Past Life Returner

“Honda. You and your group members are joining the headquarters right now.”

I did not head to the front lines, nor did I go to retrieve the golden armor. My first destination was Sector Twenty-Three because the reason why the Elf Queen had no choice but to join the battle herself was there.

When I arrived, there were waves of intense power flowing in the area. Deeply dug underground spaces like sinkholes were visible here and there, and pieces of my destroyed spear were scattered on the ground. It was obvious that it was dangerous to rush into the source of the waves immediately.

It was a powerful phenomenon created by the collision of Doom Kaos and Old One. The strength seemed to be waning and reaching a level where an entry attempt could be made soon.

First, I grabbed the empty air. The pressure that intervened in the space began to form in my hand.

[Inventory has been created.]

***

I was curious about how the Great Black could conceal her power. What about me? I had to pour a lot of power into the item ‘Odin’s Left Eye.’ Even then, I had no choice but to pack it again according to the Old One’s blueprint.

However, Black didn’t need that. With just the appearance of my unfortunate worshippers, she was able to completely hide her abilities. Therefore, I was determined to absorb that blueprint once the situation settled down, but it turned out to be unnecessary. It seemed to be embedded in the dagger itself.

[Polymorph (Item effect)

It is one of the seven powers imbued in the Great Silver. ‘Polymorph’ is a power that can transform the physical body into a specific species, and is a common power among the Greats. Many Dragorins were born under the blessing of this power.

However, the Great Silver’s Polymorph is special compared to that of others. It is because the Old One, deeply impressed by the Great Silver’s noble sacrifice, granted him the same power as the Great Red.

Detailed Effect: Even Awakened with Sense beyond the Overlord section won’t be able to detect the user’s Polymorph.

The power consumed varies depending on specific conditions

* The stronger the species to be transformed into, the more power is used. The release of Polymorph also varies according to the specific conditions.

* The stronger the species, the longer the completion and release time.]

At this point, it should have been called ‘Unique Power,’ not a common power.

[Would you like to change the item effect (the Great’s Common Power ‘Polymorph’) to (the Great Silver’s Unique Power ‘Complete Polymorph’)?]

The system inside me moved on its own and displayed a message.

However, what was important was not the name. If I wasn’t going to extract the power immediately, then I needed to fully understand the ability, and there was no reason to delay.

Nonetheless, if Polymorph actually reconstructed me, then there was something I had to prepare in advance.

[* Inventory]

[Doom Man’s Bone Ring that the Dead Revere has been added.]

And then it happened. Perhaps it was due the fact that Silver’s soul was imbued in the blade, but it began to emit a scream-like resonance.

[* Complete Polymorph]

[Please specify the species you wish to transform into.]

[1. Human/Greenwood Natives 2. Elf 3. Orc 4. Dwarf 5. Others]

[You have selected Human/Greenwood Natives. Please specify further.]

[1. Human Awakened 2. Greenwood Knight 3. Greenwood Wizard 4. Human Civilian or Greenwood Non-Ability User]

[You have selected 1. Human Awakened. Please specify further.]

[1. Bronze section 2. Silver section 3. Gold section 4. Platinum section 5. Diamond section 6. Master section 7. Challenger section 8. Ender section]

The area responsible for Explorer writhed and danced every moment. When I focused my Sense there, it felt like each neuron in my brain was flickering for some reason. It must have been the sensation of the system rummaging through my subconscious.

Of course, the Old One could no longer intervene, and the system existed solely for me. Still, the existence of something that moved on its own within my area I couldn’t perceive was inevitably unsettling. This was regardless of the help I was receiving.

[You have chosen the Ender section. Please specify further.

* The maximum level you can specify is 640.]

[LV 561 ~ LV 640]

[You have selected LV 640. Would you like to proceed?]

Perhaps the power of the Great Silver was at this level. If I compared it to myself, it was as if I reached the end of the Ender section in pure abilities. This item required no purification and could be used by anyone.

At least, Odin’s Left Eye that I created was imbued with my entire power. No one could handle the strength unless it was a transcendent being dealing with it.

However, this was not like that. Though it was called Polymorph, anyone could take this and even an Awakened in the Bronze section could instantly gain the power of the Ender section with it. The risk that the two great dragons took to kill me was immeasurable.

***

In the Old One faction, it was called the Soul Transfer Ring of Saint Cassian, and in the Doom Kaos faction, it was called Doom Arukuda’s Soul Harvesting Scythe. This item was dedicated by an elf who betrayed their kind and contributed the most in making a leap from the Ender section’s barrier to the beginning of the Overlord section.

My experience at that time started tempting me as I now had the power of a great dragon in my hands. If it was possible to absorb not only the massive Mana imbued in the item but also all seven powers, I would have done so immediately. The reason I didn’t absorb the bone ring and left it as it was, was the same.

