Chapter 34: Paju's Call Van

"Why did a female employee end up here?"

It might be part of an apartment complex, but in the end, this place is a construction site.

Why would a regular female employee wander around a construction site only to be kidnapped by ghouls?

The bodies gathered here belong to workers, construction managers, and a few security team members present at the onset of the ghoul incident.

Isn't it odd for a petite woman in a suit to be among them?

And the most conclusive evidence is Kwak Dae-yong's reaction.

If she was just another female employee in the first place, Kwak Dae-yong, who is deeply involved in the fieldwork, wouldn't remember her name and face.

"Seon-bin-ssi is... um... Director Moon Seung-hee's..."

Kwak Dae-yong hesitated and he looked to be somewhat troubled.

"What is it? Her girlfriend?"

"...She's Director Moon Seung-hee's future strategy advisor."

"Ah."

The term "future strategy advisor" is a kind of slang.

Originally, it was a title reserved for more realistic and professional individuals, but in Paju, it carried a slightly different connotation.

It was used to refer to those who could predict the future and prevent supernatural events...

In other words, it meant mages or shamans. In more informal situations, they can be simply called magic advisors, just like Moon Seung-hee mentioned earlier.

At first, when Moon Seung-hee mentioned that the magic advisor hadn't been able to do anything, she was most likely referring to her.

It seemed she had entered the construction site to assess the situation right after a problem arose and ended up like this.

"I was wondering how she managed to survive among the ghouls for so long; she must have had some skills."

But considering her complete breakdown, it was clear she was beyond help now.

Kwak Dae-yong seemed to share the same sentiment as he grumbled with a sour expression.

"But with her in this state, it'll be hard to see her again... She was a good person..."

"Well, I better be going. Make sure to explain things well to Tudor."

"Sure. I hope we can meet again."

Meeting me again means that something bad will happen that they won't be able to resolve on their own, yet he could say it so casually.

I haven't decided on the mid-to-late half development yet, but if I choose a route related to Moon Seung-hee, I will end up meeting Kwak Dae-yong on a disturbingly frequent basis.

Otherwise... who knows?

Kwak Dae-yong's team was such a ragtag group that calling them a corporate team was an overstatement.

If it weren't for Moon Seung-hee, there would likely be no reason to meet them again.

Feeling no need to share such thoughts with him, I opted for a non-committal response.

"Well, if the timing and money are right, perhaps we'll see each other."

Kwak Dae-yong gave a bitter smile, bid farewell, and then headed back to where his subordinates were.

Is it finally time for me to head home as well?

I climbed the stairs and emerged onto the ground level.

It was still dark outside.

There was a brief commotion when some of the security team members guarding the area saw me, or more precisely, my mask, and screamed... Fortunately, it didn't escalate into a major issue.

"Is this mask really the problem...?"

But it wasn't just the mask; my overall appearance was a mess.

My clothes and body were covered in ghoul blood, dust, and soot.

Even without the mask, my appearance would be quite terrifying to stumble upon in the dead of night.

"Ah well... At least it's fortunate that my hoodie is black."

At this stage, wearing this mask seemed unavoidable, but once I leveled up, just one more level to access second-order magic... I could potentially cast an illusion to overlay a more acceptable face over the mask.

From that point on, I would be able to move around more comfortably.

Anyway, I need to contact Tudor.

The time was... now 4 a.m.

Despite the late hour, Tudor answered the phone as if it were nothing out of the ordinary.

[Oh, dear. Have you finished your work? It's later than I expected.]

"I ran into quite a few unexpected issues."

[Hehe... But you managed to handle everything, right?]

"Well, there shouldn't be anyone left to complain. Get the details from the people at Yeonam Construction, and if there are no issues, proceed with the settlement."

[Hmm, knowing you, you must have taken good care of it. Don't worry about what the client says; I'll make sure the settlement is handled properly. Drop by when you can.]

"Then... I'd like to rest a bit, so I'll stop by next week."

[Great! Shall I prepare a celebration party?]

"...No need. Just arrange the transportation as we discussed earlier."

[Got it. I'll call it right away, so just wait a bit. As I mentioned before, with the foreigner management office being so vigilant, try not to move around carelessly and use the secure taxis for now.]

"Hmm... those secure taxis are expensive..."

[Oh, dear? Didn't I tell you about the kind of people at the foreigner management office earlier?]

"I might as well just stay cooped up in my room for a while."

[Yes, that might actually be better. If you need it, I'll send a taxi for you.]

"Alright. I'm tired anyway, so please hurry up and call me something. I want to go in and sleep."

Tudor must have found something funny in what I said and she chuckled for a good while before hanging up.

Secure taxis are typically used by criminals making escapes, smugglers, or fixers heading to engage in dirty activities.

They offer impeccable security and services above and beyond, but naturally, at an exorbitant price.

Well, since Tudor is footing the bill today, I might as well use it...

The distance from here to the Geumchon neighborhood isn't really that far, to begin with.

I thought it a hassle to use one when I came here..... but without a secure taxi now, I might risk getting arrested by the police on my way back.

As I was mulling over these thoughts, a white call van pulled up before long.

