To conclude, my obsession with masks has not been resolved.
Actually, I expected it.
In any case, I wasn't in a state of madness, and the fact that I overcame the mask meant that I was acting while there were masks lying everywhere and I was still wearing the mask.
Instead, a minor change occurred in my status window.
****
Shinhwa Kim
Class: Wizard looking into the abyss
Level: 43
Magic Level: Level 4
Madness: [Mask Obsession (Potential)], [Fish Phobia]
Strength 5 + 4 (Residual heat of Bukraksamun)
Health 7 + 3 (Sain True Sword (Nokzon))
Dexterity 8 + 2 (Night Shroud Wings)
Intelligence 30
Spirit 17 + 2 (Necklace of the Body Snatcher)
charm 19
****
It was an achievement and a reward was provided along with experience points, with people talking incessantly.
First of all, you have risen a level.
Level isn't that important now.
What's more important is what lies below... … .
Madness.
[Mask Obsession] changed into [Mask Obsession (Potential)].
"I know what this is."
The potential of madness. To be exact, [latent madness].
This is the stage before the madness is cured.
If you rest in that state for a long time, receive treatment at a hospital, or take other actions to treat mental illness in the real world, there is a chance that you will be cured.
Of course, the system is like that.
"You're not going to let me heal naturally, are you?"
This is attached as a characteristic penalty, so it cannot be healed.
If [Mask Obsession (Potential)] is explained again in a state where there is no possibility of cure, it goes like this.
Temporary relaxation of penalties.
Even if you suddenly have a problem with your mask coming off like last time, if you make a successful decision, you can act rationally like a normal person.
What if the judgment fails?
In the state of insanity, the roll is treated as if it were successful.
It means that you will be shaking like you did during [Rat Fear], but you will be able to move if you try your best. Instead, again madness breaks out of its latent state.
So, to put it very simply… … .
'You'll look at it at least once?'
In other words, extra lives? Shield? One exemption from madness?
"… … "Honestly, it's not bad."
Not without complaints, but this is a pretty decent reward.
This is much better than spinning around and doing random madness draws without knowing what will pop out.
Once you get there, you've become quite accustomed to the obsession, and it's easy to come up with a countermeasure as long as you've gained immunity to one insanity.
If you suddenly become ridiculously obsessed with this timing, your previous strategy may go completely wrong. Among the madness of [Cthulhu World], there is a love of murder and, as Jemu-gyeong previously showed, an obsession with bastards.
And above all, the terrible skatole... … . No, let's not even think about that.
[Recovery completed]
huh?
[Achievement achieved! You have opened an 'unopenable box'.
You have obtained the 'Rare Achievement: Opener of the Unopenable Chest'.
As a reward for the achievement, 'Mask of the Faceless One' will belong to you as an artifact and you will gain additional experience.]
Has the error been resolved now? Achievements that should have been printed out earlier have now been printed. The name of the achievement is very insincere. Was it something improvised?
[You have shown yourself overcoming various difficulties. But this time they used a truly unexpected method. You anticipated all the hidden traps and overcame them perfectly.]
I smiled in repentance. Of course, it won't be visible because it's covered by the mask.
"So it seems to be true that I exist outside of your foresight?"
If I could foresee my actions, the fight itself would not be possible.
That's why, a few times, I intentionally took actions to see if they could predict my actions.
[Most people who watched you probably thought you were suffering from an obsession with masks. In reality, the situation seemed completely out of control.]
Those who are watching me are aware of my obsession with masks.
They must be beings from the abyss watching the dinner offering.
[But that wasn't the case. Were all those choices, all those seemingly dangerous actions and obsessions, all a play? Are you not being swayed by an obsession with masks, but are you actually watching for an opportunity like a cunning poisonous snake?]
"Yeah, it was all an act."
For a moment, the message window did not print anything.
From the beginning, I made all these plans based on the word [faceless person] rather than the word mask.
