Chapter 36: Rewards of Two Lifetimes

Hello, guys! If you're wondering how Evan knew when the world invasion would start—it's because the two orbs he absorbed contained fragments of memories from his past life before transmigration.

Upon appearing in a mysterious room, Evan blinked in surprise—it was his first time witnessing such a scene.

"Wow, how cool is that!" he exclaimed, childlike joy lighting up his face.

"It's just a little trick of mine," replied one of the ten mysterious beings, his tone smug. Evan still couldn't see any of their faces—only silhouettes shrouded in soft white light.

"Okay, but… where are we?" Evan asked, scanning the vast expanse of glowing white around them.

"Wait, let me finish before you ask more questions," said the being who'd teleported them. He clapped his hands—and in an instant, several floating orbs materialized in the air.

Evan's eyes widened. The orbs hovered like bubbles, shimmering with strange lights.

As he stepped closer to inspect one, he noticed an icon flickering inside.

Some had elemental symbols. Others displayed weapons. Some showed things Evan couldn't even begin to comprehend.

"Whoa… what are these?" he asked, trying to take everything in at once.

"These," one of the beings explained, "are the culmination of your efforts from two lifetimes. Your reward—or 'cheats,' if you prefer to call them that."

"Huh? My reward from a previous life?" Evan raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you just giving me stuff now?"

"No. These are things you earned, not gifts. You were entitled to them but, for some reason, never used them. We've retrieved them for you now."

"So... how much can I take? Or do I get to pick?" Evan asked eagerly.

"You can take as much as you want—but there's a catch," one said with a smile. "Your soul is the limit."

"My… soul?" Evan blinked.

"Yes," the being nodded. "Think of your soul as a vessel. These rewards are the fluid. If the fluid exceeds the vessel's capacity, it overflows—or worse, damages the vessel. In other words, you'll hurt yourself if you take more than your soul can handle."

"Ohhh… so it's like stuffing a bag to the brim. Might even burst the zip," Evan said, nodding.

"Exactly," the being chuckled. "So—do you understand now?"

Evan nodded, then suddenly raised a hand.

"Wait, before I pick—can I ask something?"

"Go ahead."

"Can you tell me what I chose in my past lives? It might help me make better choices this time," Evan suggested.

The being paused for a moment, then turned to one of the others.

"Grim, let him see it."

"Sure," replied the one holding a grimoire. His name, for now—Grim.

With a gesture from Grim, everything shifted. The orbs reshaped into a clearer display in front of Evan.

"Let's start with your first life," Evan said, arms crossed. "What did I choose back then?"

Grim nodded, and seventeen glowing items appeared before him.

"Your first incarnation didn't get much from us. Just two talents and one ability," Grim said.

"But he was quite lucky," another added. "We gave him the talent of Sword Grandmaster (SS), Heir of the Magic Sword (S), and the ability Damage Amplification."

Three shimmering items floated forward.

Evan examined them, then set them aside for later.

"What about the rest?" he asked.

"Things he acquired during his journey," Grim explained. "First, the class Elemental Swordsman with SS-rank potential and affinities for Flame, Lightning, and Water. His bloodline enhanced all three."

"He also acquired the Black Dragon Bloodline, several powerful battle techniques, a unique mana cultivation art, and the rare ability Beast Communication, which you later inherited. The rest are minor skills and abilities."

Evan looked over everything… then shook his head.

"No. I'm not taking anything from here," he said firmly.

"Why not?" Grim asked, surprised.

"Because even if the talents are amazing, following the same path that led to failure is pointless."

Grim smiled and nodded. With a wave, the items vanished.

"Alright then. Next."

Grim brought forth a new set of items—but this time, there were only eight.

Evan frowned. "That's it?"

"In your second life," One began, "you learned from the mistakes of the first. You avoided the limelight and prioritized survival.

"You received three major things: the Beast Tamer class from us—which limited your options, as it consumed most of your soul space. You also claimed the SSS-rank Bow Talent, a reward originally meant for your first life.

"And lastly," he continued, "you took the Concealment Mask of a God Candidate—"

"Hold up," Evan interrupted. "What do you mean, God Candidate?"

The air suddenly grew heavy.

"I'll get to that. Let me finish what you asked for first."

Evan nodded, though tension lingered in his eyes.

"You used the concealment mask to hide your true rank and status. It was too powerful to fall into the hands of that man… but you believed it would help you surpass your past self.

"You grew until the Demi-God Warrior Rank, and nearly succeeded. But in the end, you provoked someone out of your league… and died before reaching the Advancement Hall."

Evan clenched his fists.

Grim continued, "On your journey, you acquired several techniques and skills. Notably: the Void Bending Arrow Technique and Omni-Element Burst.

"For supporting skills, you had: All Language, Draconic Regeneration, Thousand Arrow Assault, and a few others."

Evan's eyes locked onto the items in front of him.

He stared.

Then smiled.

"Well, I am going to take something from this one," he said, stepping forward.

He reached out—toward a single item glowing more intensely than the rest.

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What is he going to choose, guys? Drop your guesses in the comments—and be ready for a crazy sh*t upgrade next chapter!