Chapter 21: Studio Apartment

I, Kim Shin-hwa, was definitely a Korean, born and raised in South Korea.

However, if I was apprehended by the officials of the immigration bureau, I would be classified as an illegal resident without any question.

In [Cthulhu World], South Korea granted surreal powers and authority to the immigration bureau to deal with the surreal issues occurring both inside and outside the country.

There was the issue of North Korean refugees, and in the Cthulhu Mythos, outsiders were always ominous beings bringing disaster. And there were even bigger problems than that.

I frowned for a moment, but Tudor, who couldn't tell what kind of expression I was making because of the mask, cheerfully continued the conversation.

"But all this is because I want to give you the best; you understand, right?"

"Well, I suppose so."

"By the way... you."

"Yes?"

"How did you make that photo?"

That photo? Oh, is she talking about this?

I glanced briefly at the photo on my ID card. At first glance, it looked like a blurry image, as if out of focus. But a closer look revealed that it was indeed a properly taken photo.

It was a fake face I had created using a few illusion spells and other complex methods.

I meticulously adjusted the placement and size of the facial features and also arranged an outfit and background that induced visual hypnosis through their color scheme.

An excessively ordinary face that appeared similar to many yet resembled none.

Since it was intentionally stripped of any uniqueness, no matter how carefully one looked at the photo, it was impossible to recall the face from memory later.

"Why is that?"

"I think people might want more of something similar if you could make it..."

Ah, was that what she meant?

Apparently, Tudor had realized the significance of this photo.

"It's not easy to make... And if too many are made, the effect diminishes."

"Hmm, no worries. It was just a fun idea I had. Don't mind it. Go ahead and check your bank book."

At Tudor's urging, I opened my bank account and found that it contained exactly 50 million won.

[50,000,000]

"That's a lot of money, isn't it?"

"The compensation for this job was 10 million won, and I added a little more as a bonus, making it exactly fifty."

Since Lee Chang-hyuk, I had asked for all my earnings from the jobs I solved to be kept aside. There should be about forty-five million, but it seems Tudor added a few extra million.

Considering the cash stacked up in my room, I had now saved over one hundred million won. After finishing the next task, it might be worth considering getting my own place.

"And this."

Tudor handed me a smartphone.

It's the latest model with a large screen.

"Where do you find a fixer who stays cooped up and only comes out when it's convenient to accept a job and then disappears? I got this activated so I can contact you whenever it's convenient for me. Answer when I call."

When I turned on the screen, I found Tudor's contact information already saved.

"Hmm... Nice. Thanks."

"It's rare to hear a 'thank you' from you. You really do have an expensive mouth."

"Anyway, you're saying you'll put me to work seriously, right? Let's continue the conversation about the task you mentioned earlier."

"That's right. I'm investing money in this, so be prepared to be fully used."

***

In roughly a month, I acquired an ID card, a bank account, and a smartphone.

These are the basic items typically required in Korea to prove your identity.

"It would be even better if I had a job."

I'm talking about a normal and common-sense job in the world, not as a fixer or a mage.

As my work as a fixer increases, I'll be handling more money.

This might not pose a problem in the short term, but in the long term, there's a risk of getting caught up in tax investigations or similar issues.

When I was simply playing the game [Cthulhu World], I never encountered such frustrating events... But now, in this real world, most humans live in a way similar to actual reality.

I operated the smartphone and accessed the internet. A quick search led me to find the gaming community and the vast wiki site I used to visit in reality.

The details have changed a bit, but...

While it wasn't exactly the same, the community was still active. On the humor board, posts lacked their value but were creative nonetheless, and numerous people mixed their slang and buzzwords into comments on these humor posts.

The difference in trending words and details from reality wasn't a problem. The important thing was that in the game [Cthulhu World] I had enjoyed, there were no such communities or pointless humor boards.

Perhaps it's more accurate to say they weren't depicted? After all, a game implements only what's necessary for gameplay.

However, humans here moved in their unique ways as each had their own will and thoughts. Overlooking real-world issues by considering this merely a game world could lead to unexpected problems.

And there was one more thing.

There was a real problem that needed solving.

***

"How much?"

"Just a studio apartment will do. Somewhere with cheap rent."

Conducting real estate transactions while wearing a mask was no easy task.

Therefore, the day after I received my ID, I visited a shabby real estate agency located on the outskirts of Geumchon through Tudor's introduction.

The owner of the office was an old lady whose appearance was so suspicious that it wouldn't have been strange if she suddenly started chuckling creepily.

In fact, as a place catering to those with unclear identities, it was an office that could conduct transactions even without an ID card. But the presence or absence of this single ID card drastically changed the amount I had to pay.

"There are a few nearby. Want to see them?"

"If it's possible, I'd like to see and choose."

