Heavenly Unbound [A LitRPG System Survival]

"Ahhhhhhh! I'll tell you everything! Just let me die!"

The agonized screams echoed from the far side of the camp, sending chills down the spines of those nearby. Sam and Michael stood over one of the captured gang members, their expressions cold and unyielding.

Sam's hand glowed faintly with silvery-grey mist, a telltale sign of his skill in action. His eyes bore into the man, who writhed on the ground, his face contorted in pain.

"You're not dying until we get everything," Sam said, his voice calm but icy.

Michael crouched beside the man, his tone clinical. "Do you know how many nerve endings are in the human body?" he asked, his voice devoid of emotion. "Thousands. And I know exactly how to trigger every single one without killing you. So talk."

The man sobbed, his face drenched in sweat. "Okay! Okay! I'll tell you! Just stop! Please!"

The crowd at the camp watched from a distance, their faces a mixture of horror and grim satisfaction.

Ann crossed her arms, leaning on her spear. "I don't know what's scarier—the criminals or those two."

Eddie shook his head, a wry grin on his face. "If I ever end up on their bad side, someone please just kill me outright."

Maria frowned, her voice softer. "I don't like it, but... after what these people did, I can't really blame them."

One of the older men in the camp, a former police officer, stepped closer to the group. "You've gotta admit," he said quietly, "those bastards deserve every bit of this. They killed innocents, terrorized people, and thought they could get away with it."

"Still," another woman murmured, "it's hard to watch."

Back at the interrogation site, Michael leaned in closer. "Good," he said, his voice sharp. "Now start talking. How many of you are there? Where's your main camp?"

"Thousand! more," the man stammered, his breath hitching. "They've found the portal to tutorial town! near the river, about Twenty kilometers east! That's all I know, I swear!"

Sam exchanged a glance with Michael, who nodded, Michael confirmed.

Sam stood, looking down at the trembling man with disdain. "You've ruined enough lives. You're not ruining anymore."

Sam gestured to the camp guards, his tone firm but calm. "Lock him up. And please, bury these five for me too."

"Yes, sir," one of the guards replied, stepping forward to drag the trembling man away while others moved to handle the fallen gang members.

As the agonized screams faded, the camp began to stir. People who had gathered to watch the interrogation slowly returned to their tasks, though the air remained heavy with tension.

Michael approached Sam, his face lined with weariness. He glanced back toward the camp perimeter before speaking. "It seems like they've secured the tutorial's exit," he said. "If this group is anything to go by, their plan wasn't to pass the tutorial themselves. They're here to block everyone else."

Sam's eyes narrowed, his expression hardening. "They won't get what they want," he said, his voice steady with determination. "We'll hit them before they even realize we're coming."

Ann joined them, her spear resting against her shoulder. Her usually lighthearted demeanor was replaced by a sharp seriousness. "What's the plan?" she asked, her tone clipped but focused.

Sam turned to face the group, his gaze sweeping over the familiar faces of those who had fought beside him. His voice was calm but resolute. "We finish this. For good."

Michael nodded, gripping his weapon tightly. "Then let's make sure no one else suffers because of them."

Ann glanced at the camp behind them, then back at Sam. "We're with you. Whatever it takes."

The group shared a moment of silent understanding before they moved toward their next objective, ready to put an end to the threat once and for all.

Sam stepped away from the group, seeking a moment of solitude. They had finally pinpointed the location of the tutorial town, but reaching it was another matter. From the information extracted from the gang leader, the path to the town was deliberately blocked.

The man responsible? Victor—the leader of the criminal group that had been terrorizing the area.

Victor and his lackeys weren't just any criminals. According to the gang leader's account, they had been in the town when the tutorial began, likely swept up along with everyone else. At first, they acted like ordinary Participants, blending in and feigning cooperation. But by the third day, everything changed.

They stumbled upon the portal leading to the tutorial town. Instead of sharing the discovery or seeking progress, Victor seized the opportunity to turn it into his personal fiefdom.

With ruthless efficiency, he and his lackeys began controlling access to the portal, extorting anyone who approached. They robbed travelers of their items and captured their family members, forcing them into servitude.

And Victor didn't stop there.

The lackeys were given free rein to commit atrocities—murdering or abusing anyone Victor deemed "useless." Women were taken, families torn apart, and those who resisted met brutal ends.

Sam clenched his fists, his jaw tightening as he processed the information. His eyes grew colder, the weight of anger settling deep within him.

Criminals like this... they've always existed. Always preying on others, treating people like objects for their amusement or profit.

Back on Earth, there were limits. Sam could only deal with people like Victor through indirect means—hiring someone to cripple them or exposing their misdeeds in ways that stayed within the bounds of law.

But here? Here, there were no limits.

Sam's gaze hardened, the light in his eyes dimming to something far more dangerous. The same suffering they've inflicted on others... I'll make sure they feel every bit of it.

He exhaled slowly, his mind clearing as his resolve solidified. The Victor group's reign of terror was about to come to an end, and Sam would make sure their names were remembered—if only as a warning to others.

