I took out the straw doll, Jewoong (體俑), that I showed to Park Gwang-rim earlier. Ha, if I use this now, it will be difficult to get it again for a while.
Colorful magic circles spread out in all directions.
-What!?
Perhaps reacting to the disturbing sensations embedded in the magic circle's technique, the Corruptor flinched and retreated.
But it was already too late.
As I begin to push in my magic power, Jewoong, who was in the center of the magic circle, immediately leaves my hand and begins to float in the air.
[Agent of Curse]
Crumble, crunch, crunch… … .
Strangely tangled magic lines emanate from Jewoong's small body. Rather than a magic line, it looks more like a black tentacle or a strangely bent and twisted arm of a ghost.
-Geueoeook!
The Corruptor resists by spouting black flames, but this one is also insubstantial.
My magical power may not be able to generate a power that exceeds the authority of the being of the abyss, but right now, right here, in this place.
You cannot refuse my command as long as it is a space of about 5 pyeong in this dark alley that has been purified through magical breathing.
Crackle, crackle!
The magic ship eventually grabs the corrupted person and squeezes him.
The corruptor, who was fluctuating in a non-Euclidean way, was imprisoned inside that small hero, ignoring the laws of physics.
Tuk.
Jewoong now fell to the floor as if he had returned to being an ordinary straw doll.
"You did it! also!"
"no."
It may seem like the surreal influence has disappeared, but that hasn't been the case.
To eyes that can detect magical power, it looks like an explosive that vibrates as if it will explode at any moment.
"Once it was materialized and locked away, it was not dealt with."
"then… … ?"
The curse of [Cthulhu World] is severe. In particular, curses guaranteed by the existence of the abyss can only be lifted in very limited ways.
"Because Jewoong will block the effects of the curse. It'll be okay for a while. I'll help you more properly later if I find a way to completely resolve it. In the meantime-"
In any case, as long as Park Kwang-lim remains within the range of influence of the ritual master, the curse will remain.
In the meantime, if the person in charge of the ritual were to send a force that exceeds the durability of the hero, the hero would be destroyed, and a huge explosion would occur that would leave no bones left for one person, Park Gwang-rim.
"-I would recommend leaving Paju and hiding somewhere."
To put it the other way, if you stay far away from the person in charge of the ritual, the effect of the curse can be temporarily stopped.
If you are lucky, the person in charge of the ritual may give up maintaining the curse and the curse may be lifted.
I explained those things.
"I won't get paid until I find a way to resolve this, so I'll be out of Gyeonggi Province for at least a month or two. "
[Quest information has been updated.
! Time limit: Park Gwang-rim dies after (45) days. !]
Is it 45 days? Do you think you can get tickets to Cheongeumdang within that period?
"And then the coughing stopped."
"Because this Jeung is receiving the effect of the curse instead. "If you lose this, he might activate it again, so always carry it with you."
"All right. and… … ."
"huh?"
"You said you wouldn't accept money, but… … . No, honestly, I didn't expect you to really help me this much. Would you like to receive at least a portion of what I can give you?"
what? What's wrong with this fraudster?
[However, since you have shown excellent performance, a portion of the quest reward will be settled on an interim basis.
Reward: 150,000 XP + Park Gwang-rim's trust + 150 million won]
[Park Gwang-rim was a broker who was close to a heartless conman, but I was impressed by the dedicated attitude you showed. Park Gwang-rim feels a deep crush on you.]
Ah, a deep crush. This is the favorability level before a firm alliance.
The setup of giving money because someone likes you is not a plausible development in its own way.
Did Park Gwang-rim's psychological state change in line with the change in the quest window? Maybe the quest window changed to match Park Gwang-rim's psychological changes.
'What comes first?'
Whether Park Gwang-rim, who is happy to be alive in front of me, is really human, or just an NPC who moves according to the system, may be a more important question than you think.
* * *
Tudor was a more capable broker than I thought.
"Well, I thought about 2 or 3 requests would have been prepared."
"Hmm, you looked down on me too much."
The day after I returned after requesting a favor, I received a call from Tudor telling me to come to Vasilisa immediately, so I came back to Vasilisa.
As soon as I arrived, Tudor asked why I was so late, dragged me into his office, and introduced me to the quest.
There are a total of 8 requests from Tudor.
It was quite a sight to see files summarizing the main points of the request lined up on the table.
Not even diligent... … There is no need to know this much.
'No, that's not it.'
Tudor knows that I will only do one of these anyway.
Nevertheless, seeing this excessive preparation means that they consider me more important than other problem solvers.
"This is what I most recommend to you."
Tudor extends his finger and points to the document on the far left.
Considering Tudor's sincerity in investigating, I guess I'll have to pretend to check the documents.
"Let's see… … "It's a haunted house in Munsan."
