Reborn In A Perverse Monster World! My System Adapts To Everything!

Chapter 144: Tears Of Damnation [FIXED!][15/07!]

Guards hauled Jason from the depths. Thick chains bound his wrists, ankles, and neck, connected to a reinforced collar that forced his head forward. Mana suppression runes glowed brightly across every link. Two stone golems gripped his shoulders as they marched him into the grand obsidian council chamber. The ten members sat at the long table, their eyes locking onto him immediately.

Jason walked unbothered, steps steady despite the restraints. He scanned the room once, noting the full assembly, then stopped at the center.

The council members shifted. Thar the Ironjaw leaned forward, tusks bared. "Smaller than the stories claimed. Doesn’t look like much."

Thalindra Moonwhisper, the ancient elf who had commanded the orc to stop during Jason’s initial confrontation, raised a hand for silence. Her silver hair cascaded over her shoulders as she studied him with millennia of authority. "You requested this audience. Speak."

Jason nodded slightly against the collar. "That’s right. I know everyone here is aware of what’s been happening around the world. The dungeons. The tears. The disasters."

Murmurs rippled. Zrix the Spark bounced in his seat. "The Marrow incidents! Yes, yes! Data shows massive realm instability!"

Jason continued calmly. "And I have come here to tell you, I will assist you."

Thar slammed his fist on the obsidian table, cracking it. "Assist?! You stand here in chains making demands like some savior? After everything you’ve done? I say we execute him now and be done with this farce!"

Lirra the Dreamer yawned from her coiled position. "Must you shout, Thar? It’s tiresome."

Jason sighed, unbothered. With a single flex, the cuffs shattered, and the chains exploded into fragments that clattered across the floor. The collar snapped open. The golems staggered back as Jason rolled his shoulders, completely free.

"Look, I played your games," Jason said evenly. "But if you people want to play the hard way, let’s play it."

The council members didn’t flinch. Valthor the Veiled watched with detached interest. Graznak the Slumbering scratched his belly lazily. No alarms sounded. No spells flew.

Thalindra Moonwhisper, the most composed and clearly directing the proceedings, leaned forward. Her eyes met Jason’s without fear. "What do you need from us?"

Elyndra Silverveil, seated beside her, narrowed her eyes slightly—the elf who had met Jason personally before he went to the island—but remained silent for now.

Jason exhaled in relief. "I see you have all discussed it. That is good." He paused, voice steady. "But this world as you know it is about to come to an end."

The chamber fell into focused silence. Jason stood relaxed in the center, no longer restrained, yet making no aggressive moves. He observed the council’s reactions with mild curiosity.

Thar growled low. "End? You threaten us after breaking free? I could crush you where you stand!"

Jason shrugged. "Not a threat. A fact. The Marrow’s collapse tore the veils between realms. More portals are opening. Realms bleeding into each other. You’ve seen the signs."

Zrix’s eyes sparkled with excitement. "Realm bleed! I knew my calculations were right! Tell us more — what variables are we missing?"

Valthor spoke softly. "And why should we trust the one who caused it?"

Jason met his gaze directly. "Because I’m the only one who can fix it. I absorbed its power. That makes me the key. I’m offering cooperation, not submission."

Graznak chuckled deeply. "Bold. I like that. What’s in it for us, abomination?"

"Survival," Jason replied simply. "Yours and everyone else’s. The dungeons aren’t random. They’re wounds. If we don’t seal them, everything merges into chaos."

Lirra uncoiled slightly. "And you expect us to simply hand over resources? Armies? Knowledge?"

Thalindra raised her hand again, silencing the table. "He walked into our prison willingly. Endured the test below without slaughtering the inmates. That suggests control and a just moral compass. Strategy." She turned back to Jason. "Continue."

Jason nodded. "I need information on every known tear location. Access to your archives on ancient seals. And your word that we work together instead of wasting time with cuffs and propaganda."

Thar snorted. "Propaganda worked. Dark guilds are already sniffing around the prison."

Jason smiled faintly. "Exactly. They’ll come. Let them. I’ll handle it. But I need your full council behind this."

The orc berserker crossed his arms, still scowling but listening. Zrix scribbled notes furiously. "Alliance with the Marrow-breaker! This will be legendary!"

Valthor tilted his head. "You speak as if the outcome is certain. What if we refuse?"

Jason remained unbothered. "Then I walk out and fix it alone. But more people die in the process. Your choice."

Thalindra studied him for a long moment. "You mentioned the world ending. Elaborate on the scale."

Jason’s tone stayed matter-of-fact. "Multiple realms colliding. Creatures from other worlds pouring through. The anchor that held everything stable is gone. I broke it by accident, now I’ll correct it. With or without you."

