Rise of the Harem King
Chapter 57: Return to life

Chapter 57: Return to life

Davi had borrowed money from Ember to purchase a particular weapon, one he knew Luna would never allow him to have.

In fact, if the redhead had known what he was using the money for, she would have refused as well.

The weapon in question was called Final Bang.

It was a crystal implanted near the heart of its wielder. Its function was simple: it rapidly drained all of the user’s mana and converted it into a devastating explosion.

The detonation could occur anywhere between two to five minutes after activation, depending on the wielder’s intent.

Naturally, it was a one-time-use, suicidal attack. And it was precisely this overwhelming explosion that Davi had unleashed.

The already fragile ground collapsed under the impact. But more than that, the immediate shockwave gravely wounded the Mushroom Queen, leaving her helpless as her massive body plunged into the enormous crater below.

And it was that very fall, combined with her severe injuries, that ultimately ended her life, burying her beneath the countless corpses she had once controlled.

But what about Davi?

His body was in a horrific state. Not only had his heart stopped beating, but severe burns ravaged every inch of his flesh.

His right leg was completely missing, torn away as if by some unimaginable force, and his entire form was charred and blackened, the skin cracked and peeling away to reveal the raw, scorched tissue beneath.

Many of his bones were exposed, jutting out grotesquely from the ruined flesh. Ribs, fragments of his collarbone, and even parts of his skull were visible, gleaming faintly amidst the devastation.

Yet, against all odds, there remained a corpse, a broken, mangled shell, but a corpse nonetheless. The fact that anything of him had survived to tell the tale was nothing short of astonishing.

But the miracle he sought was far greater than merely leaving a corpse behind.

Davi was not someone who would simply accept death, and there was a reason he had devised such a reckless plan. Just as there was a reason he had used the last of his strength and consciousness to shield his body from the explosion.

As if answering his determination, the pendant around his neck began to glow. Davi himself wasn’t entirely sure how it worked, but he had no choice but to gamble on it.

It was the very item Sophia had gifted him, a pendant with the power to store an ability within itself.

The ability that the blonde had stored within him was the most powerful one he possessed, <revival>.

That’s why, before all of that happened, Davi infused a bit of mana into the object and programmed it to activate after 20 minutes.

After that, he sacrificed himself in a self-detonation, fell into that enormous crater, and about 7 minutes later, the power finally activated.

Because of this, amidst all the chaos, the boy’s blood began to return to him, as did his bones and skin, which had been scattered everywhere.

An intense light enveloped him, and it might not have been possible to bring him back. But it was at that moment that a golden aura surrounded the boy, ensuring that this miracle could happen.

And Davi finally opened his eyes.

Before him, he saw the sea of bodies belonging to those he had defeated, and as he looked up, he wondered if there was any way to return to the surface.

More importantly, he needed to start by figuring out where he was. So, the boy tried to clear the corpses around him.

Approaching the walls of the enormous cylinder, they seemed to be made of ordinary rock. Perhaps some kind of ability had been used to excavate this place? In a way, Davi couldn’t help but find it familiar.

However, the ground he stood on was anything but natural. It was made of marble, with inscriptions carved into it, though it was in a language the boy definitely didn’t recognize.

After walking a bit further and exploring the area, he finally found a spot that stood out from the rest. It appeared to be the entrance to some kind of structure, though it wasn’t particularly striking, at least not from the outside.

However, when he stepped inside, the boy was met with an astonishing sight.

Before him stretched a vast, grand hall made entirely of polished marble. The floor gleamed under the faint light, reflecting the intricate patterns etched into its surface.

The walls, equally crafted from marble, rose high and were adorned with ornate carvings that seemed to tell stories of ancient times.

Scattered across the walls were several doors, each one framed with elaborate designs and seemingly leading to different parts of the structure. The ceiling soared above, supported by towering columns that seemed to stretch endlessly upward.

The most astonishing thing about it was the existence of such a structure within a rift, especially one so well-preserved.

It was inevitable that countless questions would flood the boy’s mind as he admired the construction, trying to grasp its purpose.

That said, he knew the answer wouldn’t simply appear, no matter how long he stared at it. He needed far more information to reach any conclusion. After all, there had never been any reports of a structure of this scale inside a rift.

Still, the mere fact that magical artifacts and other weapons could be found within these ruins led researchers to believe that, at some point, a civilization had thrived in this world.

Or, as some of the crazier theories suggested, perhaps it was evidence of something even more extraordinary.

In any case, the walls of the grand hall were lined with numerous doors, each leading to corridors that branched off into even more doors. It was as if the place was designed to confuse and disorient anyone who entered. Davi couldn’t shake the feeling that this might be some kind of labyrinth.

With that in mind, he decided to mark his path as he went, carving small symbols into the walls to ensure he could find his way back. Carefully, he continued exploring, then he finally arrived at a room that stood out from the others.

At its center stood an ancient altar, crafted from the same polished marble as the rest of the hall but adorned with intricate golden inlays that shimmered faintly in the dim light. Resting atop the altar was a crystal orb, perfectly smooth and glowing with a soft, ethereal light.

The orb pulsed faintly, almost as if it were alive, its surface swirling with traces of deep blues, purples, and golds, shifting like mist trapped within glass.

Davi approached cautiously, unable to shake the feeling that this object was extremely important.

The moment he touched the sphere, a strange sound rang in his head, followed by the system notification announcing that he had leveled up.

Then, all at once, a dizzying sensation washed over him, making his vision blur and his balance waver.

ⵔⵔⵔ

Far from all of that, Sophia was struggling to face the shadows sent by Cain. The three warriors the group of students was up against were powerful, and in particular, Matto, a fire magic user, was extremely pragmatic.

His attacks were perfect for wiping out large numbers of enemies, which basically nullified the numerical advantage the students had on their side.

Because of him, the blonde had to spend most of her energy creating multiple barriers so everyone could hide from the attacks. Meanwhile, Toki and Carlos had to handle the bulk of the fighting.

That said, they clearly didn’t have enough power to win. And although they were holding their own in the fight, Sophia was burning through her mana extremely quickly.

In other words, if the battle dragged on any longer, they would be easily defeated.

Or at least that would have been the case if Sylvia hadn’t chosen to return to check on how things were going. And upon arriving, she discovered that a massive fight was taking place in that hidden temple.

"Take care of the guy with fire powers!" Sophia shouted as soon as she saw the girl.

Amid the battlefield, the blonde didn’t have time to ask questions—she needed to act quickly and make decisions. She’d worry about what happened to Alden and Alexia later.

"Got it, leave it to me," Sylvia replied immediately. She also understood that this wasn’t the time for conversation.

Without hesitation, she charged forward to attack Matto. The mage, naturally, was put in a tough spot, as close combat was never ideal for a magic user.

Still, he managed to react surprisingly well, proving he was far more versatile than the average mage.

It was precisely because Sylvia realized she couldn’t defeat him with simple close combat that she decided to force him deeper into the temple, where no one would be around to witness their fight.

Matto didn’t resist this. He simply loved to fight and wanted to have fun with the formidable opponent who had appeared before him.