Thanks to that, they decided that even with that level of trap, I would fall into the abyss. That is why I am acquiring the power of the [Faceless One], or more specifically, Nyarlathotep.
… … It would have been nice to be in a situation where I could confidently say that.
'Oops, it stopped acting from the middle.'
Due to the influence of my obsession with masks, I started to become serious about it. If the indecent behavior that occurred in the middle goes away, it is true that it is an obsession. Why on earth did you bring the other masks?
If it weren't for Jang Hyeon-deok and Heo Sang-hyeon, I probably wouldn't have come to my senses even now.
But what about them?
Now they will attach meaning to my every action and become suspicious.
[But what effect will your dealings with higher intelligence have on your future? And the knowledge you have about this world. How long will it help? The moment when your knowledge no longer works. What kind of expression will you make? Beware of the chaotic future ahead.]
The message window disappeared.
I ended up making a clumsy threat again. Well, this is enough. I stand up... … I tried, but Ugh, that's not easy.
"Okay… … . "You bastards, please improve your health."
I grabbed a nearby table and barely got up.
My legs are shaking.
Although I forced my stats up with artifacts, there is a fundamental difference from real health using my muscles. The same applies to the intelligence stat of 30 points in my head.
I understand as I continue to use it. This is ultimately fake intelligence.
When I recall a memory or calculate something, it moves naturally, but it does not function as my full intelligence.
"What can I say… … . Should I say it feels like an external graphics card?"
Is this an appropriate analogy? It feels like a separate computing device connected to the outside is running rather than my own intelligence.
I looked around for a moment.
"It's a mess."
The basement, which had been neatly organized, had suddenly become a mess.
The documents piled up on the desk were scattered everywhere, and all the books on the bookshelf spilled onto the floor.
And even the masks.
Now when I look at the mask, I don't feel anything special.
Thanks to the latent obsession with masks, the indiscriminate obsession with masks seems to have died down a bit.
"But if I let my guard down again, it'll be a mess, right?"
I've just gotten beyond the point where I feel a pleasure that makes me lose my mind just by looking at a mask. There still remains a vague feeling of fondness.
Would you say it feels like it has decreased from an obsession to a hobby?
I snapped my fingers and opened the barrier where [The Book of Greed and Destruction] was trapped.
Kiiiiig.
"how is it?"
"I like it."
The blurry appearance of Cheongho is projected in the darkness between the gaping gaps in the barrier. But do you plan on continuing to talk as Cheongho in the future?
Cheongho's appearance has changed from before.
He is now wearing the [Mask of the Faceless One].
Cheongho, wearing a mask, said.
"Kim Shin-hwa. You gave me something so precious. "Can you really not regret it?"
"Who gives what to whom? "Are you out of your mind?"
I just keep the loot I've acquired in one place.
A dangerous magic book [Book of Greed and Destruction] and an even more dangerous magic tool [Mask of the Faceless One].
A request conveyed secretly along with a question.
This was the real deal.
Help me escape the temptation of the mask and seal it away.
In return, I will share my strength with you.
However, this does not mean that the mask itself has been handed over.
Would it be better to compare it to being able to barely pick up a portion of the power overflowing from the mask?
But he was satisfied with just that.
"Anyway, let me say thank you. "I can soon become a true member of the Abyss."
"Yes, grow up well."
[Book of Greed and Destruction] was nothing more than a terminal of a high-ranking intelligence, but it will absorb the power contained in the mask and become stronger.
"good. Don't call me for a while. "I will grow stronger here with the pain you taught me."
"good. I'll leave it alone for the time being. But by mortal standards, for the time being."
"… … By mortal standards?"
"For now I think that means three to seven days."
"… … ."
"For your information, there are 24 hours in a day. "There are 3,600 seconds in one hour."
"… … "You can't do anything in such a short amount of time."
"I guess so, right? Anyway, I'll see you again soon. For your information, sooner or later, I am speaking in terms of mortals."
thud.
The barrier door was closed.
