I Became a Genius Mage in the Cthulhu Game
chapter-95

“After the recent issues we’ve resolved and those concerning Cheong-ho, the rumors going on now are quite interesting. They say you made a complete fool of Yang Seo-ho from the Immigration Bureau?”

I had forgotten, but there was indeed such an incident.

I informed Yang Seo-ho about a colony of extraterrestrial parasites.

She must have been very “pleased”.

After all, I kindly pointed out the dangerous places and took care of the problematic monsters myself.

Moreover, I dealt with artifacts and other items that should not be exposed to the general public, so if she meets me…

“I might not know what you have done, but it’s better if you don’t meet Yang Seo-ho. She has already come and gone from Vasilisa twice.”

Yes, if Yang Seo-ho meets me, she’ll be so pleased she could kill me. But that’s on me.

“What does all this have to do with the shop’s sudden boom in business?”

“Well, that’s because a great mage who can make a fool out of Yang Seo-ho right here in Paju was my exclusive fixer. As more clients come seeking you, the other fixers contracted with me also get their share of the benefits.”

“Ah, I see what you mean.”

“However, apart from that, the workload has increased. It’s not like it was 20 years ago, but it feels almost like we’ve gone back to what it was 10 years ago.”

“I see.”

I know the gist of it, but there’s no need to tell Tudor. Besides, even if I did, there’s nothing Tudor could handle.

“So honestly, there are many things I’d like to ask you to do. This time…. it might be mutually beneficial for both of us in the long run, but I hope you can come by more often even after this.”

“I plan to do so.”

“Alright, since we’re still on the topic, let’s talk business right away.”

This job I would be doing unusually offered little monetary compensation.

Instead, the rewards exceeded that.

“The Thousand Gold Temple.”

“Yes, the Thousand Gold Temple.”

“I don’t know how you managed to persuade that old man, but I’d be more than happy to deal with a fixer who has an admission ticket to the Thousand Gold Temple.”

“It seems you have something you want disposed of?”

“Hehehe… caught on, have you? It’s inevitable that unpleasant items will accumulate in the warehouse in this line of work.”

Thousand Gold Temple was a shop of such rarity in the Cthulhu world that it ranked among the few.

It wasn’t just a secretive black market or a members-only auction house; it was in a completely different league.

The Thousand Gold Temple dealt in one thing only.

Curses.

The Thousand Gold Temple was a store that bought curses.

It didn’t matter whether they were cursed objects, cursed people, or cursed land where the curse had taken root.

The Thousand Gold Temple bought the curse itself and paid a price corresponding to the depth of the curse.

For the seller, the profits were unbelievably good.

They resolved your problems, but instead of paying costs for it, they actually paid you money.

Of course, as splendid as the place was, it harbored many hidden issues.

In the first place, it would be impossible for a regular person to even find the Thousand Gold Temple.

And even if one managed to secure entry, there was no guarantee they would survive to return from the Thousand Gold Temple.

That was the general overview of the Thousand Gold Temple.

The story Tudor told was not much different from what I already knew.

“You’ve already heard, but there’s someone visiting the Thousand Gold Temple this time who needs protection.”

“Protection, huh.”

“The pay is precisely ten million won. Considering the risk involved and other factors, it’s a trivial amount, hardly enough for a down payment…”

“But in exchange, I get the chance to visit the Thousand Gold Temple along with a letter of introduction, right?”

“That’s right. There’s no guarantee the letter will definitely serve as an admission ticket, but at least this time, the visit is assured.”

“And if there are items you wish to dispose of, I can take care of that as well.”

“Hehe… yes, that’s the key point.”

“Well, okay. A single visit is enough for me. But what about the commission?”

“Huh? You’re quick-witted as well.”

Quick-witted, huh?

The issue of the commission had already been hinted at by Tudor during yesterday’s conversation.

But Tudor smiled slyly.

“Ten million won is the amount before deducting the commission right?”

“Yes, this time I won’t deduct any fees. Instead…”

“You want me to dispose of something for you, right?”

“That’s right.”

“What exactly? At this rate, it seems I could charge you a commission instead.”

“Hmph, you should just take care of the commission yourself. I’ll give you the items to take to the Thousand Gold Temple, and you keep whatever they give you in return.”

“Hmm… really?”

“Hehe… just bring me back a souvenir.”

This wasn’t a bad deal. I could guess how it might turn out, as such events were common in games.

Moreover, if a witch like Tudor considered an item troublesome, it must be terribly formidable.

If that were the case, the reward from the Thousand Gold Temple would be substantial.

The items I intended to hand over were trivial by comparison.

“Alright, let’s proceed then.”

[You have accepted the quest!

<Escort Quest: To the Thousand Gold Temple>

Visit the Thousand Gold Temple with the ‘professor’ who has a suspicious package.

You must escort the professor so that he can return to reality safely.

Reward: 500,000 XP + 10,000,000 won + ‘Entry Ticket to the Thousand Gold Temple’ depending on performance.

In case of failure: You may be cursed by the professor, or unable to return from the Thousand Gold Temple.]

As soon as the quest message ended, Tudor produced a large attaché case.

“Here, this is it. You just need to dispose of this.”

It was the square leather bag commonly referred to as the “007 briefcase”.

“The enchantments are quite tight, huh…? What exactly is inside this thing?”

It reminded me of Lee Chang-hyeok’s bag.

Although it looked like an outdated bag, the security spells placed on it formed a powerful barrier.

“If you knew what’s inside, you might have to skip dinner tonight.”

With that, Tudor raised a finger to her lips.

Oh, this witch…

It seemed like the item she so casually entrusted me with was no ordinary object.

