It wasn’t dead!
From the mangled eye sockets of the revenant, two dimmer emerald-green flames flickered back to life, and its body regained movement.
Su Mo swiftly drew his blade and stabbed straight into the revenant’s eye socket, killing it before it could fully rise.
He had no idea how this thing had revived, but one thing was certain—it had something to do with those eerie green flames in its eyes.
He wanted to investigate further but didn’t know where to start, so he decided to report the incident to the higher-ups.
Their phones had been confiscated upon arrival, but the fitness trackers they’d been issued had a messaging function. Someone had already used it to send the “test begins” notification earlier.
Su Mo thought for a moment, then tried typing out a message and sending it—only for the screen to display: Failed to Send.
“No signal?” He raised his arm, walking in circles, but still nothing. “It was working just a minute ago…”
Giving up, he returned to the revenant’s corpse, blade in hand, pondering how to destroy it for good.
If this were a living human, stabbing the heart would’ve been enough. But this thing had no blood—its heart was practically useless.
Then it must be the head. Whether or not it had a brain, those green flames had to be coming from there. Might as well try.
Su Mo took a deep breath, suppressing his discomfort.
“Open up!”
The revenant’s skull was unnaturally tough—even with its own sword, it took three heavy strikes to crack it open.
Inside, there was no brain—only a pea-sized emerald-green orb nestled in the forehead, wisps of green fire seeping out endlessly.
Su Mo didn’t rush to touch it. He observed carefully, confirming there was no danger before cautiously picking it up.
Something strange happened.
Without the orb, the revenant’s body began crumbling apart, dissolving into ash that scattered in the wind.
So, this orb was what kept it “alive,” giving it consciousness. Without it, the revenant was gone for good.
Staring at the empty suit of armor, Su Mo fell silent. He didn’t know how long this creature had existed in such a state—or whether destroying it had been an act of mercy.
In the end, he inherited all of the revenant’s “possessions,” including its near-indestructible armor.
But the armor was too bulky to carry, let alone wear, so Su Mo hid it in a secluded spot. Whether to turn it in for rewards or keep it for later, it would definitely be useful.
He took the sword, slung the bow over his shoulder, and left the area that had just made him a little richer.
The orb’s purpose remained unknown. Once separated from the revenant, it stopped emitting energy. Su Mo wrapped it tightly in leaves and cloth before stashing it in his backpack, checking on it periodically.
Noon.
“What’s going on? Why is there still no signal?” Su Mo paced across the high ground before finally giving up.
The last message he’d received was “Hunting Time.” Whether there were further instructions after that, he had no idea.
“Probably not. Maybe the lost signal is part of the test—to see how we handle the uncertainty?” He chuckled to himself. “Still doesn’t explain where that fully armed revenant came from, though.”
He wondered if he’d wandered into some forbidden zone—an ancient ruin, maybe, or some kind of mystical formation—with the revenant being one of its “guardians.”
The midday sun was brutal. After finishing his canteen, Su Mo decided to return to the cave to refill—only to realize he was lost.
“This never happened before. Did I inherit Ye Qingyi’s terrible sense of direction when we swapped souls?”
…Well, maybe he was just overthinking it. Maybe she wasn’t even directionally challenged.
Somewhere in the mountains.
Ye Qingyi stared at the tree trunk she’d marked seven times, deep in thought.
How did I get lost?
She clenched her now-larger fist and punched the tree in frustration. “Stupid forest, leading me in circles! Ugh, this is all your fault!”
“Ah—!”
A scream tore through the woods behind her.
Ye Qingyi immediately recognized it—someone was in danger.
Without hesitation, she sprinted toward the sound, swift as a tiger. (Though some of her movements were… oddly dainty.)
Following the noise, she spotted an incredibly beautiful girl being chased by a towering figure clad in armor—like an ancient warrior straight out of a TV drama.
The pursuer wielded a longsword, each thunderous step radiating menace.
If Su Mo were here, he’d recognize it instantly—another revenant. This one lacked a bow but was even more massive and muscular than the last.
“Help me!” The girl spotted Ye Qingyi and rushed toward her, only to trip and collapse.
Ye Qingyi lunged forward, scooping the girl up just before the revenant reached them—then bolted without a word.
That thing was way too strong to fight head-on.
Sigh… If only I still had my old body—
No time for regrets. Ye Qingyi ran like the wind, trees and bushes blurring past her.
“You’re… so fast…” The girl in her arms blushed, voice tinged with awe.
This was her first time being carried by a boy—and… he’s really handsome!
Biting her lip, she stole glances at him, her mind racing.
“You okay?” Ye Qingyi glanced down.
“Y-Yeah.” The girl ducked her head, flustered.
He’s worried about me!
“Good.” Ye Qingyi exhaled in relief.
The revenant was gaining ground. If she were alone, escaping would’ve been easy—but with the girl in her arms… Well, can’t just leave her.
“Hold onto my neck—tight. Don’t let go.”
“Huh?” The girl stiffened in shock.
Realizing she was in a male body now, Ye Qingyi deepened her voice. “At this rate, we’ll tire out before it does. If you don’t want to get caught, do as I say.”
“Okay.” The girl obeyed, face burning.
Ye Qingyi suddenly skidded to a halt, leaped up, and grabbed a hanging vine—swinging both of them onto a tree branch.
“Climb up. I’ll handle it.”
“Got it.” The girl nodded obediently, too dazed to question anything.
Ye Qingyi used the downward momentum to drop-kick the revenant in the head, sending it crashing to the ground. In one fluid motion, she yanked off its bronze mask—revealing a grotesque, rotting face.
“Not human?” Without hesitation, she drove her fist into its skull, smashing the decayed flesh sideways—but the flames in its eyes burned just as fiercely.
Despite its bulk, the revenant was agile. It scrambled up and charged like a battering ram, forcing Ye Qingyi to dodge and counter.
Thankfully, her reflexes were sharp, and her martial arts training kept her just ahead. The only problem?
It had a weapon. She didn’t.