MTL - Lord of Ashes - Chapter 946 Kress' Endgame

Cairn is a prince who is already tired of ruling. Faced with an imminent coronation and an overbearing father, he wants nothing more than to drown his responsibilities in cheap liquor and poor decisions. With the help of his sister, he hatches a plan to escape the clutches of the throne once and for all. It all goes terribly wrong, and Cairn finds his priorities shifting in the face of unimaginable tragedy. The change of heart comes too late, however, and Cairn dies. He reawakens to find himself transported ten years in the past. He immediately begins to plan for the future, only to discover his killer has somehow followed him. To succeed, Cairn must unite the kingdom and discover the motivation of his killer, using as many tries as it takes. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++I exhausted pretty much every time loop story ever written and decided to write my own. You'll see a few similarities here between this story and some existing stories, at least initially. There's a lot of inspiration drawn from both MoL and Re:Zero, though in terms of pathos and darkness, this story leans more towards the latter. Be warned, it is something of a slow burn. The main character will grow and become powerful, but a theme of this story is that power comes slowly and often at great cost.

Lin Ran was transmigrated to a fantasy world and was the top scorer during the martial arts exam.

He was assigned to protect the empress, but because he did not give presents to the general director in charge of the palace affairs, he was demoted to a guard at Mount Sword.

His only job was to clean the swords stored on the mountain.

[You have cleaned the broken sword, Fire Stream. You have been rewarded with 50% proficiency of the Heaven Fire Sword Will.]

[You have cleaned the heavy sword, Dragon Elephant. You have been rewarded with the inner energy of the Dragon and Elephant Divine Art.]

[You have cleaned the demon sword, Dark Wind. You have been rewarded with the Grade 9 method, Phantom Step.]

[You have cleaned the spirit sword, Heaven’s Chance. You have been rewarded with the Eyes that Peek into Heaven.]

“Isn’t this way better than working as the empress’s guard?” Lin Ran quickly decided to remain on the mountain until he had become invincible.

He spent the next 100 years without leaving Mount Sword until the day the barbaric knights from the north invaded the central plains and started to mercilessly slaughter citizens, hoping to break the peace that was obtained through a lot of sacrifices over 100 years ago.

Lin Ran had no choice but to descend from the mountain.

They were all characters doomed to die. Out of all the suffering they were destined for, I lightened their burden. Just a little. And then… I got caught for stealing. …But after all that effort, why did things only get worse?

When a Medical student awakens in an infant's body in the deadly Hidden Mist Village, he knows surviving will require more than just his memories of a past life. In a world where children are forced to kill each other and bloodline abilities mark their wielders for death, Ren must carefully balance hiding his true potential while gathering enough strength to change the village's dark future. As Kirigakure descends into an era of unprecedented brutality, this reincarnated soul will discover that the deadliest technique isn't found in forbidden scrolls - it's knowing exactly when to reveal your true power.Fair Warning:This is a slow-burn story - no overpowered MC from the startPower progression is realistic and earned through years of dedicated trainingContains graphic violence and deathStory builds gradually with careful character and plot developmentWhat to Expect:Detailed training arcs and power progressionClever manipulation of future events using foreknowledgeOriginal story arcs and character development[This novel is for readers who enjoy:Smart protagonists who rely on wit over raw powerRealistic skill progression and strategic combatDeep world-building and political intrigueA fresh perspective on the Naruto universe]