Damned System

Chapter 106. Tomb Raider (6)

How much mana did one absorb while hunting this way?

It felt like solo play, and I wondered how they usually conducted their hunts.

‘Perhaps, he’s curious because we’re not in a party,’ I thought.

I was merely accompanying Yang Taeho, not forming a party with him.

He was just insurance in case of emergencies, not a companion to share mana. Hence, it seemed Yang Taeho was curious about how much mana I was absorbing.

“They don’t give much mana, so I’ve absorbed just over 10,000!”

I replied, not avoiding the question since it wasn’t a secret.

Yang Taeho clicked his tongue at my answer.

We continued to hunt the Volpo, resulting in an increasing number of bodies we couldn’t bury.

Fortunately, before the bodies piled up too high, the Volpo stopped coming out of their holes.

Upon checking, I found that there were still quite a few of them marked on the map in the distance.

We hadn’t caught all those in the corrupted area, but we could no longer lure them out using noise.

“Tsk.”

I wanted to clean up nicely once I started.

“There are some left, but they’re not moving.”

“How do you know that, then?”

Well, I had a map and radar. However, I wasn’t planning on explaining the privileges the system granted me to anyone.

After vaguely explaining that my Mana Detection range was broad, Yang Taeho didn’t dig deeper.

“Then, should I hit them harder?”

“Is that necessary?!”

I thought.

We had to move to destroy Messeo, anyway.

It seemed more practical to start moving rather than lure in those far away with noise.

“There is no more space to bury them, either.”

We’d stuffed too many bodies into the ground where we stood, bringing the ceiling closer than when we first entered this cave.

“I have also significantly reduced their numbers.”

After noting the ceiling’s height, I decided to move and spoke up.

“No, let’s relocate.”

The Messeo marked on the map was scattered quite a distance away.

The issue was that the map didn’t indicate the paths through the burrows.

We would need to find our way one step at a time towards where the messeo was located.

It would be a process that would take a significant amount of time.

“At least I’ll start with the closest one.”

Yang Taeho and I hurried our steps together.

Fortunately, a tunnel high enough for a person to pass through continued onward.

Walking along the path for quite some time, I suddenly stopped.

“What now? What is it?”

Instead of answering Yang Taeho’s question, I surveyed the spot where I’d halted.

I meticulously checked every direction, up and down, without missing a single nook, but there was no path leading sideways.

According to the map, there was a Messeo in the 3 o’clock direction from where I was standing, yet no path led there.

“What is this now…?”

A bug? Lag?

It was unsettling because I’d never experienced such an issue while using the map.

Then the images of monsters crawling out of the holes during our hunting earlier flashed through my mind.

I turned my attention between the direction where the messeo supposedly was and the path the burrow seemed to lead.

There was no guarantee that this path connected to where the messeo was.

“If so, it would be a waste of time taking the long route.”

Eventually, I reached out towards the direction of the messeo.

Extracting only the earth attribute after breaking down the mana, I pushed away the soil on the wall. Observing my actions, Yang Taeho joined in.

What greeted us at the end of the increasingly deep pit was a solid rock.

After clearing the surrounding soil, a boulder larger than my height was revealed.

“Breaking it would be dangerous.”

Not knowing its thickness and possibly causing a cave-in due to intense impact would be troublesome.

So, instead of breaking it directly, I turned to Yang Taeho.

Luckily, I had someone capable of handling rock-attribute mana.

Without such a skill, it would be different, but with it present, there was no reason not to use it.

“Hmm, I’m not confident in breaking it down… just wait a bit.”

Understanding what I was implying, Yang Taeho placed his hand on the rock and took a deep breath.

Then slowly, the surface of the rock began to crumble with a scratching sound.

The pace wasn’t fast. As Yang Taeho admitted his lack of confidence in breaking it, I waited patiently instead of urging him.

The breakthrough came when we penetrated about 5 meters into the problematic rock.

By then, the thinly whittled edge of the rock crumbled with a crack.

On the other side, Yang Taeho, who had taken the first step, was wide-eyed as he gazed around.

“What the…”

His torch moved aimlessly from side to side, hinting at something significant.

Curious about what lay beyond, I followed him out of the hole only to be stunned by the sight that unfolded.

“Ha…”

I was momentarily speechless.

“Following you brings me to see strange sights.”

I had found it odd that Messeo was underground.

After digging away the soil and breaking through the rock, the space we encountered was a colossal tunnel.

It appeared to be carved out of rock, approximately 5 meters high.

Though underground, the tall ceiling prevented it from feeling oppressive.

“Wow, no kidding, there’s some crazy stuff underground.”

The cavernous tunnel echoed even Yang Taeho’s murmuring, akin to a tunnel on a highway.

While surveying the area, a familiar object caught my eye.

“This is…”

Approaching it closely for examination, it confirmed my suspicion.

「Mana Depleted Illumination Stone」

• Category: Ornament, Furniture, auxiliary Tool

• Acquisition Difficulty: Rare

• Rank: ★

• Description: A commonly used illumination magic tool across the continent to secure vision in dark places. Currently, it is depleted of mana and unusable.

