How to Survive Restructuring

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 94: Iro (4)

— Splat!

I exhaled the breath I’d been holding.

A tremendous torrent—unlike anything I’d ever seen or heard of—engulfed me.

My barely exposed head bobbed violently, as if about to be overturned.

"Activate... the Vital Bloom!"

Gulp!

As soon as I opened my mouth, the raging current surged in like water through a breached dam.

[Warning!]

[Status effect: 'Difficulty Breathing' initiated!]

[You will enter a 'Respiratory Arrest' state in 30 seconds.]

[Immediately stop inhaling!]

I broke the surface and gasped for air, inhaling and exhaling desperately.

Although I was initially thrown into confusion by the unprecedented torrent, it lasted only for a moment.

[Activating 'Vital Bloom'!]

A translucent message window popped up in front of me.

What a relief.

I had been worried since I found myself in the water with no memory of how I got there, but it seemed things were going according to plan.

[Constructing 'Bridge.']

[Ascend against the flow of the Sanzu river!]

As I continued to be swept away, I waited for this mysterious 'bridge,' enduring what felt like an eternity compressed into a single fleeting moment.

Pop!

Something soft and pink appeared before me.

Thud!

Grasping for anything to hold on to, I wrapped my arms around the floating object.

Despite my weight hanging on it, it held firm, as though rooted to the riverbed.

Huff!

Catching my breath in relief, I examined the object I clung to.

"A real... petal?"

It was a flower blossom.

Its bud had unfurled delicately, as if inviting me to step on it.

Soon after, the bud bloomed fully, its petals unfurling like a lotus flower.

▣ Vital Bloom

=A flower imbued with the fervent wishes of those who returned from the Sanzu river.

Grants one opportunity to evade death by recreating the owner's bones, flesh, and tendons.

Bound to: Lee Eunho

This was an item I had received in exchange for welfare points after the battle with the golem.

Its incredible effect—granting a second chance at life—had led me to keep it a closely guarded secret for emergencies.

‘If I hadn’t prepared a Plan B, I would’ve been doomed.’

The plan was simple:

Maximize damage output and reflect the attack back.

Even if I sustained severe internal injuries, I trusted in my resurrection skill to restore my health to 10%.

However, I had not anticipated needing the Vital Bloom.

‘I didn’t expect the enemy to have a trump card of their own.’

"I'll... make good use of this."

[W-What do you mean, 'make good use' of...?]

"...Store."

I had grabbed the enemy’s weapon in the moment of confusion before my death.

▣ Restored Brahmastra

-An arrow said to have been used by an ancient deity.

Relentlessly pursues its designated target.

-Damaged by bombardment and the passage of time, it was restored through the meticulous efforts of a genius researcher.

Originally chose its wielder, but modifications during restoration allow it to forcibly designate a user.

A divine arrow that relentlessly pursues its target.

Without the Vital Bloom, my body would have been riddled with holes from the arrow, left to grow cold amidst the ruins.

The mere thought sent chills down my spine.

Clinging to the flower petals, I held on.

One, two, three...

What started as a single blossom soon multiplied into dozens, then hundreds, forming a continuous path.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

Like the sound of soap bubbles bursting, a pink bridge bloomed before me.

A stone bridge—no, a flower bridge—spanned the vast river like a miracle.

"Phew..."

I stepped cautiously onto the petals, walking along the path they created.

With trembling legs, I finally reached the shore.

Thud!

I collapsed onto the ground, letting my body sink into the rough, gritty earth.

The coarse texture of the soil brushed against my cheek as I finally took in my surroundings.

A desolate landscape stretched out before me.

The earth was dark red, the sky overcast and ominous.

A towering, skeletal tree loomed overhead, its barren branches stretching wide.

And beneath it stood a hulking man, staring at me intently.

"...A person?"@@novelbin@@

Probably not.

It seemed unlikely that someone standing at the gateway to the afterlife would be alive.

