As eerie whispers echo in my ears and the mists of the unknown slowly part, I use my mortal body as fuel, ...commanding my own cult in the narrow gap between madness and sanity.
Under the blood-red moonlight, listening to the whispers of ancient gods, a transmigrator steps into this new world of steam and steel. The Twelve True Gods sit high upon their thrones, while the Great Old Ones linger within memory. Mysteries from the Dreamlands, unfathomable artifacts, potions of the new world, and secret arts of the old. On Victorian-style streets, Lynch opens the door to his detective agency—and falls into deep thought at the tentacles knocking outside. Is there any saving someone with excessively high ‘inspiration’? Waiting online. Urgent.
There are seven Witches on the Red Moon Continent. The First Witch cursed the night. Since then, no one has dared wait alone until dawn. The Second Witch cursed language. Since then, speaking one’s true feelings has become the greatest luxury in the world. The Third Witch cursed memory. Since then, whenever heavy snow falls, people forget who they are. The Fourth Witch cursed appearance. Since then, even those closest to each other may not see each other’s true face. The Fifth Witch cursed desire. Since then, the more one possesses, the hungrier one becomes. The Sixth Witch cursed flaws. Since then, imperfection has become more terrifying than death. The Seventh Witch cursed fate. Since then, everyone’s life has been written in advance. The world fears them, worships them, and calls them calamities, divine punishment, and unstoppable natural disasters. But no one knows that the birth of the Seven Witches was simply because one player grinded achievements a little too hard. He had been a saint, a mentor, a savior. He had also been someone’s elder brother, someone’s confidant, someone’s one and only. It was just that at the end of every relationship, he faked his death and ran. Five hundred years later, Hiso returned. Only this time, the former min-maxing player had become Sophie: a silver-haired, red-eyed vampire girl with trash-tier stats in all five attributes and maxed-out Charisma. Sophie: “Is there, perhaps, a possibility that Hiso is already dead?” The Witches: “That’s all right.” “We’ll piece you back together.”
The moment Jiang Lu opened her eyes, she discovered she had shrunk! You have to understand—she had been lucky enough to land a dream job with weekends off, no overtime, full social benefits, and a net monthly pay of seven thousand yuan. The single time she finally worked overtime, she actually transmigrated! Boo-hoo... Her perfect retirement job! A cheat? Nope! A system? Also no? Huh... wait a minute. The mole on her hand was actually a portable dimensional space, and she had even developed an insanely sharp sixth sense. Now that was a fantastic bargain! Still, she always felt this cultivation world was a bit bizarre. They were supposed to be pursuing immortality, so why were all these top prodigies obsessed with falling in love? One day, a fragile Little Junior Sister frames the Eldest Senior Sister; the next day, a green-tea Little Junior Sister romances her Master; and the day after that, some young senior brother shouts "Thirty years East, thirty years West, don't look down on a youth for being poor!" while building a massive harem. Turns out the cultivation world was totally unhinged! Well, crazy as it was, none of it had anything to do with her—if anything, it only worked to her advantage. Relying on her powerful sixth sense, she thrived effortlessly in the cultivation world. Yet as she coasted along, how on earth did she end up becoming an all-around powerhouse? She even became the only person to achieve ascension in ten thousand years!
I bound the Divine Gift System right at the start. The system guide pixie—Ella, who claims to be the Goddess of Time—has actually latched onto me? “Are you male or female?” “You jerk! Someone as cute as me is obviously a girl!” And this demon slime in front of me that looks completely harmless... can actually evolve to devour the entire world? “Uh, making a contract requires dripping blood? That hurts...” ... Just like that, well-versed in a thousand tropes of another world, I began my journey in another world. “How could this be a demon slime? It's practically a little angel!”
Wu Yao received a mysterious invitation to participate in the closed beta of a game called Elderan: The Eternal Moon. Then she opened her eyes on a pyre. The firewood crackled beneath her feet while the surrounding crowd shouted, "Purify the evil!" What evil? That has nothing to do with a player. A rain of Fireballs sweeps the ground—killing three mobs right at the start to set the mood. ———— This is the continent of Elderan, where witches have been hunted to near extinction, mages usurp high positions, corruption swallows all vitality, and the ordinary people barely eke out a living under exorbitant taxes. Until Elderan's Eternal Moon finally shines its light upon this land— Monsters that drop materials? Farmed! Oppressed NPCs? All of you, come work for me! The cursed Moonlight Forest? That's my territory! Slandered and hunted witches? The player is rushing over to save you! Though this player... might be a teeny-tiny bit dangerous.