"how is it? Maybe this is something you might know. It's a famous haunted house that has appeared on TV a few times in the past. Until recently, streamers often visited... … "It became clear that it was real when people started dying around the year before last."
"It's kind of a typical haunted house ghost story."
"that's right. But about last year, a rich man with nothing to do said he would pay a prize to anyone who could cleanse this evil house, and he said he had become quite famous in the field of dealing with spirits."
"Seeing as there is still a bounty from last year, I guess no one has succeeded so far?"
"As expected, you are quick-witted. "I knew they were increasing the amount several times, but when I checked this time, I found out that the amount was quite high."
"How much is it?"
"150 million."
"That's quite a bit."
But this isn't the request I'm looking for.
Moreover, what appears in Munsan Haunted House is not actually a ghost.
'It was a killing game.'
It's a quest that becomes a toy for crazy old men who turn away because they have too much money.
People who come there after being lured by the reward become caught up in an artificial murder game on a fake set.
'It's not some kind of game... … .'
It's a quest where you can get good rewards for good achievements, but anyway, what I need is a mansion that can serve as a base.
"That's an interesting story. But since I want to practice this time, I think something that can be done quietly would be good. "This is too loud."
Tudor didn't look disappointed and took out another document.
"Then how about this? "This is a case that can be resolved right here in Geumchon-dong."
A ghost in a newly built apartment located in Geumchon-dong... … Neither is this.
I quickly lost interest, but Tudor continued speaking with great vigor.
"It seems that on the 13th of every month, 13 ghosts made up of insects appear on the 13th floor of the apartment building, make strange noises for 13 minutes, and then disappear."
"that… … ."
I was lucky. I'm glad I got rid of my fear of 13 a long time ago, but if I still had it, I might have fallen backwards just by hearing that story.
"… … no, that's fine. This is not good. "I think something else would be better."
Then I picked up another document lying nearby.
aha.
found.
I'm glad I don't have to worry about facial expressions thanks to the mask. This is exactly the request I was looking for.
I spoke, trying to sound as natural as possible.
"This looks pretty good."
But Tudor's expression is somehow strange.
"Umm… … "I took it because it met the conditions, but it was a bit of an ambiguous request."
The first page of the document reads:
[Jangmyeonsan Private Pension]
"Where is Jangmyeong Mountain?"
"It's not that good... … . "You're not listening to what I said earlier, are you?"
"No, I'm listening carefully."
Tudor pouted for a moment and then continued.
"Jangmyeongsan Mountain is a small mountain located after Gongneungcheon Stream to the west of Geumchon-dong. "There is a private pension there."
"Conservatism is absurd."
[All of the client's assets are donated to the person who handled the transaction.]
"I'm so upset."
Tudor has continued to complain since then, saying that this is why he does not handle requests related to psychic phenomena well, that the only people involved are eccentric businessmen or crazy people, that even if the work is done well, he is not paid, etc.
As a result, I was only able to state my choice after looking through all the documents until the end.
"Can we proceed with Jangmyeongsan Private Pension?"
"Honey, I knew from the beginning that you weren't in your right mind, but… … Are you sane? "Do you really think you'll get this pay?"
"I'm sane. "I told you from the beginning, I have no interest in conservatism."
"Is this because of magic training? The fee... … ."
"I will pay the fee or something."
"Hmm… … "I don't know, do whatever you want."
"good. Then, please contact the client."
[Quest accepted!
Remaining Objectives: Unknown.
Reward: 250,000XP + Ownership of the Mansion
In case of failure: You will be possessed by an evil spirit.]
As expected, the word mansion was used instead of the word pension in the quest message.
The place I will be visiting is not actually a pension, but a privately owned mansion.
'The game's setting hasn't changed. It was originally set up like this.'
"Oh, and there is something special about that request… … ."
"You mean this? "The client accompanies the process."
This is a place I have visited several times through the game.
Although the number of clears is less than that of other places, thanks to its transcendentally developed intelligence, it remembers everything about this mansion, including its clearing conditions, methods, hidden elements, and secret rewards.
"that's right. What do you think you want to check? "Information about the client is on the next page."
I turned the pages of the document and checked the page with the client's information.
The client's name is written at the top.
"The name… … "It's Heo Sang-hyeon."
The core of this quest is client management.
Heo Sang-hyeon is the owner and client of the mansion, and the most important NPC for this quest.
If you don't deal with him, this quest won't end.
The ghosts of this haunted mansion are also possessed by Heo Sang-hyeon.
'In fact, this quest itself is no different from a trap created by evil spirits and the beings of the abyss.'
Starting with the owner, everything around this mansion will attack me.
However, what is provided as compensation is everything contained in the mansion.
[The Starving Mansion].
This will be my new base in the future.