Damned System

Chapter 108. Tomb Raider (8)

All my efforts felt futile, as nothing happened until we gathered all the loot.

That silence seemed to disconnect the horrors of the past from my current self.

After collecting the loot, the next place we moved to was where the messeo was located.

It wasn’t long before we found the remaining Messeo and destroyed it.

Ultimately, it took about an hour to clear the mission.

However, even after completing our task, I didn’t leave the underground tunnel.

Instead, I continued exploring, looking around at various things.

Yang Taeho followed me diligently without a word of complaint.

Thanks to him, we were able to witness yet another horror.

The only difference from what we had seen before was perhaps the size of the remains?

“What in the world, could it be kids?”

“It… seems like it.”

A skull the size of half of my head, limbs that hadn’t fully grown, and small clothes.

Tattered dolls and crudely drawn pictures on wooden boards scattered around indicated this was a place intended for children.

“A kindergarten, perhaps?”

Silently observing the scene, unsettling and disquieting emotions churned within me.

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one feeling this way, as Yang Taeho muttered in exasperation.

“Huh… was this place abandoned?”

“Probably.”

“This is insane.”

“Well, it was probably deemed less important.”

Unlike the vault room where the loot was, there weren’t any severe traces of battle here.

Not that there could’ve been any intense battles in the first place; there were too few elements to call it a battle scene.

One corpse of a four-star evolved creature.

A spear embedded in the wall, piercing through its abdomen.

Another collapsed corpse in front of it.

A diamond-shaped shield clutched in its grip.

These were all the elements that could be connected to a battle.

I carefully examined the corpse lying on the ground.

The skull shape was somewhat similar to a human’s.

Though it was dented, the corpse was wearing armor and other equipment.

“Whew.”

Though I wasn’t particularly curious, a rough picture was starting to form in my mind.

A group of shadows, dozens of them, rushing towards the vault after realizing the attack.

And a lone figure running towards this place.

Isn’t it a scene that naturally draws a sigh?

“I understand, however.”

Giving up the bunker and evacuating because of an intruder means that the safe area where they could stay disappeared.

Wouldn’t there need to be a foundation present to discuss what’s next?

When someone takes care of others’ lives, another person securing financial resources for the future isn’t strange.

I would’ve thought that way as well.

“It’s only natural for humans to be selfish.”

My mind understood that fact clearly.

Yet a part of me still felt uncomfortable.

“I didn’t want to see such blatant disparities.”

I tried hard to shake off the unpleasant feelings as I stood up.

There wasn’t anything special to examine here, as it was a space for children.

I didn’t want to stay in such a disquieting space any longer.

I was about to explore other sectors.

But my steps stopped before I could take even ten paces.

“Tsk.”

And in the end, I found myself turning back.

Leaving now would have left today’s events lingering in my mind for a long time.

“Better to clear my curiosities and leave.”

I didn’t intend to debate right and wrong from the actions of the already dead.

However, some deaths deserved to be commemorated with personal time and emotion.

From my perspective, the deaths remaining in front of the vault didn’t hold significant value worth revisiting.

The fact they wore armor implied that they were a combat force.

Despite that, they ran towards treasure, not towards where the people were.

They must have made the choice to secure their own survival after leaving the bunker.

“Choosing for oneself means they should bear the responsibility for consequence left behind.”

Contrarily, the deaths left here were different.

I kept looking back.

When faced with the same situation, I incessantly questioned what choice I would make.

“Would I have run here to secure the children’s future?”

Not having the confidence to nod my head willingly made these deaths feel heavier to me.

In the end, unable to leave and held in place, I began organizing the remains.

“What… are you doing?”

Yang Taeho was about to question me, but stopped himself.

And soon, as if understanding what I intended to do, he began to help.

Before long, I started gathering stones from nearby walls to create a stone grave.

“I don’t know whether an afterlife really exists.”

But isn’t having a grave better than not?

For ages on Earth, many cultures have existed where the dead were buried.

It’s a culture developed to protect the living from decayed bodies, but…

To me, separating death and graves felt unnatural.

Hence, I felt compelled to create a grave.

Together, Yang Taeho and I covered each child’s remains, cloaked in dust and cobwebs, with stones.

The work did not take long.

After building the stone grave, we disposed of the bothersome corpse of the evolved creature outside the room.

To do so, we had to pull out the spear lodged in the creature’s abdomen, though the weapon wasn’t in great shape.

“This is a scrap.”

Although it could be melted down and used as material for equipment repairs…

I felt uneasy about taking what was essentially a keepsake.

I took the dented shield and placed it in front of the stone grave, too.

And then, there was something that stood between me and the crude, simple stone grave.

HIDDEN MISSION

「Kerak’s Sigh」

Console the spirit of Kerak, who perished failing to protect the weak.

「Reward」

– Equipment imbued with Kerak’s Sigh

「Congratulations! You have successfully completed the HIDDEN MISSION – Kerak’s Sigh.

「As a reward, you will receive an item imbued with Kerak’s Sigh.」

「Kerak’s spirit will now inhabit one of the keepsakes.」

Before I could fully read the Hidden Mission window that appeared after a long time, a golden shimmer emanated from the stone grave in front of me.

The light seeped into the neatly placed spear and shield, then vanished.

Once I regained my composure, I noticed the rust-covered spear was now gleaming.

