
- 147 I Bury Gods and Demons with My Own Body 吾以己身葬神魔 He is a prodigy of the Xuanwei Dao Sect, a revenge-driven avenger who slaughtered the enemy responsible for his family’s destruction, and a pure-yang sacrificial vessel cultivated for fifteen years. On the day his revenge is complete, his enemy’s curse comes true. His master hides murderous intent behind a kindly face, the guardians of the Nine Cauldrons Hall watch him with hungry eyes, and the ghosts of the Underworld Pavilion spy on him from the shadows. The blood of ninety-eight sacrifices ha 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 148 The Top-Ranked Player Owes Trillions, Flips the Table, and Plays Chess with the Gods 榜一负债万亿，掀桌和神明对弈 His ex-husband’s beloved put her in a hundred-billion divine loan and destroyed her family. So Su Lian went bigger, taking out a trillion in divine loans! So what if she was only human? From this day on, she would be the one moving the pieces: the God of Wagering with Her Life! When the divine game invaded Blue Star, Su Lian was set up by her ex-husband and his beloved, saddled with a hundred-billion divine loan, and left with her family ruined and nowhere to turn. Su Lian sneered through gri 19Reads—Score—14d adds
- 149 Otome Survival: I Get Strong by Snatching Opportunities From the Whole Server 乙女求生：从截胡全服开始变强 [Supernatural Horror] [Infinite Flow] [Survival Game] [Romance] [Unflappable Heroine] [爽文] Tang Yuan thought she had been transported into a gorgeous dating sim, and was just about to cuddle up to her billionaire boyfriend with his eight-pack abs. The on-screen comments erupted in warnings: Run! He's a monster! He'll swallow you whole as soon as you kiss him! Tang Yuan: ??? "Ding! The player has triggered a guaranteed-death scenario. Choose incorrectly and you will be erased immediately." To sta 566Reads6.7Score74714d adds
- 150 Reincarnation: My Level Was Reset to Zero, and My Doll Went on a Killing Spree 轮回：满级清零，我的人偶杀疯了 [Infinite loop + revenge + fiery, tragic, and sweet] After ten years beside an empty grave, he can no longer remember his late wife's face. The infinity tattoo on his wrist is his sole obsession. Once, he was the one who reached the summit of the cycle of reincarnation. Just one step away from the truth, he was betrayed, had his memories wiped, and became an ordinary security guard in the modern world. Then a girl doll shattered his tombstone and dragged him back to the reincarnation battlefield 11Reads—Score—14d adds
