I Became a Genius Mage in the Cthulhu Game
chapter-35

[Carcosa’s Mask (L-Class Accessory): Once used by the Great Old Ruler, He Who Must Not Be Named, the mighty [King in Yellow]. Those not of equal status cannot fully harness its power.

Yellow Sign: The mighty [King in Yellow] takes an interest in you.

He wasn’t merely observing me all this time; he had been examining my mask.

Before this mask was an artifact with useful capability, it was an object connected to a mythical being. Among such items, there are those that can seduce or control the minds of those around them, endangering the owner or even replacing them.

That’s why I raised my magical power and answered.

“Showing undue interest in a mage’s possession won’t bode well for you…”

The heightened magical power formed a formidable aura of intimidation and was able to induce enough force to cause the smoothly running vehicle to noticeably shake.

The driver said with a pale expression on his face.

“Ahhh… It’s not that, not that, not that at all! I mentioned it because I’ve seen something similar before! Please, spare me!”

I realized I might have misunderstood something.

“Where?”

“Huh? Wh-what?”

The terrified driver stammered out a response.

“When and where did you see such a mask?”

I spoke slowly and emphasized each word. The rumbling sound of my heightened magical power resonated around me.

If he had seen it around the Geumchon neighborhood market or in the vicinity of that pawnshop, that could be plausible. It would mean he had seen it before I bought it.

“It was, it was… in Tanhyeon!”

“Tanhyeon?”

“Yes, Tanhyeon! You know Tanhyeon, right? I saw it at a strange archaeological site there! It was not long ago… it should still be there!”

What kind of development was this…?

***

The incident at Yeonam Construction’s apartment complex had left great aftereffects on my body for the first time in a while.

I hadn’t been directly attacked or injured.

The aftereffects were merely from running around late into the night using magic and from the continuous battles where life and death were decided in fractions of a second.

“I’m so… tired…”

Damn it. This was just exhaustion.

Though I could maintain the strength and health of an average person by heavily equipping artifacts, that was merely a facade maintained only while the artifacts were equipped.

I could manage to wear the ring that boosts my strength 24 hours a day, but the gloves that provide health bonus weren’t that comfortable.

I tried to wear them as long as possible, but these gloves were essentially motorcycle gloves, reinforced with various materials at the fingers. It’s not feasible to wear them all the time.

What am I trying to say?

Three days had passed since that night’s quest and yet I was still lying in bed.

Shit… I’m miserably exhausted.

Despite having spent the last two days doing nothing but lying down in preparation for today, my body still refused to cooperate.

I barely managed to turn my head to look out the window.

While I wasn’t in the worst state imaginable, unable to move my neck emotionally, it felt just as draining.

What time is it now…?

[Invisible Hand]

Lacking the energy to move, I gathered my magical power to pick up my smartphone.

“Ah, damn it. It’s already 7 o’clock?”

It was 7 p.m, not a.m.

It was definitely 3 p.m right after I had woken up, which meant I had spent another four hours doing absolutely nothing. It was high time I got up and grabbed something to eat.

Hold on. There’s an alarm asking for confirmation on the monotonous default screen of my smartphone.

I never bothered downloading any messaging apps or the like; it’s too much of a hassle. If someone wants to contact me, they have to either call or send a text message.

The inbox was filled with messages from Tudor.

[Here’s the personal information for Lee Seon-bin you requested. Check the attached file for details.]

I had asked about this over the phone just yesterday. It’s nice to have it confirmed in just a day.

I opened the attached file and quickly skimmed through the contents.

As expected, Lee Seon-bin was a second-tier mage, and although she was officially a freelancer, she mainly worked with Yeonam Group. It seems she became a “future strategy advisor” for Yeonam when Moon Seung-hee moved to Yeonam Construction.

Apart from a note at the bottom of the document stating “Closely acquainted with Moon Seung-hee and presumed to be a confidant of her” there was nothing else of importance.

[She’s currently at Paju Central Hospital. She hasn’t been admitted for long, so it’s hard to get the specifics, but it seems she’s in the psychiatric ward. Her condition is quite bad, so all visits are prohibited for the time being.]

[Apparently, she’s had several seizures since being admitted, and she’s a mage right? She must have had a magical accident.]

A magical accident… It was a type of disaster that could never occur in the reality where I used to live. It refers to incidents caused by a deranged mage recklessly unleashing spells.

[It seems Yeonam Construction was quite fond of her, right? If you want to meet Lee Seon-bin, just let me know. I can arrange it anytime. Of course, it’s not 100% guaranteed, especially since visits are currently prohibited.]

[If it were me, I wouldn’t take the risk of meeting a mage with a mental illness.]

“Maybe I’m crazy enough myself to handle it.”

That said, I have no immediate plans to meet Lee Seon-bin.

I was curious to verify some of the nonsensical mutterings from last time, but I already had plans for today.

“I don’t know what event is waiting for me, but I hope it involves a level-up.”

It’s about time for Tudor to start offering some real quests.

To prepare for that, I want to reach level 20 before the next quest begins.

As my thoughts drifted from today’s commitments to the upcoming quest, I felt the determination to get up. I used the magical telekinesis I activated earlier to casually toss my smartphone aside and picked up the gloves I had carelessly thrown under the bed.

As soon as I donned the gloves, I could feel vitality returning to my body.

“Phew… it really does make a difference.”