It came sooner than I expected.

An eye-catching name was emblazoned on the side of the vehicle.

[Fast Call Van]

The window of the call van slowly rolled down, and the driver who was seated at the wheel, greeted me with a cheerful voice.

"Yoohoo, hello there!"

The driver who had brought me was a rugged and scarred man who looked like he was a retired fixer, but this time it was a young punk... no, a handsome blond young man.

The initial impression of him being a punk wasn't for nothing though.

He dyed his hair blonde and had eight large and small piercings on both sides of his ears.

And there he was, blinking his large eyes with a look of confusion on his face.

From inside the car window, I could see his broad shoulders and long limbs.

"Do you have any luggage?"

"No, none."

"Okay, then in the back... Ah, you startled me! What's with that face!?"

It seemed he had just noticed my mask and he let out a startled cry.

"......."

"Oh, I won't ask. I'm fine! Even if I look like this, I'm quite good at keeping secrets!"

"It's a mask."

"Oh, I see! It's a mask! That's a relief. Please, get in!"

I wasn't sure what he found relieving, but I decided to let it go and was about to sit in the backseat when...

"Just a moment."

It wasn't something I realized after much thought. Just seeing the clean seat covers in the back of the car made me realize how dirty my clothes were.

Well, it's not a big deal.

I lightly shook off my body and gathered my magical power.

[Purification]

Kiiiiiiiiin...!

As my palm brushed against my clothes, bursts of light emanated from both the fabric and my skin, drawing out the dust, stains, and copious amounts of blood that were clinging to my garment before gathering them at my fingertips.

"I really did get covered in a lot of blood."

I then tossed the gathered filth onto the ground and climbed into the car.

As soon as I settled into the backseat, the driver turned to me and asked,

"Um, sir, what was that you just did? Could it be, I mean, is your profession by any chance..."

"What? Didn't Tudor tell you?"

"Only that you're an extremely capable and bloody fixer..."

What's so bloody about me...

"It's magic."

"Wow! I had a feeling! That's the first time I've ever witnessed real magic! You're actually the first genuine mage I've had the chance to work with. I've had a psychic in the car before, but an actual mage? This is truly a first-time experience for me!"

The young driver began to chatter excitedly. Sensing he might go on endlessly if left unchecked, I tactfully cut him off.

"Shall we get going then?"

"Oh, yes. Departing now... You're heading to the Geumchon neighborhood, right?"

"That's right."

"I've heard a bit, but it's just a simple security transport, correct? Any changes I should be aware of?"

"No need to worry about being followed or anything. Just drive comfortably."

"Got it!"

With that, the car started moving.

The young driver seemed preoccupied with the fact that I was a mage and he was frequently glancing at me through the rearview mirror with a jittery demeanor as he drove. Was it my face he was looking at or the mask? Anyway, I wish he would just focus on the road ahead...

Despite the driver's less than professional conduct, the car moved smoothly along.

I ignored his gaze and got lost in thought.

I hoped that, in time, I would get another chance to see Moon Seung-hee's face.

I was curious about how rescuing the NPC named Lee Seon-bin could change my relationship with Moon Seung-hee and the unfolding events in the Cthulhu world ahead.

Was it all meaningless? That woman seemed utterly lost to madness anyway.

And what should I do if a similar situation arises again?

Is it alright to drastically twist the game's story?

Would it be better to just let things proceed as I know they will?

I took a moment to gaze out at the night view of Paju city flowing past the car window.

At first glance, it seemed similar to the real world I lived in, yet it was an entirely different city.

The Paju I knew didn't have such bustling nightscapes, skyscrapers, or lawless individuals with supernatural powers.

Tsk, it's all getting twisted anyway...

It's better to take action than to just sit idly by.

All of the endings created by this game's crazy developer are the worst and most disastrous endings.

Following the game's current route would only lead to an endless battle with surreal monsters and a horrific demise.

I needed to somehow shake up the game's narrative to escape this world.

I made up my mind and once again looked ahead.

But... why does that guy keep doing that?

The driver was still flinching and glancing my way.

No, not at me exactly... Something was off.

I deliberately ignored his wary glances for a while, and then, at an opportune moment, I initiated a conversation.

"What are you curious about?"

"Eh? Yes? Oh? Me? No?"

"If you're not curious, then why do you keep looking?"

"Ah, how did you know?"

To think he was so surprised... Did he really think he wouldn't get caught? However, I decided to give him the response he might have been hoping for.

"Because I'm a mage."

"Ooooh...!"

He gasped for air. Somehow, this was amusing. When I was playing [Cthulhu World] as a game, I never had the chance to interact with NPCs like this.

It's not like there weren't NPCs with the driving expert tag that are given scripts as events, and these NPCs are directly linked to quests or events.

But in this world, unlike the game, every NPC or rather, every person is alive. And each had their own thoughts and individuality.

"So, what are you curious about?"

"Well, it's not so much out of curiosity, but..."

He paused for a moment before continuing.

"That mask you're wearing. Where did you get it?"

"Mask?"

My hand unconsciously went up to touch the mask covering my face, Carcosa's Mask.