Mason's Revenge

Year - 2230.

It all began in 2230...

Portals of unknown origins appeared worldwide, known as "Crypt,"each connected to myths and legends. This was believed to be from the power hidden in historical stories.

The danger came from powerful artifacts inside. Claiming these artifacts brought wealth and abilities, changing lives and the world. People gained mythical powers, rising in rank. It became a world where anyone could rise with the right artifact. However, by 2250, hope turned into a nightmare. The world split into those with artifacts and those without. Emperors, with the strongest artifacts, ruled with absolute power. Governments couldn't oppose them, rewriting laws to keep the powerless trapped in poverty as modern-day slaves. Mason, stuck in the lower class, had to serve an Emperor for escape. He worked for Depay Husk, promised help in return for loyalty. Mason did everything for Depay, even risking his life, but it was all a lie.

But it had all been a lie.

Mason stumbled through the dark alley, holding his bleeding side. His mind raced. His boss had set him up, sending him on a suicide mission. Depay had used him, then thrown him away.

"Damn you, Depay!" Mason spat, feeling the pain in his chest worsen.

For ten years, he had done everything to survive. He had believed Depay's promises-believed he could save his family. Now, it was clear Depay never planned to heal them. He had been a pawn, disposable the moment he became a threat.

As his vision blurred, Mason found himself surrounded. His teammates had already fallen, devoured by snakes that slithered out of the shadows. This Crypt was their grave, and it seemed like it would be his too.

He laughed bitterly. "You used me up, Depay. But you're not rid of me yet."

Suddenly, a voice echoed in his head.

"Still planning to fight?"

Mason's eyes narrowed. "Who's there?"

"You don't have much time left," the voice said calmly. "But you've got spirit. That's rare."

Mason forced a smile, wiping blood from his lips. "You think spirit's going to save me now?"

"Perhaps not. But what if I offered you a second chance?"

Mason froze. "A second chance?"

The voice chuckled. "You hate them, don't you? The Emperors, the world they built. I can feel your rage, your desire for revenge."

Mason clenched his fists. "If you can do something, then do it. Or shut up."

The voice didn't respond right away, but then the darkness around him started to shift. A raven appeared, glowing with an unnatural light.

"I'll give you a chance. Take down an Emperor, and claim their throne for yourself."

Mason frowned, but before he could ask what the raven meant, the world around him blurred. When his vision cleared, he was no longer in the Crypt.

He was sitting in a small interrogation room.

An officer slammed his hands on the table in front of him. "I've asked for your ID three times now. We don't have all day. It's New Year's Day, 2230, and I'd like to go home. So stop wasting time!"

Mason blinked. "What year did you say?"

The officer sighed. "It's January 1st, 2230. Now, where's your ID?"

Mason's heart pounded. 2230? That was twenty years ago-before the Crypt appeared. He glanced at a nearby calendar, confirming what the officer had said.

His mind raced. If this was real, then all the legendary artifacts were still out there, waiting to be discovered. He could get to them first. He could become an Emperor before the others even knew what was happening.m

But then reality hit him. He no longer had his abilities. His unique Seeker systems were gone. Without them, finding the Crypt and surviving the raids would be impossible.

'Damn it!' he thought, feeling his hope crumble.

Just when he was about to curse his luck, he noticed something in his reflection. Next to his face in the glass, glowing text appeared:

-You Have Received The Vengeful Artifact System-

-You Have Receive The Crypt Seeker System-

Mason Monroe sat in the police station, staring at the text floating before him.

-Crypt Seeker Mason Monroe-

Level 1.

A small chuckle escaped his lips. "Crypt Seeker?" The term made no sense. He rubbed his eyes, convinced he was hallucinating.

"Did my eyes go crazy?" he muttered. But the words didn't vanish.

Mason knew better than to ignore something strange like this. He needed to test if this was real. If he could still use his abilities, then maybe his life wasn't over yet.

He looked around the room, his eyes landing on an old, rusty chair. This would do.

Mason gripped the chair's arm tightly, focusing. 'Regress!' he commanded in his mind. If this worked, the rust would disappear, and the chair would be restored to its original condition.

Nothing happened.

Mason sighed. 'Figures... it only works with a Mythic Item.' He leaned back in the chair, frustrated. In the past, the Regression ability he had from the Seeker's Mythic Item would have easily removed the rust. Now, it was just wishful thinking.

"Is this all in my head?" he wondered aloud, losing hope.

Suddenly, a new message flashed in front of him.

-Other systems are required to activate the Regression ability.-

-Please unlock all four basic systems first.-

Mason blinked in surprise. 'A higher-tier system?' It felt like some kind of game interface. He couldn't help but smirk as the next message appeared.

