Quick Answer
Worth reading if you want a Victorian steampunk mystery-horror with a slow-building occult power system and real stakes attached to every gain.
Quick Verdict
“Worth it as an early but faithful adaptation of a genuinely acclaimed novel, best approached knowing it's still a slow-building start.”
Best for: Readers who want a Victorian steampunk mystery-horror with a slow-building occult power system, and who enjoy investigation and atmosphere as much as action.
Not for: Readers who want a fast-paced, action-first power fantasy, a large existing chapter backlog, or an adaptation that's already caught up to its source novel.
| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Format | Manhua, 17 chapters |
| Run | 2025–present · ongoing |
| Community score | AniList 8.2 · MangaUpdates 6.7 |
| Where to read | Webnovel — official |
Zhou Mingrui wakes up in someone else's body, in a world that isn't his: an alternate Victorian era running on steam, cannons, and airships, where the supernatural is just as real as the machinery. He's now Klein Moretti, and Klein has a secret nobody around him can know about, he's slowly gaining supernatural abilities by drinking dangerous, unstable potions that push him toward becoming something called a Beyonder. Every potion is a gamble between real power and losing himself entirely. As Klein navigates his day job, his new family, and a city thick with secret societies and rival Churches, he's drawn deeper into a world of hexes, tarot-coded pathways, and cosmic horror lurking just past what the Light can explain, all while trying not to get caught, corrupted, or killed.
This is adapted from one of the most acclaimed web novels in the genre, and the manhua's Victorian-steampunk-meets-Lovecraftian-horror setting is genuinely distinctive next to the more common wuxia or generic isekai fantasy backdrop most manhua lean on. The mystery-first structure is the real draw, Klein has to think, investigate, and manage risk rather than just fight his way through problems, and the tension of every Beyonder potion being a gamble against losing his own sanity gives his power growth real stakes instead of being a straightforward upward climb. The Church politics, secret societies, and tarot-based power framework build a dense, atmospheric world that rewards paying attention rather than skimming for the next fight. And the source material's reputation is backed up by real numbers: strong scores from readers who've followed the story through the source novel and now this adaptation.
This particular manhua adaptation is still quite early, only a couple dozen chapters in on a monthly release schedule, so it hasn't had the chance yet to cover much of the story the source novel is famous for, and it moves slowly compared to faster-updating webtoons. Readers coming in expecting immediate, flashy power-fantasy action will find the pacing more deliberate and investigation-driven than that. And because it's adapting a genuinely massive, complex novel, some of the setting's denser lore and terminology can feel like a lot to absorb early on before the pieces click into place.
If you want a Victorian occult mystery-horror where power comes with real risk and the plot rewards patience and attention, this is a strong, faithful start to adapting one of the genre's most respected stories. It's an early, slow-building adaptation rather than a fast, action-packed one, but the source material's reputation makes it worth getting in early.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Same gothic, church-and-secret-society-laced horror atmosphere, in a more action-forward package
Another dark supernatural power system with real risk attached to gaining strength
| Platform | Format | Pricing | Region notes | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Webnovel | Digital chapters (Webnovel app/site) | Free + Paid | Region availability varies | Open |
It's a manhua adaptation of the original web novel, currently covering the early chapters, so it hasn't caught up to the full, much longer source story yet.
Yes, an animated (donghua) adaptation also exists separately from this comic.
New chapters release monthly, on the 1st and 15th.
Early chapters are free on Webnovel, with some later content typically requiring in-app currency to unlock.