The previously shattered and dented shield was in pristine condition, devoid of any blemishes.

Stunned by the remarkable sight, I let out a surprised breath.

“… What on earth is this?”

For a moment, I wondered if I had spoken my thoughts aloud, but it wasn’t the case.

Glancing to my side, Yang Taeho was staring blankly at the empty air in front of him.

It seemed that the same message had appeared for him as well.

After a moment, Yang Taeho turned his creaky head towards me and asked.

“Did you also get a Hidden Mission?”

“Yes.”

Of course. We built the stone grave together, after all.

“But aren’t you surprised at all? You’re too calm!”

Well, there’s nothing astonishing about a Hidden Mission appearing.

“I’m not sure what a spirit is, but…”

I doubted it was something that would cause me harm if carried away.

I had this confidence because the system was designed to support the player’s growth.

The very purpose of creating this game was to nurture players, so there was no reason for doubt.

Hidden Missions, after all, offer rewards only to those who satisfy specific conditions.

“No matter what, it’ll help strengthen my power.”

Indeed, every reward I’ve received from Hidden Missions has been quite satisfactory.

Even with all the hardships endured, there was never a single time I was disappointed upon receiving a reward.

I didn’t expect this time to be different.

Regardless of my personal dislike for the system, I trusted in its purpose.

Thus, with clear assurance, I didn’t hesitate to reach for the weapons laid out in front of the grave.

The first one I grabbed was naturally the spear I used as my main weapon.

「Spear Imbued with Kerak’s Sigh」

– Category: Relic
– Acquisition Difficulty: Unique
– Grade: ★★★★★

– Bound to: K

– Description: A reward given to those who consoled Kerak’s spirit. Observed by the eyes of the Seven Gods, who witnessed Kerak unable to close his eyes until his last breath due to the guilt of not protecting the weak, it holds special powers. Kerak will aid the players who consoled him when faced with similar situations.

– Effect: Recognition of Kerak (Inactive)

*Only the bound player may use this item.*

“Whew.”

Sighing because of the system was not unfamiliar to me.

“Just when I thought it was working well, it pulls this trick again.”

The explanation was woefully inadequate. Shouldn’t it clearly state how it helps?

Is it a buff, an enhancement in the weapon’s power, or some other effect?

Only if such effects were explicitly marked with figures could they be deemed explanations, don’t you think?

“No matter how much you fix and repair it, it still shows its shabby side.”

Though I clicked my tongue, I still fidgeted with the spear.

“A unique-grade item, huh?”

And a five-star weapon, at that.

Neither did the impromptu revelation of the Hidden Mission nor the equipment leave any questions.

While alternating glances between the stone grave and the spear, I reflected on the contents of the Hidden Mission that appeared at an unexpected moment.

“Consolation and spirit…”

Though banal, those words were surprisingly rich in information.

For instance, the attitude I should embody while engaging with this game.

“The system created this game.”

However, the Seven Gods funded it.

“Their objectives don’t perfectly align.”

The system’s purpose was to nurture players in preparation for Earth’s invasion.

It seemed it also wished to conclude the war in Bihar before Earth’s humanity was deeply entangled in this matter, if possible.

On the other hand, Bihar’s Gods?

“The salvation of believers.”

This game was crafted to satisfy the distinct purposes of the developers and investors.

Realizing this, the optimal way to engage with this game to garner more rewards became apparent.

I looked over the new spear in my hand.

Up until a moment ago, it had been rusted and damaged, drawing no particular attention, but now…

“It looks completely new.”

The spear imbued with Kerak’s spirit had a sleek spearhead design, different from the cross-shaped spear I was currently using.

And the engravings on its blade looked quite sophisticated.

“It looks usable.”

Though unimpressed by the system’s scant explanations, acquiring a new weapon was a pleasant affair.

Besides, Shamel had incessantly nagged at the cross spear I used.

She always complained about how someone with no foundational skills wielded a flashy weapon, criticizing me relentlessly.

Given its sleek design, tailored for basic thrusting, it would surely silence Shamel.

Switching to a weapon with special effects attached wasn’t a bad idea either.

As I continued examining the spear with satisfied nods, I caught a noise next to me.

“Gasp!”

A sound akin to a sharp inhale followed, emerging from Yang Taeho’s direction.

He was inspecting the shield with hands trembling.

Come to think of it, the golden light had seeped into both the spear and the shield.

“Are they two so we won’t argue over them?”

If there had been three of us constructing the grave, would three rewards have emerged?

Curiosity flared briefly, but I didn’t dwell on it.

What point was there in contemplating bygone things?

We were fortunate enough to each acquire matching equipment, and that sufficed, didn’t it?

Claimed to be bound items, Yang Taeho’s was rightfully his.

No sense in being curious beyond that point.

“Let’s move on.”

Having achieved the purpose of returning to this room, it was time to make another move.

I led Yang Taeho, who seemed unable to take his eyes off the shield, and resumed our underground exploration.

That led us to a place with a massive iron gate.

“What’s wrong now? Does something feel off?”

Yang Taeho cautiously approached me, noticing I wasn’t easing into motion easily.

“Well… Let’s take a look.”

The iron gate, wide open to both sides, was about 5 meters in height.

It was evidently the entrance to this space, wasn’t it?