The attack refers to targets adjacent to the attacker, not the target. Therefore, the skill always activates once due to the fact the attacker must be adjacent to a target to hit with a melee attack.
It's important to note that this is a Melee Attack, not a Scythe Attack. Thus, anyone wielding a melee weapon can use it.
Trivia[]
Eremite is a Greek word for hermit or ascetic, which translates literally as desert-dweller.