MTL - Long Live The Hokage - Chapter 26 War of attrition

In the era of steam and mystery, becoming a correspondence student at the Thaumatology Academy was something Shad never thought of.

A whispering voice rang in my ears, who was reciting the poems of foreigners——

The old gods and aliens,

When the brassy rings of fate turn,

The golden runes are flickering.

steam surge,

the fire flickers,

Relic echoes,

The old gods revived.

The outstretched hand after the thick fog,

Pull back the hazy curtain of the crazy age.

Guests from afar explore the lands of the Old Continent,

Striking the melody of the next era.

Came here through the gate of time,

Shad put down his suitcase,

Look at the silvery moonlight overhead.

- Description from novelbuddy

Luis, a poor 17-year-old boy, tries his luck at becoming an Awakener to change his fate. However, his dreams are shattered when he fails to awaken a Special Spirit and is instead saddled with a 5 million dollar debt by their planet's colonizers, the Flying Star Empire.His life seemed doomed—until a mysterious system suddenly appeared in his head: The Monster Transformation System. It gave him the power to transform into any monster or animal he had ever seen.From a cat to an eagle, even a horse, Luis begins to understand that his power may not come from Spirit... but from the ability to become any monster.

“Stripped of his power, betrayed by those he trusted, and abandoned by fate itself, the young master of the Celestial Clan faces a choice: cling to the tattered remnants of his righteous path or to embrace the darkness blooming within. When a catastrophic fall strips him of everything, he, along with his fiancée by his side, abandons the righteous path. Witness the birth of an anti-protagonist couple, as they forge contracts with ancient, terrifying beasts and carve a new destiny from the bones of their enemies.”In the heart of the Azure Star Continent lies the legendary Celestial Clan, rulers of an unbroken legacy of power, wealth, and influence. At its helm stands Xian Tianyang, a prodigy born with unparalleled talent and destined to inherit the mantle of leadership. Calm, calculating, and relentless, Tianyang has forged a reputation as an unshakable force, a young master whose genius is rivaled only by his ambition.But the path to supremacy is fraught with danger. In a continent where alliances shift like desert sands and rival factions sharpen their blades, Tianyang must navigate a world of intrigue and betrayal. When his childhood fiancée, Lin Yuqing, the “Blooming Empress” of the Eternal Bloom Clan, enters his life, their union threatens to spark both alliances and rivalries that could reshape the continent.With ancient secrets lurking in the shadows, enemies plotting from every corner, and the weight of his family’s legacy on his shoulders, Tianyang must prove that he is more than just a prodigy—he is the heir to the Celestial Throne.Will their fates intertwine as destined rulers, or will the fires of ambition and duty tear them apart? Prepare for a tale of genius, power, and forbidden emotions, where every choice has the power to change the fate of nations.

Mimizuku, a small girl with chains on her wrists and ankles and the numbers “332” branded onto her forehead, wanders into the Forest of Night seeking to be eaten by a monster. However, when the ruler of the monsters, the mysterious and beautiful “King of Night,” refuses to eat her, she tries to formulate a way to convince him otherwise.