[The mont when you put on the dead mans mask on your face.]
A ssage window appeared.
[The whispers of the trapped spirit within the mask begin to echo.]
[The penalty effect of the A-rank accessory Dead Mans Mask, Pure Silver Madness is activated.
// Pure Silver Madness: Forces a sanity check when worn. Failure in the check will result in a random ntal illness afflicting your mind and you will beco possessed by the soul within the mask.
I started to hear distinctly odd noises.
Co down, co into the darkness.
Descend into the deep underground.
Join us. Shed that uncomfortable skin and walk the deep underground with us.
Down, down, down the infinitely descending spiral staircase.
An unpleasant and disturbing voice continuously whispered towards my soul.
[These strange whispers might also transform your soul and body into a form more fitting for the darkness.]
[Attempting to resist the Curse of the Dead generated by the mask with your ntal strength stat. ntal strength check failed]
If I had failed, I would have been possessed by the spirit of the Hollow Lords father trapped in the mask and beco a cultist worshipping a being of the abyss.
However, that would never happen to .
I cant hear you, I cant hear you, I cant hear you
I scratched around my collarbone and waited for that effect to activate.
[System: The unique trait Madness of the Abyss has been activated. The result of the sanity check is changed to success.]
Good job.
The ssage window disappeared without any additional ssages.
In an old mirror hanging in one corner of the living room, I saw myself wearing the mask.
I looked like a mad mage who had lost his own face and borrowed that of a dead man.
I activated another ability embedded in the mask.
[The effect of the A-rank accessory Dead Mans Mask, Gift of the Dead has been activated.
// Gift of the Dead: Allows for the storage and retrieval of magical power and knowledge within the mask.
Along with a dizzying tinnitus, magical power from the netherworld began to flow from the Dead Mans Mask.
Ziiiiiiing
Its a complete hodgepodge of low purity magic power.
The mask had a lot of magical power that the previous owner, the Hollow Lord, collected from various places.
Although it was a lot, it was impure and low-grade magical that was poorly refined.
Unlike other magical powers I had absorbed before, absorbing such energy could cause internal injuries or, in martial arts terms, lead to sothing like qi deviation.
Well, it doesnt matter since Im not going to use it.
I pulled the lines of magical power emanating from the necromancy golems and transferred them into the mask.
Clunk.
As the path of the magic shifted, the golems simultaneously halted their movents and then reset and rebooted.
Creeeek, creak, creeeek!
Now, instead of drawing magical power directly from , the necromancy golems were supplied with energy through the Dead Mans Mask.
After floating a few magic circles in the air, I slowly removed the mask.
The Dead Mans Mask ascended slowly into the air.
It had essentially beco a kind of auxiliary battery.
While the magical power embedded within it was not unlimited and would eventually deplete, the soul sealed within the mask had ford a sort of mana core, which would recharge it to so extent.
If it ever gets to the point where natural recharging isnt enough, I could always fill it up using the resonance stone.
Phew
I paused for a mont and touched my bare face.
The feeling of my face being touched by my fingertips was indescribably eerie and unsettling.
An unpleasant feeling of touching my human flesh.
The very fact of exposing my bare face felt utterly horrific.
Would I eventually go mad from this?
Gradually, I was also beginning to forget what my own face looked like.
I sighed again and put on [Carcosas Mask] that I had been wearing before.
It was an indescribably comfortable feeling.
Now, the face of a monster with four eyes was reflected in the mirror.
Alright, shall I head out now?
The only thing left was to move my important belongings from the studio apartnt where I had been living on rent. After so thought, I decided to ask for the help of Jang Hyeon-deok.
He was one of just two NPCs in Paju with whom I had ford a firm alliance.
For reference, Tudor was a reliable broker, but she wasnt a firm ally of mine.
And if I asked Cheong-ho who had beco a firm ally recently, too many people might end up knowing my information.
Jang Hyeon-deok grumbled for a mont but drove to the mansion without further complaint.
Mage-nim, you know how much my fare is, right?
About 500,000?
No, I dont usually charge that much just for transport
The last ti he took to Tanhyeon, Jang Hyeon-deok had boldly extorted 500,000 won from , but now he hesitated and his words trailed off.
Of course, Tanhyeon is one of the most dangerous areas in Paju, so naturally, the fares then and now cannot be simply compared.
And by the way, that needs to be loaded too, is that alright?
That? What is that Aaaaaahhhhh!!
Thud, thud, clatter, crash!
Doldol rushed towards Jang Hyeon-deok.
It was a stone coffin that was indistinguishable from a huge boulder.
Doldols appearance was no big deal to , but for Jang Hyeon-deok who was seeing Doldol for the first ti it was as if a mountain was charging at him.
Jang Hyeon-deok was so startled that he almost fell over. Had the call van not been parked behind him, he truly would have tumbled to the ground.
If that had happened, I might have lost one of my only two firm allies today. Amitabha.
What is this! What is this?!
Its Doldol.
Doldol!?! Aaaah! Stop, dont co any closer!
Thud, clatter, bang!
What a ss.
Its definitely a bit too big to fit in the car.