When Haoyuan woke up, he found he had reincarnated as an ancient snake, struggling to survive 66 million years ago in the dinosaur era just as an asteroid was about to strike the Earth. By chance, he discovered his innate talent: Thought Evolution, allowing him to evolve anything he desired at will. From then on, his rise was unstoppable. Transforming into a dragon, taking flight, wielding Fire Control, commanding thunder... he embarked on a legendary journey of evolution. Tens of millions of years passed in the blink of an eye, and he already stood atop the pinnacle of myth. A fleeing human tribe stumbled upon him by chance. From that moment on, he became that tribe's sacred totem and faith, the only true god they yearned to serve! —— Human scientists discovered a colossal thermal life signature deep underground, and curiosity drove them to pull back the veil shrouding mythical life. Spiritual energy revived; extraterrestrial beasts, Titan lifeforms, and primordial myths re-emerged... The entire world ushered in an era of behemoths! Under humanity's stunned gaze, terrifying entities descended one after another! Even more horrifying to them was that among those ultimate terrors, there existed a taboo being who had lived for countless ages. Star Lord of the Torchlit Night. Thus the descendants of the tribe that worshipped Him called Him. They hailed Him as the Ancestor of All Dragons, the Pinnacle of Myth, the Twilight of the Gods, the Nightmare of Cthulhu, the Ancient God of the Starry Skies Whom None Dare Behold...
Iluvia transmigrated to a magical continent called Aenoria, becoming the world's Goddess of Light. "Huh? Goddess of Light?! Me?!" Iluvia was completely bewildered. "Still..." But the moment she caught sight of her stunning reflection in the mirror, she instantly felt it was all worth it. "Ahem... Being the Goddess of Light isn't so bad after all." At the same time, Iluvia discovered that she could actually still contact Earth. "Very well, natives of another world, prepare yourselves for the arrival of the Fourth Cataclysm!" And thus, the virtual reality game that would soon sweep across Earth—Glorious Era—was born! "Welcome to the world of swords and magic, God-Chosen Ones."
Su Yi was a loyal enthusiast of open-world games, yet he was born transmigrated into a game adapted from a female-oriented novel. How did the Divine Might Manor Lord, who was supposed to be childless, end up with a son like him? The Junior Sister he watched grow up is destined to fall into the demonic path? The sect he belongs to is destined to be destroyed? The tragic female lead is destined to feel despair toward the world? "Hey, I never read the plot when I play games!" Well, there's no way to skip this life. Save his Junior Sister, save the sect, save the fe—wait, save the female lead, and let her save the world! However, things don't seem to be going very smoothly. Junior Sister: "I was clearly here first, so why is Senior Brother paying so much attention to her?" Female Lead: "He claims it's dangerous if I leave him, so why is he always going off to find his Junior Sister?" In unison: "Just who exactly do you care about?!"
Gu Qingyun is an ordinary farm girl. Her only extraordinary trait is that she was reincarnated from the modern world into ancient times, bringing with her a cheat gifted by the heavens. At first, she thought this was a world of cultivation, but as she grew up, she realized it was merely an ordinary ancient dynasty. She trained hard in martial arts, determined to survive in this unknown era through her own strength without having to rely on men. It wasn't until she developed a sense of Qi that she realized the world was not what she had imagined. In this world, supernatural entities existed, and the techniques she practiced were the perfect bane for such evil. When her father met with a mishap, Gu Qingyun looked at her young and elderly family members and resolutely took up his mantle, becoming a proud Constable to support her household. During her service, she encountered things she had never seen before, leading her to discover that sometimes, the human heart is far more terrifying than any ghost.