I decided not to be surprised if it turned out that the seemingly harmless-looking bag contained an unstable nuclear bomb.

But that doesn’t mean I can just accept it peacefully.

As soon as I took the bag, I activated my magic.

[Binding]

[Cold Bone Prison]

[Protective Circle]

[Purification Zone]

“Hey, it’s not that big of a deal.”

“I hope we can still have such conversations after your visit to the Thousand Gold Temple.”

“Hehe… By the way, you’re becoming quite impressive, aren’t you? Using that level of magic without any incantations or physical gestures? And at such a speed? Without any catalysts or tools?”

“Well, it just turned out that way.”

Now that I think about it, I never had to use magic in front of Tudor.

Though Tudor’s face still wore a smile, it was a smile with a completely different meaning from what I usually see.

Greed, anticipation, curiosity…

It was the kind of smile that could only belong to a centuries-old witch, rather than a broker.

“I don’t think I could activate spells as quickly as you do, really impressive. Indeed, next time, I should consider doing something more befitting of a witch too …”

I raised the bag I was holding to Tudor’s eyes to cut off her words.

“So, first off, I’d like to proceed with what I planned for today.”

Tudor’s laughter echoed from beyond the bag.

And then I saw her pale fingers slowly gripping the bag. They appeared more like a spider or snake creeping along the side of it rather than just fingers.

“Right. Other things are important, but the Thousand Gold Temple is indeed a very important matter too.”

And then Tudor slowly lowered the bag she was holding.

As the bag was slowly lowered down, Tudor’s face became visible again.

The lazy smile of the skilled broker I knew appeared.

“Come on, introduce me to the client you mentioned yesterday.”

“Ah, right, just wait a moment.”

Tudor momentarily wore a blank expression on her face, then looked up at something in the air and said,

“Now that everything’s ready, please bring the professor.”

She was speaking to Orb, who was outside.

As soon as her blank expression cleared, Tudor pretended to be bashful and grinned broadly.

“You know the rules, right? You are the mage, and the client is the professor.”

“I know. Those who go to the Thousand Gold Temple shall not call each other by name.”

“It’s best not to engage in any strange friendships too.”

“Right.”

It was a precaution to prevent accidentally speaking names at the Thousand Gold Temple.

The Thousand Gold Temple was no ordinary place.

It was a secretive and dangerous location that was laden with many taboos and restrictions.

Shortly after, the door opened and the man known as “the professor” was accompanied by Orb as he entered.

It was in fact the same person whom I had seen in Vasilisa’s hall a little while ago.

“Excuse me.”

The man in the wheelchair.

He seemed far too out of place among Vasilisa’s rugged thugs.

His age…. he looked to be in his mid-fifties, or perhaps if he introduced himself as being in his sixties, one might think he looked quite young for his age.

His hair was neatly combed back in a slick style, and he wore thin-framed, angular glasses.

A subtle smile graced his lips, accompanied by slight wrinkles that made those around him feel reassured.

Though he had not yet said anything, his demeanor suggested he was a gentleman with impeccable manners.

He briefly turned his head to thank Orb who had pushed his wheelchair this far.

Orb nodded silently and then turned to leave the office.

“Now, this gentleman…. he came here on the recommendation of the elder from the Geumchon Pawnshop. Professor, right? This is the mage I told you about yesterday. Despite how he looks, he’s quite famous.”

I nodded at Tudor’s introduction and extended my hand towards the professor.

“Hello, I’m the mage.”

“Pleased to meet you. I’m the professor. Nice mask.”

The professor’s hand felt quite peculiar as he shook mine.

“This is…”

“Oh, how rude of me—”

He pulled his hand away with an embarrassed smile.

“—I must have made you feel uncomfortable.”

The touch felt dry and strangely foreign as if grasping a dead branch.

No, it wasn’t exactly the sensation at the fingertips… it was the magical power within his body that felt off.

The ominous aura I had sensed in the hall earlier seemed to be connected to this.

“Is it because of a curse?”

“Well, you could say that. There have been some unfortunate events.”

“I see.”

My gaze briefly shifted to the jade-colored bundle on his lap.

It was so old-fashioned it seemed archaic; even the elderly in rural areas wouldn’t carry such bundles nowadays.

It was bulky enough to perhaps contain a rice cooker, but as I watched, something inside the bundle seemed to squirm slightly.

Is that the curse?

It wasn’t portrayed like this in the game. It was just represented as an icon labeled “Suspicious Package” in the inventory.

Even the spell books were merely clickable items in the game.

Until I was dragged into this world, I had never seen the text written in those books. That was also the case with the [Black Goat’s Body Fluids] in Lee Chang-hyeok’s bag.

This meant that unlike in the game, if I made even a slight mistake, the curse wrapped in that bundle might transfer to me or cause problems that weren’t depicted in the game.

I’d better be careful.

“I have come fully prepared, but what about you, Mage-nim?”

“I am also prepared, and—”

I paused to choose my words carefully and then continued.

“—please speak informally with me. We have a long journey ahead, and it would be uncomfortable to continue in such a formal manner.”

“Um… Still…”

It was unnecessary, but I adjusted our relationship nonetheless. This was… merely a remnant of memories from playing this scenario in the game.

I had various interactions with the professor, but the most enjoyable time was when I was his student on that particular route.

Of course… that route did not end beautifully either. After all, this insane game endlessly demands sacrifice and despair from the inhabitants of this world.

I remember crying bitterly for nearly four days when the professor died.

Although it might not be visible behind the mask, I gave the professor the kindest smile I could muster.

“Shall we go then?”

“Alright, let’s go.”