But, to my surprise, the man flinched at my muttered question and responded in a shocked voice.

[You… can see me?]

A burly figure clad in crimson armor, clutching a massive spear, stood before me.

He resembled an ancient general straight out of historical records or illustrations.

"It seems so,"

I replied calmly.

The man let out a dry laugh.

[Not only did you bloom the Vital Bloom, but you also possess the Ghost Sight...]

"Ghost Sight? Speak plainly."

Though I wasn’t eager to nitpick his muttering, I couldn’t ignore it when it was about me.

Still waiting for the words to follow, I tried to spit out the torrent of thoughts filling my mind, but the man threw another mumbled phrase instead of answering my question.

[I have many questions, but... It seems it's time.]

Paaat-!

A sudden, blinding light obscured my vision.

I was startled, thinking the sun might be falling from the sky, but there was no sun here.

Only a crimson moon hung softly in the sky, emitting a faint glow.

However, something brighter than the crimson moon and more dazzling than the sun began to radiate.

Paaaat-!

It was me.

[Let's save the proper greeting for next time.]

The light pouring out from me seemed to blind me.

The man, smiling as he watched me blink rapidly, spoke those words.

"Hmm... I don't think we'll meet again."

Meeting a being from the afterlife again didn’t seem like a pleasant prospect.

[The Dabu-sal-i Flower doesn't reveal its secrets to just anyone. Only those who have been graced by death can make it bloom.]

"What does that mean?"

But the man gave no clear answer.

[...It's been a thousand years.]

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Instead, he stared intently at the light emanating from my body, muttering something I couldn’t understand.

And then...

[Congratulations!]

[You have unlocked a new achievement: 'Resurrection'!]

Paaat-!

The red world was engulfed in light.

[You have earned the title 'Returnee of the Three Rivers'!]

* * *

"......!"

"......Hyung!!"

Amidst the pitch-black darkness, I heard a familiar voice faintly.

[As a reward for the 'Resurrection' achievement, all status ailments have been cleared.]

[Synchronization rate of subject 'Lee Eunho' has greatly increased.]

[Unnamed gods have recognized the existence of the 'Returnee' of the 13th Earth.]

Transparent messages also appeared one after another.

[All of your wounds have healed.]

[Your health has been fully restored.]

[The energy within your body has been purified.]

[Your blood has been cleansed and circulation has been restored.]

I was grateful enough to have been brought back from the afterlife, but to have my vitality fully restored was even more of a surprise.

Swoosh!

Surrounding me was a narrow wall.

A soft wall.

I thought it might not be a coffin, and as I gently pushed, the box-like sides opened with a gap between them.

Whoosh-!

I squinted my eyes at the sudden light before opening them again.

What greeted me was the sight of pale pink petals, and the next thing that blocked my view was my tearful companions.

"Hyung!!!"

"Eunho!!"

Clang! Ka-kang-!

Upon spotting me, Jaehyuk dropped the mace he was holding.

The sharp sound of metal clashing with the debris of a spire made me snap back to reality.

The loud notifications also rang in my ears.

[You have defeated the 'Multi-Attack-Type Chimera'!]

[You have earned 5,000 welfare points!]

'!!'

Five thousand points for a single monster.

Upgrading from a low-level shop to a mid-level one cost 10,000 points.

And the precursor to the Skybreaker Sword, the Shattering Sword, was worth 30,000 points, so this was indeed an incredible figure.

It was probably because this Chimera wasn’t just any monster.

[Congratulations!]

[You have defeated the Corrupt Ruler!]

[You have received an additional reward for the 'Rebel' trait!]

I hadn’t exactly 'defeated' the 'Corrupt Ruler,' but...

What did this guy do to be called 'corrupt' from the start?

[Congratulations!]

[The hidden condition of the 'Pathfinder' title has been triggered by 'Defeating a Corrupt Leader, the Collapse of a Ruling System, and Rebellion Against Oppressive Rule'!]

