Chapter 23: Guests From the Underworld

Ghouls.

This is a different race that first appeared in the works of Lovecraft and was later adapted into [Cthulhu World].

They possess intelligence comparable to that of humans, complete with their own language, culture, and religious beliefs.

Depending on the person, some seek their help or attempt to interact with them, often leading to significantly positive outcomes from such exchanges.

However, these beings are entirely different from the races of the fantasy world like elves or dwarfs.

If I had to draw a comparison.... they are closer to orcs or even lower evil creatures.

Ghouls are denizens of the darkness dwelling underground.

They possess bodies resembling humans but have grotesque heads similar to dogs.

And they had the bizarre custom of feeding on human corpses and even resorting to cannibalism among their own kind when food was scarce.

Simply put, they were man-eaters

No matter what kind of intelligence and culture they had, from a human perspective, they were nothing more than monsters that needed to be eradicated and erased from the face of the earth.

Anyway, such monsters emerged from the underground of a construction site for a new apartment building...

"Of all places, a commotion in the apartment building site, it must be incredibly noisy, right?"

"Not yet."

"Not yet?"

Tudor continued with a smile.

"It hasn't spread yet. The construction company and investors are pouring in a tremendous amount of money to suppress the rumors as much as possible. Thanks to that, it's still quiet for now."

"But even if they bring in outsiders like this to block it, they can't completely cover it up, can they?"

"It's already too late to stop it as if nothing happened. Anyway, it seems they want the rumor to spread that it's already been resolved."

"Hmph, the actions of these corporations are the same here as they were there."

"Here and there?"

No, here is now there, and there is now here.

Ugh... How much longer will I have to play this unexpected role of a fixer?

Honestly, I wouldn't mind not making money; I just want to return to my original world where it's safe and peaceful.

"No, it's nothing important; don't worry about it."

"Hmmm~?"

Tudor briefly showed a curious expression in her face, but when I said nothing more, she sighed lightly and continued.

"Anyway, the client wants it dealt with as quickly as possible."

"Aha, so they're looking for someone who can deliver the most firepower relative to their numbers? For example..."

Like a sole mage such as myself.

"Right. Besides, it's rare to find a mage who works alone like you do."

"They must be paying well?"

"With confidentiality and other allowances included... exactly five sheets."

50 million won...

Starting from Lee Chang-hyuk, all the money I earned in a month from arresting drug addicts, murderers, and gang leaders... barely amounted to 50 million won, even when including the bonuses. But 50 million won for just one job is no joke.

"Starting when?"

"They said they're looking for someone who can do it discreetly and quickly, remember? Can you start right away, today?"

"Today?"

I frowned for a moment and took my time. My expression was hidden behind the mask, so it wouldn't have been visible anyway.

The several million won bonus that had silently appeared in my bank account.

Looks like it wasn't meaningless after all.

As my skills improved, so did the expectations placed upon me and with increased expectations came better treatment.

And with better treatment, more demanding jobs would come my way; such was the structure of this field.

"Just now, I caught a biker gang member, didn't I? And now you're asking me to take on another job?"

"Is it too much?"

Tudor's tone seemed less concerned and more provocative.

I was tempted to immediately say I'd just go there right away, but I knew that depending on my physical condition, it might indeed be too much.

"Just a moment..."

I didn't respond immediately; instead I started rubbing my wrist and assessing my physical state.

I carefully moved my magical power to check the fatigue accumulated in my body and the stress I hadn't fully shaken off.

"I'm not in a state where I can't do it."

Although I was tired from the intense chase I had just completed, it wasn't problematic.

"Alright. That's more like it."

[You've accepted the quest!

<Hunting Quest: Guests from the Underworld>

Ghouls have appeared in the underground of an apartment building under construction.

Defeat the ghouls and make the underground parking lot 'safe'.

Remaining number: 0/20

Reward: 350,000 XP (+ the monetary reward promised by the broker is separate.) Failure: Hostile relationship with Yeonam Construction.]

Yeonam Construction was the name of the construction company that commissioned the quest.

Yeonam Construction itself was not particularly remarkable, but the Yeonam Group behind it was a major corporation with considerable scale and influence.

Moreover, while these people were not as troublesome as Helistic who had demanded the capture of Lee Chang-hyuk, they were still not to be underestimated.

Becoming their enemy wouldn't just make life difficult; it would turn life into hard mode. Essentially, it meant game over.

"Alright. I will arrange transportation for you to rest and go immediately."

"Transportation?"

"Well, it's a bit of a distance to Munsan Station. You're not planning to take the train, are you?"

"Me, I don't mind how I travel."

"Hahaha, sure you might not, but for the peace and well-being of the ordinary citizens of Paju, take a taxi."

"Aren't taxi drivers citizens of Paju?"

"This is a bit serious, but remember when I said that the crackdown on illegal immigrants has become more severe these days? I'll call a secure taxi for you. Use it for the return trip too."

"Oh, a secure taxi."

The drivers of secure taxis were certainly not your average citizens of Paju.

"From now on, whenever there's a job, I'll contact you through that smartphone. You know how to use it, right?"

Tudor smiled briefly and winked at me.

"...It's not that I don't carry it around because I don't know how to use it."

***

The day's destination was Munsan town in Paju City.

More specifically, it was a newly constructed luxury apartment complex in one part of Munsan town.

