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 mont, but Tudor, who couldnt 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 thods.
I ticulously adjusted the placent and size of the facial features and also arranged an outfit and background that induced visual hypnosis through their color sche.
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 mory later.
Why is that?
I think people might want more of sothing similar if you could make it
Ah, was that what she ant?
Apparently, Tudor had realized the significance of this photo.
Its not easy to make And if too many are made, the effect diminishes.
Hmm, no worries. It was just a fun idea I had. Dont mind it. Go ahead and check your bank book.
At Tudors urging, I opened my bank account and found that it contained exactly 50 million won.
[50,000,000]
Thats a lot of money, isnt 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 a smartphone.
Its the latest model with a large screen.
Where do you find a fixer who stays cooped up and only cos out when its convenient to accept a job and then disappears? I got this activated so I can contact you whenever its convenient for . Answer when I call.
When I turned on the screen, I found Tudors contact information already saved.
Hmm Nice. Thanks.
Its rare to hear a thank you from you. You really do have an expensive mouth.
Anyway, youre saying youll put to work seriously, right? Lets continue the conversation about the task you ntioned earlier.
Thats right. Im 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.
Im 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, Ill be handling more money.
This might not pose a problem in the short term, but in the long term, theres a risk of getting caught up in tax investigations or similar issues.
When I was simply playing the ga [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 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 wasnt exactly the sa, the community was still active. On the humor board, posts lacked their value but were creative nonetheless, and nurous people mixed their slang and buzzwords into comnts on these humor posts.
The difference in trending words and details from reality wasnt a problem. The important thing was that in the ga [Cthulhu World] I had enjoyed, there were no such communities or pointless humor boards.
Perhaps its more accurate to say they werent depicted? After all, a ga implents only whats necessary for gaplay.
However, humans here moved in their unique ways as each had their own will and thoughts. Overlooking real-world issues by considering this rely a ga 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 apartnt will do. Sowhere 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 Tudors introduction.
The owner of the office was an old lady whose appearance was so suspicious that it wouldnt 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 its possible, Id like to see and choose.
Hmph, how troubleso
The main custors of this establishnt seed 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 custors hands were dented and looked glossy black.
Despite its state, the properties they introduced were fortunately quite decent.
I didnt have to spend much ti 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 overco.
Due to the [Weakned Stamina] trait, I was already exhausted after unpacking my belongings.
So I ended up skipping both als and laundry and simply lay down on the bed.
Aaah
Lying down really is the best.
For a mont, I thought the beds 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 sothing 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 symtry, regularity, or the standardized forms designed following traditional thods.
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 apartnt beca 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.
So even co 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, thats 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 enchantnt spells to strengthen the body or objects. However, the number of enchantnts that can be applied to a target is limited, and the more enchantnts applied, the greater the strain on the target.
Therefore, its preferred to attach magic circles to personal items rather than directly to the body and aim for an indirect effect.
Focusing mobility-related enchantnts on the skateboard seed like a good move, especially since walking was too exhausting for due to the [Weakned Stamina] debuff.
Wouldnt skateboarding be a good way to compensate for the physical limitations of being exhausted just by moving a little indoors?
But theres no artifact in the form of a board
Should I carve sothing 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 wasnt confident I could make it properly.
For the ti 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 Tudors 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.
Wouldnt it be better to increase the difficulty of the quests while also extending rest periods? I wasnt sure about other aspects, but this strategy seed like it would accelerate my growth rate.
Well, from now on, Ill be given more serious quests I guess I dont need to worry about this anymore.
I wanted to think more, to plan more, but I was too sleepy. My head felt dizzy. I hadnt slept well for a month, tornted by nightmares every night.
My eyes stung and my eyelids were heavy. Eventually, I couldnt resist anymore and closed my eyes.
I fell into sleep, feeling as though I was plunging into deep darkness.
Lets just sleep for now
Anyway, tonight, like every other, I would probably wander through the nightmare granted by an abyssal being.
User Comments
0 comments from readers