“Ha ha ha! Look at this fat piece of meat! Brothers, charge!” With a wave from the leader of the newly arrived bandit gang, over a hundred men pressed forward. But soon, he could no longer laugh. At the front of the convoy, the silver-haired girl swung her twin-bladed axe, carving through bodies in a single sweep. In the center of the convoy, the white-robed young man tapped his staff, and the wounds on the injured guards vanished instantly. With another wave, the guards’ eyes turned red, and they charged forward howling. What should have been a one-sided slaughter was somehow held back—and even started to reverse. “Damn it! Kill the support first!” the leader roared. His four strongest men threw themselves at the silver-haired girl with reckless abandon, pinning her down for the moment. The leader himself shot through a gap from the side, charging straight toward the white-robed young man. Die! He saw the shock on the young man’s face. But just as the blade was about to cleave into his head, the bandit leader saw the Healer sigh. Then he gripped the staff with both hands. “You’ve misunderstood one thing.” The staff swung toward him, carrying the young man’s voice with it. “I’m not standing here because I need protection.” A dull crack rang out as ribs shattered. “I’m standing here…” The last words the leader heard before losing consciousness were: “…because this spot has the best view!” … Bai Xuan transmigrated into a world of swords and magic, bringing with him the game-development talent he had created. In the eyes of others, he is a merciful, holy, and strikingly handsome Healer. In the eyes of his enemies, he is a monster who swings a staff, commands a silver-haired axe queen, and smashes the Demon King’s army into dust. Panel record: [Pleasure +1] [Skill Upgraded]…
She transmigrated and became a green snake. Su Qing had no intention of transforming into a dragon. She knew the status dragons held in mythology — always getting the short end of the stick. Monkeys dared to bully them, Nezha dared to bully them, and dragon liver and phoenix marrow were considered delicacies. So all she wanted was to become a powerful demon, live as a “Willow Immortal", protect a small region of people, and enjoy a quiet life. Fortunately, she managed to achieve all of that. But a thousand years later, a young girl named Xuanzang smashed her mountain gate with a single punch and asked if she wanted to go fetch scriptures. Then came some guy with a serious case of chuunibyou syndrome, constantly shouting “Great Mighty Heavenly Dragon” and bothering them every day. Sigh. Why is it so hard to just live a peaceful life?
Transmigrated into a new world, Lu Yuan finds himself facing hell mode right from the start. A chilling Victorian-style clinic, wriggling mists outside the window, and at his feet—the scaly, mysterious corpse of his predecessor. In this mad world where knowledge equals corruption, Lu Yuan possesses a unique cheat: he can see the [Experience Bar] of all things. Reading forbidden tomes? [Occultism +1] Dissecting Deep Ones? [Anatomy +10] Gazing upon the Unspeakable? [Sanity -1, Willpower +5] While others descend into madness at a mere glimpse of the truth, Lu Yuan decides to use raw data to crush the eldritch horrors. Taking over the clinic, he treats not only human ailments but aberrations as well. He performs surgery on gilled sailors, listens to the dreams of deep-sea kin, and through relentless grinding, transforms cosmic terrors into controllable skills. When the rest of the world loses its mind to the truth, Lu Yuan looks at his maxed-out skill tree, adjusts his monocle, and smiles: "There is no such thing as the supernatural. If it seems that way, it just means I haven't farmed enough XP yet."
After spending a full year on it, Ning Busan finally cleared the game Xenos Invasion, achieving the perfect "save the world" ending! The moment he beat the game, Ning Busan found himself transmigrated ten thousand years into the future — the Xenos have returned, and the continent of Lantiya teeters on the edge of ruin! The good news: he has seven maxed-out accounts! The bad news: he racked up too much bad karma on them to dare use any! All Ning Busan wants is to become a mage and find a way home. Little does he know, the wheels of fate are already turning — he is destined to become the world's savior once again...
Congratulations, you have transmigrated into your favorite game from your past life! Now, please choose your opponent: Will it be the imperial princess whom you publicly humiliated and who now harbors a jealous grudge against you? Will it be the duke's legitimate daughter whose engagement you forcefully broke, disgracing her family's honor? Or will it be your adopted younger sister, whom you bullied for years and who is now set to replace you as heir to the family? Or perhaps you'd rather defect to the demon princess and become a traitor to humanity? In response, Erich Edmond—who has just transmigrated as a villain—decides to take his status panel and head off to the Abyss to earn some gold first.
