I Became a Genius Mage in the Cthulhu Game 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, so seek their help or attempt to interact with them, often leading to significantly positive outcos 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 erged from the underground of a construction site for a new apartnt building

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

Not yet.

Not yet?

Tudor continued with a smile.

It hasnt spread yet. The construction company and investors are pouring in a trendous amount of money to suppress the rumors as much as possible. Thanks to that, its still quiet for now.

But even if they bring in outsiders like this to block it, they cant completely cover it up, can they?

Its already too late to stop it as if nothing happened. Anyway, it seems they want the rumor to spread that its already been resolved.

Hmph, the actions of these corporations are the sa 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 wouldnt mind not making money; I just want to return to my original world where its safe and peaceful.

No, its nothing important; dont 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 theyre looking for soone who can deliver the most firepower relative to their numbers? For example

Like a sole mage such as myself.

Right. Besides, its 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 theyre looking for soone who can do it discreetly and quickly, rember? Can you start right away, today?

Today?

I frowned for a mont and took my ti. My expression was hidden behind the mask, so it wouldnt have been visible anyway.

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

Looks like it wasnt aningless after all.

As my skills improved, so did the expectations placed upon and with increased expectations ca better treatnt.

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

Just now, I caught a biker gang mber, didnt I? And now youre asking to take on another job?

Is it too much?

Tudors tone seed less concerned and more provocative.

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

Just a mont

I didnt respond imdiately; 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 hadnt fully shaken off.

Im not in a state where I cant do it.

Although I was tired from the intense chase I had just completed, it wasnt problematic.

Alright. Thats more like it.

[Youve accepted the quest!

Ghouls have appeared in the underground of an apartnt 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 na 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 troubleso as Helistic who had demanded the capture of Lee Chang-hyuk, they were still not to be underestimated.

Becoming their enemy wouldnt just make life difficult; it would turn life into hard mode. Essentially, it ant ga over.

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

Transportation?

Well, its a bit of a distance to Munsan Station. Youre not planning to take the train, are you?

, I dont 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.

Arent taxi drivers citizens of Paju?

This is a bit serious, but rember when I said that the crackdown on illegal immigrants has beco more severe these days? Ill 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 theres a job, Ill contact you through that smartphone. You know how to use it, right?

Tudor smiled briefly and winked at .

Its not that I dont carry it around because I dont know how to use it.

***

The days destination was Munsan town in Paju City.

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

Its na was [Paju Yeonam Rivertown Apartnt].

Really, why do they give apartnts such unnecessarily long nas?

Through the rear window of the taxi, the apartnt started to co 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 ga, 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 ti, a voice ca from an unexpected direction.

Why on earth would soone build such a huge apartnt complex here?

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

I montarily shifted my gaze to look at the drivers face reflected in the taxis rearview mirror.

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

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

Watching the drivers expression, I couldnt 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 drivers comnt.

What Im more curious about is why people in Paju would choose to live in such apartnts?

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

An apartnt situated far too north.

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

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

True to the taxi drivers words, from the higher floors of this apartnt you could easily gaze out over the land beyond the Imjin River.

Though, I doubt that view is good for ntal 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 road.

Nevertheless, I heard that the apartnts 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 apartnts 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 Pajus wealthy wasnt exactly a big secret.

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

Here we are.

[Paju Yeonam Rivertown Apartnt]

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

A crazy apartnt 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 apartnt 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 lets et 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 Pajus back alleys semi-legal services.

Depending on the clients 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 apartnt 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 t my eyes was a massive wall with an unsightly appearance.

This must be the Great Wall.

I had often seen it in the ga, 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 ters in height, to isolate it.

There was no sound but for so reason, it seed like I could hear a deep resonating Gooooo.

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

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

I paused and tapped my finger against the mask.

Well, its not the ti to mock other peoples madness.

To adapt and live in this crazy world ans, after all, becoming accustod to madness.

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

That Paju River sothing-or-other Anyway, it seed the construction of the apartnt 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 apartnt in question was already in a very nice condition.

How many months would it need then? No, from the looks of it, I wouldnt 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 apartnt constructed with a great investnt.

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 apartnt site, the pervasive malevolent aura throughout the space was unnaturally strong.

It was a dreadful energy that couldnt simply be attributed to a few lurking ghouls.

A few steps further and a trait that hadnt been activated for a while now sprang into action.

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