Chapter 15: Spam Email

Brokers' networks, indeed... I remembered there were such things.

Not only in Paju, but hackers operating nationwide hacked various networks to disseminate information.

There were many hackers who worked as freelancers, and there were even guilds akin to hackers' associations. Was it called the Neuro Kids?

When I didn't say anything, Tudor continued the conversation and she seemed to be in a good mood.

"Not just the brokers' network, but almost every community, be it in the light or shadow, is abuzz with stories about you. Origin unknown, identity unknown, abilities unknown - who is he? With a little more push, he could become the most famous newcomer among fixers this year, couldn't he?"

Though I admit I had dealt with the quest in a rather noisy way, it seemed to have caused more of a stir than I had anticipated.

Fortunately, Tudor seemed to have taken a complete liking to me and with such fame, it would likely be a great help in finding clues to escape from this [Cthulhu World] in the future.

"Being famous should be advantageous for getting noticed, right? Since I find such tasks cumbersome, could you help me out?"

"Ah, sure. I was already ignoring the nudges from other brokers. If your taste is for something flashy, I'll pull as many strings as I can~."

Tudor said this while rubbing her hands together in a theatrical manner. Given her fondness for such noisy affairs, she would probably handle it well on her own.

When we entered the office where I had previously received the quest, Tudor sat me down and started fiddling with the safe behind the desk.

"Didn't expect you to return so quickly. You really impressed me."

"The quicker I work, the sooner I get paid."

Tudor nodded her head and took out some cash.

"Here, this is 27 million won, minus a 10% commission. If you prefer, I can pay you in a different form instead of cash."

Although there was a commission, there was the option to exchange for other goods or services, or even to launder the money into an anonymous account.

Most brokers could offer these services, but Tudor provided the most extensive and diverse range of them.

"Prepare an ID for me and an account in the name on that ID. And for the money... just give me 5 million for now. It would be great if you could deposit the rest into that account."

"Hmm, what level of identity?"

"Just make it Kim Shin-hwa, and make the ID as clean as possible within the budget."

"Alright. I'll create an identity so clean you could even sit for a civil service exam."

I wanted to ask for a safe house as well but it was too much for my current budget. For the time being, I would have to hop from motel to motel.

I picked up one bundle of the stacked money worth 5 million won and stood up.

"I'll come back again."

"I'll have the ID and bank book ready by next month. Don't take too long to come back. I might start missing you."

I left the café, leaving Tudor's playful words behind.

The chilly night air brushed against my skin as I unconsciously looked up at the sky... it was an incredibly unfamiliar sky.

The constellations were placed in completely different positions than I remembered and they shone with a strange and mystical light.

An indescribable discomfort rose in my chest.

This is not the world I lived in.

No matter how many incidents I resolved in this world, the only thing waiting for me was destruction.

I needed to earn money, increase my abilities and level... Slowly build a reputation, and then uncover the truth of this world.

And escape from this terrible, dangerous place.

I couldn't stay here any longer. I had to escape, no matter what.

If I delayed, an [ending] would inevitably come, in one form or another.

There were hundreds of possible endings I could reach, but none of them led to a happy conclusion... only to terrible destruction, profound despair, unbelievable downfall, and evil, blasphemous curses.

This world had an end.

That day, when the cycle of the world would come to a halt.

The day the abyss opened its maw.

As I pondered the events that would unfold at the [ending], my vision gradually blurred.

[□□□□ □□□□ □□□□□]

Everything became hazy. Did a message window just appear? What did it say?

But then, was the content of the message even important?

The time of doom would soon arrive.

On the day when ninety-nine kings roaming the other world would descend upon this land, when that most ancient and at the same time most malevolent being would awaken from its eternal slumber, when beings from beyond the abyss would descend like a swarm of possessed locusts to devour everything in this land, when all that humanity had built would be destroyed in the name of hunger, on that day when every land would plummet beneath that filthy firmament, when everything in the universe would be blissfully ruled under the blessings of evil and madness.

That day would surely come. That day would surely come. That day would surely come. That day would surely come. That day would surely come. That day would surely come. That day would surely come. That day would surely come. That day would surely come. That day would surely come. That day would surely come. That day would surely come. That day would surely come. That day would surely come. That day would surely come. That day would surely come. That day would surely come.

Flicker-

[System: The unique trait 'Madness of the Abyss' has been activated. The effects of the distortion have been nullified.]

My thoughts had been too long drawn out. It felt like my head was about to explode.

In the process of thinking about what could happen in the ending, I unconsciously remembered the true images of beings that I should not have remembered. Beings so horrific that the mere act of envisioning them could destroy a human's sanity.

I had already defied the will of the [Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young] and attracted the attention of the [Living Flame].

The further I advance in the story, the more likely it is for me to encounter them.

Nonetheless, I knew I couldn't stay in this crazy world any longer. I had to escape, by any means necessary.

But... I've done too much....

I needed to rest for now.

I had been acting normal in front of Tudor, but my physical condition had reached its limit.

Once I recuperated a bit, I would proceed as planned to seek the artifact that would enhance my health.