[The 'Path of the Rebel' has been unlocked!]

Had he committed some corruption?

It was unexpected.

Considering his attitude toward Iro, he didn't seem like someone capable of such acts.

Maybe he was the type to be weak against the strong but tough on the weak.

Anyway.

[You have earned Resistance Points (+100)!]

[You have acquired the 'Subjugation Relic'!]

What he did in the upper world, whether he made money dishonestly or oppressed others, wasn’t my concern.

I had no reason or qualification to care.

Exposing corruption and rooting it out was the job of those belonging to this world.

Thinking that, I was about to finish off the creature when...

Clang!

A small piece of metal fell from the Chimera’s body and landed near my feet.

'A key?'

It looked like a small key, about the length of a finger, that had fallen, reminiscent of a fruit seed.

It was an oddly old-fashioned key, rare to find in a world with door locks.

Instinctively, I picked it up, but just as I was about to move...

— Thud!

A final relic fell from the sky.

"......?!"

A cylinder large enough to fit a person.

The "capsule" that had crushed Hanil Jang’s ankle.

[You have obtained a 'Sample Transport Capsule'!]

▣ Sample Transport Capsule (Medium)

-A capsule used to transport a designated object to a designated location.

Can carry up to 100kg.

As expected, the talk about rewards was a lie.

Its real purpose seemed to be transporting a designated sample to a specific destination.

‘Let's see. The sample name is…’

-Sample Name: Lee Eunho

-Destination: Iro's Private Laboratory (Future Research Center, E Building, Room 9812)

‘Well, isn’t this interesting?’

They’ve clearly been plotting something serious.

"Uh, hyung! This is that thing from earlier…"

"Store it."

"What? What are you planning to do with this?!"

I’ll think about that later.

For now, the most urgent task is…

'Don’t let him escape.'

Slash!

I severed Iro’s arms.

Slash!

And his legs.

So he couldn’t cast any spells.

So he couldn’t run anywhere.

So he wouldn’t dare think of coming after me again.

[Aaaaargh! Stop, stop it!!]

Squelch!

Blood spurted from the severed artery.

Droplets of blood splattered onto my face.

Just as the Skybreaker Sword, excited by the taste of blood, was about to pierce his carotid artery…

[Stop.]

A strange woman’s voice echoed in my head.

Rustle!

There was something.

Something heavy dragging along the ground as it approached.

As soon as I sensed it, I tried to turn my head… no, I tried to.

“……?!”

My body froze.

Just as I was about to plunge into Iro’s neck.

[You have fallen into the 'Status Ailment: Demonic Energy Intoxication'.]

I couldn’t stab him.

I couldn’t lower my arm.

I couldn’t even lift my head.

[Ugh……!]

At my feet, Iro, whose limbs had been severed, glared at me with eyes filled with pain and rage.

It was dangerous.

If he used some sort of spell or curse again, I would be completely defenseless.

'I have to move…!'

I concentrated, channeling strength into my body as if forcing blood to the tips of my limbs.

— Ding!

[Target Lee Eunho has activated the 'Resurrection' perk!]

[Purified energy repels the demonic energy!]

Twitch!

My fingertips moved slightly.

Next, my hands.

Then, my entire arm holding the sword.

Rustle!

And at that moment, something the size of a thigh dragged itself into the edge of my vision.

Rustle-rustle!

It raised its head high and stuck out its tongue.

‘A snake?!’

What was that?

I wasn’t sure if it was a python or a snake, but it was clear it wasn’t a friendly presence.

Shing!

As soon as my hand moved again, I gripped the sword hilt tightly.

[……You moved?]

A woman’s unfamiliar voice echoed.

A voice as clear as a musical instrument, one that seemed untouched by anything harmful in life.

[To think you resisted the basilisk’s demonic energy… You really are someone worthy of the their attention.]

So.

"Who are you?"

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]