Chapter 29: The King of Man-Eaters
"I'm sure. It's not that a dead ghoul has come back to life."
"Then what is it?"
"There must be someone here who's possessed a dead ghoul and is using magic."
The current situation deviates from the progression of the game.
Even from the moment I first arrived at this apartment complex, events I hadn't experienced in the game had been occurring gradually. But I could sense that this was the most critical divergence yet.
In that deep darkness, where the sound of a bell rings, an event I've never seen in the game is unfolding.
I felt fear and tension, but strangely, an undeniable excitement and anticipation were also rising within me.
It seems odd to be thinking this way in a place where I could lose my life at any moment. Perhaps this is the greatest side effect of the [Madness of the Abyss] trait.
Even though I was having these thoughts, my body actively moved towards the danger, as if being sucked into the darkness. Ah, I can't go alone.
"It's in there. Follow me!"
"Ah, got it! Let's go!"
Kwak Dae-yong, who was impulsive by nature, boldly issued an order but his subordinates hesitated for a moment.
And understandably so, since they had just been suffering under the attack of ghouls. Some had sustained severe injuries, including lost limbs, while others showed signs of mild confusion or madness.
Asking them to march back into that deep darkness might have seemed too harsh.
As I was contemplating what more I could do, Kwak Dae-yong's shout broke the silence.
"Idiots! Staying back clumsily is even more dangerous! Don't you see that being near the mage increases your chances of survival?!"
"Eh...!?"
"What...??"
Turning around, I noticed the change in the way Kwak Dae-yong's men were looking at me.
This was a bit embarrassing. But in this situation, it seemed better to show my worth through actions rather than words.
Rrrrrrrrrrrr!!
I increased my pace and, upon encountering more ghouls, unleashed a spell at them.
Might as well make it something spectacular.
[Uzet's Fury]
Rumble......
A red glow, intertwining lightning and flame, surged tumultuously from my hands.
Kwagagagagagagaga!!!
The blazing bolts, which can only be aptly described as a thunderous inferno, carved sinister, swirling red paths through the air like serpentine branches.
- Krrrrrash!!
- Kieeeeeee!!!
The ghouls caught in the claws of the undulating flames and lightning that resembled a red dragon were quickly engulfed and charred as they started emitting black smoke.
"Ooh..."
A cry of admiration escaped my lips involuntarily.
The spell that was infused with flame was enhanced by the power of [Living Fire], which created an effect far larger and more spectacular than I had anticipated.
It was an excessively grand spell for just a few ghouls, but it did wonders in boosting the morale of Kwak Dae-yong's men.
"Am... amazing..."
"Take us with you, Mage-nim!"
The sound of footsteps surged.
Seeing the mixture of relief and cheers, it seemed my actions were right. I started to move while expanding my magical detection range to ensure the safety of not only those ahead but also the people behind.
Originally, there were sixteen of us who descended into the basement, including myself. But now, whether due to falling behind or death, there were only fourteen remaining, myself included.
It was a nearly ominous number.
If even one person lagged behind or fell down, there was a risk of encountering that unlucky number.
[Madness: Triskaidekaphobia (Phobia of the number 13)]
Damn it, the last thing I need is an unnecessary penalty...
It was likely a different situation from the previous rat phobia, but I wanted to avoid any unnecessary complications.
Ding—
It was the sound of a bell. This time, it came from a deeper place.
Is it over there?
I had fully pinpointed the direction and distance of the sound.
The source of the bell was in the deepest part of this dark and damp underground parking lot.
We, meaning myself and Kwak Dae-yong along with his men, were now able to advance without hesitation.
There were injured members moving with the help of their comrades at the rear, but it signified that the revived morale and rationality of the security team were sufficient to defend against or even preemptively attack the ghouls.
I was riding on my skateboard and guided them forward.
"This way, and be careful. They're going to start putting up a real fight now."
- Screeeeeech!!!
- Aaaaaaaah!!!
To block our advance, the remaining ghouls charged with tenacious ferocity, but they couldn't stop Kwak Dae-yong and his fully recovered troops.
"Yaaah!"
Ratatatatat!!
Whenever Kwak Dae-yong hurled a ghoul emerging from the darkness with his hammer, the shooting team responded with precise gunfire.
This was a typical tactic when facing monsters in which a team with strong physical abilities and special abilities takes on a monster.
And what accelerated our advance even more was...
[Lightning]
Fzzzzzzzt!!
[Shattering Ice Prison]
Crackkkk!!
Not to boast, but my magic indeed unleashed overwhelming power and cleared our path.
Now, I've become perfectly adept at using magic.
The magic I could wield was limited to just zero and first-order spells, but thanks to my [Spell Mastery] trait and immense magical power, I could unleash an array of spells.
"Wait."
I who was riding ahead on my skateboard slowed down and signaled to Kwak Dae-yong's group trailing behind.
It was clearly a situation where I needed to speed up, but I felt a strange sensation as if the [Enhanced Vigilance] was grabbing me by the back of my neck.
There's something dangerous ahead.
Deep within.
Even deeper.
I had a rough idea of what lay there.
Before I even entered, I had already marked the spot.
It was the place connected by the mana lines emanating from my mana core.
A location where I had set up a protective circle. In essence, it was where the three survivors that Moon Seung-hee had been searching for were located.
However, my sensitive hearing and smell alerted me that, apart from the survivors, other entities were waiting there.
The stench of blood was so foul and pungent that it was nauseating.
And then...