In the nineteenth year after crossing into another world, Lin Gui struggles to survive in an apocalyptic city-state. After one act of kindness, he unexpectedly binds himself to the “Messenger System.” In this fantasy apocalyptic world of city-states, where order has collapsed, communication has been cut off, and demons in the wilderness number in the hundreds of millions— Delivering letters makes him stronger! To grow stronger, he carries long-severed longings across the entire fantasy world. The merfolk royal court built ten thousand miles beneath the deep sea—Atlanna. The angelic city-state suspended above the clouds—Eden. The mage capital filled with floating towers—the City of a Thousand Towers. The Demon God's fortress that caused the deaths of countless living beings. To reach these legendary cities, Lin Gui passes through forbidden zone after forbidden zone: the Withered Rift, the Silent Sea, the Red Clay Desert, the Undead Swamp... Along the way, he also meets one charming beauty after another who stumbles into traveling with him: elves, princesses, Holy Saintesses, mermaids, angels, fox-girls... He has also delivered all kinds of bizarre letters for all kinds of strange beings. A mythical dragon’s egg. A lace dress sent to a Hero on the front lines. The 258th love letter addressed to the Demon God? For the sake of delivering letters, he has stepped into endless labyrinths, crossed lost sea ruins, and even bravely charged into the women’s restroom of a magic academy. From the touching longings at the very beginning to the sheer absurdity later on, Lin Gui has already grown numb. “Where are we delivering this time?” The white-haired, red-eyed elf lying on his back asked curiously. Lin Gui replied expressionlessly. “The small woods outside the Demon God's fortress...” “Who sent it?” “The Demon God’s 257th lover.”
Accidentally transmigrating into a world of magic, he was turned into a battered skeleton on his very first day. Leveling up, evolving, allocating stat points. From a Low-Tier Skeleton that shattered at the slightest touch, to a hardened skeleton, to fusing the horns of a bone dragon and evolving into an Elemental Skeleton. Step by step: leveling up, fusing, evolving, and growing. Until becoming the strongest skeleton of all, starting all the way from a Low-Tier Skeleton.
Transmigrated as a ninth-rank petty official in the empire, Li An Adolf has only one goal in life: to get fired. In this empire, only three paths lay before him: retirement, death, or dismissal. Yet the empire won't last long enough for him to retire, death is out of the question, and so getting fired has become his only hope. And so, he slacks off with all his might, deliberately approves disastrous proposals, selects the worst plots of land, and puts on an arrogant attitude to offend his colleagues... And the result? He approves a fraud's alchemy proposal—and the efficiency of magic stones surges threefold. He chooses the Desolate Plain for tourism development—and a natural hot spring suddenly erupts. He tries to drive away his assistant, the future Empress—only for her to perform better and grow more outstanding by the day. He deliberately picks a piece of scrap iron at the Antique Festival—and ends up retrieving the founding Emperor's lost sword. He writes a scathing rant to ruin his own reputation—only to be accused of market manipulation and thrown straight into the empire's most notorious prison... Every attempt at "self-sabotage" lands on the front page of the Imperial Daily. Every desire to lie flat is rewarded with another gold-trimmed letter of appointment. Leapfrogging from a ninth-rank petty official all the way to second-in-command beneath only one person, he finds himself surrounded by the future Empress, the Crown Prince, and all manner of eccentric followers. Li An only ever wanted to open a small shop far away from the empire, bask in the sun, and take naps every afternoon. Yet fate insists on pinning him to the pedestal of the "Light of the Empire," pulling him closer to the eye of the storm the harder he tries to flee. The more he wants to get fired, the faster he is promoted. The more he wants to lie flat, the higher he is thrust toward the pinnacle of the empire.
The living beings of this world bear extraordinary bones within their bodies, capable of engraving and carrying countless wondrous arts. With them, they wield great power: conjuring fire and summoning wind, commanding thunder and lightning, swallowing the sun and plucking the stars, suppressing demons and imprisoning gods. These are... Divine Ability Bones. Those who possess them are called... Divine Ability Practitioners.
Gu Yanqing transmigrated into a book called 《Treading on Snow》. The good news: He transmigrated as the young master of the city's most powerful faction, with wealth, influence, and strong backing. The bad news: He transmigrated as the book's cannon-fodder villain. In the original plot, he stole the female lead's spirit stones, bullied her, and subjected her to cold mockery and ridicule. Then, the female lead encountered a fortuitous opportunity, mastered a divine technique, and returned to make him her first sacrifice. To avoid the reckoning, Gu Yanqing decided to solve the problem at its root. He took extra care of the female lead, Lin Zhixue, hoping to gradually change the villainous image he held in her heart. However, he never expected that with his intervention, the female lead's growth would be even faster than he had imagined. Before long, Lin Zhixue's cultivation had already far surpassed his own. What was even more unexpected was that when the female lead stood before him, her primary concern didn't seem to be seeking revenge. "What were you talking about with that female cultivator today?" She was carefully wiping her sword blade. Gu Yanqing swallowed hard, feeling as though the plot was hurtling down a very strange path.