I montarily summoned my magical power and stretched out my hand towards Doldol. A brilliant magic circle ford around the bulky body of Doldol.
If I adjust this, and reposition that
[Shrink]
Whirrrr!!!
It was a spell that beca available after unlocking third-order magic.
As the magic activated, Doldols size reduced. Now, Doldol was about a small stone box, roughly 50cm in size.
As straightforward as the na of the spell was its effect.
However, calculating the area of effect and pressure was a bit complex. After all, it was magic that disregarded the law of conservation of mass.
Jang Hyeon-deok wore a look of surprise at the effect of the magic that had been activated right before his eyes.
It seed to be mixed with a bit of admiration and awe.
Mage-nim, can I learn magic too?
Um you probably cant.
Why not?
Because youre slow.
Im not slow! Im very sharp and
No, I an your mind is slow.
Jang Hyeon-deok continued to whine without stopping.
Regardless, I loaded Doldol into the back of the car and sat in the passenger seat of Jang Hyeon-deoks call van.
Hasnt the car been fixed yet?
Ah, I havent had the ti.
The last ti Jang Hyeon-deok helped , the car was damaged quite a bit. There were still dents, scratches, and torn marks everywhere even now.
Get it fixed quickly and send the bill for the repairs.
Ah, I will fix it. But I was a big help, wasnt I?
I looked at Jang Hyeon-deok, who was montarily puffing up his chest with pride. There he was, facing with that expression. Why arent we starting yet? Oh
Right. You were a big help. Thanks.
Oh, you dont need to say that Hahaha!
Oh
Alright, were setting off now!
***
Cleaning the studio apartnt in Geumchon was not a difficult task.
All I had to do was tell Doldol to swallow everything in the room and it was done.
However, there was an issue when Doldol accidentally swallowed the refrigerator, which was included as part of the apartnts anities.
Hey! Spit it out, you! Why would you swallow that?
Grrrrrr, crackle.
That noise was Doldol being stubborn after I forcibly removed the refrigerator.
Should I call it gluttony?
Or maybe a hoarding instinct?
Fortunately, even without coveting the refrigerator, there were plenty of items in the studio apartnt that caught Doldols interest.
Doldol particularly enjoyed swallowing the cursed gold ornants that ca from the bodies of the golden dancers. It was even shivering with delight.
Im not sure what the difference is, but it seems it has its own tastes.
Alright, step back for a mont, Doldol.
When Doldol stepped back, I summoned my magical power.
[mory Erase]
Fwoooosh!!
It was a spell that removed magical fingerprints and traces left in space, as well as the mories of objects.
I had never done anything to warrant that level of tracking, but now, not even a psychic with psychotry abilities or a druid who could read the Earths mory would be able to find any trace of .
Additionally, I had sprayed a magical smokescreen as a precaution against any unforeseen situations before I could finally leave this studio apartnt.
Are we really leaving empty-handed?
As I said earlier, everything is packed inside Doldol.
Wow
Jang Hyeon-deok wore a look of amazent.
Where can I find sothing like this?
You should try hard and rob a haunted house sowhere too.
Ugh, I cant do that alone.
If you take the lead, Ill help.
Jang Hyeon-deok responded with a grimace.
No, Id rather give up.
The cramped studio apartnt I had lived in for a few months was now behind .
There were still so paperwork formalities left, but vacating was sothing I could manage over a phone call on my way out.
So, should we head back to that the park right away?
No, sorry, but lets stop by the market first.
The market? Are you going to see the old man?
Wasnt that supposed to be a secret place?
Ah, you underestimate , Mage-nim. Ive been in this business for six years; how could I not know why fixers frequent Geumchon Market?
Indeed, that was the case.
The Geumchon neighborhood was the only place where you could pick up useful artifacts. It must be information picked up from other fixers.
The market was not far away, so we arrived near the pawnshop quickly.
It was getting dark.
It was a quiet ti when vendors were preparing to pack up their stalls, but today, there was an unusually large crowd and the atmosphere was bustling.
Whats going on? There are a lot of people.
Ah, the night market started yesterday. Everyones going to stay open until 10 p.m.
A night market?
Yes. Oh, you might not know? They do it every year around this ti.
Hmm I see. But with so many people, theres nowhere to park the car?
Ill be in that alley over there, so call when youre done.
Certainly, Geumchon Market had a more vibrant atmosphere than usual.
The market boasted temporary stalls selling unusual foods that were not typically seen, and there were various bright lights and impressive banners everywhere.
The problem is
Why does the night market exist?
I know that around this ti, there is a night market in Paju, or specifically, in Geumchon Market.
But that schedule belongs to the reality I originally lived in.
In [Cthulhu World], such trivial events do not exist.
Of course, not everything here was exactly like the ga, but still, I felt oddly out of place.
The fact that just last night I fought against a 150-year-old skeleton seed unbelievable given the mundane scene around .
It felt as though I was not in so bizarre otherworld with fixers and monsters, but had actually returned to my original world.
Of course, I couldnt just blend in imdiately.
I layered several spells to minimize my presence then walked through the peaceful Geumchon Market.
*******
TN: Doldol is cute!
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