Squish... squish... munch... crunch, crunch...
Blood oozed and dripped stickily.
Scattered all around were splatters of bright red, yellow, bruised blue, and an unpleasant grayish substance.
Flesh, intestines, bone fragments, and brain matter.
All had been butchered and gnawed upon by sharp nails and teeth.
We have reached the deepest part of the underground parking lot.
The innermost area of the underground parking lot.
A creepy space where construction was yet to finish, leaving bare concrete and wires exposed.
In the narrow spaces between pillars and walls, a tremendous number of corpses were piled up.
And there, several ghouls were feasting on the flesh with their faces buried in the bodies.
Fizz, munch, squish...
The monsters resembling humans showed little in the way of dining etiquette as they tore into human flesh.
A scene where human corpses, torn limb from limb, were piled up like mountains, with blood flowing from them like rivers.
The sight of fragmented intestines spilling out in all directions.
It was a sight so horrific and spine-chilling that any human would instinctively feel fear.
But something even more terrifying than all of that combined lay before us.
"Oh, my God..."
"What in the world is that..."
[System: 'Enhanced Vigilance' trait activated.]
[It is... a primitive and repulsive mural depicting bizarre shapes. The primal and fundamental patterns painted on the exterior wall of the underground parking lot seem to bring to life some kind of magical thought.]
Behind the pile of bodies on the gray concrete wall, a grotesque and nauseating painting was densely drawn.
Palm prints, smudged traces, clumps of red pigment dripping down, and human flesh and hair mixed into the pigment.
Evil and blasphemous patterns created by rubbing blood-soaked hands on the wall.
Shapes so strange and indescribable in human language.
Tentacles split into four parts.
An ominous shape resembling a snake.
No, not so much a snake, but something even more base... Yes, those were maggots.
Maggots feasting on a corpse.
The prowler among the tombs, the swirling darkness, and the king of man-eaters.
They were symbols meant to praise the [Father of All Ghouls] and to borrow his power.
And then there was the giant red hole painted in the center.
It wasn't a hole. It was just a large red circle painted there.
Yet, that circle seemed almost like the gaping maw of a monstrous creature, threatening to swallow us whole.
Those devoured by this maw would be dragged to the deepest abyss.
[...This is not merely a painting. It is a magic circle meant to embody God's power, authority, and will. The presence emanating from this picture is enough to shatter the human mind. Your sanity, as well as that of the humans by your side, cannot comprehend this ludicrous sight. Resist the terror with your mental strength stat. Sanity check... failed.]
Seeing such a thing wouldn't immediately drive one mad, but repeated failures of sanity checks wear down mental strength. Eventually, madness manifests and the effects of distortion kick in.
If one is lucky, like Kwak Dae-yong earlier, they might exhibit strange behavior for a while before regaining their senses.
However, if one was unlucky or if their mental strength was already worn down to nothing, an indelible madness would manifest.
Such affected humans who reach the Abyss would either turn into monsters, become invalids, or in some cases, even transform into cultists worshipping the Abyss.
"Arghhhhhhh!"
"I want to go back! Let me out! This is all wrong!"
"Heh heh... Fu*k it... damn it..."
Kwak Dae-yong's men were already at their psychological limits.
The sight of the gigantic mural began to induce mild distortion among them.
"Idiots, snap out of it! It's nothing! Just a painting!"
Kwak Dae-yong's voice could be heard berating his subordinates. It seemed he had successfully passed the sanity check this time?
Though it was slightly amusing to hear him shout at others, especially considering he was the first to succumb to the distortion, his actions were precisely what was needed in that moment.
[System: The special trait 'Madness of the Abyss' has been activated. The effects of distortion are nullified.]
Of course, I too was faced with surreal terror, but with my special trait [Madness of the Abyss], no issue arose.
Instead, I had to focus on a more realistic problem.
"First off!"
I increased the speed of my skateboard and approached the ghouls.
This is no time to scream at the sight of a painting! Ghouls, beware!
[Cold Bone Prison]
Crack-crack-crack-
From the ground, a massive skeletal hand emerged, grasping the ghouls that had been sliced once...
- Grraaah?!
[Flaming Spear]
Swoosh!!!
Crack!
I thrust a spear of flame into them.
- Graaaah!!
"And now, [Fireball]!"
[Spell Enhancement: Power Boost]
Boom!!!
The ghouls that were feasting on the corpses were swiftly dealt with, and then [Leap]!
"Uh, where are you going?"
I heard Kwak Dae-yong's dumbfounded voice. That guy really never stops saying stupid things until the very end.
I leaped over the corpses of the ghouls and responded as I did.
"Team leader, don't you see that?"
In the direction of the mural.
The giant red circle at the center of the mural.
That was no ordinary painting.
This was the root cause of the entire incident. A dimensional portal connected to a tunnel somewhere underground in Paju.
"That's the culprit!"
[Flaming Spear]
A newly created flaming spear emitted a fierce breaking sound as it flew straight toward the center of the mural.
Gwagwagwagwagwa!!!
Ding—
This time, the sound of a bell rang from a very close distance.
Boom!!!
The flying spear of flame suddenly exploded in mid-air.
It was a kind of protective barrier. A green barrier formed right in front of the mural and blocked my spell.
And then, from beyond that barrier, a heavily strained voice could be heard.
"Damn you, you little damned mage..."
Ding—
The bell sounded again. I grew sick of that sound now.
A hand holding a small silver-gleaming bell came into view.