Sam was genuinely shocked to discover Peter's lifeless body at the forest's edge, spared from the clutches of any wild beasts.
"Those bastards probably dumped his body here," Sam thought bitterly. The first body, with a bullet hole at the side of his head, likely belonged to the man shot dead in the alley. Peter's body bore a bullet wound too, but this time at the front of his head.
"Lorenzo! I'm coming for you!" Sam shouted in his mind, fueled by anger. The string of losses among those close to him had worn down Sam's resilience. He fought back tears, no stranger to the futility of weeping that years of grief had taught him after losing his wife and daughters.
"Stop being a coward. Don't worry; you'll get your revenge. There's a saying: revenge is best served cold," the voice reassured in Sam's mind.
"I guess you're right, but it still won't bring Peter back to life. He's gone now, and it's all my fault. Nothing can change that," Sam said, wearing a somber expression. Life had dealt him a harsh hand, and the weight of guilt and loss pressed heavily on his shoulders. The thought of ending it all crossed his mind, but the promise of the system held him back.
"No one said it's impossible to bring your friend back to life," the voice remarked, injecting a spark of hope into Sam's despair.
"There's a way to bring him back to life?" Sam's voice trembled with a mix of desperation and hope, his tear-streaked face reflecting the emotional turmoil within. The possibility of resurrecting Peter, a dear friend now lost, was a flicker of light in the darkness that had enveloped him.
"But how is that possible?" he questioned, uncertainty lacing his words.
"Do you think having a system and a voice in your head is a normal thing?" the voice retorted, prompting Sam to pause and reflect on the surreal nature of his current reality. The extraordinary circumstances he found himself in became glaringly apparent — a system offering strength without solicitation, and a voice echoing within his mind.
"Okay, how can we bring him back?" Despite the weight of grief, a spark of anticipation ignited in Sam's eyes. The prospect of undoing the irreversible held a magnetic allure.
"Firstly, to do that, we need a safer environment," the voice explained, forcing Sam to confront the immediate danger that still lurked in the forest.
'I guess I'll have to go home and take Peter's body with me.' The thought of carrying a lifeless body, although unconventional, paled in comparison to the haunting memories of war that Sam carried with him. Determined, he hoisted Peter onto his shoulders, the weight not only physical but symbolic of the burdens he bore.
Navigating through the forest, Sam's steps were a dance of exhaustion and determination. The promise of bringing Peter back spurred him forward. Finally reaching a small grass field, Sam's weariness caught up with him. Collapsing onto the ground, Peter's lifeless form on his back, he felt the weight of grief and the physical strain of carrying a corpse, the reality sinking in as he grappled with the enormity of what lay ahead.
Sam decided to take a short break before continuing to carry Peter's body. He reflected on the significance of his friend's sacrifice, realizing that even though Sam had often ignored and distanced himself from Peter, the ultimate sacrifice made it all worthwhile. Should the voice's instructions to bring back Peter prove unsuccessful, Sam was determined to give him a fitting burial, honoring the great sacrifice.
Without Peter, Sam acknowledged that he wouldn't be alive today, and it could have easily been him lying lifeless.
"I am almost there," Sam reassured himself as he shouldered Peter's body once again, resolved to reach the city. This time, he moved forward without any breaks, driven by a determination stronger than ever.
After what seemed like a few minutes traversing the grass field, Sam finally reached the city. The distance from the city to the grass field served as a protective buffer against potential beast attacks emerging from the forest. Although such attacks were infrequent, they had devastated the city before, leading to fewer inhabitants. Now, the city stood in a state of partial ruin, with only a handful of survivors.
Having arrived in the city, the streets were eerily quiet, with few people in sight. Sam waited for the path to clear, determined to avoid drawing attention while carrying the corpse. Navigating towards his apartment, he aimed to remain unnoticed.
This part of the city had sparse inhabitants, attributed to its vulnerability as the first target in the event of a beast emerging from the forest. Moreover, it had a notorious reputation for frequent killings, with dead bodies becoming a daily sight.
Sam resided in Cleveland, a once-thriving Tier Five city, globally recognized before the war for its population. Now, it lay in ruins, overshadowed by corruption and crime, with criminals reigning supreme.
After carefully avoiding a few people, Sam reached his apartment building, ascending the stairs despite exhaustion. He pushed through until he reached his door, swiftly entering and closing it behind him. Eager to avoid neighbors, he moved quietly, except for one particular observer who wondered,
"What is this guy doing?"
.....
Carefully placing Peter on his bed, Sam sat beside him in his less-than-pleasant apartment. Unaware that someone had observed him entering with Peter's body, Sam initiated a conversation with the voice in his head, which had been silent throughout the journey.
"So, how do we start the process?" Sam inquired, eager to bring Peter back.
"Hmm, we just need a few things for the awakening ritual," the voice replied.
"A ritual?" Sam questioned, surprised by the unexpected requirement. He had anticipated a simpler method, not something akin to a witch's ceremony.
"You fool," the voice scoffed at Sam's thoughts.
"I..." Sam began to retort but was interrupted by a loud ding in his head.
DING!!
[New Quest]
[To revive a fallen friend, you must undertake a ritual bestowed upon you by the enigmatic Shadow Lord.]
[Reward: level up!]
******
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