Damned System

Chapter 109. Tomb Raider (9)

‘If one were to compare it to a castle, it was like a gate.’

Beyond the iron door, there were four paths stretching out in different directions. All paths led to stairs that ascended upward.

Of the four, three had collapsed, and the remaining one was connected through a tight gap between rocks.

The entrance was hidden in a way that it couldn’t be easily seen from outside. This gave me the assurance that the place was similar to a bunker, serving as a shelter.

After checking all the paths leading outside, instead of going out, I returned to the iron door.

In most cases, the entrance to a specific space bears symbolic significance, just like the lobby of a hotel, the main gate of a palace, or the information desk of a major administrative building.

The entrance sets the first impression of the space, which is why they are often endowed with some kind of meaning regardless of the culture or era.

‘I don’t think it’s any different here.’

As expected, when I closed the giant door with my own hands, I saw a huge flower revealed.

Half of it was on the left door, and the other half on the right door. The carved flower on the iron door was quite magnificent.

‘It’s not a rose…’

I was not very familiar with plants, so I couldn’t name the flower. The only flowers I could recognize were roses or sunflowers.

I took out my notebook that I always carried and started sketching the unfamiliar flower emblem.

While I wasn’t particularly good at drawing, capturing its features was enough to convey the meaning to others.

‘I’ll have to show it to Jordan later.’

Through him, I would be able to find out what the emblem meant or whose it was. After staring at the strange emblem for a while, I opened the iron door again.

There was no need to block the space which might become a retreat option since what dangers might be lurking inside were unknown.

I spent almost three hours exploring the bunker that day. Thanks to that, I could draft a simple map of the place.

‘This looks good to use as an advance base.’

It would be suitable as a supply storage or a gathering point exclusively for Palao.

Currently, only Yang Taeho and I knew about this place, making it ideal for Palao to claim.

‘It wouldn’t be hard to ensure Yang Taeho keeps quiet.’

If I established a base for Palao, it would certainly simplify things. However, it was not for me to decide alone, so I planned to discuss the use of this space with Jordan.

After critically assessing the map I had filled in my notebook, I returned to the iron door.

“Why are we back here?”

“With an exit like this, there’s no need to dig our way out again.”

“Right, you’re heading out? Have you seen everything to your satisfaction?”

“Yes, for now.”

When I stepped outside, the sun had already set. I confirmed the location on the map, which I had organized before entering the ground tunnel where Volpo resided.

“So, are we heading to the advance base then?”

Yang Taeho, who had also squeezed through the narrow rock gap, asked, checking the darkening sky.

“Yes, our business here is finished.”

On the way, I had already cleared most of the messeo. Almost no monsters remained.

Unless a new Messeo formed and monsters gathered again, the area would remain safe for a while.

Without battle, and if we only focused on running, we would reach the advance base by early morning.

“Let’s hurry back! I want to soak in warm water soon.”

This time, I nodded without a second word. Camping wasn’t particularly enjoyable for me either.

‘I’ve earned a considerable amount of mana too.’

Having absorbed over 40,000 mana during this excursion meant that my trip was worth the effort.

It was time to head back to the advance base, or we’d delay our next schedule. After minimizing the map and confirming the direction, I spoke.

“It’s this way.”

Yang Taeho didn’t question how I could determine direction when not even the sun was out.

Instead, he simply moved his feet in the direction I indicated. This confirmed that his actions were not based solely on curiosity.

‘That’s not a bad thing.’

It would be uncomfortable if someone were highly skilled but always nosy. However, Yang Taeho was not like that.

Despite several odd occurrences, he never fixated on his doubts. Even when I hid things related to the Damned System, he went along without prying.

My slightly tilting heart fully drifted towards him.

“So, what do you plan to do after returning?”

As the hunt was over, I decided to broach the subject tentatively.

“Hmm?”

“Are you going to continue with those people from before?”

It was a light probe into Yang Taeho’s intentions.

“Why do you ask me that?”

Yang Taeho shook his head firmly.

“Even if they were to beg, I wouldn’t stick back with those guys.”

He added that if he had known how sneaky they were, he wouldn’t have gone out hunting with them in the first place. It wasn’t difficult to approach Yang Taeho.

“Then why not join my party? We need a tank, so…”

Yang Taeho stopped in his tracks, visibly surprised by my recruitment proposal. Initially, this wasn’t my plan.

My intent was to ensure some security while accompanying him. But as we spent more time together, my thoughts began to change.

I started contemplating whether it would be worth officially recruiting him into my party. Thus, I meticulously analyzed Yang Taeho’s capabilities.

‘To be objective, the party’s battle involving Yang Taeho was chaotic.’

The fact that monsters managed to infiltrate their formation said enough. But that was not the fault of the tank.

The time he spent holding off the monsters up front was sufficient.

The chaos in the party’s hunting pace resulted from the dealers being too slow to handle the monsters that reached behind the tank.

‘In other words, he managed to hold on that much despite having below-average dealers on his team.’

This meant he stood his ground and protected the frontline in silence, even when the dealers behind him failed their duties. His response to the evolved species I had brought also demonstrated his skill.

Yang Taeho chose to raise his shield and defend the formation rather than retreat. It was an excellent decision from a tank’s perspective.

‘Tankers aren’t members who directly participate in the hunt.’

