"Okay, anyway, thanks to you, I had a good rest."
I washed well, slept well, and ate well.
I had a nightmare, but it wasn't something like Cthulhu, so it's safe to say I slept well.
Right now, I'm out in the living room after finishing breakfast (it's very early, around 2pm).
The mask he is wearing is again Carcosa's mask. I worked diligently and fixed the mask first.
When I glance at the restaurant, I see Heo Sang-hyun clearing away the dishes and plates.
"I used to think about madness too easily."
Phobias and obsessions are different.
Phobia is a madness of avoidance and exclusion.
On the other hand, obsession. Even if it is artificial madness, it becomes the motivation, goal, and guideline for my actions.
It eventually becomes a part of me and seeps into me.
"Well, I've come to my senses now, so it's okay."
How long can we keep it up this time?
One obsession had been stuck in my mind for too long. After a while, you may no longer know what kind of person you were before.
'But to pull it in a little more…' … .'
What we're going to do today is a little complicated.
"Is there anything else you need?"
Heo Sang-hyeon, wearing an apron, approaches the living room and speaks to me.
'Ugh, it must have looked strange again.'
The sight of him standing in the living room, muttering to himself, seems to have made him worry again. When you think about it from this perspective, you really are a good person.
Of course, from Heo Sang-hyeon's perspective, it may be because he is happier serving a mentally healthy wizard rather than a crazy wizard. No, let's not think about that.
"no. "It was a simple ritual."
"Consciousness?"
Heo Sang-hyun asks seriously.
I'm sorry. It's true that I was just muttering nonsense. But I continued to lie for Heo Sang-hyeon.
"Yes, I need to finish what I couldn't do yesterday."
"Oh, I see you were getting ready to go down to the basement."
"that's right. And thank you for stopping me yesterday."
Heo Sang-hyeon hesitated for a moment with an expression of not knowing what to say, then opened his eyes wide and spoke.
"I'm glad you got some rest."
"Thanks to you, I'm in very good condition."
It's true. If I had gone down in that state yesterday, I would have made a mistake.
good. Now it's really perfect.
I thanked Heo Sang-hyun again and took the stairs down to the basement.
Creak, creak.
"… … ."
I had a strange feeling, so I turned my head and saw Heo Sang-hyeon. Heo Sang-hyeon stands in front of the basement door and watches me.
The expression on his face still shows concern for me.
It's a natural concern. If I suddenly die while performing an unreasonable ritual in the basement, Heo Sang-hyun, who is connected to me, will also die.
No, haven't you decided to stop thinking like this?
"It will take quite some time. And it would be better to close that door."
I used my magic power to pull open the basement door.
Sigh. thud.
The basement door closed.
"Phew."
Take a short deep breath.
The inside of the basement is not dark.
This is because equipment powered by magic stones emits colorful light.
Stairs that are abnormally deep compared to the structure of the building.
Regardless of the image the basement has, this place is very spacious.
It's not so much that it can be described as surreal, but it's just a little wider than the entire mansion.
Various devices, equipment, and magic experiments gathered from all over the place.
An incredible number of masks lined up all over the basement walls.
This morning, the spirit golems cleaned it thoroughly and hung it on the wall.
Seeing the masks hanging on the wall like a hunter's trophy somehow calms my mind.
And on the table… … .
"Ha, can't we do something about this funny design?"
An object with an absurd design that disturbs the tense atmosphere.
It's a treasure chest.
It is not a form that can be dismissed as a design that does not match the atmosphere of [Cthulhu World]. It's a design so old-fashioned and childish that it can't even appear in games these days.
A beautifully shiny, colorful fuselage.
Even if you don't bother to look at it carefully, it is a design that would be suitable for use as a prop in an entertainment program.
"But, this is not such an easy thing."
Magical protection over physical protection.
An old magic technique designed to absorb external blood and magic.
"It's a very contrived design."
It is not only contrived, but also quite malicious.
It will not be opened unless a certain amount of violence, magic, and blood accumulates around it.
'… … This means that it is only because of the setting.'
This is just a setting for the convenience of game production.
To exclude other variables, all interactions other than those specified are ignored.
It is not easy for me to push my influence into the inside of this box.
In Sejong City, they threw it and threw it around, but it was like a trick that took advantage of the physical properties of the metal skeleton that makes up the outside of this box.
I summoned my magic and tried a few things.
Shock, lightning, fire, freezing, vibration. How are you?
Toxic, acidic, pressure. There's no response to this either.
Heart, spirit, curse. No, of course this series doesn't work.
Then change direction: penetration, assimilation, bonding, stimulation, echo.
"… … ."
As expected, nothing works.
It is not a question of whether it is effective or not. I just feel inadequate, like I'm pushing the wrong buttons every time I try something.
"It will take a long time if I try to dig in alone."
When I played as a Mutuga character in the past, I got something similar to this. It was just the stuff inside, and he wrapped a chain around the box and destroyed it all.
Thanks to that buggy play, I was able to see the hidden ending, and ha… … Come to think of it, did it start from there?
"I also beat up Shogus with something like this back then."
Mask and all, isn't this box the true legendary weapon?
Just use this invincible box to defeat Cthulhu and everything... … .
"no. "That can't be possible."
It was already confirmed by the play at the time. The section where this works is until the middle.
