Chapter 296: I Know What Kind Of Person You Are

Lukas leaned forward in his chair, his hands gripping the edge of the desk.

"How?" He asked, his voice urgent. "Tell me how we bring her back."

"Calm down, Lukas," Morgana said, holding up a hand. "Sit back and listen. I found several methods in the family archives, but only two are viable. The rest aren’t worth discussing. They would simply bring Akira back as a mindless puppet instead of who she actually is."

Lukas opened his mouth to speak, but Morgana cut him off before he could get a word out.

"Don’t interrupt," she said firmly. "You need to understand that even the two best options won’t bring her back exactly as she was. So sit patiently, listen to every detail, and then you can talk."

Lukas took a slow breath, forced his shoulders down, and leaned back into his seat. There was no need to be so impatient. After all, whatever he did, it won’t change the information that she was about to give him.

Beside him, Melody remained quiet, her hands folded tightly in her lap.

"The first method relies on a high-tier [Item]," Morgana began, her gaze moving from Lukas to Melody. "It’s an anchor that would use Akira’s physical corpse as a beacon to call her soul back wherever it is."

"Akira would return to our world, but she’d exist strictly as a ghost. She wouldn’t have a physical body to touch or feel. And most importantly, her existence would be tied entirely to her preserved vessel. The moment her corpse is destroyed or damaged beyond repair, her ghost will vanish forever."

Melody’s eyes grew glassy with tears. She reached out and held Lukas’s arm.

"What’s the second option?" She asked, her voice trembling.

"The second option is to bring Akira back as a revenant," Morgana said.

"A revenant?" Melody asked, wiping a stray tear from her cheek. "What does that mean?"

"It means her soul is pulled back and bound directly into her own flesh," Morgana explained. "She’ll wake up inside her own body, but as an undead being, rather than a living, breathing person."

"Her heart won’t beat, and she won’t need food or sleep, but her mind and memories will remain intact. She’ll still be Akira. The only difference is that she’s already dead."

Morgana paused, her expression turning serious as she looked directly at Lukas.

"But there is a major catch to this method," she continued. "Because she’s an undead revenant, her body cannot generate its own natural life force. She must be bound directly to a living host through a soul contract."

"She’ll share that person’s life force to remain in this world. Akira would retain her class, her stats, and all her skills. She can fight, level up, and grow stronger just like any normal Climber, but she’ll draw entirely from the mana reserves of whoever she is bound to."

Lukas didn’t flinch. "Go on."

"It’s dangerous," Morgana said flatly. "If Akira suffers severe damage in battle, the bond will automatically pull from your life force to heal her shattered flesh. She’ll be a constant drain on your vitality and your mana pool."

"If she takes too much damage all at once, the drain could pull your life force down to zero. If she dies again, or if she takes a fatal blow, the backlash could kill you instantly."

"I don’t care," Lukas said without a second of hesitation. He had more mana and vitality than he could use anyway. "I’ll do it. Bring her back as a revenant and bind her directly to me."

Morgana stared at him across the desk.

"Are you sure, Lukas?" She asked quietly. "The ritual is permanent. Once the bond is set, it can’t be undone or transferred to another host. We could wait. We could search some more and see if other options appear."

"Maybe we could stumble across a miracle or a revival [Item] might turn up if we give it time."

"When would those other options be available?" Lukas asked.

Morgana looked down at her papers, then met his gaze again. "I can’t say for certain. Maybe in six months. Maybe a year. It depends on what our expeditions find on the higher floors."

"And the ice star?" Lukas asked. "The stasis [Item] your healer placed on Akira’s forehead... can it keep her body fresh and preserved for a whole year?"

Morgana was silent for a moment. Then she shook her head. "No. The stasis star was meant for short-term preservation. It will lose its power within two weeks."

Lukas gave a firm nod, his jaw clenched. "Then there’s nothing to wait for. I’m tying Akira to myself as a revenant right now."

Morgana nodded slowly. "Alright."

She turned slightly to the armored man standing behind her. "Baldwin, go make the arrangements for the transdormation. Ensure the releavnt people are on standby."

"Right away, my lady," Baldwin replied with a short bow before turning and stepping out into the hall.

Morgana rose from behind the desk and adjusted the cuffs of her sleeves. She gestured to the open doorway. "Follow me, both of you."

Lukas and Melody stood, falling into step behind her as she led them down the quiet corridors.

As they walked, Morgana spoke without slowing down.

"I already know what’s on both of your minds right now," she said calmly. "I’m sure you’re wondering what kind of debt you’re walking into, and you’re waiting for the catch."

Lukas said nothing as he walked, his hand holding Melody’s.

"Let’s be completely clear," Morgana continued. "I’m not doing all this out of the pure goodness of my heart. I do have an ulterior motive here, but don’t worry, it isn’t sinister."

She guided them around a corner into a wider hallway lined with tall windows.

"I’ve seen what you can do, Lukas," Morgana said. "I know how huge your potential is. You adapt faster than any Climber I’ve ever met, and you don’t fold when things get messy."

"I want a strong, long-term partnership with you, and I’m using this opportunity to show my sincerity in making that happen."

Melody glanced at Lukas, then back at Morgana’s back.

"I’m not a do-gooder," Morgana admitted freely. "People from families like mine don’t hand out gifts for nothing. But this time, I won’t ask for a single thing in return."

She looked back over her shoulder, a small, genuine smile appearing on her face.

"I don’t need to ask," she said. "Because I know the kind of person you are, Lukas. You aren’t someone who lets a favor slide. And that means when you get the chance, you’ll pay me back yourself."

Lukas met her gaze and gave a single nod. "You have my word."

They came to a stop in front of a pair of reinforced double doors at the end of the hall.

Morgana stopped and placed her hand against the handle.

"Here we are."