[Carcosa Mask (L-class accessory): A mask used by the great old ruler, He Who Must Not Be Named, and the great [Yellow Ruler]. Those who are not at the right level cannot fully utilize its power.
Yellow Seal: The great [Yellow Ruler] is interested in you.]
He wasn't paying attention to me until now. He was examining my mask.
Before this mask is an artifact with useful performance, it is an object connected to a mythical being. Among these objects, there are those that can seduce or control the minds of those around them, harming their owners or even replacing them.
That's why I raised my magic power and answered.
"It won't do any good to show unnecessary interest in the magician's items… … ?"
The raised horsepower created a powerful sense of intimidation and death, and was able to induce a disturbance that caused the vehicle, which was running stably, to visibly shake.
The driver said with a pale expression.
"Ugh… … Not that, not that, not that! That's because I've seen something similar to that! Help me!"
I realized that I had done something wrong.
"where?"
"yes? "Yes??"
The driver, who was very frightened, made a dumb sound.
"When and where did you see this mask?"
I spoke in broken words, one by one. A rumbling sound echoed around my body due to the magical energy I had raised to the limit.
If you saw it at the Geumchon-dong market or near a pawn shop, it could be so. I guess that means I saw this before I bought it.
"Well, that…" … "I saw it in Tanhyeon!"
"Tanhyeon?"
"Yes, Tanhyeon! Do you know Tanhyeon? I saw it at a strange ruin there! It was a while ago... … It will still be there!"
What kind of development is this again? … ?
* * *
Working at the Yeonam Construction apartment complex left great aftereffects on my body for the first time in a long time.
No one was directly attacked or injured.
It is simply an aftereffect of running around late at night, using magic, and continuing battles where life is at stake in 0.1 second increments.
"Geoupna… … I'm tired... … ."
shit. This is just fatigue.
It is possible to secure strength and health at the level of an ordinary person by equipping artifacts, but this is a false spec that is maintained only while the item is equipped.
A ring that provides strength can somehow be worn 24 hours a day, but a glove that provides health cannot.
Although I try to wear them for as long as possible, these gloves take the form of bike gloves with reinforcements added here and there on the fingers. You can't wear something like this all the time.
What do you want to say?
It's been three days since that night's quest, but I'm still lying in bed.
Rotten… … It's so hard I'm dying.
For today, I spent two days lying down and doing nothing, but I still can't move my body very well.
I barely turned my head and looked towards the window.
Of course, it's not so bad that I can't even hold my neck, but emotionally, this is incredibly difficult.
It's about time now... … what time is it… … ?
[Invisible Hand]
Since I didn't have the energy to move, I used my magic power to pick up the smartphone.
"Ha, damn it. "Is it already 7 o'clock?"
It's 7pm, not 7am.
It was definitely 3 o'clock right after I opened my eyes, but it seems like I've already been lying down for 4 hours without doing anything. I guess I'll have to pick up something and eat it soon.
wait. However, an alarm requiring confirmation appears on the smartphone screen, which is displaying a monotonous basic screen.
I didn't even download apps like Talk or anything else because they were annoying. If someone wants to contact me, they have to call or send a text message.
There were a lot of messages from Tudor in the text message box.
- This is Seonbin Lee's personal information that I requested. Check the attached file for details.
I asked that question over the phone yesterday. I'm glad you confirmed it in one day.
I opened the attached file and briefly glanced at its contents.
As expected, he was a second-tier magician, and although he was considered a freelancer, he actually mainly worked with the Yonam Group, and it seems that he became an advisor to Yonam's future strategy in earnest when Seunghee Moon moved to Yeonam Construction.
There is nothing special about it other than the fact that at the bottom of the attached document it says, 'He has a close personal relationship with Moon Seung-hee and is presumed to be his closest associate.'
- I'm currently at Paju Central Hospital. It's difficult to confirm specific details as it hasn't been long since he was hospitalized, but he appears to have been admitted to a psychiatric ward. The condition is so bad that all visits are prohibited for the time being.
- When I checked, he had several seizures as soon as he was admitted to the hospital. He's a wizard, right? It looked like there had been a magical accident.
It's a magic accident... … It is a type of disaster that cannot occur in the reality where I live. It literally refers to an accident that occurs when a crazy wizard randomly uses magic.
- It seems like Yonam Construction really likes you? If you want to meet Sunbin Lee, let me know. She will arrange it anytime. Of course that doesn't mean she's 100%. Apparently, she is banned from visiting.
- If it were me, I wouldn't do the dangerous thing of meeting a mentally ill wizard.
"Maybe it'll be okay because I'm crazier."
That said, I have no intention of meeting Lee Sunbin right now.
I'd like to check out a little bit of what I was mumbling about last time, but I have plans for today.
"I don't know what event is waiting for me, but I hope my level goes up."
Now, a full-fledged quest will begin for Tudor.
To prepare for that, I want to become level 20 before the next quest.
As my thoughts went beyond today's promises and extended to the next quest, I slowly decided to get up. After activating the magical telekinesis that I had activated a little while ago, I threw the smartphone away and picked up the gloves that I had carelessly left under the bed.
As soon as I put on the gloves, I feel my body starting to regain vitality.