While other artifacts have their merits, few offer a straightforward boost of +2 to health without any strings attached.

Having managed to get up, I quickly tidied up the area and then grabbed three dumplings from the fridge and popped them in the microwave.

Ding!

The dumplings came out of the microwave emitting clouds of white steam. I had slightly moistened them with water before microwaving them, but the surface was still a little hard. Starting tomorrow, I’ll have to eat proper food even if it’s a bit annoying.

I slightly lifted the mask covering my face and shoved a dumpling into my mouth.

Although not quite the same as when freshly made, the reheated dumpling was still satisfyingly delicious. Ah, hot… this place really does make them well.

While eating the dumplings, I looked around the room and cast a few security spells.

[Warning Bell], [Thorn Trap], [Kanotodoa’s Severance], [Ra’s Golden Sand], and [Realm of Darkness].

A haze begins to billow around the window.

Should anyone dare to enter without permission, I would instantly be alarmed and they would find themselves struck with a status ailment that robs them of their sight, hearing, and even their ability to speak.

And then, with dozens of magical blades embedded in their body, they would succumb to an overpowering sleep that they wouldn’t be able to resist.

Is this sufficient? Perhaps a few more bolts of lightning spell should be set in place.

“Alright, that concludes the preparations for going out.”

In the mirror next to the shoe rack, the reflection of a crazy-looking mage donning a hoodie instead of the usual dark robe, with a bizarre mask covering his face, was visible.

Is that really me? It’s been over a month since I last saw my own face. Perhaps beneath this mask lies not the face of Kim Shin-hwa that I remember, but something monstrous that I could never have imagined.

Well, it doesn’t matter. I have an appointment today.

The security taxi driver I met three days ago.

I was scheduled to meet him again.

I grabbed my skateboard and backpack, slinging it over my shoulder as I stepped out of the apartment.

As always, my destination wasn’t the ground floor, but the rooftop.

The day was gradually turning to dusk.

It was now 8 p.m.

When I surveyed the surroundings from the rooftop, the dilapidated buildings of the Geumchon neighborhood were bathed in an ominous purplish color.

In the distance, surreal skyscrapers towered impossibly high, and on one corner of my view, a huge brass Buddha statue sat atop the Hwangnyeongsan Mountain Forest Park.

“No matter how many times I see it, it’s a strange sight…”

The landscape of Paju was unreal and such sights exist only in [Cthulhu World].

The time for the upright and sane citizens of Paju had come to an end, and the era of the deranged criminals was about to begin.

I got on my skateboard and activated a spell.

[Leap]

A dazzling magic circle unfurled on the black hoodie I was wearing, propelling the skateboard into the sky.

The whooshing of the wind grazed my ears as the scenery before my eyes changed rapidly, several times over.

After leaping and leaping again, bypassing a few buildings, I finally managed to land by the roadside.

I was now enough away from home and I didn’t need to use any more magic.

I casually rolled the skateboard before slowly making my way to the rendezvous.

“Yoohoo, hello there!”

A cheerful greeting.

I looked in the direction of the greeting, which was identical to the one I had heard three days ago.

This punk who just greeted me…. I meant this handsome young man in his early twenties casually flicked off his cigarette.

His height was roughly 185 cm? He was about half a span taller than me and had strong muscles all over his body.

At first glance, he looked more of a nosy guy than a sincere guy, but the well-defined and harmonious features of his face instilled an unwarranted sense of familiarity.

His charm must be at least a 19. While not transcendently handsome like a Tudor, his good looks were enough to ensure survival on the streets even in the direst of circumstances.

“Uwah, you’re wearing that mask again today?”

“It’s cursed, so I have to keep wearing it.”

“A-A curse, you say?”

“Don’t worry, it’s not contagious.”

“Um… are you sure?”

“Absolutely.”

The name of this young carrier was Jang Hyeon-deok.

Although we had only met in person three days ago, he wasn’t a complete stranger to me.

Back when I played [Cthulhu World] as a game, I had ridden in his car a few times.

But that was the extent of it.

Jang Hyeon-deok wasn’t an NPC with important quests or special options attached, nor was he a character whose name one would remember.

Had I not possessed an abnormally high level of intelligence stat, recalling him would have been impossible.

Nonetheless, for a mass-produced NPC of little importance, I had thought his design was overly elaborate for no reason… only to discover there was a hidden event involved.

“It doesn’t matter what happens to my mask. Did you bring what you mentioned?”

“Ah, of course. But…”

Jang Hyeon-deok slightly hunched his body and glanced around as if surveying the surroundings, then whispered with an exaggeratedly dramatic expression.

“Let’s not show it here. How about we go to the car?”

Jang Hyeon-deok gestured with his thumb over his shoulder.

There lay his vehicle, a large white SUV call van.

Three days ago, Jang Hyeon-deok claimed to have seen a mask identical to mine and claimed that he had proof of that as well.

While I was eager to check immediately, I had honestly never encountered such a situation in the game before, so I wanted to proceed when my stamina was at least a little recovered.

Thus, it was today, three days later, that I found myself meeting him again.

With a slight sigh, I climbed into the car alongside him.

“Now, let’s see it. If you start talking nonsense at this point, I’ll be terribly disappointed.”

And that disappointment might compel me to make those around me uncomfortable. However, there was no need for this unspoken threat to materialize.

The item Jang Hyeon-deok proudly produced certainly lived up to my expectations.