Sebastian went to Higrid Hill, a barren hill with no trees or valuable minerals. It was called the cursed hill because no living creature wanted to stay there.
"I followed the young master's orders, but is this really right?"
Leon had told Sebastian to find some lesser-known miners, preferably those who looked foolish or obsessed with money.
"I'm not sure this place is suitable for mining, but this is the first task the young master gave me. Seems like the rumors about Leon the Troublemaker might be true," said Sebastian.
He then directed a group of scruffy, simple-minded miners. Sebastian doubted Leon's choice, but he had no choice. He was ordered to serve him.
"Start digging immediately. You'll switch shifts in four hours!" commanded Sebastian.
Elsewhere.
With Sebastian focused on establishing the Pyraxium mine, I began my own journey. I went to a historical monument in Lamburge City.
The city was famous for the Monument of the War Between Hanz, a civil war. It was said that twins from the Hanz family possessed magical powers and could speak with spirits.
Each twin made a contract with a powerful spirit. The elder brother made a contract with the spirit of light, Luminari, while the younger one made a contract with the spirit of darkness, Umbros.
They once worked together. The elder brother maintained peace using Luminari, while the younger kept Umbros sealed away to prevent chaos.
But both of them fell in love with the same woman. The younger, jealous that the woman chose his brother, released Umbros, causing havoc and starting the War Between Hanz.
"Although the true story had a twist where the elder brother poisoned his younger sibling to win the woman, Umbros, enraged, possessed the younger's corpse and started the war."
But history is written by the victors. The elder brother wanted to be remembered as a hero, so he crafted a false tale.
"Welcome to Lamburge City, where the War Between Hanz took place!" a tour guide greeted a group of tourists. I slipped away quietly.
My goal was simple: the Tomb of Hanz. That was where the cursed item lay. In the game, it was a forbidden artifact, created only as a collectible because of its extreme danger.
But now that I was inside the game and there was no system to stop me, I could test its power myself.
"Hey!"
Someone shouted at me. Had my disguise been exposed? I knew this hat wouldn't be enough to conceal Leon's irritating aura.
I slowly turned around. A girl was looking at me. She seemed... familiar somehow.
"Who are you?"
"Ah, sorry. My name's Penlope Mogran. I'm an adventurer, just like my father!" she said energetically.
She had short brown hair, explorer clothes, and a pair of binoculars hanging around her neck. Even without her saying it, I could tell she was an adventurer.
"Uh, Alex," I replied. If I said Leon Moriet, she'd probably freak out.
"You look suspicious. Don't tell me you know the secret of Lamburge City? Hey, come on, tell me. Share something with me!" said Penlope. Ugh, she was so annoying. I had to get away from her.
"Wait, isn't that the war monument of the Hanz brothers?" I said, and Penlope immediately looked back.
"Oh, that was during the fight with his brother! You see, the story goes that—" Penlope turned around again, only to find Alex already gone.
"Ah! How rude, leaving a lady behind like that! Hmph! I guess I'll have to uncover the secrets of Lamburge myself," said Penlope as she walked away.
Good.
If she kept following me, I'd never make it to the tomb. In the game, Lamburge City was a bonus chapter where someone accidentally opened the tomb and got possessed by Umbros's lingering wrath.
I was here for that. The cursed item.
When I reached the soldiers' burial ground from the War Between Hanz, I went to the smallest grave. In the game, you were supposed to spin it three times.
"It's like a code to unlock the bonus chapter. But will it still work now that this world has surpassed reality?" I muttered. I tried rotating the small tombstone, but it didn't budge.
"Is there something under this grass?"
As I brushed the grass aside, I began to understand. There were magical patterns carved beneath. That was the mechanism to open it.
When I stepped on one of the symbols, I heard grinding noises. The more I moved between them, the louder it grew.
Until finally, a passage opened beneath my feet just like in the game.
"Alright, time to act." I took off my hat and let myself fall into the darkness.
Meanwhile, back at the mine on Higrid Hill.
Sebastian could hardly believe his eyes. There were tons of reddish-yellow stones scattered around.
"What kind of stone is this? I've never seen anything like it," said one of the miners. Sebastian examined it. Leon had ordered that the discovery of this stone must not be revealed. So Sebastian pretended it was worthless.
"It's just a normal rock. Take it out," said Sebastian calmly.
'Perhaps the young master isn't as foolish as people say,' he thought