-Crypt Seeker Basic Systems (1/4)-

-Detect (F-Rank): Scan a 1-meter radius around you.-

Mason burst into laughter. It wasn't just a random thought or hallucination. He really could access his old abilities-albeit in a different form. The officers stared at him, bewildered.

"Is this guy losing it?" one officer muttered.

"Hey, why are you laughing like that?" the other one demanded.

But Mason didn't care. He was too caught up in his revelation. 'So, my original abilities have turned into these game-like systems?'

His eyes gleamed with excitement. If this was real, he didn't need his old Mythic Item to use his powers anymore. He could unlock them directly.

Another message popped up.

-Please unlock all four dormant systems to advance to Crypt Seeker.-

-Mission: Successfully activate all four basic Crypt Seeker systems.-

Mason grinned. A quest? It felt surreal, but he had no reason to object. If it meant getting his powers back, he would play along. But how was he supposed to unlock these systems?

As Mason pondered his next move, a loud voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Hey! You! Are you just going to sit there, or are you going to apologize?" The voice came from across the room. A woman stood with her arms crossed, glaring at a young man in a school uniform beside her. "Admit you hit my son! We'll settle for 10 million dollars, or you can spend the night in jail!"

Mason frowned. 'What kind of nonsense is this?'

Mason leaned against the cold wall of the police station, his mind racing. His memory was sharp, almost too sharp. He could remember the smallest details from years ago, like the phone number some random stranger had given him on the street. That's why the scene playing out in front of him felt all too familiar.

It was early evening, just as he recalled. The same smug student stood behind his mother, smirking. 'That bastard started all this after having too much to drink,' Mason thought, clenching his jaw.

The student laughed, sneering. "What's with that stare? You're the one who messed with me while I was studying for exams! My hand's useless now because of you."

His mother added with fury, "The doctors say it'll take eight weeks for him to fully recover! Are you going to take responsibility if he fails his college exams? Are you going to ruin my son's future?"

Mason couldn't help but scoff. 'Eight weeks to recover from that? Yeah, right.'

He muttered under his breath, "What a joke."

The mother and son stared at him, their mouths hanging open. The guy who had been practically groveling just minutes earlier had the nerve to talk back?

"Did you lose your mind, or are you just stupid?" the mother snapped, her face red with anger.

Mason didn't bother responding. His mind wasn't here. He had far more pressing concerns now. Ever since he'd realized he was back in the past, all that mattered was finding the Mythic Items hidden in the Crypts before anyone else did. He needed to awaken his systems quickly to do that.

'I wasted so much time when I was younger,' he thought, frustrated with his old self. Back then, he struggled to get by, working dead-end jobs for a boss who treated him like garbage. He didn't have the Seeker ability then, so it had made sense. But now? He didn't have time to deal with people like this.

Mason's laugh filled the room, startling the officers. The mother and son looked uneasy.

"What the hell's so funny?" the son growled. "Are you insane?"

His mother tried to slap Mason in frustration, but before anyone could stop her, a loud scream echoed through the station.

"Ahhhhh!" Her hand twisted at an awkward angle, and she stumbled back in shock.

The officers were frozen in place, watching in disbelief as Mason held her arm, casually twisting it like it was nothing.

"You should think before you start swinging," he said calmly, his grip tight.

The student lunged at Mason, but within seconds, his arm was twisted just like his mother's. "Ahhhh!" the boy cried out in pain.

Mason smirked. "Eight weeks for a full recovery, huh? Seems like your hand's working just fine."

The student winced, begging, "Stop! Please, I'm sorry!"

The officers finally snapped out of their stupor. "Let go! That's enough!" one of them shouted, rushing over.

Mason released them without hesitation and stretched his arms. "Fine, fine. Where's the holding cell? I'm tired. Might as well get some rest while I'm here."

"Huh?" The officers stared at him, confused.

"I assume you're locking me up, right? I'll just head to the cell," Mason said, walking toward the back of the station as if he already knew the way.

The officers scrambled to catch up, while the mother and son clutched their arms, watching Mason in disbelief. "Is he out of his mind?" the student muttered.

"He's crazy!" his mother added. "Lock him up! I'm going to sue that bastard!"

But as they huffed and puffed, they didn't notice something crucial.

Mason quietly pulled out their wallets from his pocket. He smirked as he flipped through them. "Well, well... quite the stash," he whispered. He'd used his old street skills-combined with his system-to swipe their wallets without them realizing. 'Years of being called a rat bastard finally paid off,' he thought, chuckling. His abilities had always been sharp, like those of a street magician. Now, thanks to his system, they were even better.

He'd only done it as a warm-up, but it had worked. Mason grinned. 'Looks like these bastards had some important stuff on them. Good luck getting it back.'