"What? Joining Tianyun Peak means I'll die?" "No way, I'm going to a different peak." Having transmigrated into a book, Wang Xuanyi learned that he would meet his demise if he joined Tianyun Peak, so he decisively turned right around and joined Tianzhu Peak instead. Even though Tianyun Peak was teeming with countless beauties, he dared not set foot there. As the saying goes, the beauties belong to the protagonist. Why would a minor supporting character get mixed up in that—unless he has a death wish? An aloof, breathtaking master, a haughty eldest senior sister, a gentle and considerate second senior sister, a petite and delicate junior sister, an adorable youngest junior sister... Sorry, Old Wang doesn't need any of that. He thought having an old geezer who loved alcohol like his own life and an obedient little Martial Junior Brother on Tianzhu Peak would be plenty. Until many years later...
Lynn reincarnated as a medieval villager, right as goblins were invading his village. Just when he thought he was doomed right from the start, he discovered that after killing a single goblin, the 《Monster Identification Manual》 appeared in his mind. As long as he kills monsters, he can obtain corresponding Bloodline Points to unlock monster bloodlines and empower himself. From mutated goblins and lava behemoths to chromatic dragons, he collects all kinds of monster bloodlines—unlocking a goblin's Stealth, a slime's Mimicry, a dragon's breath... Unlocking enough entries in the monster encyclopedia even grants Hextech Rune rewards. First Rune Choice (Pick 1 of 3): [Slacking Off: Do not participate in adventuring for three years; gain 600 Bloodline Points and 50 gold coins after three years.] [Burst Step: After casting a spell, dash 5 meters in any direction within 0.3 seconds without consuming stamina.] [Late-Game Expert: Gain 15 Free Attribute Points when your class level exceeds 12.] With the modest help of the 《Monster Identification Manual》, Lynn begins working hard toward his goals: becoming a long-lived species and a legendary adventurer!
Sold by my parents as a human sacrifice, I return from hell thirteen years later. Using five ghosts to replace my five viscera, using six demons to transform my six bowels! Dad, Mom, why aren't you smiling anymore? To the humans or gods who took my internal organs, are you ready? I have come to collect my debts!
Beneath the surface of an ordinary world lurk hidden dangers: the Special Service, Churches, Evil Gods, and Cursed Artifacts. Here, all it takes is drinking a tiny bottle of Potion to gain supernatural powers and step onto the path of the Extraordinary. By sheer coincidence, Freya acquires the ability to simulate the future and create save files. Across countless simulations, she drinks different potions, walks different Extraordinary Pathways, and saves each version of herself. War, Death, Trickery, Sun, Moon, Earth—every save file can be summoned into reality as an independent clone. In reality, the seemingly ordinary petite girl already possesses the terrifying power to stand against an entire nation by herself. And after experiencing countless simulations, she already knows exactly when certain villains will act and what evil schemes they are planning. So what else is there to do? Obviously, eliminate the danger before it can even begin. Show up to fight the beginner boss while wearing a graduation uniform! Villain who has only just started preparing his master plan: "Are you kidding me?! CAN YOU HEAR ME?! ARE YOU F***ING KIDDING ME?!"
Reincarnated as a black-haired, green-eyed Demon Tree. Qimeng obtained two bodies: a tree and a human. While her main body is rooted deep in the forest, her clone can move around freely. Expanding her roots, devouring magical beasts, collecting abilities, and nurturing vassals. In this life, Qimeng originally just wanted to find a nice spot to bask in the sun and enjoy a leisurely daily life. But things started to go more and more off track. The magical beasts in the forest revere her as their king, and the elves treat her as the Sacred Spirit Mother Tree. The demons are convinced she is the soon-to-be-resurrected Demon King, and even the human kingdoms have begun assembling subjugation armies. Faced with these increasingly ridiculous misunderstandings, Qimeng is completely innocent. "I just planted a tree, raised a few subordinates, and buried a few subjugation forces along the way." "Why on earth do you all think I'm the Demon King?" In her past life, she was a knight who possessed the 【Reincarnation】 authority. She rewrote fate time and time again to save her companions, only to be betrayed to her death. But this time, she only wants to live for herself. ... (Isekai, Light Novel, Anime-style, Non-human Gender Bend, All-female Vassals, Lighthearted & Fun, Female Lead's personality is inspired by the likes of the Wandering Witch and Rimuru...)