***

On my second night in the [Cthulhu World], I was plagued by a terrible nightmare again.

I was fully aware that it was a dream yet I was unable to wake up by my own will.

The madness rooted in my subconscious was transmitting the will of those beings from beyond.

- The place I had fallen into was a void of nothingness.

- It was a place devoid of light, sound, smell, touch, and taste, a space utterly empty and profoundly void.

- There only I existed, along with my soul, my body, my mind, my sins, my abilities, my memories, my past, and a truly immense presence. It was a star, immensely, immensely large, shining brilliantly, dazzlingly, splendidly.

- It resembled the wide-open maw of a ravenous beast,

- And the fiercely burning, deep red eyes,

- A blazing fury, burning to purify everything in existence.

- We were to become kindling for Him. We had to be the beacons, blazing at the forefront for His great deed. We must be the first sparks to ignite, setting the world aflame. We had to burn. Burn ourselves, burn and burn, to become sacrifices for Him. We were to be sacrifices. We had to be sacrifices.

Flicker-

[System: The unique trait 'Madness of the Abyss' has been activated. The effects of the nightmare have been nullified.]

"What utter bullshit..."

It still feels like my head is ringing with a persistent buzzing. The sensation was almost enough to make me feel nauseous.

The [Living Flame].

He was the god of fire, an exploding supernova personified, and the one who presides over the most direct form of violence.

It seemed that he had taken an interest in me because I had borrowed his power to cast magic the night before.

Normally, the event "Nightmare of R'lyeh" sent by Cthulhu should have occurred, but instead, he pushed it aside and poured his own will directly into my mind.

There had been similar events in the game but this was the first of its kind.

Such things usually wouldn't happen... It must have been due to the power embedded in [The Corrupted Ring of Flame] that I had used to wield his authority.

I should remember to take off the ring before sleeping...

What a hassle~ it's just like I was dealing with some spam email; the nuisances vary in so many ways.

But it's not a situation to laugh off. Had it not been for the trait [Madness of the Abyss], the nightmare alone would have driven me completely mad and might have turned me into one of his fanatical worshippers or a total wreck.

There's no guarantee that [Madness of the Abyss] will protect me forever, and if more monsters like him start showing interest in me, who knows what might happen?

I need to find a way to escape this world.

For that, I need to become stronger, and quickly.

"Ughhh..."

Still, my stats were high enough that I could somehow pull myself out of bed.

I ran my fingers through my disheveled hair, intending to touch my face....but instead, I felt the mask under my hand.

"Ah, this is also terrible. I need to get rid of this mask obsession..."

After taking a deep breath and calming my mind for a moment, I slowly took off the mask and washed my face.

Of course, I held the mask in one hand the entire time. Dropping it could trigger a bout of distortion, so caution was necessary.

From several tests, I found that distortion didn't occur immediately if the mask was only briefly set aside.

Moreover, covering my face with my hand or a towel allowed me a bit more leeway.

This meant I could manage basic tasks like washing my face or eating.

After setting aside the mask, I covered my face with a towel and stretched for a while.

Crack, crackle...

Raising my health and strength stats was indeed worthwhile. I wasn't completely better, but I felt significantly more energetic.

I tossed aside the warped mask that was damaged from yesterday's magical heat and took out a new one.

Thankfully, I had bought several when I made the purchase.

Yesterday's mask was a plain white one, but today's one was a comically designed skull mask; it was made of the same cheap plastic as the previous one.

The mask's packaging read, [Creepy Skull Mask].

"Ugh... seriously..."

I can't keep wearing such things forever, and I should probably find something more appropriate soon.

Whether it's creepy or not, putting on the mask brings me peace of mind.

It dispels uncomfortable emotions, irritations, anxieties, suffocation, and dizziness, and makes me feel at ease.

For a brief moment, it even gave me a sensation akin to the pleasure of smoking a cigarette.

Ugh... at this rate, I might really go crazy.

Outside, the sun had already reached its zenith. I had no plans to go out today.

I needed to rest and organize my surroundings, especially after overexerting myself yesterday.

First, I began to take out the items I had haphazardly stuffed into my backpack.

[Essence of Fire (A-rank Catalyst): A crystallized form of pure red element.

It can be used to imbue items with the power of fire or for casting powerful flame magic.]

[Red Dragon's Orb (A-rank Talisman): A bead formed from the breath of a fire dragon.

Fire Protection: Automatically casts the 'Flame Barrier' spell.

Remaining uses: 5.]

I wasn't sure where the Essence of Fire would come in handy but I knew well about the Red Dragon's Orb.

I just checked the magic contained in the orb, and it was more efficient for me to use my protective circle spell rather than the spell of the orb.

Besides, what A-rank artifact has a limit on the number of times it can be used?

Of course, for those who can't use magic, such an item would be invaluable.

It would be better for me to sell this.

Items that help in survival are expensive. Although it's just a basic survival tool, I could probably get at least three or four thousand for it.

After placing the Essence of Fire and the Red Dragon's Orb on the table, I moved on to the next item.