"Phew… … "It's completely different."
Other artifacts are good, but there are not many artifacts that provide +2 health without asking.
After barely getting up, I briefly cleaned up my surroundings, then took out the three dumplings I had put in the refrigerator and put them in the microwave.
Ding!
Dumplings coming out of the microwave emit white steam. I slightly moistened it with water before turning it, but the surface still hardened slightly. Starting tomorrow, I'll have to eat the right food even if it's a bit annoying.
I slightly lifted the mask covering my face and shoved the dumpling into my mouth.
The dumplings that were cooled and reheated were not at the same level as before, but the taste was satisfactory enough. Ha, hot… … This house is really good at it.
While eating the dumplings, I looked around the room and cast a few security spells.
[Warning Jin], [Thorn Trap], [Severance of Ganotodoa], [Golden Sands of Ra], [Realm of Darkness].
A haze begins to billow around the window.
If someone opens the door and enters without permission, I can sense it immediately, and at the same time, my sight and hearing are blocked, and I also suffer from a status ailment that prevents me from speaking.
And with dozens of magic blades stuck in your body, you will fall into an irresistible sleep.
Is this enough? Okay, let's cast a few more lightning spells.
"Okay, now we're ready to go out."
In the mirror hung next to the shoe cabinet, a crazy wizard wearing a hoodie instead of a pitch-black robe can be seen wearing a bizarre mask.
Is that really me? It's already been over a month since you haven't seen my face. Perhaps underneath the mask is not the face of Kim Shin-hwa that I remember, but the face of an unexpected monster.
Well, I guess it's good. I have an appointment today.
The driver of the security taxi I met three days ago.
I plan to meet him again.
I grabbed my skateboard and backpack and headed out the front door.
As always, head towards the rooftop instead of the first floor.
The day is slowly getting dark.
It's 8 o'clock now.
Looking around from the rooftop, the old buildings of Geumchon-dong are turning an ominous purple.
In the distance, you can see an unrealistic skyscraper rising to an enormous height, and in one corner of your vision, there is a huge brass Buddha statue perched on top of Haknyeongsan Forest Park.
"No matter how many times I see it, it's a strange sight… … ."
This is the unrealistic scenery of Paju that exists only in [Cthulhu World] and does not exist in reality.
Now the time for the upright and sane citizens of Paju is over, and the time for criminals steeped in madness begins.
I got on my skateboard and activated my magic.
[jump]
A dazzling magic circle unfolds on the black hoodie worn as a top, and the skateboard bounces into the sky.
The sound of the whirring wind passes by my ears, and the scenery I see changes several times in an instant.
After jumping and jumping again and skipping a few buildings, I was able to land on the side of the road.
I'm far enough away from home that I don't need to use any more magic.
I rode my skateboard and slowly moved to the meeting place.
"Hey, hello!"
A cheerful greeting.
I looked in the direction where I heard the same greeting I heard three days ago.
You came first and were waiting.
The gangster who greeted me... … No, a handsome young man in his early 20s threw away the cigarette he was smoking and extinguished it.
Height is roughly 185cm? He is about half a span taller than me and has strong muscles all over his body.
At first glance, he looks more like a nuisance than sincerity, but thanks to his very stable and well-defined features, he feels a sense of familiarity.
I think my charm level would be 19 at that level. Although he does not have transcendent looks like Tudor, he is handsome enough to make a living with just his face even if he is thrown into the streets like a beggar.
"Wow, you're wearing that mask today too?"
"I'm cursed so I have to keep using it."
"Ugh, a curse?"
"It's not moving, so don't worry."
"Umm… … "Really?"
"Really."
The name of this young carrier is Jang Hyeon-deok.
Although it was the first time I actually met him three days ago, he was not a completely unknown NPC.
When I was playing [Cthulhu World], I rode in his car a few times.
But that's it.
Jang Hyeon-deok was not an NPC with meaningful quests or special options, and he was not someone whose name I could remember.
If I didn't have such an abnormal level of intelligence stat, it would have been impossible to think of him.
Anyway, I thought the design was flashy for a mass-produced NPC that didn't have much importance... … There was a hidden event.
"It doesn't matter what happens to my mask. "Did you bring that thing you mentioned?"
"Oh, of course. however… … ."
Jang Hyeon-deok shrank slightly and pretended to look around, then whispered with a somewhat theatrical and exaggerated expression.
"I'll show you here, so let's go by car."
Jang Hyeon-deok raised his thumb and pointed over his shoulder.
There is Jang Hyeon-deok's vehicle, a large white SUV call van.
Three days ago, Jang Hyeon-deok said he had seen masks identical to mine and claimed to have proof of it.
I wanted to check it out right away, but honestly, I've never experienced a situation like this before in a game, so I wanted to proceed when my stamina was at least a little recovered.
So today, three days later, I met him again.
I sighed and got into the car with him.
"Now, take it out quickly. "If you say something stupid now, I will be very disappointed."
And in order to overcome that disappointment, you may make people around you uncomfortable. However, there was no need for the unspoken afterword to come true.
The item Jang Hyeon-deok took out with a triumphant expression definitely lived up to my expectations.