Sam shifted his focus inward, pushing aside the weight of the camp's troubles for a moment. It's time to see what I've earned.

He pulled up his backpack, where three common random boxes and one rare random box awaited him. These rewards, granted by his [System Challenger] title, had been accumulating during his journey through the dungeon. Alongside them were the soul points he'd earned, though he still couldn't locate them in his status window.

Probably tied to something I haven't unlocked yet, he thought, brushing off the inconsistency.

Sam reached into his backpack and retrieved one of the small white boxes. It felt weightless in his hands, pulsing faintly with energy.

Let's see what you've got for me, he thought, focusing his intent on opening the box.

The moment he did, the box dissolved into a soft, radiant light. Threads of energy swirled around him, condensing and shifting until they began to take shape. Sam watched as the light materialized into a physical object before his eyes.

Ding!

Ding!

[5 Health Potions]

Sam blinked at the system notification, staring at the materialized potions in his hand. He raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Really? This is what my 100 Luck gets me?" he muttered under his breath.

For most people, these potions were lifesaving treasures, capable of turning the tide in desperate moments. But for him, with his immense vitality and near-unlimited endurance, they were little more than glorified bottles of drinkable water.

Not exactly thrilling, he thought. Then, an idea struck him.

He glanced toward his sister. Eve had been injured every day since the tutorial began, her reckless determination often putting her in harm's way. These will be more useful in her hands.

Pocketing the potions, Sam turned his attention back to the next box. He opened it, anticipation flickering in his eyes.

Ding!

[Skill Book: Identify]

Sam's eyes lit up. "Finally!" he exclaimed, unable to suppress his excitement. "I've always wanted this!"

He'd been envious of John's ability to see through objects and identify their properties, something that had proven invaluable countless times. Now, he'd finally gained the skill himself.

But there was something more. This was the perfect chance to test his theory about Grandmist. Could it upgrade skills if he fueled them? His fingers itched with excitement at the thought.

Taking a deep breath, he moved on to the third box.

Ding!

[500 Soul Points]

Sam frowned slightly, tilting his head. Well, at least it's something. He still wasn't sure exactly how soul points worked or where they could be spent, but he had a feeling they'd be critical later. For now, they went into the mental "useful but mysterious" category.

Finally, he turned to the last box—a rare, blue one. His chest tightened with anticipation. This one has to be good.

He opened it, the light from the box swirling with an intensity that made the others pale in comparison.

Ding!

[Skill Book: Inventory]

Sam froze, staring at the notification in disbelief. His heart raced as he quickly grabbed the glowing book, his hands trembling slightly. "No way..."

He immediately inspected the item, hoping it was exactly what he thought it was.

[Skill Book: Inventory]

[Rarity]: Rare

[Use]: 1

[Description]: Grants the skill Inventory, creating a 5x5m pocket dimension within the user's Soul Record for storing items. Living beings cannot be stored.

Sam let out a laugh, equal parts relief and excitement. "This... this is a game changer!"

The ability to store items without being burdened by their weight or bulk was exactly what he needed. No more dragging supplies or worrying about space, he thought.

he quickly use his new two skills books immediately.

Ding!

[Congratulations! You have earned a new skill: Inventory ]

Ding!

[Congratulations! You have earned a new skill: Identify ]

Sam closed his eyes, focusing his mental power to activate the Inventory skill. The moment it triggered, he felt a slight drain on his mental reserves, followed by a peculiar sensation—a faint, elusive awareness of a pocket dimension connected to him.

He couldn't pinpoint its exact location, but it was there, hovering in the periphery of his senses, like a hidden chamber tethered to his being.

Curious, he decided to test it. Sam grabbed his backpack and sent an intent to store it. The skill activated instantly, and the backpack vanished before his eyes, sucked into the invisible space within him.

He blinked, tilting his head at the odd feeling. "Weird... but useful," he muttered. For the first time, he wouldn't have to worry about hiding his belongings before a fight. The constant anxiety of losing his gear or leaving it exposed was now a thing of the past.

To further test the skill, Sam began pulling items in and out, experimenting with speed and precision. Every object responded to his intent as though it were an extension of his will. The process was seamless, and as he grew more comfortable, his grin widened.

"This is good. Really good." Satisfied with the results, he shifted his attention to his second skill.

Grabbing a small health potion, he activated Identify. The system prompt appeared instantly, displaying detailed information about the item.

[Health Potion]

[Rarity]: Common

[Effect]: Restores 50 units of life force.

...….

...….

...….

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Fifty units of life force? What does that even mean?" he mused aloud. He had no frame of reference for how much "50 units" translated into practical recovery. Still, the additional details provided by Identify were valuable, even for items he could already inspect.

It's exactly like John said, he thought, nodding to himself.

But then another idea surfaced—a theory he'd been eager to test. Grandmist...

Sam's unique energy had proven capable of upgrading his previous skills, and now, he wanted to see if it could enhance Inventory and Identify.