The way the author describes the smell and the sewer at the start really sets a gritty atmosphere. I can almost feel the slimy walls. The later parts get a bit less sensory, but the chase brings it back.
I love how the story kicks off with Bai Ze summoning skeleton soldiers right away. It sets the tone for this dark fantasy world, but the twist that he's just a three-day-old monster is hilarious. The contrast between his baby face and his deadpan reaction to his mother's pride is great. I'm already invested in his survival against the plot.
I'm invested enough to read more, mainly due to the character dynamics and the political intrigue setup. The duel, the missing princess, the blood god contract—there's enough going on to keep me hooked. But I'm cautious about it falling into shallow power fantasy with no real consequences.
The way the MC woke up and just… calmly processed everything gave me chills. No panicking about dying in a plane crash, no dramatic "where am I" monologue - she just got up, assessed the situation, and started planning. You can tell she's been through some serious stuff in her past life from how she handled getting beaten and almost dying. The internal toughness really comes through, especially when she forced a smile for her little brother even though her whole body was aching.