"POWER!"
Even as the world blurred and darkness consumed his vision, that single word continued echoing endlessly within his mind, like a curse that refused to disappear.
It would have been a lie to say Declan did not understand that truth.
The world of Mordran had always belonged to the strong.
Ever since the invasion of the Ember Race, humanity’s greatest enemy, power had become the only law that truly mattered.
From the fusion of Ember energy with mankind’s advanced technology came the creation of the Nexus Seeds, artificial marvels that transformed ordinary humans into beings capable of surpassing their natural limits.
Those fortunate enough to successfully fuse with them became known as Nexians.
Their strength stood far beyond that of ordinary humans, and while the strongest among them were worshipped like living legends, a rare few eventually reached a level where humanity could only describe them as gods.
They ruled Mordran, and shaped its laws deciding the fate of everyone beneath them.
That was something Declan Ezra had always understood.
But fate...
Fate had never cared about what people understood.
Not everyone possessed the ability to become a Nexian, and unfortunately, Declan had been one of those people.
His Nexian Affinity was not just low, not an E or F grade Talent but a Null talent.
From the very beginning, his future of mediocrity had already been decided, yet even then, Declan refused to accept it.
While Nexians stood as humanity’s strongest warriors, there existed another profession just as important, one responsible for creating the very technology that allowed them to wield their overwhelming strength.
Mecha Scientists.
The minds behind every advancement that allowed mankind to fight against the Ember Race.
Declan believed that path was his only opportunity.
His only chance to prove that he could still become someone worthy, and fulfill the promise he had made long ago.
Ah...That naive promise.
Back then, it felt so real.
Even now, as his consciousness slowly faded away, he could still hear those words as clearly as if they had been spoken only yesterday.
_______
"I promise you, Uncle. Even If I cannot be a Powerful Nexian... I’ll be a great Mecha Scientist one day."
_______
’I’m sorry, Uncle. I... I failed.’
A pain far deeper than the wounds covering his body tore through his heart.
It was not the pain of dying, but the pain of disappointing the one person who had ever truly believed in him.
’I...’
’I don’t want it to end like this...’
For the first time since arriving in this world, fear took hold of him.
Not fear of death, but of leaving everything unfinished.
A desperate will to survive erupted from the depths of his soul, stronger than anything he had ever felt before.
But it was already too late, and his fate had been decided, and he lacked what was needed to change it.
The darkness wasn’t just closer now, it was devouring him, erasing the last bit of his consciousness, yet just as the darkness completely swallowed him.
RIIIIIIIIIIIPLE
Rays of golden light pierced through the endless void, their tiny dots gathering together twisting and forming to form glowing runes that slowly arranged themselves into words.
[Full System Integration Status: 99%...100%]
[System Is Now Fully Integrated With The Host!]
[Congratulations, Host, On Awakening The Mecha Overlord System!]
Little by little, Declan became aware of his surroundings.
As his senses returned, he found himself surrounded by darkness, with only a single golden panel floating before his eyes, its golden glow cutting through the endless void.
He blinked several times, then his lips parted slightly.
"...Mecha Overlord System?"
As sensation slowly returned to his body, Declan’s fingers twitched before digging into the surface beneath him, allowing him to force himself upright.
The moment he did, a violent pulse shot through his skull, and he instinctively grabbed his head.
The pain was unbearable, as though his very soul was being torn apart while countless memories flooded through his mind all at once.
When the pain finally subsided...he froze.
’A second chance...?’
The golden panel flickered.
[That Is Correct, Host. A Single Special Package Exists For Fusion With The System: A Life Rebirth Card.]
[Warning: Only One Life Rebirth Card Exists Within The System. Revival After Death Will No Longer Be Possible In The Future.]
"You..."
His voice trembled.
"You saved my life. Thank you."
However, the moment those words left his mouth, Declan suddenly doubled over, clutching his throat.
A sharp pain erupted through it, as though every word had been forcibly ripped from his body.
’Where... am I?’
Struggling against the pain, he slowly pushed himself back onto his feet and looked around.
The ground beneath him was not earth but a thick, sticky substance that looked like sludge, though it was somehow firm enough to hold his weight.
Frowning, Declan lowered himself and reached toward the strange surface.
But the moment he realized what it truly was, his entire body froze.
His heart nearly stopped as he stumbled backward in horror, desperately searching for somewhere else to stand, but before he could move any farther, another notification appeared.
[It Is Useless, Host. You Are Currently Standing Within A Corpse Pit Approximately Twenty Meters Deep.]
’A corpse pit!?’
Everything immediately clicked into place.
After the crimson-eyed man had killed him, disposing of his body would have been the obvious next step.
Declan’s gaze swept across the darkness, and his blood ran cold.
Bodies were everywhere.
Some were almost intact, while others had been torn apart beyond recognition, and many had already decayed into rotting remains piled beneath his feet.
Strangely, he couldn’t smell a thing, and for once, he was grateful.
’I need to get out of here.’
The system had mentioned a pit, so that meant there had to be a way out.
Carefully stepping across the remains, Declan moved through the darkness until his hand finally touched a wall.
His searching fingers brushed against a small opening, then another, natural footholds carved into the wall.
Without hesitation, he grabbed onto them and began climbing.
Every movement sent waves of pain through his body as he dragged himself upward, his fingernails cracking against the rough surface and his palms slowly tearing open with every scrape against the uneven wall, leaving streaks of blood behind.
His body was weak, far weaker than it had ever been before, yet Declan continued climbing.
With his teeth clenched tightly, he forced himself upward, refusing to stop despite the burning pain spreading throughout his entire body, until finally, a faint glow appeared above him.
Light.
After being surrounded by nothing but darkness for what felt like an eternity, that small glimpse of brightness filled him with a final surge of strength.
Summoning every remaining ounce of energy within his body, Declan pulled himself over the edge and collapsed onto solid ground.
The moment he climbed out of the corpse pit, he collapsed to his knees. Violent coughs tore through his body as he clutched his throat, struggling to catch his breath.
Then his sense of smell returned, and immediately, his stomach twisted.
The overwhelming stench of countless corpses crashed into him all at once.
His blurred vision filled with images of torn flesh and decaying remains, causing the disgust he had unknowingly suppressed while trapped below to surge back with full force.
For nearly a minute, Declan remained there, forcing himself to regain control over his body.
Only after his breathing finally stabilized did he slowly raise his head.
A vast wilderness stretched endlessly before him.
Towering trees covered the land in every direction, their massive branches and dense leaves casting deep shadows across the forest floor beneath the fading evening sky.
The setting sun hung low against the horizon, painting the surroundings in the last traces of daylight.
Declan did not waste another second, before rising to his feet.
If this place was truly being used as a dumping ground, then anyone who discovered him nearby would make certain that he died permanently this time.
He had been lucky to escape with his life once already. There was no guarantee he would be that lucky again.
With nowhere else to go, he fell back on the oldest survival trick he knew.
A tree.
Finding one with thick branches and dense leaves, Declan climbed upward until he reached a height where he could conceal himself from anything searching below.
Hidden beneath the broad canopy, he finally allowed himself to rest.
"I survived..."
The words escaped his lips quietly.
Only now, when his breathing had finally begun to calm, did Declan truly understand what had happened.
He had died, and yet somehow, he was alive again, given a second chance at a life he thought he had already lost.
But before the realization could fully settle within his mind, another notification appeared.
[Environmental Scan Complete.]
[WARNING: Host May Not Survive The Night!]