Chapter 186
The activation conditions for the Revenant Mechanism are as follows:
One must suffer a lethal attack to the point of near death. By “lethal attack,” it excludes self-inflicted harm. It only triggers when attacked by someone or something other than oneself.
Moreover, once the injuries are healed, the Revenant Mechanism automatically enters a dormant state. As the name implies, it can only be used when one is effectively dead or in a similar state.
Meeting these stringent conditions and successfully activating the Revenant Mechanism can yield truly remarkable effects. When activated, all cooldowns for possessed traits are reset, and during the duration, all traits can be used without restriction.
Among the traits that Amorph can acquire, those with limitations or cooldowns are typically of unique or fused nature. Even in my case, traits like “Symbol of Hunt” “Horizon of Nightmare,” and “Organic Evolution” all have cooldowns.
The reason why such powerful traits have become outliers is twofold. Firstly, to effectively utilize the Revenant Mechanism, one must possess numerous unique traits. However, these unique traits are lost upon the character’s death. Deliberately using these traits risks losing them altogether.
The second reason lies in the fact that enemies are aware of the existence of the Revenant Mechanism. If enemies regulate their attacks to prevent its utilization, it becomes a mere ornament. From the stringent conditions to the risks of failure and the emphasis on passive play, everything adds to the challenge.
No matter how remarkable it may seem, the traits themselves have significant flaws, leading most players to not rely on them as their primary strategy. They are either used as insurance or to deceive enemies into believing one possesses the traits.
Of course, just as there are all kinds of people in the world, there are those who actively seek to exploit the Revenant Mechanism. If one can perfectly control their health and accurately anticipate enemy strategies and attacks, they can become true “Returned Ones,” masters of the Revenant Mechanism.
And I was one of those who fulfilled those conditions.
Blood flowed from my neck. The injury inflicted by Jason, shrouded in a golden form, piercing through. If this were a game, I’d have very few health points left by now.
This isn’t a game, but I could feel it. The blood coursing through my body was rapidly cooling. My heart rate was dropping, and my brain, flooded with endorphins from extreme pain, was not functioning properly.
Since coming to this world, I’ve never been so close to death.
‘Everything is going as expected.’
I had anticipated that once Jason pulled out his weapon, he would engage in a joint attack. It made sense, despite his feigned madness, he acted rationally, apart from his reckless charge towards me.
Of course, I didn’t anticipate him using the light beam-transforming technology for an offensive purpose. I had expected a different Psychic power technique.
Still, I could reasonably guess where he would aim.
‘This is reality, so I’ll proceed as safely as possible.’
If Amorph’s brain is destroyed, apart from passive traits, they won’t be able to use general traits. So, from his perspective, creating a situation where he could safely kill me, even if not in a single blow, would be advantageous.
‘Or perhaps, he’s considering fleeing.’
The once cold blood begins to grow warmer, ever so slightly. A small flame ignites in my dying heart. The pain from the hole-ridden neck persists, yet my body is undergoing significant changes from just moments ago. With each throb of Amorph’s heart, a special fluid is emitted from the apparatus beside it. Like oil spreading fire, the liquid seeps through my veins, permeating every corner of my body.
As changes occur within me, the situation outside is rapidly evolving. My colleagues, realizing I’m not dead, have begun to fight against Jason and Amorph, trying to stop them.
“Insane! You’re not dead yet?”
Seeing Amorph collapsed on the ground, Jason trembled. With the release of his enlargement, the thick carapace that had covered Amorph was shattered, making him look as if he had been suffocated at first glance. But if Amorph had truly died, Jason should have gained the advantages he possessed. If not, there’s only one answer: Amorph isn’t dead.
“…Should I run?”
Amorph always strikes unexpectedly. It’s highly probable that even now, he’s scheming something.
“And if not?”
In a game, it’s one thing, but can Amorph be considered to have deliberately endangered his own life in reality? If he’s truly in danger and just decides to run away, there couldn’t be anything more foolish.
Jason pondered. The desire to strike Amorph down with “Purification” and “Condemnation” immediately coexisted with the thought of fleeing.
‘No. There’s no need for unnecessary risks.’
He gained valuable information from fighting Amorph. With other colleagues, they could surely capture him.
With this decision in mind, he attempted to activate the “Third Advantage.”
“Huh?”
At that moment, his body, engulfed by blue particles, froze. Some unknown force had blocked him.
｢You! Where do you think you’re going after injuring my big guy like that!｣
A wave of intense emotion pierced his mind. When he turned his head, he saw a Sea Demon.
Similar to Amorph, but closer to black with shades of purple, its grotesque body was covered in sinister eyes.
As hundreds of eyes watched him, a vast darkness engulfed him.
‘The Abyssal Terror!’
Jason quickly used a Psychic power technique to defend against the mental assault. The world plunged into darkness for a brief moment before returning to normal.
If it had been a regular Sea Demon, it wouldn’t have been so easily dispelled. But that Sea Demon seems weaker.
“Is there… a malfunction? Urgh?!”
As the light returned, a green light flew towards him. Unable to properly detect it due to the Abyssal Terror, he took the full force of the green creature’s charge.