I continued the experiment. After all, I was confident that Black could conceal her power because she had borrowed the power of Silver, and I wanted to experience the principle firsthand. I was also curious how it worked when my physical form changed into another species.

I thought of one guy as a target to specify. Although it was in the mental world, I had repeated his life countless times.

The system moved.

[You have selected Elf.]

[You have selected Sword Master.]

[You have selected Holy Knight. (Power Consumption: 160)]

[You have used the item ‘the Great Silver.’]

It was imperative to reveal as many facts as possible before the Sense diminished to the point of hampering immersion. I delved into my inner world. The inner world consisted of a shell that held the power of the four main abilities, and within it were areas dealing with skills and traits.

However, I noticed movements as if something akin to an outer shell was trying to form over the inner shell. The inner shells that constituted the four main abilities were divided into this new outer shell.

In other words, it was like overlaying another world onto the original inner world to make it impossible to look into the original world.

Then, I suddenly felt a foreign energy intervene. It was distinct from my golden aura, and it could only have been the power of ‘the Great Silver’ that I had used. A considerable amount of it poured into the barrier separating the inner and outer shells. Then, the remaining energy began to form two areas within the outer shell. One was structured reminiscent of a traits area, and the other seemed to be forming into swordsmanship like the knights of Greenwood possessed.

I was completely engrossed in the process of creating a new, independent world. I even lost track of time.

Soon, I tried my best to maintain my immersion after the inner and outer shells began to separate, but it was impossible. I was bounced off from my inner world.

[Ancient Rage (Trait)

The rage towards Doom Kaos and the Demon Kings will guide you.

Class: SS

Effect: Awakens as a Dragorin upon meeting conditions

Duration: Until death.]

The trait window floated in the center of my vision but vanished in an instant. Not just the trait window but everything on the system was completely blocked.

Crack. Craaaack.

Every bone, from the spine and femurs to the smallest bones in the ear… All the bones made noises as they contracted and expanded, accompanied by excruciating pain. My original power was trapped in the new body formed by Polymorph, but my emotions surged fiercely.

My body was reconfigured. I had imagined such a structure as a way to conceal power, but turning that idea into reality was not my domain. In the supernatural world, the Old One was in charge of such realms, and I could only imitate. And now, it had provided me with a new blueprint.

Well…there was a constraint that I had to freely control the powers, but…

However, it was then. I couldn’t keep thinking of the inspirations I just got. The sensation of something piercing my head was clear despite being far from the source. The power was difficult to handle even as a Sword Master and Holy Knight at the same time. The traces of the clash between Doom Kaos and the Old One were that strong.

I hurried while inducing the Sixth Sense to dispel Polymorph. My vision continued to shake. At some point, I was crawling on the ground. At another, I was running at the top speed I could muster.

All I could do while waiting for my original power to return was to get away from the waves as best as I could. The waves were also irregular.

I relied solely on my Sense, with no specific direction. After struggling for a long time, the piercing sensation in my head disappeared. Even then, Polymorph was not lifted. When configured with a strong physical body, the time taken for the release increased due to the energy used in restructuring the immense power.

Meanwhile, something was conveyed to me intuitively without any message popping up. There was not much time left before Polymorph was lifted. After the inner world’s structure returned to its original form, these disgusting pointy ears too would revert to their original state.

I was waiting for Polymorph to be lifted in a relatively safe area. However, the noise of weapons clashing grew louder along with explosions, and it gradually came closer to me from a distance.

I faintly heard the language of the elves and ours.

Battle! A massive battle was taking place between the forces pushing toward us and the ones resisting them. The group pushing toward us was superior. I didn’t have time for Polymorph to be lifted.

Woosh-!

It was a tussle. Thousands of Awakened and elves were tangled together haphazardly, and there was no way to form squads distinguished by main skills. The overall battlefield was chaotic, but the skirmishes between the main forces that gathered and dispersed at the front lines had some patterns.

Also, the elves’ main forces were clearly gaining an advantage. It was easy to identify a figure with the stature of a commander. A brilliant light flickered from the sword he wielded and the armor he wore. He was armed with items that were treated as relics of the Lacryma here.

I targeted him and charged at the ground.

“Lord… Anemos? What are you doing here!”

Inside the helmet, his eyes emitted a sense of both surprise and delight. Although I was wearing the battle uniform of my side, he seemed to have mistakenly thought that I had been fighting here long before.

“It’s perfect timing. Please help us, Lord Anemos!”

I had the urge to pierce right through that blabbering mouth of his, loading the power of the Sword Master into the Great Silver.

Suddenly, a phenomenon that obstructed my movement occurred. It must have been the completion of the reorganization of my inner world.

Crack. Craaaack.

My head involuntarily twisted, and small screams erupted from every joint.

[Polymorph has been lifted.]

Snip-!