I decided to go back to the room after dealing with all those body changes and stuff.
Carefully, I made my way through the mess.
The tunnel was harder to get through than I expected.
After walking for a few minutes, I finally reached the wooden walkway and fell onto my back.
There was light—the torch was where I had dropped it while running away from the snake.
After resting awhile, I pushed myself stumblingly upright and started shambling down the walkway, lamp in hand.
I moved slowly. I'd learned my lesson about the slippery wood, but also it was the top speed I could muster.
Eventually, I reached the still-open metal door.
"How did a snake get this open?" I wondered aloud, glancing at the wheel mechanism on either side.
Part of the wheel was wet with what may have been saliva.
"Did it use its mouth? No way."
Once inside, I didn't waste any time on curiosity on those snake shits.
Instead, I made my way straight to the desk where I had previously seen the many books kept.
The desk was one of the few pieces of furniture still standing upright in the trashed room.
Avoiding the body on the floor with my eyes, I navigated the debris using my torch.
Reaching the desk, I grabbed a book and tried to read, but it was difficult to do with one hand while holding the torch in the other.
I could keep reading like this, but it's really uncomfortable.
Frustrated, I set the book back on the desk and used the torch to search for any light sources.
It didn't take long to spot a bulb hanging from the ceiling.
"Now, where's the switch?" I muttered to myself, guiding the torchlight around the room.
After a few seconds of searching, I finally found an extension board in the right corner of the room.
I immediately went over and flipped the switch.
The bulb flickered to life, casting a bright light that illuminated everything in the room.
With the room now well-lit, I returned to the desk, placed my torch down, and picked up the book again to continue reading.
"That's better now."
Settling into a near by chair, I began to read.
...
After reading all the books on the desk for atleast 20 minutes, I didn't find any single useful thing about my location.
These books were either storybooks or about various entertainment things...
I didn't get any solid information about this world.
"Fuck, I wasted so much precious time on reading this useless shits."
After cursing for few more seconds in anger, my eyes darted towards the drawer and, the cupboard where I had seen many healing portion earlier...
Let's also check the drawer and see if I can find something useful.
I really hope I find something, or it will be a waste of time to stay here.
But if I'd received the memories by now, I'd know if this room had anything important in it or not.
Since I don't have them yet and won't for another hour, instead of wasting time sitting around and, waiting, I decided to search for anything useful.
Deciding to check it thoroughly, I walked over to the drawer and started sifting through the potions.
Wait! Why am I moving them here and, there?
I have my inventory with me and, still I am moving them...
Urghh, sometimes, I really forgot about important things...
I quickly put all the potions which were on the drawer and, the cupboard in my inventory without even checking their ranks...
Within a minute, I cleaned up everything...
Alright, now it's okay.
Then, I navigated through the drawer, I found nothing of interest and my hope began to fade.
"Huh? What's that?"
Just as I was about to give up, I noticed something strange.
In the middle of the drawer, there was a crack, and I could see signs of a hidden door behind it.
Curiosity piqued, I leaned in closer to inspect the crack. "Is there some kind of hidden compartment present here?"
I muttered to myself.
Using my fingers, I pried open the drawer further, and to my surprise, the back of the drawer swung open, revealing a small, hidden compartment.
My heart raced with excitement as I saw a faint outline of a door behind the drawer.
"Gotcha," I whispered, feeling a surge of anticipation.
I reached in and gently pushed the hidden door, which creaked open to reveal a dark, narrow passageway.
Grabbing my torch, I shone it into the passage, revealing a set of stairs leading downward.
'Looks like I've found something interesting,' I thought, feeling a mix of excitement and apprehension.
But wait, wait!
Let's think before going inside.
This room belonged to that dead guy.
Earlier, when I killed him, his pet snake chased me, and I only survived because of my good luck.
From the looks of it, this compartment must contain something very precious to him, which is why he tried to hide it.
There's a chance he set up a trap for anyone who found it, or maybe there's another pet of his guarding it. Going in without preparation is dumb.
So, after careful thinking, I took the broken stained with blood from the floor and also grabbed as many healing potions as possible in case I get hurt and need them.
Just as I was about to enter, a screen appeared before me.
New Quest: [Dead Man's secrets]
You discovered a hidden compartment that leads to someone's dark secrets. Go explore what's down there.
Objective: Investigate the Compartment 0/1.
Reward: List of Monster and Item Ranks
Bonus objective: Rescue them 0/2.
Reward: List of Essences needed for each upgrades
(Accept/Reject)
I muttered, "Rescue them? But whom?"
My confusion deepened as there was not a single hint of whom to rescue in the quest.
This made me more suspicious.
From the quest description, I deduced that there were two persons held as hostages in the hidden compartment.
I decided to take the quest seriously and promised myself something important.
If things didn't go well with the rescue, I would prioritize saving my own life over anyone else's.
Why?
It's simple...
I didn't want to die before enjoying this life...
The screen faded away, and with the broken dagger gripped tightly in my right hand, I cautiously stepped into the hidden passageway.
But then...
Wait a second...
Why am I in such a rush?
First of all, the quest wouldn't be called "Dead Man's Secrets" if I had the guy's memories. Nothing would be a secret to me anymore.
If I had his memories, I should already know everything—from the details of this world to whether there's a trap in the compartment.
So why am I scrambling for answers when I can just wait another 30 minutes to get everything for free?
Yeah, I just—
Before I could finish my thought, a notification appeared before me.
[Sorry, Host, but the conditions have changed with the quest. You will only receive the memories after completing it!]
Huh?
What?