Lin Miao has a strange terrarium. He kept a bunch of bugs in the tank, originally planning to make some satisfying stress-relief videos to earn some quick cash. "Let the war begin! Let the galaxy burn!" "???" Looking at the sudden pop-up, Lin Miao was left completely bewildered. ... Terra continent, Year 666, the Swarm successfully conquered the plane.
As a peak player in the game Xian Yuan who had maxed out all secondary professions, Shi Yu was a master of artifact refining, alchemy, array formations, and talismans. One day, she transmigrated to the cultivation realm, becoming the noble Ninth Princess of a mortal empire and even getting accepted as a disciple by the famous Xuanqing Immortal Venerable. By all rights, her life should have been smooth sailing and thoroughly delightful. Yet when she arrived, her spiritual meridian had been stripped away, her life force cut off, leaving her a useless invalid unable to cultivate. To make matters worse, her entire sect viewed her as a disgrace and cast her aside like a worn-out shoe. Looking at the secondary profession skills that had transmigrated along with her, Shi Yu thought: No big deal.
After losing both her parents and her legs in a car accident, Lan Qingyou could only lie in bed waiting to die—until she was forcibly transported into another world where magic runs rampant, and must struggle to survive. Survive? Not really. Although she starts with only an E-rank talent and a tree hollow as her shelter, Lan Qingyou does not lose heart. She studies alchemy, grows herbs, crafts magical puppets, and absorbs all the knowledge in this world that can benefit her. Her talent is weak? Then she develops a [Talent Ascension Potion] to enhance it herself. The human race has too low a ceiling? Then she creates a [Race Transformation Potion] and simply stops being human.
All because Chu Xia took a paid bathroom break, he crossed into another world and became a universally hated chromatic dragon. Weak, helpless, and very good at eating, the little black dragon had no choice but to pick up the virtues of the Flower-Planting Family and quietly develop in order to survive in this cruel otherworld. However, this otherworld does not seem as peaceful as it appears. Gods who no longer answer their believers? A spaceship from the technology side? A forgotten previous life? Things seem to be moving in an unpredictable direction!
Transmigrated as a vicious female supporting character, Song Yao diligently courted death every day to complete her missions. Eldest Senior Brother is aloof and noble, but with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, he's perfect for being drugged with aphrodisiacs to perform a striptease. Second Senior Sister is hot-tempered and dotes on her spiritual pets—perfect for stealing them and roasting them into Beggar's Chicken (no small animals were harmed in this incident). Fourth Junior Brother's parents are both deceased, making them perfect to be dug up so they can play together. Fifth Junior Sister is deeply in love with her fiancé. Her fiancé? I'll be taking that. With everyone's corruption value reaching one hundred percent, Song Yao faked her death without a second thought to obtain a new identity. She thought she could live as an ordinary person from then on, but she soon realized something was off. Why does the pure and aloof Eldest Senior Brother always want to lock her up? Why does the Second Senior Sister, who swore to fight her to the death, keep climbing into her room in the middle of the night? Why does the gentle and obedient Fourth Junior Brother say with a cold face, "Try running away again and see what happens"? Why does the bright and sunny Fifth Junior Sister pierce her fiancé's heart with a sword and say, "If you try to seduce my senior sister again, I'll kill you"? Song Yao: "..." - Warnings: 1. The female protagonist is very strong but loves to slack off. This is not a typical "strong female lead" novel, nor is it fast-paced. 2. The female protagonist is not a good person; she has done a whole basket of bad things. 3. There will be ambiguous interactions, but there is no official romance in the main story. The female protagonist will not reciprocate anyone's feelings for now. If you easily feel bad for the supporting characters, please do not read. The supporting characters are also a bit crazy; there are not many sane people in this novel.