"Hmph, how troublesome..."

The main customers of this establishment seemed to have a habit of signing contracts without even viewing the rooms. It made sense, considering the place itself offered no sense of trust or eagerness to provide service to its clients.

The map clumsily attached to the wall depicted what Paju looked like 30 years ago, and the coating on the consultation table was so worn out that the areas touched by customers' hands were dented and looked glossy black.

Despite its state, the properties they introduced were fortunately quite decent.

I didn't have to spend much time looking around; after visiting just a couple of places, I promptly signed a contract.

The place was compact but could be considered fully equipped, and most importantly, it was within walking distance from Vasilisa.

Since I hardly had any belongings to call luggage, moving was a breeze and it was completed with just a round trip from the motel right after the contract was signed.

Quiet and clean. Not bad at all.

Like the motel, it had a refrigerator but here, there was also a washing machine, a sink for simple cooking, and even a rice cooker.

I felt slightly better. What I especially liked was the fact that I could handle cooking and laundry on my own.

As soon as I unpacked my things, I planned to catch up on laundry and buy groceries to cook.

But that was just a thought.

The penalty traits clinging to my body were not issues that could be easily overcome.

Due to the [Weakned Stamina] trait, I was already exhausted after unpacking my belongings.

So I ended up skipping both meals and laundry and simply lay down on the bed.

"Aaah..."

Lying down really is the best.

For a moment, I thought the bed's springs were overly bouncy, but it was much better than the creaky bed at the motel anyway.

I also liked that the ceiling was covered with white wallpaper.

Just escaping the motel with its garishly colored, chaotic wallpapers made this move worthwhile.

Having given up on both eating and laundry, the only thing left to do was something I could do while lying down.

Poom...

I spread my arms wide towards the white ceiling, and various forms of magic circles arose from my outstretched arms.

They were magic circles of various colors and irregular shapes, enough to shock anyone who had learned magic through a normal succession process.

There was no need to adhere to symmetry, regularity, or the standardized forms designed following traditional methods.

Instead of simplifying to the most primal form, I calculated each magic circle to exert influence on one another, creating an incredibly efficient and unbridled effect.

In an instant, the interior of my studio apartment became isolated from the outside world.

Now, no one could peek in or enter without my permission. Of course, beings beyond the ordinary might force their way in, but for such entities, I installed several magical traps and alarm spells for security.

This should be sufficient for now. After all, I have no intention of staying long in this seemingly ineffective, ordinary studio.

In the [Cthulhu World], there are residences that offer magical benefits simply by owning or living in them.

Some even come with incredible features like underground dungeons for leveling up or grinding.

Of course, to acquire such a place, I need to level up further.

Or have enough money to disregard such needs entirely.

But for now, that's not the case.

"Anyway, today that was pretty good."

I recalled the makeshift skateboard I had rigged up to handle a race event with a gang of street bikers. It was almost a desperate idea, but it turned out better than expected.

In [Cthulhu World], there are enchantment spells to strengthen the body or objects. However, the number of enchantments that can be applied to a target is limited, and the more enchantments applied, the greater the strain on the target.

Therefore, it's preferred to attach magic circles to personal items rather than directly to the body and aim for an indirect effect.

Focusing mobility-related enchantments on the skateboard seemed like a good move, especially since walking was too exhausting for me due to the [Weakned Stamina] debuff.

Wouldn't skateboarding be a good way to compensate for the physical limitations of being exhausted just by moving a little indoors?

But there's no artifact in the form of a board...

Should I carve something like a sacred tree myself? All I have to do is attach wheels to a plank, right?

However, crafting is influenced by agility, and I wasn't confident I could make it properly.

For the time being, I might just buy a couple of decent ones and use them until they wear out. After all, as I continue to level up, I should be able to offset the weakened stamina effect.

As I lay down and stared blankly at the ceiling, I gradually felt sleep creeping in.

"Should I go to sleep now?"

I was tired.

It had been just over a month, but I had been incredibly busy.

Thanks to Tudor's considerate help, I had primarily focused on low-difficulty quests. However, even those proved not easy for my frail body which was laden with various penalties.

Wouldn't it be better to increase the difficulty of the quests while also extending rest periods? I wasn't sure about other aspects, but this strategy seemed like it would accelerate my growth rate.

Well, from now on, I'll be given more serious quests... I guess I don't need to worry about this anymore.

I wanted to think more, to plan more, but I was too sleepy. My head felt dizzy. I hadn't slept well for a month, tormented by nightmares every night.

My eyes stung and my eyelids were heavy. Eventually, I couldn't resist anymore and closed my eyes.

I fell into sleep, feeling as though I was plunging into deep darkness.

Let's just sleep for now...

Anyway, tonight, like every other, I would probably wander through the nightmare granted by an abyssal being.