Don't move, it's a robbery!

With the fall of the magnificent zombies, the battle finally came to an end.

Well, it's not entirely over yet. A lot of the ordinary zombies I just brought in are still alive and kicking.

After I had completely cleaned up the mess, I was finally able to take stock of my spoils.

First up is the magnificent zombie's personal sword. This sword is clearly better preserved than the 'tribute' sword, showing no signs of decay at all. I tried swinging it a few times, and it still felt quite comfortable to handle.

Not bad, not bad, it's a good sword.

The gemstone rings on its hands were all high-end items, each gemstone being much larger than the ones Santos had given me before. Moreover, these rings seemed to contain some kind of magic; the magnificent zombie had previously controlled me by crushing them.

Yes, yes, they are all treasures.

What I find a little regrettable is that there were originally eight gemstone rings, but two were used by the gorgeous zombies, leaving only six.

The staff that used to emit flammable smoke is now completely destroyed. Besides the blow I made, it also has many cracks. Each time a spell is cast, the staff will be damaged further, so it can't be used indefinitely, but its power was truly astonishing. Now that it's destroyed, I still feel a little regretful.

However, it's not a big problem.

I stripped the gorgeous zombie naked and found some silk fabrics among the burial goods, but apart from the one the zombie was wearing, the rest were all damaged. These clothes still looked pretty good, although they had a putrid smell; with a little washing, they should fetch a good price.

After collecting most of the loot, I started looking for the exit mechanism. Its location was quite conspicuous, near a stone wall. I used the old method again, pulling the mechanism from a distance with a rope. Although it still didn't trigger any traps, it was better to be safe than sorry.

But just as I was packing my things to leave, 'West Copper' suddenly called me.

(˶'ᵕ'˶): "Don't rush off! You haven't gotten the real good stuff yet!"

"What is it? Where is it?"

"West Copper" pointed an arrow at me, pointing to the stone wall not far away.

I went over and examined it carefully, but I didn't find the treasure that 'West Copper' had mentioned. I only found a small dent in the very center of the wall.

"What is this? Oh! I know! Could it be a keyhole that requires a specific key to open? But where am I supposed to find a key now?!"

(￢_￢): "Why are you so stupid? Isn't the hint here obvious? Hurry up and put 'Tribute' on it! I already said that the gem on the hilt is the real 'Tribute'. Look, isn't the size just right?"

I pulled out the hilt of my sword and slammed it into the ground. The hilt, which had long been rotten, shattered into pieces, finally freeing the gem that had been trapped in its center.

I placed it into the hole, and the gemstone emitted an eerie light once more. However, contrary to my expectations, the stone wall did not open any hidden door; instead, a strange pattern appeared on its surface.

Ominous, evil.

I felt extremely uncomfortable after just a few glances.

"Hey, what the hell is going on here? Can you explain this to me?"

(˶'ᵕ'˶): "It's nothing, just another design draft. Judging from its structure, it should be the final step in modifying the permissions of the 'Tribute' system."

(˶'ᵕ'˶): "The idea behind this modification is quite good. By turning the previous owner into a zombie, it triggers a bug inherent in 'Tribute,' keeping the previous contract in effect. Then, by linking the blueprints for the first-floor altar and the second-floor pool, it copies the original contract, only the parties involved are switched. Um, do you understand what I'm saying?"

I shook my head blankly, indicating that I didn't understand at all.

(•ิ_•ิ): "Sigh, why did I follow an idiot..... Oh well, just know that this design is pretty good, it's just a bit of a pity. This process needs to be restarted every 5 years, which means someone needs to go to the altar to perform a human sacrifice. As a result, the descendants of the Kadir family gave up after persisting for decades, which led to the failure of the system modification. Not only did it fail to become what the designer originally wanted, but even the original abilities were also rendered useless."

The voice of 'West Copper' sounded somewhat regretful, but then it suddenly changed its tone, saying that the current situation was perfect for it to get a good deal.

Before I could figure out what 'West Copper' meant, I heard a cracking sound. The 'tribute' gem, which had been emitting an eerie glow, suddenly developed numerous cracks, and the patterns on the stone wall began to dissipate.

Suddenly, a whirlwind swept through the previously silent tomb, followed by a furious roar of resentment.

I had just drawn my weapon when I saw the hurricane dissipate, and at the same time, the "tribute" was completely shattered into dust.

I don't know if it was just my imagination, but in the final moments when the 'Tribute' gem shattered, I seemed to see several beams of light drifting out of the gem, like the liberated souls in legends.

As for whether they were the children who were sacrificed or the followers of the contractors who once had "tribute," I have no idea.

"What's going on? What were all these things just now?"

(˶╹ꇴ╹˶): "Meow~ Smash it~ Meow~, I don't know, smash it~ Meow~"

"Huh? Are you smacking your lips or eating something? Wait, you can eat? And what are you eating?"

(˶╹ꇴ╹˶): "Baa~ Smash it~ Baa~, what else could it be, 'tribute'? Anyway, it's broken, so smash it~ smash it. It's a waste to leave it here. I might as well eat it, and I'll become stronger. Smash it~ Smash it~ Baa~"

"Became more powerful? Did you gain some kind of ability?"

(˶╹ꇴ╹˶): "Smash it~ Smash it~ Meow~ In the past, if a contractor who signed a contract with me couldn't complete the mission, I could only eliminate him. But now it's different. With the ability of 'tribute,' I can not only eliminate him, but also make him wish he were dead."

"........."

This is even worse than before!

I rolled my eyes. Anyway, I wasn't planning on becoming a contractor, so whether "West Copper" was a scam or not didn't really matter to me.

There was nothing left in the tomb worth lingering over, so I tidied myself up a bit and turned to head towards the exit.

It's probably getting dark by now, I wonder what it's like outside.

Leos and his men might still be looking for us.

As I pondered this, I returned to the surface through the tunnel. The sun had already set, but Linde City was still as bright as day.

Because at that very moment, a large part of the city was set ablaze.