Chapter 151: The Village

The memories I could recall ended here.

"Nothing more comes to mind."

There were too many unknowns.

The alien being driving the truck, the being of the abyss intervening in an unusual pattern, and the item inside the container.

Were the memories that came to my mind so far accurate?

Honestly, I couldn't be sure.

"Ah, my head really hurts. What am I supposed to do?"

I briefly lowered my head and held it in my hands, feeling my mask with my fingertips.

This mask had the rough texture of wood.

Instead of the [Carcosa's Mask] I usually wore, I was wearing a completely different mask.

"What is this mask?"

There was no mirror nearby. I slowly traced the surface of the mask to get a sense of its shape.

Was it mimicking the form of a beast, or perhaps a monster?

It had a smooth face with oddly developed eyes.

Its shape... was it a frog? No, it mimicked some creature far more grotesque than a frog.

"My head hurts. What on earth is going on?"

It felt like my mind was filled with seawater.

Important parts of my memory were submerged beneath that dark, murky seawater. Even if I tried to dive in, I would only get swept away by the turbulent currents.

I couldn't retrieve the memories that had sunk to the depths.

I kept trying to deny it, but it seemed it was time to accept the truth.

"Is this partial amnesia?"

It was a common condition in [Cthulhu World].

It was the most effective defense mechanism used to forget unbearable truths, shocks, and fears.

"It wouldn't have happened without cause."

The most likely cause was the item inside that container. What could have been inside to shock my past self so much that I even let go of my memories?

"Well, it's pretty obvious."

It was probably related to the phobia lodged in my head.

"And then madness erupted which led to amnesia."

When madness manifested, it caused distortion.

Although it was collectively called distortion, the symptoms did not always appear the same way. In [Cthulhu World], there were broadly ten different types of distortion.

It would be tedious to explain the effects of all ten types of confusion in detail.

Anyway, depending on which type of confusion manifested, one could experience hallucinations, try to escape, or even become violent and go berserk.

"And then there's amnesia."

Instead of going berserk or seeing hallucinations, one could lose their memory.

Although it was a static effect, one would lose memories related to a certain range or specific keywords.

"Honestly, I'm glad to see an unfamiliar ceiling."

Depending on the situation, one could lose their memory during a battle.

"By the way, where am I?"

One thing was certain: it wasn't the Freedom Road. I looked around. It was a quiet, unfamiliar room.

Not a bed, just a thick blanket and quilt spread on the bare floor.

There was a window on one side. Glass and aluminum sashes.

Yellow linoleum on the floor, cherry-colored molding everywhere.

It was anachronistic, but...

"Anyway, it looks like I haven't left Korea."

It seemed I hadn't been reincarnated into a medieval world or anything like that.

The problem was, this wasn't the only problem.

***

Kim Shin-hwa

Class: Mage Gazing into the Abyss

Level: 44

Magic Order: Fourth Order

Mental Illness: [Mask Obsession (Dormant)], [Ichthyophobia]

Status: Partial Amnesia

Strength: 5

Health: 7

Agility: 8

Intelligence: 30

Mental Strength: 17

Charm: 19

***

Well, my level has increased.

It wasn't a problem per se, but my level had been 43. It was now one level higher.

Maybe it went up because I completed the Freedom Road quest?

Or it could mean more time had passed than I thought.

Then there was the second problem.

This one was quite serious.

Honestly, it was a more significant issue than losing my memory.

"Where on earth have all my artifacts gone?"

With my lost memory, all my artifacts had disappeared.

Even the clothes I had been wearing were gone. Instead, what was left for me was...

"What are these clothes? Is this the Joseon Dynasty?"

I was now wearing yellow linen clothing.

Honestly, what first came to my mind was that this was a burial shroud, but it looked more like mourning clothes.

"Still, it doesn't seem like actual mourning clothes."

No, no! That's not what's important. All my artifacts are gone!

The Winged Robe of the Night Veil, the Great Justice Tiger Sword. Where did they all go?

I can't accept a development like "you just lost everything~."

"Haah..."

I scratched my head for a moment and let out a sigh.

"If that's really the case, I'm seriously quitting this game."

I said, lifting my head in a vague direction.

"Hey, say something. I said I'm really quitting the game."

Normally, it would chat excitedly even if I begged it to shut up, so why is it silent now?

Should I be relieved? A message window appeared before my eyes.

[You have awakened in an unfamiliar place.]

"I know that already."

[An unfamiliar place, lost artifacts. But the bigger problem than all of that is the fact that you've lost your memory. Your memory was your most powerful weapon. However, you have great skills and experience. Surely, if you carefully observe your surroundings and gather information, you'll find a way to overcome this ordeal.]

"Is that all?"

What about the artifacts?

[Would you like to accept the quest?

<?? Quest: Strange Village>

You are trapped in a rural village with peculiar customs.

Discover the secrets hidden in the village and escape safely.

Additional objective: Recover the 'Lost Package.'

! Time limit: The village festival begins in two days. !

Reward: 5,220,000 XP + Village Treasure + Additional bonuses based on performance.

Failure: You will settle in this village.]

A quest I've never seen before.

Could it be a quest that didn't exist in the game?

Or is it a quest I forgot along with my other memories?

The first thing that caught my eye was the term "Lost Package".

At least it seems like it's not lost forever.

It's just a thought based on a vague feeling, but this situation won't last long.

