Mason’s Revenge

Chapter 15: Big Quest Rewards

A mission window appeared along with the message.

"You have successfully awakened all four dormant skills and are now a fully-fledged Crypt Seeker."

"Mission completed. You will receive a reward upon leaving the Crypt."

The mission Mason had seen at the police station was completed. He found the game-like reward system amusing, but he was curious about what the reward would be. ‘I need to get Ebon Steed and get out of here,’ he thought as he exited through a side route. He had chosen a longer but safer path since the route to Ebon Steed was full of traps. That Yuri guy was probably struggling with them since he wouldn’t know about this secret route. ‘The civilians will be able to leave once I clear the Crypt.’

Suddenly, Mason heard unexpected noises as he neared Ebon Steed’s location.

“Aaaaaah!”

The scream sounded familiar. It was coming from the trap-filled path Mason had avoided. As he got closer, he saw a disturbing sight.

“Help! Please, save korea!”

The screams were coming from a large pit in the middle of the passage. The hole was about 7 meters deep, with knives sticking out from every side. Around 50 civilians who had been caught up in the Crypt were trapped inside.

‘It’s the magic item’s trap.’

Luckily, nobody was dead yet, but Mason noticed a red aura bridge forming over the pit. He knew immediately what it was.

‘A sacrificial trap.’

This was one of Ebon Steed’s traps, the bridge of sacrifice. To create the bridge, you had to throw people into the pit as sacrifices. Only then could you cross to the other side.

It seemed someone had already crossed the bridge.

The trapped people saw Mason and began shouting desperately.

“Please save korea! Please!”

There was another reason for their urgency. One of the people in the pit had turned violent. A female student held a dagger, attacking the others. Some had already been stabbed. It was likely one of Ebon Steed’s cruel tricks.

The victims of that dagger would also become homicidal maniacs. And the bridge would reset once everyone in the pit was dead. That was how this trap worked.

Whenever the civilians tried to climb out of the pit, they were met with the sharp blades.

Mason clicked his tongue while looking at them. “Who threw you into the pit? Was it that guy?”

They started crying.

“Yes, he said he knew where the exit was...! But then this happened!”

“Then he said we all had to die to keep the secret...!”

It was clear what had occurred. Yuri, or whatever his name was, had tried to silence the civilians so they couldn’t talk about the Crypt.

‘I thought he couldn’t do anything after I took his magic items.’

That wasn’t the case. He also knew how to get past the trap.

‘That seer is involved again.’

According to Mason’s memory, Sho-tah-Kow’s magic item r wasn’t supposed to be very skilled. But considering Yuri had the sun and moon magic item too, she was doing better than expected.

Mason began to despise that seer. Of course, Yuri had been the one to throw the civilians into the trap, but his superiors must have ordered him to silence them.

"They probably think they’re untouchable with Sho-tah-Kow’s Future Diary in their possession," Mason muttered under his breath, his sharp eyes scanning the chaos unfolding around him.

"I was planning to leave them alone for now, but..." His voice trailed off as more desperate screams pierced the air.

The girl, still controlled by the cursed dagger, attacked again with terrifying precision. Despite their efforts, people were powerless against her. Some tried to fend her off with their clothes, but even the strongest among them—a young man in his prime—couldn't stop her relentless strikes. She moved like a puppet, driven by an unseen force.

"Aaah! Stay back! Don’t come any closer!" someone screamed in panic.

Mason’s expression darkened. Without hesitation, he made his move. He jumped into the pit, sliding down the steep sides with calculated ease. The crowd gasped, their fear now directed toward him.

"That’s dangerous! There are blades on the sides!" someone shouted in warning.

Mason paid no attention to the voices of concern. He gripped the Egyptian priest’s knife tightly, drawing it as he descended. With a swift motion, he effortlessly slashed through the jagged blades lining the pit, shattering them like brittle glass.

"Ah..." a collective gasp escaped from the crowd, but not just from his reckless dive.

All eyes were now on the girl who had chosen Mason as her next target. Controlled by the dagger, she turned on him with unbridled fury. Her eyes, wild and empty, locked onto him, and she charged forward, her movements fast and erratic.

"! Watch out!" someone shouted in terror.

Mason was calm, his body tense but ready. He had no intention of harming an innocent girl under the influence of a cursed magic item. In a fluid motion, he reached for the rope bracelet, an magic item he had claimed from Yuri, his former adversary.

"Eternal Robe (C-Grade: Common-Grade-Limited )"

Focusing his will into the magic item, Mason issued a single command. "Bind."

The bracelet glowed faintly before it sprang to life. The rope uncoiled, stretching and writhing like a living serpent as it shot towards the girl. Within moments, it wrapped around her tightly, its length spiraling around her body like a cocoon.

“Kyaaa!” The girl’s scream echoed as the rope immobilized her, leaving only her hand clutching the dagger and her face exposed. Her movements were futile as she struggled against the magical bindings.

The onlookers gasped again, this time in awe and disbelief at what they were witnessing.

Mason calmly approached the girl, his steps slow and deliberate. Despite her frenzied attempts to break free, she could do nothing but growl in frustration, her eyes burning with the dagger’s cursed influence. Her face twisted in fury as she glared at him.

"Shh," Mason murmured soothingly, his voice barely above a whisper. "Sit still."

He crouched beside her, his movements careful yet confident. With a swift and practiced hand, he seized the dagger from her grasp, disarming her in one smooth motion. While Mason treated people with care, his grip was firm and unyielding when it came to magic items. He held the cursed dagger in his hand, examining it for a brief moment.

Suddenly, the dagger pulsed with malevolent energy. Its voice echoed in Mason’s mind, filled with rage and bloodlust.

"Kill. Kill humans."

A faint smirk tugged at the corner of Mason’s lips. The magic item’s attempt to assert its will over him was laughable. He found it amusing that a mere cursed object dared to challenge him.

"How dare an magic item try to order me around," he said with a low chuckle.

Channeling his power, Mason poured his energy into the dagger, overwhelming it with his aura. The cursed magic item writhed in protest, but it was no match for Mason’s control.