MTL - City: From Inheriting a Courtyard To a Giant - Chapter 717

Ethan Blackwood wasn’t used to being defied. As the CEO of a global empire, he crushed obstacles with a single glance. But when Lily Anderson stood before him, her chin lifted in quiet defiance, and something in him snapped. “Sign the contract,” he said, his voice like ice. “30 days. You’ll obey every command. After that, you’re free.”She hesitated, her fingers trembling as she gripped the pen. “And if I refuse?”His smirk was cold, but his eyes burned. “Then you’ll spend the rest of your life paying off your father’s debts. Your choice.”Trapped, Lily signed. But she vowed one thing: she wouldn’t let him break her.From the first day, their clash was electric. He demanded perfection; she gave him rebellion. “You think you can control me?” she spat, after he criticized her for being late.Ethan stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. “I don’t just control you. Lily, I own you.”But as the days passed, the lines between them blurred. Late nights in his penthouse turned into whispered conversations. His cold demeanor cracked, revealing glimpses of a man haunted by his past. One night, after a heated argument, he pinned her against the wall, his breath hot against her ear. “Why do you fight me so much?”Her voice trembled. “Because I’m afraid if I stop, I’ll lose myself to you.”Their connection deepened, but danger loomed. Secrets from Ethan’s past resurfaced, threatening to destroy everything. When Lily discovered the truth behind his obsession with her, she confronted him. “Was I just a pawn in your game? A way to settle an old score?”His eyes darkened with pain. “You were never just a game, Lily. You’re the only thing that’s ever felt real.”As the final days of their contract approached, their bond was tested like never before. Enemies closed in, and trust hung by a thread. Could they overcome the shadows of their pasts, or would their love crumble under the weight of secrets and pride?

[The System has arrived on your habitable planet, known as ‘Earth.’][In five seconds, monsters from countless realms will invade Earth.][Remaining Time: 5 seconds.][You can now view your attributes, talents, abilities, and skills by simply thinking about them.][Kill monsters, and you might survive.]“Monsters?”Damian’s breathing quickened as the pain in his chest grew sharper.On the day of the Awakening, humanity was forced to defend against an invasion of countless monsters from the towers that connected realms across the multiverse.While billions of people died helplessly, billions more seized the opportunities hidden behind the horrors spilling out of the gates.Leveling up, growing stronger, awakening talents, learning supernatural skills, changing one's very race, and even achieving immortality all became possibilities.But for Damian, who was suffering from a sickness that would kill him within a few years, the Awakening was a curse.While other humans awakened powerful talents, hunted monsters, and evolved, Damian remained talentless, a liability and a burden the awakened had to carry.Damian never wanted to be seen as weak or useless, but what could he do?He was dying.If only he had awakened a talent or at least possessed a stronger body, he might have been able to level up and cure his sickness. But he couldn’t.All that would change when a mysterious figure set him on a path that would lead him to his true destiny.Witness the rise of a warrior who would make countless men tremble in fear.Witness the rise of a monster who would force every race, every being, and every existence to kneel.Witness the rise of the Champion.Tags: [System], [Towers], [level up], [Classes], [Monsters], [Vampires], [Werewolves], [Yokai], [Dragons], [Demons], [Angels], [Gods]. [Rare Bloodlines], [unique Abilities], [Regression], [Survival], [Mystery], [Time Travel], [reincarnation], [Overpowered], [Martial Arts], [Magic], [Cultivation], [Murim], [Hell & Heaven], [Progenitors].

No one knows when the first Clough door appeared. All people know is that a new era began when it was pushed open.Fortresses, sublimators, pillars of star essence, three-dimensional armaments, infinite energy, who can escape the sweeping tide of the times?In the abyss, the reverse realm, the skins, the alien gods, the mad king, the rulers, and the dark creatures, all howl in madness!Inside the black mist, the demons and ghosts crawl forward as a cross-dimensional migration silently brews.

Elias “Grim” Kingsley, a nine-year-old orphan with a hardened heart and sharp tongue, dies alone from pneumonia in an overcrowded orphanage. Known for his perpetual scowl and biting remarks, he's labeled a “problem child” by caretakers and “damaged goods” by potential adopters. Years of rejection have built thick armor around his young heart.In death, he encounters the God of Balance who offers him a second chance at life in a different world—this time as Grim Van Ambrose, son of a noble house. Balance explains that every soul deserves to know love and connection, something Elias was cruelly denied in his first life.Promised the family and belonging he never experienced, Grim begins his new life only to suffer an immediate tragedy: his mother dies moments after his birth. This cruel twist of fate reinforces his belief that loss is inevitable, leaving him with a distant father and the mysterious voice of a “Guidance Assistant” in his head.As Grim grows into his new identity, he struggles with his dual nature—the emotional scars of his past life bleeding into his present one. His difficult personality and sharp tongue remain, now paired with noble privilege and expectations. Despite his outward brashness, he carries the deep wounds of his first life and the fresh loss that welcomed him into his second.What begins as one orphan's second chance evolves into an epic journey through a world of ancient beasts, elemental magic, and deadly political intrigue. As Grim uncovers the truth about the Ambrose Clan's fall from grace and the conspiracy that framed them for treason, he faces increasingly dangerous adversaries—both human and monstrous. His quest for revenge against those who destroyed his family's legacy will challenge him to master forbidden techniques, forge unexpected alliances, and ultimately decide whether to rebuild the Ambrose Clan as it was, or transform it into something entirely new.In a realm where power determines survival and ancient secrets lurk beneath noble facades, Grim must learn that sometimes the greatest battles aren't fought with swords, but with the choices that define who we truly are.