If that guy reaches the level he wants, I won't be able to control him either.
But it's not a big problem.
I had already calculated the problem when I made the plan.
The time it takes to reach the level he wants... … .
"Anyway, we'll have to pull together until my son's grandson's great-grandson dies."
It's okay to worry about the problems that guy could cause later.
'For the time being', we should coax it and make the most of it.
"… … ."
'That's terrible... … .'
My emotional state is terrible.
This is the guy who taunted me, killed Cheongho, and did such terrible things.
The memory doesn't disappear, but the feelings about that incident have almost volatilized.
Although it hasn't even been a few days.
Now I can laugh and crack jokes with that guy and do business with him casually. Even though that guy is speaking using the appearance and voice of Cheongho, whom he killed.
'Everything other than the madness stuck in my head is becoming trivial.'
Just as madness, fear, and mental shock have no effect on me, events that the previous [ordinary Kim Shin-hwa] would not have been able to handle are just a joke to [Crazy Wizard Kim Shin-hwa].
I walked down the stairs slowly, trying not to forget this terrible feeling.
* * *
It's been quite a while.
A few more days have passed since I told [The Book of Greed and Destruction].
From the day Cheongho died to the Masquerade.
Although I rarely rest for a day, this time I relaxed and rested for a while.
Of course, it wasn't that I was completely restless, and I was carrying out minor tasks to prepare for the coming future and interpreting the grimoires that I had put aside for a while.
Thanks to this, I have learned a few additional magics, but most of them are of a mediocre level.
Oh, of course, that's not all.
Although he said he rested, it would be more accurate to say he was taking care of himself.
My schedule will change depending on the progress of what happened in Sejong City.
It seems that Dok Go-gyeom has finally shaken off Yang Seo-ho's pursuit. A bounty for Dok Go-gyeom has been posted on the Solver Network.
"That's interesting."
The person on the other end of the smartphone answered in Korean with an awkward accent.
- That amount is... … . Don't be surprised.
"Oh my, how much is it?"
- It's 400 billion.
"Huh, I walked a lot. "Is there any city budget left over?"
Well, it was a worthy situation.
- no. It is not a bounty from the city, but a bounty from the Hunter Mutual Aid Association. However, he probably walked while stabbing himself in the side in Sejong City.
"ah. Right."
The Hunters' Mutual Aid Association is an association of bounty hunters. Still, 400 billion is an absurd amount.
- Well, anyway, this is a very turbulent situation. The Foreigners' Management Office issued a statement saying it would begin a war against pseudo-religions that engage in illegal criminal activities and exploit people.
"Officially?"
- First of all, it is in the name of the National Police Agency. In any case, the plan is to capture all the cultists who caused trouble in Sejong City.
"Oh, I see. Could it be that the descendants of Fomalhaut got involved thanks to this?"
- Tsk, if that were the case, it would have been great for both me and Kim Shin-hwa. But that didn't happen. They didn't show up in Sejong City in the first place.
"Right. "I'm sorry."
- Oh, but something else happened instead.
"What? Is it related to Fomalhaut?"
- you're right. Recently, there was an explosion at a business run by Fomalhaut's descendants.
"Did Yang Seo-ho hit it anonymously?"
Although he said it slyly, it was probably Dokgo-gyeom. A man with a 400 billion won bounty on his hands is not very diligent.
And perhaps infighting will ensue. It would be nice to think that the route related to referees has disappeared.
- That could be true. Great, anyway, this is roughly the mood these days. Then slowly… … .
"Slowly?"
- Shall we end the small talk here and talk about work? You really didn't call because you were curious about these rumors, right?
Oh yeah. Time to talk about work.
The reason I called Park Kwang-rim was not simply because I was curious about the rumors.
"good. "Actually, I'm calling because I have something I want to request."
- Request? Shinhwa Kim to me?
"huh. "Please make some Kim Shinhwa."
Now is the time when we need full-scale safety measures.