Past Life Returner

I was finally free.

[Remaining time (Odin’s Absolute Warzone): 23 hours 22 minutes 49 seconds]

The message changed two seconds after we escaped the second stage. Though only two seconds passed here, it felt so long in the mental world.

Yeon-Hee had been silent and seemed to be trying to adapt to the reality that we had returned to. As soon as she saw Aslan, who she hadn’t seen in a while, she sent a signal to tell him to stay put. There was no awkwardness in giving orders to Aslan as her mentality was stronger than we had been concerned about.

Srrr-

I moved to the spot in front of the ring. The first thought that came to mind after looking down at it beneath my feet was that I still couldn’t be sure whether Doom Kaos wouldn’t care about me taking it. Even if Doom Kaos didn’t mind, the problem was how Doom Arukuda would react to it.

Arukuda could be different from Entegasto, and he could defy Doom Kaos’s command and try to regain his old possession through some sort of secret plot. I would have done the same thing in his shoes, so I had to keep that possibility in mind.

Its item was filled with powerful Mana, and now I could see through that far. However, that was it. Picking it up again was still impossible, so I hadn’t discovered its amazing potential yet.

Since this was the case, I had two choices.

1. Give up on the item’s Power and absorb only its Mana right here.

2. Keep it until the moment of purification in the future while risking the possibility that Arukuda could take it away.

Nonetheless, it was an obvious decision! I needed to engulf everything when I could. It was a shame, but if a satisfactory profit was secured in front of me, it was wise to cash it in first.

A task that had to be accompanied first crossed my mind. It was because I could see clearly how the ring would be destroyed if I extracted Mana from it. The process of the ring’s destruction would continue until the duration of the Absolute Warzone ended. By then, Lunea would figure out what was happening inside here.

***

Even if it was for securing other relics in the future, I had to get confirmation from Doom Kaos this time. I had to prove that I was more useful than he thought. Therefore, I gathered all available resources, including items and mana stones sleeping in the Cat Food Warehouse, and maximized my level. I had a plan.

Meanwhile, I learned something new while studying Mana, and it was the fact that the energy in stones was its tenacious hold on life. Looking back, Doom Kaos created mana stones based on the remaining Mana with its Power for the Awakened when I joined the Demon King Corps.

Nonetheless, he didn’t intervene in our use of mana stones because he expected me to resist strongly.

Anyway, assuming that I would enter the Cat Food Warehouse, I needed to save time extracting Mana and life force from the stones. It was difficult to predict how much time it would take to repeat the self-annihilating concentration multiple times.

Therefore, I had to create an automatic mechanism inside my body that would activate the extraction and absorption. After putting all the remaining insignias in, a new vortex appeared in the area of the traits. I felt the Explorer moving fiercely. It was pulling out the old remnants.

[The trait ‘Retrieval’ has proceeded.]

[Proceeded Benefits

1. Second Round

2. Moong

3. Light Pillar

4. Retrieval]

[You have obtained the trait ‘Reclaimer’]

[Congratulations! A trait affecting ‘Mana Stone’ has been added. (Trait, Reclaimer)]

[The trait ‘Villain’ has been removed. (Trait, Villain)]

Why would you call it ‘Reclaimer'?’ This trait should be named ‘Extractor.’

[Please assign a name for the new trait ‘Reclaimer.’]

[You have named it ‘Extractor.’]

[Extractor (Trait)

Effect: Upon activation, the trait extracts mana imbued in items and life in mana stones. The extracted Mana and life are converted into XP.

Class: SS

Proficiency: LV.8 - MAX]

***

[You have activated Extractor.]

[You have leveled up.]

…

[You have leveled up.]

As soon as I extracted Mana from the ring, I handed over the Half of the Great Red’s Heart and Xi Wangmu's Ten Thousand Year Old Spider to Yeon-Hee. Then, I entered the Cat Food Warehouse.

[You have leveled up.]

There was no time to enjoy the fullness of the shell inside me. The ring was slowly being destroyed as it scattered the power of Saint Cassian in outer space.

[What the hell have you done!!! Hurry up and come back! Right now! I warned you.]

Even after a long time, the message from the bastard still appeared, getting on my nerves.

[Your Almighty Master, Doom Kaos, has summoned a meeting of the Demon Kings.]

I felt an overwhelming suctioning force from the back! My waist instantly bent. By the time I was thrown down the stairs by the force, the message had disappeared. The thud as I hit the ground even shook my bones. The taste of blood lingered in my mouth. When I spat at the floor, red blood mixed with saliva came out.

[ ( ･᷄д･᷅ ) I knew this would happen.]

The gazes of Doom Mount from the upper stairs and Caso and Lunea from the stairs below were all focused on me. The contemptuous glance came from the asshole Lunea. Doom Mount and Caso probably didn’t know what was happening, but they realized that I had become a target of the higher Dooms again. The tension in their eyes was obvious in the darkness.

[They are giving you a chance to defend yourself.]

“Who? Our Almighty Master? Or is it Doom Arukuda…?”