｢Big guy!｣ ｢Injury!｣ ｢Forgiveness!｣ ｢Impossible!｣
‘Damn it!’
Upon striking him, Jason cursed at the flying green Gallagon.
“So He has gathered similar beings together.”
A half-breed Sea Demon, a handicapped green Gallagon. As befitting of Amorph’s companions with shitty personalities, they were a bunch of morons.
‘Rip those wings off.’
As Jason reached out, his golden form transformed his arm into a whip, lashing out at the flying green Gallagon. Just as his attack was about to land, a navy blue energy blast struck his whip. The area hit by the energy blast disappeared as if it had never existed.
‘What’s this?’
[Enemy. Eliminated.]
Above the broken carapace of Amorph, a sinister creature raised its tail towards the sky.
‘Why is that here… no, more importantly, why is it obeying the Amorph’s command?’
Though their appearances were quite different, seeing the mixture of machinery and biology, Jason was certain it was the Mutant Screamer Cloe was developing.
‘Could its memories have been restored? No, that couldn’t possibly be the case, but…’
Jason knew what materials the Mutant Screamer was made from. Given the extensive genetic mixing in that abomination, there was surely a connection.
But Jason’s contemplation couldn’t continue any longer. A creature with golden fur rushed at him.
A Griffin with white hair and golden fur sliced through his abdomen as it passed by.
“What the—?!”
Sudden pain in his abdomen startled Jason. It was a blow from armor made of Black Gallagon scales.
The entity that left a wound in Jason’s abdomen was holding a golden spear in its beak.
“The Spear of the High Priest!”
He knew that Muriel intended to retrieve the Wolf slaves but incidentally obtained that weapon. Seeing the Griffin wielding the weapon, it was easy to guess who the opponent was.
｢Do you remember me? You had Muriel kill my family.｣
“Damn Wolf bastard…”
While the armor of the Black Gallagon quickly healed his wounds, the fact that he had been attacked unexpectedly remained.
Irritated, he extended his left hand towards the Griffin Wolf. As Gravity Control expanded, immense gravity filled the wide area.
“Ugh!”
The ground froze, and the Griffin’s movements slowed dramatically. Adding “Restraint” on top of that, the creature couldn’t move at all. In that state, as his golden form was about to slice through with a sword, interference came again.
｢You! Don’t harass the little one in the middle!｣
“Tch.”
Transparent threads wrapped around his body. Jason used “Morta,” nullifying the enemy’s Psychic power technique and releasing the Sea Demon’s restraint.
‘Don’t act all annoyed.’
As if annoyed, he flicked his hand, and his golden form struck the Sea Demon with a sword. As several tentacles were severed in one blow, the creature’s body turned pale.
｢Go away, from the little one.｣
“You bastard!”
Upon seeing that, the Green Gallagon swooped down, but Jason deflected him with Reflection, sending the creature bouncing off an invisible barrier, its wings mangled.
As he moved to finish off the groaning creature crashing to the ground, suddenly, the approaching Mutant Screamer opened its mouth and bit down on his arm.
“No use… ugh?!”
He thought he’d be protected by his armor, but it was a misconception. In an instant, as his strength was sucked away, Jason almost collapsed.
“Damn Fuck!”
Realizing the enemy had absorbed the Blood Reaver, Jason immediately swung Purge in his right hand. The black-flamed sword struck the Mutant Screamer’s leg.
[Krik, mobility impaired.]
“Damn it, impairments or not, I’ll kill you!”
Enraged, Jason swung Purge vigorously. With each flash of the black blade, the Mutant Screamer’s legs were gruesomely severed.
In no time, the creature lost most of its legs and slumped down. Jason, in a nerve-wracked attitude, ruthlessly assaulted the creature’s body.
“Pah. Pitiful.”
He spat at the fallen Screamer and retrieved the Purge.
Having quickly dealt with Amorph’s lackeys, he approached the Griffin, which was now unable to move. The Griffin, with her beak holding a spear, glared at him.
“That spear is too much for you.”
As he extended his hand to activate Psychic power, the spear trembled. Despite the Griffin’s efforts to hold onto it, it was futile.
“Ugh!”
The smooth golden beak twisted, then broke. He picked up the broken pieces of the spear that had fallen to the ground.
‘That’s that. Oh, come to think of it, if she’s a player, then I will get a reward when I kill her, right?’
Considering whether to take the Griffin as well, he suddenly heard laughter. The Griffin, with its broken beak, was mocking him.
“Are you crazy?”
｢Ke, keke, kekeke, you little shit.｣
“Stop or I will kill you right now. I have a lot I want to do.”
“Kekeke, can you really do that?”
“That’s what I’m saying. Even while being tortured… Keuk!”
Before he could finish his sentence, Jason spewed blood. Along with the blood, a pain he had never experienced before engulfed him.
Looking down, he saw a massive bone protruding from his chest.
“What…?”
Slowly turning his head, he saw the owner of the bone blade standing there.
“You, you bastard…!”
A presence stabbed him with a bone-blade protruding from his back.
It was Amorph, transformed into a new form.