Graznak yawned. "Fine by me. Beats napping through the apocalypse."

Lirra smiled lazily. "As long as I get to watch from somewhere comfortable."

Thar grunted. "If there’s fighting, I’m in. But one wrong move from you..."

Jason met each gaze in turn. "Understood. Now, are we done with the chains and tests?"

Thalindra nodded once. "It seems we have much to discuss."

-

Guards escorted Jason through a side passage after the full council session ended. Thalindra Moonwhisper led the way, her silver hair swaying with each measured step. The other members had already dispersed, their roles in the public display complete. The verdict stood: the council would assist him.

They entered a smaller, secluded chamber lined with ancient elven runes that glowed softly. Thalindra sealed the door with a gesture. No guards remained. She sat at a simple stone table and motioned for Jason to take the seat opposite.

"As the oldest and strongest among us, and leader of this council, I handle the truths the others do not need to hear immediately," she said, voice precise and calm. "You broke free easily. You endured the prison test without slaughter. The others played their parts—Thar’s rage, Zrix’s excitement—to gauge your temperament. We will assist you. Now speak plainly. What are your real plans?"

Jason sat relaxed, unbothered by the weight of her gaze. "Straight to it. Good. The Marrow’s collapse tore the veils. I absorbed its power, which connects me to the tears. My plan is simple: locate every major breach, seal the worst ones first, and stabilize the barriers before full realm collision occurs. I’ll need your archives, scouts, and coordinated strikes when new portals open."

Thalindra leaned forward slightly. "And casualties? You claimed we could reduce them. Can we truly limit the loss of life as you promised the full council?"

Jason met her eyes directly. "Despite your assistance, there will still be casualties. It’s impossible to avoid every death in something this scale. That would be wishful thinking. But we can significantly reduce them. Stop the worst merges early. Prevent total population collapse across regions. With coordinated effort, we contain the chaos before it spirals into worldwide annihilation."

Thalindra studied him for a long moment, her eyes unreadable. She noted the way power subtly radiated from him, controlled and steady. The Marrow rested within Jason like a tamed storm. She wanted to ask how he achieved such mastery over a force that had anchored entire realms, but she kept the question to herself. Some truths revealed themselves in time.

"You carry a fragment of existence itself," she said instead. "Few could survive that, let alone command it."

Jason shrugged lightly. "Adaptation helps. I’ve had practice."

Thalindra nodded once. "The council will provide maps of known tears and access to restricted seals. In return, you coordinate through me. No unilateral actions that risk our people."

"Agreed," Jason replied evenly. "I’m not here to replace you. Just to fix what I broke."

A faint smile touched Thalindra’s lips. "Practical. The others will follow my lead once I confirm your sincerity. Elyndra already suspected as much from the island encounter."

They continued discussing logistics—priority targets, communication methods, resource allocation. Jason outlined potential threats from other realms, including aggressive entities already crossing over. Thalindra shared fragments of elven lore on veil maintenance, her knowledge spanning centuries.

The conversation flowed efficiently. Jason remained calm and direct, offering honest assessments without exaggeration. Thalindra pressed on weak points, testing for hidden motives, but found none.

Then the chamber floor vibrated. A low rumble passed through the stone. Both turned toward the narrow window overlooking the capital.

A loud explosion echoed from several districts away. Flames erupted skyward in a bright plume. Thick black smoke rose in heavy columns, visible even from the council headquarters. The shockwave had carried far enough to rattle windows and stir dust from the ceiling.

Jason stood, unbothered, and walked to the window. "Right on schedule."

Thalindra joined him, her expression sharpening. "Dark guilds. They moved faster than expected. That district holds secondary armories."

Jason watched the smoke rise. "They heard the propaganda. Thought the council left a prize unguarded. I’ll handle it."

Thalindra turned to him. "Already? We just formalized the alliance."

"Better now than later," Jason said. "Send word to the others. This is the first test of our cooperation. I’ll contain the incursion and bring back any useful intelligence from the attackers."

Thalindra studied the growing fire. "Do not underestimate them. The dark guilds have waited for you to be found."

Jason rolled his shoulders once. "They’ll learn quickly. Same as the prisoners below."

He moved toward the door. Thalindra did not stop him. Instead, she spoke quietly. "Finish this quickly, Jason. We have much more to discuss about the Marrow once the immediate fires are quenched."

Jason paused at the threshold, glancing back with a faint grin. "Count on it. I’ll return soon."

The explosion’s aftershocks continued faintly as he left the chamber, heading toward the rising smoke. Thalindra remained by the window, watching both the distant chaos and the path Jason took. The leader of the council noted every detail, her mind already turning toward the larger war ahead.