[You seem to have figured out the situation now. Both of them. Try it, Doom Man.]

“But what kind of excuse should I make?”

[What’s wrong with you? Do you think you can avoid this by pretending not to know anything? You stole Doom Arukuda’s scythe. You crossed the line. You are too greedy, Doom Man.]

“Oh, so it is because of that.”

[What else would it be? Hurry up, Doom Man. Don’t test the patience of those above you.]

Lunea was dedicated to its role as a clown entertaining the emperor.

“I will speak to Doom Kaos!” I shouted while raising my head towards the curtain. “Was I supposed to hand over the higher-ups’ items to the original owner when I obtained them? I thought this was connived in the last meeting.”

“...”

“I was on the front lines of this battle as you intended. Also, I desperately want this war to end as soon as possible, more than anyone, for the sake of my mainland. But the more I learned, the more I realized that very powerful beings exist in this world. Like Ancient Dragons called Saint Cassian and Saint Jayden.”

No one commented on my remarks.

“What about Elsland? That land is protected by the powerful force of the Old One. It was now revealed that the Queen of Elsland is a Dragorin, but what if she was an ancient dragon? We wouldn’t have been able to confront it. We wouldn’t have been able to even set foot in her land.”

I swallowed some saliva, then continued.

“Ultimately, we must take responsibility for this. Either involve the higher Dooms to help alleviate the burden placed on me or use other means to support me if that is impossible. Only then can we achieve a desired outcome. Of course, the item I obtained this time was once owned by Doom Arukuda. However, it was lost a long time ago, and it has been purified by the Old One’s faction.”

I looked down at Caso, and his eyes were still shaking.

“If Doom Arukuda wanted to claim ownership, then he should have taken it back before it came into my hands. I didn't even know such an item existed until it came to me. I acquired it because of my past achievements, not because I specifically targeted Doom Arukuda’s belongings. It was an action taken to become stronger and meet your expectations. In the first place, Doom Arukuda cannot claim ownership. So, these are the two reasons why the item is mine.”

[You must have nothing to tell Doom Arukuda, right?]

“I am done.”

[But, you know… Huh?]

I wondered if it was because the ring was destroyed. The bastard’s messages and face were filled with astonishment and bewilderment.

[You are completely insane! You never intended to get permission from the start, did you? And you thought you could get away with it? How could you destroy Doom Arukuda’s item like that?!]

“...Shut the fuck up. What does Doom Kaos say? I want the verdict, the verdict!”

[You are in big trouble, Doom Man! It's a death sentence!]

[I know. Doom Man won’t fear death. But it won’t be easy to die. It will be an eternal hell for Doom Man, and you will end up begging for death. Immortality is not always a good thing. Then, good luck keeps dying. Condolences in advance… (｡◕ˇдˇ◕｡) ]

At that moment, legs with Ancient Dragon skulls on each knee came out through the curtain. The executioner was not Doom Arukuda. It was that guy… Doom Entegasto, who had been holding a grudge all this time! I sensed it was time to shout out the words I had prepared. Beyond the curtain, I yelled at the one at the top.

“Alright! I will prove I wasn’t wrong!”

Fuck.

[*Storage box]

[Doom Entegasto’s Bone Ring that the Dead Revere has been removed.]

[Odin’s Golden Armor has been removed.]

…

[Ra’s Sun Cape has been removed.]

Entegasto stood tall, just as he did during the previous meeting. His feet were on the lowest step where Lunea was, and his waist was straightened so that the tip of his head almost touched the curtain.

[You have used Odin’s Ethereal Animal.]

Fzzz!

[Really? You are going against Doom Entegasto? You are in a desperate situation where even begging won’t help… You have really gone crazy!]

As the tension increased, the message was surprisingly helpful. I saw Doom Entegasto’s black helmet where messages appeared in the air. I could also see its deeply sunken eye sockets.

A crimson energy was burning deep within them. It was probably because I had reached a new level where I could sense Mana and manipulate internal structures freely. I definitely had made significant progress as I could feel the overwhelming power concentrated within Entegasto.

The moment it bent down to approach me, the execution began. It was coming! The huge hand engulfed the world in darkness and stretched toward me, with the sound of the wind carrying the curse’s energy.

He was trying to grab me like before, and the pressure that surrounded me like a net came rushing in first. I didn’t know before, but this was where its attack began!

[Ra’s Blessing has been activated. (Item, Ra’s Sun Cape)]

[Power Resistance: 60%]

[Doom Entegasto’s Bone Ring that the Dead Revere + 35%

Ra’s Blessing + 20%

Witness of the Baclan Corps’s Ritual + 5%]

A blue streak of lightning climbed up my spear, following the lines of my body. I unfolded my wings and soared up into the sky.

Entegasto! If you thought I would be captured as easily as before, you were mistaken. I am more powerful now even without the activation of the Man Who Overcomes Adversity…

[Name: Incarnation Na Seon-Hu

Level: 641 (Overlord) *Second Round*]

Because I will start as a transcendent overlord.