Just as he slipped the wallets into his coat, a new message appeared.

-Detect system mastery level increased.-

-Activating Stealth System-

-Dexterity system unlocked.-

Mason's grin widened. 'So that's how it works. I need to perform specific actions to awaken my systems.'

He was about to inspect the system window further when an officer walked up to him.

"Hey, punk. Do I really have to deal with you? I haven't even seen my wife in a month," the officer grumbled.

Mason looked up and smiled. "Kim Ganji. Been a while."

Kim raised an eyebrow. "How do you know my name?" Then his expression softened. "Wait, Mason? Is that you?"

Mason nodded. Kim Ganji had always looked after him, treating him like a younger brother when Mason had no one. But Mason didn't have time for a reunion. He pointed to the TV, where breaking news scrolled across the screen.

-An unknown Crypt appeared in Central Park today at 4 pm. Over 2,000 people reported missing...-

Kim sighed. "These Crypts... They've been popping up for months now, and we still don't have answers."

Mason stared at the screen. He already knew all about these Crypts.

What he needed now was to get ahead of the game.

The world had been thrown into chaos, all because of the Mythic Items that were emerging. Each item, connected to the power of gods, heroes, and legendary figures, sought to find a worthy master. Hades, Sun Wukong, Ares, Izanagi, Solomon-artifacts of immense power-appeared out of nowhere, accompanied by Crypts that signaled their arrival.

The process wasn't random. The Mythic Items used various methods to select their masters, but the creation of Crypts was a common factor. These Crypts became beacons, drawing people toward them in droves.

Mason understood the danger all too well. 'This is only the beginning,' he thought. 'Once these Crypts appear more frequently, hell will follow.'

On the surface, Mythic Items brought great benefits. People who managed to claim them gained incredible powers, but the dark side was always lurking beneath. If these items had a hidden purpose-like wiping out humanity-then their plan was already working. People were killing each other for the chance to claim an item, and powerful monopolies were reshaping the world's social order.

The only way to survive in this new world was to find a powerful Mythic Item. Becoming a Mythic Item user was no longer a choice; it was a necessity. Mason knew history would repeat itself if he didn't act. He couldn't afford to be left behind.

That was why Mason needed answers. He turned to the officer nearby, a man who seemed blissfully unaware of what was really going on.

"Hey, have you seen any one with out of the world abilities lately?"

The officer scratched his head, confused. "You mean like in the Olympics? "

Mason raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, something like that."

Mason couldn't help but smile. 'That confirms it,' he thought.

Based on the officer's clueless response, it was clear that the Crypts had only just started to appear.

Mythic Item users hadn't fully emerged yet. No one had cleared any Crypts, and the true competition hadn't begun.

The world was still in the infancy stage of the chaos to come, but Mason knew he didn't have time to rest. The clock was ticking, and the window of opportunity was shrinking.

He leaned back, his mind racing. 'There aren't any real competitors yet, but that doesn't mean I can relax.'

One name popped into his head, a name that sent a chill down his spine: Mister Depay.

Mister Depay had always been one step ahead, a man with connections and resources that ran deeper than anyone could imagine.

He was ruthless, calculating, and already had eyes on the Crypts.

'If I don't move fast, that turd Depay will claim the best Mythic Items for himself.'

Mason clenched his fists. 'I need to beat him to it. If I don't, I'll be left with nothing but scraps. There's no way in hell that I'm letting those Emperors have their way.'

He couldn't let that happen. Not again.

Mister Depay had been one of the first to claim a Legendary-Grade Mythic Item during the early stages of the Crypt outbreaks. That alone had made him untouchable, but now Mason had a chance to change all of that.

'I need to move faster than that bastard,' Mason thought, his mind racing.

The best plan would be to prevent Mister Depay from getting his hands on the item in the first place. If Mason could reach it before him, it would change everything.

He clenched his teeth, a ghost of the pain from his past life-where his limbs had been cut off-still haunting him. The memory wasn't just painful; it was a reminder of the hellish existence he had endured.

'This isn't just about revenge,' Mason reminded himself. 'I need to avoid repeating that life.'

His resolve solidified. With one last glance at the police station, he turned and started to leave. Time was short, and now that he had returned to the past, there were a thousand things to do.

'First... Europe,' he thought. The most profitable Crypts had emerged there, and that was where he needed to head. He couldn't afford to waste any more time.

But just as he was about to step forward, Mason froze. A realization hit him like a punch to the gut.

'Wait... wasn't I flat broke at this point?'

The truth slapped him in the face. In his present circumstances, he didn't even have enough money to cover basic bills like electricity and water. Forget a plane ticket to Europe-he couldn't even afford a decent meal.