Its name was [Paju Yeonam Rivertown Apartment].

Really, why do they give apartments such unnecessarily long names?

Through the rear window of the taxi, the apartment started to come into view.

Although not yet finished, it looked as if it would be ready for occupation in a month or two if only the finishing touches to the exterior painting were completed.

The building was quite spacious and ridiculously tall for no apparent reason.

I bet the underground parking lot is incredibly spacious too.

The underground parking lot, as depicted in the game, was ridiculously large.

It was almost like a dungeon, stretching down to the second subterranean level.

That must be really tiring to navigate...

At this time, a voice came from an unexpected direction.

"Why on earth would someone build such a huge apartment complex here?"

It was the voice of the taxi driver currently at the wheel.

I momentarily shifted my gaze to look at the driver's face reflected in the taxi's rearview mirror.

Reflected in the cramped rearview mirror were just the corners of the taxi driver's eyes, but the deep lines and scars etched around them were clearly visible.

He was scowling at the approaching apartment and his rugged face contorted.

Watching the driver's expression, I couldn't help but let out a wry smile.

In Paju, security taxis that transport criminals, illegal goods, or personnel are jobs suited for retired fixers or monster hunters who can no longer do such jobs.

In short, this man was definitely not your average citizen of Paju.

I slowly responded to the taxi driver's comment.

"What I'm more curious about is why people in Paju would choose to live in such apartments?"

Paju in [Cthulhu World] is a city filled with extraordinary and unprecedented dangers, and the location of this apartment is exceptionally bizarre, even by those standards.

An apartment situated far too north.

Built almost clinging to the terrifying Imjin River... a high-rise?

"Hahaha, well, the view must be something else. From those high floors, you can probably see beyond the Imjin River."

True to the taxi driver's words, from the higher floors of this apartment you could easily gaze out over the land beyond the Imjin River.

"Though, I doubt that view is good for mental health..."

In [Cthulhu World], there is no North Korea beyond the Imjin River.

Instead, it was nothing but a land of death where mythical Cthulhu monsters that poured from the abyss roamed.

Nevertheless, I heard that the apartments were sold incredibly quickly.

There was even a significant premium for the floors with a good view.

What kind of scenery were the people moving into these apartments expecting?

The taxi driver grumbled for quite a while about how the rich in Paju were either insane or not even human.

Well... the fact that non-human entities were mixed among Paju's wealthy wasn't exactly a big secret.

In any case, we soon arrived at our destination as we exchanged such conversations.

"Here we are."

[Paju Yeonam Rivertown Apartment]

Through the car window, I could see the fence separating the construction site.

A crazy apartment complex being built to satisfy the bizarre tastes of the wealthy who walk a path not human.

The interior remains unseen from the outside.

Anyway, beneath that apartment now, there were cannibalistic ghouls that feasted on human corpses.

"Thank you for your hard work."

There was no need to calculate the taxi fare since Tudor had already paid in advance.

"Take care of yourself too, and let's meet again, alive and well."

"May you live a long life too, sir."

"I always do safe jobs, so no worries!"

With those words, the taxi driver laughed heartily again and drove off.

Safe jobs, huh... Today was indeed a safe job, but even security taxis are part of Paju's back alley's semi-legal services.

Depending on the client's requests, tomorrow I might have to engage in a life-threatening chase to aid a bank robber or a wanted criminal in their escape.

"Well, that aside..."

I briefly turned my head, looking in the direction opposite the apartment... towards the Imjin River.

In the world I used to live in, there would be the vast Imjin River stretching in the direction I was looking.

But what met my eyes was a massive wall with an unsightly appearance.

This must be the Great Wall.

I had often seen it in the game, but when you see it in real life, it was a massive structure with an overwhelming sense of intimidation.

And then there was the surreal threat that necessitated the creation of a huge barrier wall, 10 meters in height, to isolate it.

There was no sound but for some reason, it seemed like I could hear a deep resonating 'Gooooo...'.

The real threat of monsters existing and such monsters swarming around the Imjin River, where apartments had been erected.

And the sight of the wealthy longing to move into such apartments could be, as the taxi driver said, the manifestation of some kind of madness.

I paused and tapped my finger against the mask.

"Well, it's not the time to mock other people's madness."

To adapt and live in this crazy world means, after all, becoming accustomed to madness.

With that thought, I entered the apartment complex that was erected right beside the wall that contained the monsters.

That Paju River something-or-other... Anyway, it seemed the construction of the apartment building was already in its final stages.

The sudden appearance of ghouls and the ensuing chaos had caused the workers to flee, leaving construction materials scattered haphazardly. But still, the apartment in question was already in a very nice condition.

How many months would it need then? No, from the looks of it, I wouldn't be surprised if they started moving in within the next few weeks. Although the finishing touches were not yet complete, the visible facilities and the layout of the buildings clearly indicated that this was a luxury apartment constructed with a great investment.

It certainly seems to be in a state that justifies the hurried progress and the considerable funds invested.

However, apart from the luxury of the apartment site, the pervasive malevolent aura throughout the space was unnaturally strong.

It was a dreadful energy that couldn't simply be attributed to a few lurking ghouls.

A few steps further and a trait that hadn't been activated for a while now sprang into action.

[System: The trait 'Enhanced Vigilance' has been activated.]