Chapter Eighty-One: A New Mission
“Salute to the nameless benefactor!”
“Praise to this friend, praise to Master Colin!”
“Wait a minute, I remember all injuries are healed once you enter the game. I had just undergone hemorrhoid surgery and was in agony, but after I came in, the pain was gone—hemorrhoids vanished. Regardless, salute to the nameless benefactor…”
“I was handicapped when I entered, now I’m normal…”
“Sudden death is… unpredictable, I guess…”
…
Reading the thread and the comments below it, Colin’s gaze was as lifeless as stagnant water.
His eyes lingered on the topic, numb.
Because…
[You realize that when this nameless benefactor attempted to enter the lantern-lighting method, his Inspiration was greater than 3…]
[Thus, he died.]
Goosebumps rose.
Colin felt a surge of dread within.
He suddenly noticed a question he had, intentionally or otherwise, ignored.
That was: What is his own Inspiration?
The last time he molded the “Twisted Soul,” he knew his Inspiration exceeded 15…
If he continued to ask, from any angle, he’d receive the useless prompt: “You believe your Inspiration is higher than most people.”
But what truly terrified him was not the value of Inspiration.
It was the realization that the person who attempted to share the lantern-lighting method had died even before clicking send…
In other words…
As long as one’s Inspiration exceeds 3 and enters the relevant information, regardless of whether they actually send it, they are forced into a Will check?
For those with Inspiration above 3, failure in the Will check means not just fear, but instant death.
On the very first day, before the chat channel even became active, a batch died inside the hut.
If so…
If—just if—Colin, on the first day, had considered sharing the lantern-lighting method and unconsciously typed a few words…
He might have “dropped dead” too?
After all, his Inspiration started at more than 15…
If he thought of publishing information about the lantern, entered words, he couldn’t believe he wouldn’t be dragged into a Will judgment.
In his initial state, how could he possibly have had the resolve to survive such a Will check?
Colin hadn’t realized that on his very first day rising from bed, he’d already walked the edge of a cliff.
In the end, he was lucky—he hadn’t fallen.
But thinking back now, not immediately sending the information may have been due to some subconscious instinct for self-preservation…
“Mr. Colin?”
Shana’s voice broke through Colin’s slightly disordered thoughts. He only noticed the cold sweat on his back once he returned to his senses.
All this had happened in less than ten seconds; he seemed to have suddenly spaced out…
Shana didn’t suspect much.
“It’s nothing, I saw a moving message…”
Colin opened his mouth, suppressed his inner panic, put away the parchment, and managed a slightly stiff smile.
“Let’s keep moving, I was just distracted for a moment.”
No matter what, the incident had passed; he was unharmed.
Dwelling on it would only scare himself, and sharing it would frighten others…
He had no desire to dampen morale.
Of course, inevitably, Colin’s wariness toward the system grew.
He exhaled quietly, stepped forward, took down another lantern, and led the group to Engracia’s sarcophagus.
[These six olive trees, though not dead, seem no longer inclined to attack you. Perhaps this is the “gift” from Kimino.]
Having confirmed there was likely no danger, Colin peered into the slightly opened sarcophagus lid and saw a space sloping downward.
Starting with Number One, they lifted the lid, just as they had done when entering the tunnels, and stepped inside.
The process held few surprises.
But as he descended, Colin realized that the interior of the black stone sarcophagus was surrounded entirely by wood—more precisely, tree roots…
The space was completely covered by olive tree roots, as if it were another miracle.
Under the lantern’s glow, not far ahead, Colin and the others saw the body of the girl Kimino had adored…
A woman in a white dress, with gentle features and an elegant, tranquil air.
Her body lay upon a couch woven from living roots, sunk into eternal slumber.
Yet Colin observed her form had become a “miracle”—turned entirely to wood.
This somewhat eerie root-filled chamber was likely the result of her own “miracle”…
“It seems, when the calamity struck, her body died completely, transforming into a ‘miracle’ that opened this space…”
Otherwise, even in death, her flesh would have mutated grotesquely, not become a “wooden sculpture.”
While Colin’s mind raced, he took out the parchment again and checked the task list—finding the mission still incomplete.
“Let me see what’s wrong here.”
Colin was about to use a hint when suddenly a sound echoed in his mind—the system’s voice.
[Inspiration check imminent…]
Damn! What did I just do?
Hearing the word “check,” Colin’s mind went blank, instinctively feeling terror and wanting to resist.
But at that moment, everything seemed to end.
[Your Inspiration is greater than 5. Check passed automatically. You will receive the following information:]
[Engracia’s body lies there, numb and cold, not a natural “normal death.” There seems to be hidden truth.]
[“Land of Withered Olives” (completed).]
…Phew, scared me to death… Colin relaxed a little, but didn’t immediately finish the task. He used the hint again to investigate.
[You discover her body is extremely hollow, as if something is missing. You speculate that it may be called a “soul.”]
“Hmm, my ‘hint’ is more reliable, but what does it mean for her to be missing a ‘soul’?”
Colin wondered if her soul had been erased, causing her death.
He didn’t dwell on it, and submitted the task.
Soon, the sound of reward acquisition echoed again.
“Congratulations, you’ve received ‘Hard Black Bread’ x99.”
“Congratulations, you’ve received ‘Knotted Cord’ x3.”
“Congratulations, you’ve received ‘Level 3 Backpack Expansion Card (108 slots)’ x1.”
[‘Knotted Cord’: Handwoven by Engracia herself, the material comes from garments worn by ancient priests. Carrying it grants immunity to one mental skill from a lord-level mutant.]
“Good stuff, pity there’s so little of it.”
Colin stored the cords in his backpack and found, as he expected, that this was a series of tasks.
After submission, a new mission was automatically accepted.
[‘Land of Withered Olives II’]
[Task Description: There are hidden truths behind Engracia’s death. This seems to be why the ‘weeping olive tree’ refuses to return to death.]
[Task Duration: Unlimited.]
[Task Requirement: Explore ‘Temple of Suffering—Underground Third Level, Room Seventeen’ and seek possible secrets.]
[Task Reward: ‘Mark of Growth’ x3, ‘Mark of Guilt’ x1, 2000 Mist Points…]
[Hint: You feel this task is harder than sending the witch home.]