MTL - The Lord of the Rings: Lords of Middle-earth - Chapter 40 Smaug's Legacy

[Extreme cool article] + [Offensive and defensive all-round] + [European Cup] + [World Cup] + [No National Football] + [Golden Globe Commend]

Having crossed over into a world of Chaos and Order, brimming with all manner of bizarre items, Qiu Tu discovered he had actually slept with a VIP’s mistress... Since he had already been discovered, might as well... go with the flow? Strengthening his power, cultivating his influence, unearthing beautiful... and powerful subordinates, he steadily climbed to the peak of this world! Cataclysmic abilities and strange items included: the Cihuang Stone that could erase one’s impression from others’ hearts; a mythical beast’s head that could summon storms with a kiss; a piggy bank that could store emotions; a reversal potion that increased Favorability when hitting someone, and so on...

Carn wakes up from a vivid dream where he spent a thousand years as a gargoyle, guarding a demon lord's tomb.In this dream, he possessed supernatural powers, including the ability to teleport and instantly kill anyone within range who broke eye contact with him. Heroes, saintesses, adventurers, all fell before him.When he returns to his normal life, things take a strange turn. Carn realizes he still has the gargoyle’s powers, and the world he has woken up to seems different.But adjusting to the new reality is not the real issue. Carn brings back something nobody in this world has imagined. Not only he imports his powers to this alternate Earth, but he also carries over his gargoyle instinct and his hobby. He loves snapping human necks.Whether it's ordinary humans, explorers, super soldiers, cyborgs, mutated beasts, monsters, or mysterious entities from other dimensions, Carn eagerly anticipates snapping their necks, one neck at a time...In secret, of course.

Crimson Vale Academy—where reputation is currency, and failure is a stain you wear on your sleeve.Behind gothic walls and spotless uniforms, students aren't just educated—they're measured, ranked, and pitted against each other in a brutal meritocracy. Privileges are earned, not given. The strong rise. The weak vanish.Enter Kairon Vale, a transfer student marked Rank D—the bottom of the bottom. No badge. Just a stitched black fang, branding him as “Obsidian”—a warning to others.In a system where points dictate your value, Obsidian-ranked students claw for every opportunity to ascend into the prestigious Golden or Platinum ranks—where comfort, power, and influence await. But for most, it’s a losing battle.Yet Kairon isn’t here to fit in, impress, or play by their rules. Cold, calculating, and impossible to read, he watches the system… and waits. Because while the academy judges worth by numbers and names—he understands something deeper:Everyone wears a mask. And every mask can be cracked.Let the games begin.