“An illumination stone…”

“Hm?”

It was identical to the illumination magic tools mounted in the residence of the Bennett family.

And it wasn’t just one. Within the range of my torch’s light, I could see three.

Moving again after a brief pause, another illumination stone appeared at regular intervals.

Though depleted of mana, a considerable number of illumination stones were embedded within the tunnel.

It blatantly implied that this space was intentionally constructed.

‘It’s a manmade structure.’

This wasn’t a road compacted by the Volpo but a place built by a sentient being with a clear purpose.

Not only were pillars erected to prevent the ceiling from collapsing, but doors were installed to demarcate spaces.

I monitored the map and opened the nearest door.

Beneath the thick layer of dust lay rotted blankets, leather shoes, and smashed wooden dishes scattered without order.

“What are all these…?”

Yang Taeho, who had entered with me, observed the interior with a curious gaze.

By then, I picked up a wooden fork fallen next to the tattered blanket.

It wasn’t even half the size of my hand.

‘It seems to be for infants.’

After briefly fingering the dried and cracked wood grain, various thoughts intersected as I pondered over the traces of unknown individuals.

“Is this a bunker or something?”

Considering the artificially crafted space and scattered items inside, it seemed like it.

The space had a strong vibe of a shelter.

But that notion didn’t quite add up.

“Should we check next door?”

“Hold on a minute.”

I accessed the Temple’s homepage, leaving a comment in the thread used for dialogue with Jordan.

I inquired about how many years ago the lands of the former Kairoth Kingdom, where Viceta Castle stood, were lost.

After a short wait, a reply arrived from Jordan.

– Jordan Rodiel: It was four years ago in the summer. I recall the tide of battle turning sharply against us within weeks, pushing back to Hogmedia.

Hogmedia, a castle about a month’s journey southeast of Viceta.

In the last two years, the northern regions had managed to reclaim the front lines from Hogmedia to Viceta.

Seeing an answer consistent with what I knew, the oddity of this massive refuge became even more prominent.

I thanked Jordan and rose to my feet.

“Why the stiff face? You look intimidating.”

Nearby, Yang Taeho cautiously prodded my arm and spoke.

I let out a light sigh and responded.

“It bothers me.”

“Why’s that?”

“It’s strange to find such a place here.”

“Hm?”

Leaving the puzzled Yang Taeho behind, I exited the room.

Continuing to tread along the tunnel shrouded in darkness, I observed the surrounding areas.

Through this, I became certain.

“This space was methodically designed.”

When constructing a new city, you divide areas, set the purpose for each space, and then commence construction.

This space followed exactly such a procedure.

Living quarters, furnished with blankets, clothing, and dining utensils.

A storage space stocked with rotted grains and jerky for provisions.

An armory with rusted implements orderly arranged and animal cages possibly used for containment.

Every area was systematically divided.

“The more I think about it, the weirder it gets…”

The Kairoth Kingdom, like Ferrell, followed a similar decline.

After the collapse of the royal regime, the survivors organized into a resistance.

However, the two nations did not mirror each other completely.

“Ferrell had many survivors.”

That’s because the royals led by example, commanding forces to hold the front lines.

Although the dynasty perished, historical records noted that about 80% of the populace survived.

Perhaps due to such stories, the loyalty of the people towards the old Ferrell dynasty was notably high.

When royal artifacts emerged from corrupted areas, they would be reverently collected and preserved.

Even the mercenary guild, notorious for its avarice towards money, wasn’t an exception.

If anything, they were the ones bringing in the most artifacts.

Mercenary groups traversed the most corrupted areas.

I heard there was even an instance where they recovered the crown prince’s remains to enshrine them in a temple.

Those associated with Ferrell yearned for the remnants and glory of the vanished royal family.

“In contrast, the Kairoth Kingdom is renowned for its poor initial response to monster attacks.”

Most of the royals and nobles used the populace as meat shields, fleeing to the Atar Empire while they were devoured.

This meant that a large number of remains were found in the northern corrupted areas.

Over the past few days, while exploring corrupted areas untouched by human foot for a long time, I felt a bit despondent.

Remains of families clutching onto their meticulously collected wealth even in the face of death.

Unattended carts, laden with pottery and art, left abandoned.

Chests full of jewels, not essentials like food necessary for survival, found beside the remains.

“People are the same everywhere, they say.”

Observing such things gave insight into the persistent greed of man, haunting them even in the face of imminent death.

“I’m hardly in a position to mock their lifestyle.”

There wasn’t much difference between the deceased Biharis in the past and myself.

I was also cheering and despairing over each loot at the start.

Hence, I didn’t intend to argue the rights and wrongs behind wealth.

The current scenario simply troubled me due to its incomprehensibility, while only adding more worries to my thoughts.

“The Kairoth Kingdom had such evacuation facilities?”

At a glance, its scale was large enough to accommodate a significant number of people.

“If the space allocation is done well, 10,000 to 20,000 could possibly live here.”

If the elites fled after abandoning the populace, who constructed this?

Damned System