The camp was built beside a massive boulder. Sheltered by the enormous rock, it was protected from the worst of the sandstorms.
A series of fences surrounded the settlement. Some were made of wood, while others were reinforced with iron.
Even so, it was obvious that something had effortlessly torn through or smashed the barriers apart, carving a path straight into the camp.
Most of the buildings were constructed from wood and stone. Only a handful incorporated iron, and even then, it was nothing more than thin sheets of metal.
Naturally, such structures stood no chance against the Dread Lizard’s claws and fangs.
Collapsed buildings and shattered debris lay scattered everywhere.
Although some time had already passed, the sand throughout the camp still carried a dark stain, evidence that it had once been soaked with an enormous amount of blood.
It was hard to imagine the slaughter that had taken place after the Dread Lizard broke into the settlement...
Or the despair the survivors must have felt.
Stopping beside a large patch of freshly disturbed earth, Claire spoke.
"To keep the monsters from eating our companions’ bodies, we buried them all here before cremating them."
"At this point, it’s impossible to tell whose ashes belong to whom."
"We can only take them together and bury them properly somewhere else."
"No problem."
As he spoke, Ethan crafted more ceramic urns using the same method as before.
One thousand of them.
That meant nearly a thousand living people had perished beneath the Dread Lizard’s rampage.
Thinking of the countless Survivors who had died without anyone even knowing, perhaps never receiving a proper burial...
A wave of emotion stirred within Ethan.
He slowly clenched his fists.
I have to become stronger.
I have to survive.
While Claire and Emily carefully gathered the ashes, Claire said,
"Since we’re leaving this place behind..."
"There’s no reason to leave anything here."
"Take whatever you think is useful."
She paused before continuing.
"If possible... could you leave me a few things?"
"I’d like to bury them with everyone."
Ethan nodded.
"I’ll take everything first."
"After we get back, we can choose appropriate grave goods."
"Alright... thank you."
Taking Natasha and Brutus with him, Ethan entered one of the houses.
The interior was extremely simple, not much different from the shelter he had started with.
Opening the chests and cabinets revealed little of value.
Mostly clothing, blankets, and other daily necessities.
Since he expected his group to continue growing in the future, Ethan collected everything for later use.
After thoroughly clearing out the house, he stepped outside and placed a hand on the doorframe.
A familiar prompt appeared.
[A rudimentary empty cabin has been found. Collect it?]
"Collect."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the entire house was enveloped in soft white light before dissolving into materials that flew directly into his inventory.
[Obtained: Firewood ×500]
[Obtained: Iron Nails ×200]
[Obtained: Stone ×300]
Although they were all basic materials, the quantities were respectable.
As for storage...
That was no longer a problem.
He now had enough resources to craft Advanced Storage Chests.
They resembled treasure chests from fantasy movies—wooden boxes reinforced with iron bands and heavy iron nails.
More importantly...
Each Advanced Storage Chest contained 108 inventory slots, with every slot capable of holding 999 items.
Even when completely full...
The chest itself always weighed only 100 catties (approximately 50 kilograms / 110 pounds).
The camp also had handcarts and wagons.
At worst, he could simply craft a few more chests...
And make poor Brutus haul everything home.
Entering another building with an iron door, Ethan found little of value inside...
Except for a blueprint.
[Sea of Flowers Blueprint]
[Constructs a memorial garden with an initial area of 1,000 square meters.]
[Note 1: As more beings are laid to rest here, the cemetery will continue expanding and may awaken wandering souls.]
[Note 2: No matter how shattered or mixed together the remains are, the Sea of Flowers can perfectly distinguish every individual.]
[Note 3: Do not fear the awakened souls. They cannot leave the Sea of Flowers and are incapable of harming the living.]
In short...
The Sea of Flowers seemed tailor-made for the current situation.
Once constructed...
It would separate every person’s ashes accurately, preventing them from being buried together indiscriminately.
What puzzled Ethan most, however...
Was the phrase:
"...may awaken wandering souls."
"Does that mean the Sea of Flowers gives you a chance to actually see the souls of the dead?"
"And not just ghosts..."
"But souls with their memories and personalities intact?"
"That seems a little too unbelievable..."
Ethan couldn’t help muttering.
Countless people had already been transported to this world.
There were game systems.
Monsters.
Extraordinary abilities.
Up until now...
Everything still fit within the realm of advanced science fiction.
But if souls truly existed...
Then this world was drifting into fantasy.
After a moment, Ethan shook his head.
"Forget it."
"Whether it’s science fiction or fantasy doesn’t matter."
"As long as I become strong enough."
"Besides..."
"The Sea of Flowers will make it much easier to establish a permanent base."
"And it could greatly improve my subordinates’ loyalty."
If death was no longer a final farewell...
But simply another form of companionship...
How many people would choose to live beside the Sea of Flowers?
After years of separation...
Meeting a loved one again...
The joy and gratitude they felt would be impossible to describe.
Thinking that, Ethan checked the required crafting materials.
His eyebrows immediately rose.
Most of the ingredients weren’t a problem.
Firewood.
Stone.
Cement.
He could acquire all of those.
The biggest obstacle...
Was flowers.
Fresh flowers.
With so many people struggling just to survive...
Anyone who came across a flower would probably check whether it was edible before stopping to admire it.
Besides...
He was living in the middle of a desert.
Although the abandoned city contained plenty of plants...
Actual flowers were surprisingly rare.
"I’ll have to post a request on the Exchange."
"Hopefully no one’s eaten all the flowers yet..."
After creating the listing, Ethan continued scavenging.
By the time he stored the final house inside an Advanced Storage Chest...
Claire and Emily had also finished gathering the ashes.
This time, Ethan didn’t let Claire carry the urns herself.
Instead, he placed every urn inside a single Advanced Storage Chest.
To his surprise...
The urns could stack.
Convenient...
Though a little morbid.
Lightly patting the lid of the chest, Ethan asked,
"Can either of you see what’s inside?"
Both Claire and Emily shook their heads.
"No."
"We only saw you place the urns inside..."
"And then they simply disappeared."
As she spoke, Claire reached into the chest herself.
Apart from touching the smooth wooden interior...
She couldn’t feel anything else.
Meanwhile, Ethan carefully watched the inventory interface.
The stored items remained completely unaffected.
After a short rest...
The group returned to Ethan’s shelter.
Not long after arriving home...
He received a new message from the Exchange.
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