The old Kim Shin-hwa wouldn't have lost the artifacts so easily.

There are no injuries on me, so it doesn't seem like they were forcibly taken either.

Past Kim Shin-hwa, I believe in you.

The past me must have thrown himself into this situation to prepare for some astonishing plan or twist, right? Maybe even the part where I lost my memory is a piece of a bigger picture.

"......"

Please, I begged silently. Please.

I accepted the quest with those thoughts in mind.

I didn't really have a choice anyway, did I?

The structure itself isn't that special though.

There were many quests similar to this one in [Cthulhu World].

Thanks to that, I was able to gather quite a lot of information just from the details provided by the quest window.

At least it's not a quest taking place in an abandoned house or another dimension.

If it's a quest set in a village, there would be "villagers" to interact or fight with, right?

I'd actually prefer it to be smaller.

I have to search the entire village for clues with this frail body.

And then there was the village festival which takes place in two days.

This usually meant a ritual or spell for the beings of the abyss. Plus, it often involved human sacrifice.

"Failing and becoming a villager means there's an event related to infection or brainwashing, right?"

It could also be an event that triggers mutation.

I had to retrieve my belongings and either stop the festival or escape within two days.

"Tsk, it's roughly sorted out."

Alright, let's move.

I threw off the blanket and tried to get up. Let's get up...

This was bad. My strength was at 5 and my health was at 7 right now.

My legs had no strength.

I staggered into a half-crawling position and barely got up.

I used to grumble about how the health provided by the artifacts was fake, but being thrown into this situation without them was truly terrible.

"Wow, there's no way I can walk around like this."

[Agility of the Fox]

[Courage of the Lion]

[Strength of the Bull]

[Endurance of the Bear]

I cast spells on myself to fill the gap left by the missing artifacts. At least I hadn't lost my magic.

I did some light stretching and prepared to go out.

"First, I need to search this house."

There were no more special clues in this room.

It was a cramped room with nothing but a blanket.

I slowly moved towards the door while casting a spell.

[Detection]

There is one person in the house.

They harbored ominous magical power within their body. It was the energy of the water ghost.

Not an ordinary person.

Starting a quest I didn't know from the beginning is tiring.

Should I follow the usual flow of quests?

Unlike other friendly games, [Cthulhu World] had quests that suddenly presented traps if you followed them thoughtlessly.

"Tsk, but there are too few clues right now."

There was no choice. I had to be prepared for whatever might come out.

I should meet the person in this building.

Creak.

I slowly opened the door.

It was a pretty spacious and decent house.

Looks like a rich person's living room.

Unlike the anachronistic atmosphere of the room I had been lying in, the living room was furnished with more modern items.

A large dark brown sofa and expensive-looking decorations. And a huge TV that looked about 100 inches. Other expensive-looking items included an air conditioner, an air purifier, and a robot vacuum cleaner.

And an elderly man with a hunched figure was walking out of what seemed to be the kitchen.

[Somehow, the old man has a bizarre appearance. Sparse, dirty hair on his bald head. A flattened nose that seemed pressed down. Oddly moist skin. And most notably, unusually large and developed eyes. His appearance is so grotesque and alien that it makes you wonder if there was a mixed-race element in his bloodline.]

He was certainly alien, but not to the extent that a mental strength check was needed. His appearance undeniably reminded me of something other than a human.

But what kind of creature was it...?

"Grrk, ah, young man, you're awake?"

The old man spoke to me after a brief phlegm-filled sound.

His accent was strange. The words themselves were similar to the standard language, but the intonation was odd. It was worse than Park Kwang-lim who was from China.

When I silently stared at him for a moment, the old man widened his already large eyes and looked back at me. Because of the seaweed-like blood vessels densely covering his eyeballs, his sclera appeared more yellow than white.

"Sorry for repeating the same thing, but keep wearing that mask."

"......"

He had a friendlier attitude than I expected. Was this supposed to be a friendly relationship?

It didn't seem like I was kidnapped or confined.

When I didn't respond, the old man half-closed one eye and urged me.

"Are you listening to me?"

"Oh, yes. The mask, I don't plan on taking it off."

Even without him saying that, I'd never take it off.

"Right. Don't think the old man's talking nonsense; it's just the village tradition, so please understand."

"I understand."

"So, why did you come out instead of staying in your room?"

What should I say?

"Because I'm hungry. Do you have anything to eat?"

The past Kim Shin-hwa's negotiations with this monster-like man were a mystery to me. Still, if he was willing to provide me with food, our relationship wouldn't have been too bad.

The old man made a rumbling noise and rolled his eyes before speaking.

"There's nothing particularly edible at home right now. I'll go out and get something, so wait a bit."

"Thank you."

"Please try not to wander around and stay put at home."

"Is that another taboo? Like not taking off the mask?"

"It's not exactly....a taboo..."

The old man made an awkward expression for a moment.

"The people of Insu Village are generally kind, but it's a sensitive time right now. Misunderstandings could happen, you see. Do you understand?"

"Ah, a sensitive time. Got it."

"Good, I'm glad you understand."

Well, the content itself was typical.

I could investigate the house or even look around the entire village while he was out.

However, there was something in the old man's words that bothered me.

"Excuse me, Elder. What's the name of this village again?"

"Huh? It's Insu Village, why?"

Insu Village...

Somehow, the name sounded familiar.

It felt like I had heard a similar name before.