They ensure that parties can continue hunting. This becomes obvious if one looks at the role of a shield bearer, which is akin to tanks.

Obviously, one might think it should be that way, yet unfortunately, many tankers are not like that.

‘Most are just clumsy guys waving shields around mindlessly.’

It’s common to witness the incompetence of tanks compared to other positions, as this role needs to be approached from a different perspective than simply wielding weapons to kill monsters like dealers do.

But many fail to grasp this, wielding their shields carelessly against monsters, thus showing their inadequacy.

About eight out of ten tanks I encountered in the corrupted area fell into the category of clueless figures wielding shields without understanding their role.

Although it might sound harsh, it was my honest evaluation of most tanks I’d seen. But Yang Taeho was well-grounded in the basics.

If I was to pick a flaw, perhaps his tendency to be overly emotional?

‘I suspected it from when he offered the potion.’

Despite being tangled in this crazy game, Yang Taeho hadn’t lost his goodwill.

‘It’s honestly incredible.’

Here, one could kill fellow players without repercussions. After learning such a method even once, repeated occurrences usually become easier.

‘Sliding into cruelty never regresses.’

Once someone starts taking steps down that path, it doesn’t take long to devolve into a soulless monster.

There are consistently those caught focusing solely on PK, and their codenames are shared among survivors.

That’s why I wanted to see Yang Taeho’s kind nature as an asset rather than a flaw.

It takes conviction and a strong will to maintain moral standards regardless of the situation.

‘If he seems swayed by pity, I can keep a tighter grip or gently cut ties.’

This led me to lean much towards recruiting him. Though there weren’t any astonishingly standout traits, he exceeded average expectations in all areas.

‘It’s harder to find such people compared to talented individuals in one area.’

A tank like Yang Taeho would be a great fit in my party. I had already been contemplating forming a party anyway.

‘The high-level corrupted area will be revealed soon.’

Although not publicly announced yet, it was decided during a meeting of the 7 Great Orders’ leadership.

I knew this because Rashar had hinted me about it. Advancing into the high-level corrupted area was inevitable.

The challenging 3 and 4-star corrupted areas were exponentially more perilous than the 1 and 2-star ones.

Escorting Holy Knights across and experiencing things myself made it clear to me; clearing them alone was not feasible.

‘An artificially amassed stronghold of monster gathering.’

It felt strategically crucial for advancing into the Demi-human land.

That’s why I considered forming a party, and finding a promising tank candidate seemed like a golden opportunity.

Hesitating now would be foolish. I’ve made my offer, and the rest is up to Yang Taeho’s answer.

“Why me? We’ve just met; how can you think of taking me along?”

After a long silence, Yang Taeho finally spoke.

“I don’t understand why a player like you would want to recruit me. Why me, of all people?”

Yang Taeho’s question was earnest, so I stated the truth plainly. There was no reason to lie, nor could I begin a team’s journey under false pretenses.

Feeling uneasy about the excessively positive words from me?

“Still, surely there must be shortcomings… my mana is lacking, among other things…”

Yang Taeho mentioned his weaknesses first.

“There must be many areas where I fall short compared to you, like the history of this place… I only simply thought about making some money…”

“I can’t say there are no shortcomings… but honestly, they’re not a big issue.”

“Why is that?”

“Because I can cover those lacking aspects.”

Without any hesitation, the words flowed out, leaving Yang Taeho with a dazed expression. Meanwhile, my demeanor remained steady.

I merely stated the facts. Take the mana discrepancy for instance, mentioned by Yang Taeho.

His attribute mana was significantly insufficient to keep up with my hunting pace.

There were instances where the hunting had to pause because Yang Taeho ran out of mana and needed to rest.

But that was really not a significant issue.

‘It’ll take, at most, five days on average.’

If we set a time and seamlessly complete corrupted area missions, replenishment will be quick.

I had already laid out plans to elevate him to a level similar to mine. Hence, the proposal was made. Ultimately, if Yang Taeho agreed, everything would be settled.

“What do you think?”

I prompted him for a quicker response, to which Yang Taeho suddenly burst into laughter.

“Ha ha ha ha!”

Immediately after, he patted my shoulder repeatedly.

“Your confidence is through the roof, huh!”

After a hearty laugh, Yang Taeho extended his hand towards me with an assertive gesture.

“I liked what I heard! If you’re fine with it, I see no reason to refuse. Let’s join forces!”

Just before shaking his hand, I added one condition.

“However, there’s a condition.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“The party composition is entirely my jurisdiction.”

“Hmm?”

“Even if you personally don’t like someone, once I accept them as a party member, that’s the end of it.”

Personal connections or getting along on a friendly level won’t be imposed.

But inciting discord over personal likes or dislikes won’t be tolerated. It was something I felt necessary to clarify.

Luckily, Yang Taeho showed no signs of resistance.

“If I trust your skill, I can trust your judgment as well.”

Finally, I clasped Yang Taeho’s hand with a triumphant attitude.

“You won’t regret this.”

Regret was not even an option.

「Contacting with Gamma. Detecting corrupted mana.」

「Would you like to purify Gamma’s corrupted mana? (Y/N)」

No sooner had I pressed the Yes button displayed before my eyes than Yang Taeho’s eyes widened to the point they looked ready to burst.

‘Indeed, there’s no room for regret.’

Being part of Alpha’s party, where self-purification was possible, the concept of regret was non-existent.