Mason let out a deep sigh. 'I could probably pay off my overdue phone bill with the cash I just swiped, but that's about it.'

He mentally calculated the time left before the Mythic Item era officially kicked into gear. Based on his past life, he guessed there were about two months left. Yet here he was, struggling with day-to-day survival, much less making it to the high-stakes Crypts across the ocean.

'Damn it, why did I erase those winning lottery numbers from my memory?' he cursed. For all his excellent recall, that one crucial detail had slipped away.

As he stood there contemplating his next move, a sharp voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Hey! Mason Monroe!"

Mason turned toward the sound and spotted a group of men standing outside the police station. They had a sneering look on their faces, the kind that immediately sent a wave of annoyance through him.

'Who are they?' Mason wondered. But the answer came quickly. They were his former superiors, the ones from the company where he had been exploited-back when he was just another disposable employee trying to make ends meet.

One of them spat on the ground and motioned aggressively for Mason to come over. Their body language was clear: "Get over here, or we'll deal with you."

Mason knew they didn't want to have a friendly chat. Whatever they were planning, it wasn't good for him. But instead of feeling cornered, Mason's lips curled into a smile.

'Perfect,' he thought, a plan already forming in his mind. 'These punks might be exactly what I need.'

Inspector Kim spotted the men approaching and his eyes widened in shock.

"Huh? Those bastards? I finally caught them! They used you as a human shield last time and took off!"

Kim looked ready to charge at them, but Mason raised a hand to stop him.

"Relax, Inspector. I'll handle this. Besides, I need something from them."

"What? You need something from them?"

Mason glanced back. "Might want to call an ambulance, just in case. It'll get messy if they end up dead."

Inspector Kim blinked, completely thrown off by the comment.

'What? Which side is going to die here?'

"Wait a second! Mason, what the hell are you talking about?" Kim yelled, trying to follow. But before he could react, Mason had already disappeared into a nearby alley.

Mason knew the first thing he had to do now that he was back was settle old scores. But "settling" wasn't quite the right word. He had a lot of unfinished business, and the men coming his way were at the top of the list.

They were part of a criminal organization, the ones who had roped him into dirty work back in high school when he was desperate for cash. After that, they kept him chained to their schemes, squeezing every bit of usefulness out of him.

Mason had been little more than a slave to them.

'If I recall, I worked for these bastards until my mid-twenties when I finally got my abilities.'

The Mason of this time had been robbed, manipulated, and exploited, too scared to run and too broken to fight. He sighed as the memories came flooding back.

These guys had used Mason's extraordinary memory for their art smuggling operations. They had planned to get him deep into debt by purchasing fake art, but when they realized how sharp he was, they kept him around for other reasons.

And here they were again.

"Look at this, our little Mason, still hanging around like a lost puppy. What, no respect for your Superiors?"

"Time to get to work," one of the thugs sneered, cracking his knuckles.

There were four of them. They stood blocking the alley, each one looking more intimidating than the last. One of them held a small wooden box, likely filled with stolen artwork.

"Alright, let's get moving. We're on a schedule, you worthless piece of trash."

One of them smirked, glancing toward where Inspector Kim had been moments ago. "Looks like he's getting smarter. Sent the cop off on his own, huh?"

"Maybe he finally figured out he should stick with us. He knows what happens to people who don't, right?"

"Yeah, such an easy gig. Twice a month off, pay for doing nothing, and we even teach him some tricks. Kid oughta be grateful."

Mason smirked at their delusions, shaking his head. They were making a huge mistake. They assumed he'd ditched Kim because of their threats.

But the truth was far more practical.

Mason didn't want the Inspector there because things were about to get ugly, and it would complicate matters if a cop witnessed what he was about to do.

"Come on, Mason, stop wasting time and-ugh!"

Before anyone could react, one of the thugs went flying backward, crashing into the wall, his front teeth clattering to the ground. It had all happened so fast, the others barely registered the punch.

Mason brushed off his fist, chuckling.

"Morons."

"What the hell?!"

"The reason I ditched the Inspector is so I don't get arrested for excessive self-defense."

"You-You dare lay a hand on us?!"

Mason calmly adjusted his shirt, looking almost bored. "Oh, and by the way, you can let your boss know I'm done. Consider this my formal resignation."

"W-what? Are you out of your mind?" The remaining thugs looked confused, as if trying to figure out what had gone wrong. This wasn't the same Mason who used to grovel at their feet.

But Mason wasn't finished. He cracked his knuckles, giving them a menacing grin.

"Before I go, there's just one more thing."

The men looked at him in shock.

"Any of you got some cash on you? I think it's time I collected my back pay-and maybe a little compensation for my troubles."

The men didn't know what hit them. Mason Monroe had changed completely.