"Well, anyway, it's going to be a bit difficult to resolve this on my own."
If you put in the time and effort, you can do it. However, there is a faster way.
"good. "I had to have a conversation at this point."
I looked at one side of the basement.
There was an amazing visual device installed there.
An electrical facility connected to a huge magic circle and dozens of magic stones.
Symbols of the cross, Star of David, and [living flame]. Amulet, gold string. So, religious symbols that are tangled together in a haphazard manner.
And at the center of it all is a door similar to the one that blocked the entrance to the Cheongho nuclear bomb shelter.
In fact, it is true that the door itself was torn off.
bang! bang!
I said as I knocked on the huge door made of pure silver.
"Hey, what do you think? How are you doing these days?"
I can feel a faint wave from inside. Hmm, as expected, it was sturdy and well made.
Silver itself has the power to block demons.
East and West, sex and magic, tradition and innovation.
This is the maximum barrier I have created by scraping together everything I could.
"Anyway, I guess we can't talk like this."
Good profit… … .
I opened the door slightly. The barrier itself is maintained. I just want to have a short conversation with the being trapped inside.
When the door opened, the thing trapped in the barrier pleaded with me.
『Hehehehe! Ahahahaha!!』
"Hmm, it looks like you're doing pretty well."
『Hehehehehe… … .』
"how is it? "What is a life where your molars are forcibly pulled out every three seconds?"
It's a book, but can I say it's life? I don't know.
[The one who laughs].
To be exact, he is the incarnation of [The One Who Laughs], a high-ranking intelligence.
The name of the grimoire is [Book of Greed and Destruction].
Although it is said to be of much lower rank than the beings of the abyss, it is not something humans can handle.
However, because it was implemented in the form of a book with physical properties, we were able to capture it due to its commercial advantage.
'Because it has artifact modification characteristics.'
Anyway, I trapped this horrible guy in a barrier that forced him into endless pain that he could never get used to.
The grimoire, [Book of Greed and Destruction], answered my words.
『Hahaha! Hahahaha!』
I don't know what you're talking about.
"Since we need dialogue, let's bring out just one more representative personality."
"Kim Shin-hwa. You're doing it too much. How long do you plan to keep me locked up in this hell?"
It's Cheongho's voice. I feel really bad.
"I think all you need are some simple tricks, but I don't have a place to ask this. "Can you help me?"
Cheongho's face is vaguely visible through the slightly open door.
He made a gurgling noise for a moment and then said:
"Kim Shin-hwa. Ever since Cheongho was alive, you have rejected all our proposals. "Is there any reason why I should help you now?"
The suggestion made when Cheongho was alive was to join the Triad. Why are you bringing that in? I'd like to tell him to change to a different personality, but then this time, he'll have a personality that imitates Jang Hyeon-deok, right?
Anyway, this is a ploy to provoke me.
There is a better way than to fall for provocation and get angry.
"Then quit. "Just figure it out on your own, okay?"
I stretched out my hand and tried to close the barrier door.
Cheongho's voice continues in a hurry.
"Kim Shinhwa! Do you think we can negotiate that way?"
"Do you think it will work?"
"I have existed for more years than your little mind can imagine. A person's life and death. It is no different from a moment for beings who live for eternity. "How long do you think you can hold out?"
You may be wondering what I'm talking about, but this is what it means.
All you have to do is hold out until Kim Shin-hwa dies. Do you think I won't be able to endure that?
"Ah, if you think so, I can't help it."
"You look displeased. Shinhwa Kim."
"You're wearing a mask?"
"I can see it."
"Well, I guess so. Okay, okay anyway. "Then let's start from here."
"What are you trying to start?"
"We couldn't talk properly last time because we weren't able to have a particularly long conversation, but do you know how long the seal you placed around you will last?"
"… … ."
He pretends not to, but he cares.
"Isn't it difficult to see what I have done there? "It is difficult to guarantee because this type of technique is inherently subject to a lot of external influences, so please understand that the margin of error is large."
To simplify the calculation, let's assume that external influences are uniformly repeated with only the average value, and add the assumption that the basement environment itself does not change.
"This is the basement… … ."
"How long do you think it will last? This place was created by a skeleton man named Heo Joo. He was a very paranoid man, right? The basement itself was unnecessarily deep, and huge natural stones were carefully placed there. Even if a nuclear war breaks out outside, we can survive."
Please note that this is a lie. This is just a basement. Even an earthquake will cause it to collapse.
"The beings of the abyss... … ."
"That's well said. This is still explicitly the territory of [The One Who Comes from the Dark]. Because it is unlikely that other abyssal beings will intervene. "It means you don't have to worry about that kind of problem."
This too is a lie. [The One Who Comes from the Dark] lost interest in this mansion a long time ago.
"Hmph, so what happens?"
Anyway, you're curious as to how long the current barrier will remain in place, right?
In other words, the period in which the incarnation of the One Who Laughs, its official name [Book of Greed and Destruction], must suffer the pain of having its raw molars pulled out once every three seconds without being able to exert influence on the outside... … .
"Two thousand five hundred and forty-seven years."
So 254,700,000,000,000,000,000,000 years. It turns out that the number is almost the same as the number of eons (Kalpa) mentioned in Buddhism.
"… … ."
Cheongho's face, embodied by the person who smiles, is dramatically distorted.
"What did you say it was like forever?"