Are you kidding me?
[No, Host!]
What do you mean, "no"?
Are you saying that because I opened this compartment and received the quest, the conditions for the memories have changed?
[Yes!]
Come on, you can't be serious!
With that guy's memory, I could know for sure if there's a trap inside.
Now, without those memories, going into that compartment feels like asking for death...
[No, I believe you will not die!]
Believe?
Forget your belief!
I thought I wouldn't even end up in this world today, but my belief turned out to be wrong, right?
So how can I trust your belief?
[Because I am the system!]
You—
I was left speechless by that response.
I couldn't find the right words to describe how I felt currently.
Forget it...
Even if I tried to reason with him, I doubted he would understand my situation or change his mind.
So here I stood, facing a harsh reality: to gain the memories and knowledge I needed, I had to venture into the unknown.
What was I taking with me into this hell?
Nothing...
Well, not exactly nothing.
I had a broken dagger with a chipped and dull blade, and pens scattered across the floor like forgotten thoughts.
In my inventory, I had countless healing potions—each a flicker of hope, ready to save me when the moment arose.
But what if there's another snake hidden in the compartment, waiting to guard those rescuers? Wouldn't that make everything pointless?
This is getting more confusing by the minute.
I didn't want to risk my life, but gaining knowledge is crucial.
No, no, no…
I turned back and sat in the chair.
There had to be another way to learn without putting myself in danger.
As I looked at the books, I realized I hadn't finished reading all of them.
What if they held the answers I was looking for?
I couldn't let that opportunity slip away.
I quickly grabbed one of the books and began reading as fast as I could, trying to grasp every important detail.
***
"Ugh, there's nothing here!" I said, feeling frustrated as I rubbed my temples.
I had been reading for two hours and still hadn't found anything useful. It was incredibly annoying.
I couldn't keep waiting. If there was a monster or trap in the compartment, I'd confront it directly instead of backing down. I didn't want to spend my entire life searching for answers without getting anywhere.
I grabbed the flashlight or torch from the table, took a deep breath, and stepped into the unknown.
The stairs descended into darkness, and I illuminated the path with my torch to navigate forward.
The torch's light cast eerie shadows on the damp walls.
After a minute of descending, I finally reached the bottom of the staircase. What I saw shocked me.
The passageway opened into a dimly lit... Chamber.
Torture Chamber...
Damn, I knew it—he was a criminal.
Thanks to the system's constant alerts, I didn't try to wake him; otherwise, I might have ended up in real danger.
I dealt with him and eliminated a serious threat in my life...
As I stepped into the dimly lit torture chamber, a shiver ran down my spine.
The air was heavy with the stench of blood.
'This...'
My eyes darted around the room, taking in the sight of a desk adorned with various torture tools, a chair ominously placed in the center, and bloodstains splattered across the walls and floor.
My heart pounded in my chest as I cautiously approached the figures bound and gagged in the corner of the room.
Their hands were chained together, and they appeared to be unconscious, their faces pale and peaceful despite the horror of their surroundings.
With trembling hands, I lit my torch and directed its light towards them.
Relief washed over me as I realized they were both girls around my age.
I knelt beside them, carefully inspecting their bodies for any signs of injury.
Thankfully, aside from the bindings and gag, they seemed unharmed.
After seeing all this, I was sure of one thing that guy must have been a psychopath.
But who were they, and what brought them here? Was it possible that guy kidnapped them?
That seems to be the most likely and, obvious scenario.
Questions swirled in my mind as I contemplated the situation.
I decided to wake them up and ask them directly.
With hesitant hands, I shook one of the girl's shoulders gently, murmuring, "Hello, are you okay? Wake up?"
Although I knew they were okay, my nerves got the best of me, and I stumbled over my words.
After several attempts, the girl stirred and looked at me with fear in her eyes.
She pleaded, "Please... Let... My... Sister go... Please... Don't kill her... But let... Her... Go," her voice breaking as tears streamed down her face.
Her cries woke the other girl, who shot me a fierce glare and accused, "You bastard, what did you do to my sister?"
Confusion clouded my mind as I struggled to comprehend their accusations.
Did they mistake me with that bastard?
Darn, that's so obvious! I look just like that guy, no wonder they mistook me for him.
Now, what's my next move?
If I set them free, they might try to harm me, question me, or become suspicious since I look just like their kidnapper.
First, if they attack, I'll take care of it right away, without hesitation.
Second, if they ask questions and want proof, I already have a solid response ready.
Finally, even if I give a good explanation, they might still be suspicious.
For now, my main goal is to rescue them and get the rewards and knowledge that come with it.
I immediately shook my head vigorously and raised my hands in defense. "Girls, you've got it all wrong. I'm not that killer. I'm here to save you."
They exchanged skeptical glances but seemed unconvinced.
I mean, why would they believe me? They must be so confused right now.
What's their kidnapper suddenly talking about?
Has he lost his mind or something?
So to convince them a little...
I proceeded to cut the chains binding them with my broken dagger...
I really didn't expected the chains to brake so easily...
"Now, you're free," I announced, hoping to reassure them.
But they continued to regard me with suspicion which was not surprising to me...
"Do I need repeat twice?" I said, this time with little frustration in my voice.
The girl with fiery red hair and piercing red eyes, her beauty contrasting with her fierce demeanor, helped her presumed sister to her feet.
She had on tight jeans, a bodysuit with a deep neckline, and boots that reached up to her thighs.
She looked at me cautiously and asked, "Mister, are you Michael Frostburne, Eoin Frostburne's son, the super wealthy businessman?"