Chapter 150
Chapter 150
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 150
Chapter Title: Short Flashback
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A quiet room.
I lifted my head for a moment.
An unfamiliar ceiling.
"Yeah, I remember up to this point."
The car chase, the sacrificial feast, the downpour, the otherworldly being revealing itself.
The rocket launcher spewing fire, the rocket hurtling toward me.
My mind creaking somehow, memories scattering ambiguously.
My head hurts.
"Urgh..."
What happened after that? I recall doing something incredibly stupid over and over.
"But at least, I blocked the rocket."
Roughly like this. I actually swung my hand, mimicking casting a spell.
So, more specifically...
* * *
[Chains of Domination]
Four golden chains shot out through the car window.
Shwaaaa!!
The chains racing through the raindrops wrapped around the rocket at just the right moment.
"Got it!"
I infused a new command into the ensnared rocket.
『Go back!』
The rocket reversed course, tracing its incoming path.
Whoa, it actually worked.
"Wow! Wizard, how did you do that!?"
"Yeah, I thought your condition was off today."
Not bad, huh?
Unfortunately, I couldn't just slam the captured rocket into the truck. My goal was solely the artifact inside the truck. No massive explosions like boom!
Kwaaaang!
But it did blow up near the truck. The truck rocked violently amid the pouring rain.
Screeech!!
Even in all that chaos, the black-coated figure stood firm on the truck. His bowler hat was still perfectly perched on his head.
Who the hell is that guy? Was there someone like him?
[System: Penalty trait 'Sacrificial Feast' has activated.]
[An abyssal being grants power to its kin.]
"Sheesh, really loves them, huh?"
I always factor in the activation of [Sacrificial Feast]. But this time, it's unusually intense. Who the heck is it?
Kwachik! Kwaang!
The outer wall of the container on the truck bulged out. Something massive seemed to be stirring inside.
Shwaaaaa!!
Holes finally tore open on both sides of the container, and the writhing thing inside revealed itself.
"Uwaaaak!"
That was Jang Hyun-deok's scream.
[The thing that ripped through the container was a massive tentacle. Large enough to easily wrap around a car. Suddenly, something familiar catches your eye. Along its unpleasant, textured skin, densely packed suckers.]
Yeah, a familiar design.
"Get a grip! It's just an octopus!"
"It's huge!"
"Size doesn't matter—it's just a cephalopod! Think of it as a giant squid and hold on!"
"What kind of nonsense is that!?"
[Systemic madness in the [Cthulhu World] doesn't trigger just from seeing something scary. It's the irrational presence created by surreal entities—that's the cause. But explaining that to Jang Hyun-deok won't help. Anyway, hold on!]
[You try to convince yourself it's just an octopus, but it's not easy. The tentacle before you moves in an intensely threatening manner. Instinctual fear shrinks your body. You resist with your Mental Fortitude stat. Mental Fortitude check... success.]
Fortunately, it was a check with low failure odds. No need for the [Abyssal Madness] trait to kick in—I succeeded. And it seemed Jang Hyun-deok did too.
"Do something about that thing!"
It was literally massive enough to easily wrap around a car—an enormous octopus limb.
Three visible tentacles for now.
The gigantic tentacles surged into the sky.
Bauuuung!!
Then they swung down toward the road in unison!
No! Anything but that!
Only then did I realize why my thoughts had been lagging.
Stop thinking! Block it first!
I thrust my hand out the car window and unleashed mana.
[Frost Gale]
[Spell Enhancement: Increased Range]
[Spell Enhancement: Maximized]
Shweeeeeek!!
Raindrops caught in the icy wind turned to ice shards, pummeling with a rapid tatadadang.
Kkaduduk!
The suddenly frozen tentacles couldn't withstand their momentum and shattered. I stopped the road from being destroyed, but massive frozen tentacle chunks were flying toward us.
"Uwaaat! Hold on tight!"
Screeech!!
Jang Hyun-deok twisted the wheel to dodge the tentacle fragments.
"Uwaaaa!"
My scream this time.
Adrenaline surged, my heart pounded. My fingertips went cold, my guts felt like they were spilling out.
"Yeah, this is the freeway!"
"W-what are you talking about!?"
Why hadn't I thought of that?
"We're right by the Han River!!"
"Huh?"
The freeway runs along the Han River. And the Han is a very wide river—where 'that' lives.
'What an idiot, Kim Shin-hwa. Why the hell did you accept this stupid quest?'
I could guess the reason. Side effect of madness.
My brain refused to remember or associate certain concepts.
'It happened before.'
The very first time. Even with the giant rat monster, I hadn't recalled that the secret lab's end had rats.
No, this was worse. Honestly, I'd forgotten 'that' even existed in the world for a while.
"Drive carefully! Whatever you do, stay on the road!"
"Why the Han River? We've been next to it the whole time?"
Yeah, exactly! Racing along the Han River without even registering it was the Han! Ignoring half the scenery in my vision naturally slowed my reactions.
Vrooooom!!
The truck barreled along the road stretching by the Han.
The truck finally overtook one of the sedans ahead.
Shwaaak!
Right, octopuses have eight legs. Cut off three, five remain.
New tentacles burst out and wrapped around the sedan. It's not planning to throw that, is it?
Bauuuung!!
The sedan somehow looked like it was flying toward us slowly.
People are probably inside. Dodging or smashing it feels wrong.
I reached out the window and cast a spell.
[Disintegration]
[Spell Enhancement: Maximized]
Guwaaaang!!
A green beam from my fingertips struck the incoming sedan.
A 4th-circle spell that breaks down inanimate matter.
The sedan instantly crumbled into gray ash and car parts, scattering everywhere.
And the screaming driver flying toward us...
[Feather Fall]
Screeeeech!
Luckily, Jang Hyun-deok caught on and swerved around the slowly floating driver.
[System: 'Enhanced Vigilance' trait activates.]
Kwaang!
"Uwaaaa!"
Jang Hyun-deok's scream.
A pitch-black silhouette blotting out my view.
The black-coated bulk was suddenly hanging onto the front of our van. What? He was on the truck a second ago? When did he jump?
Now the black coat swung his fist.
"Don't mess around!"
[Hardening]
[Protective Ward]
[Spell Enhancement: Maximized]
I hardened the windshield along with the ward.
Kwaang!
Guuuung!!
"Krgh!"
Tough guy, but not enough to break my ward.
"Now get lost!"
[Slippery Surface]
Just a 1st-circle spell.
It forcibly lowers the friction on the vehicle's surface. Normally no big deal, but for an idiot clinging to a speeding car, it's disastrous.
"Uwaak!"
Slide!
The black-coated bulk finally couldn't hold on and fell off the car.
In the rearview, I saw him bouncing across the road behind us several times. His bowler flew off, coat tore.
For a glimpse, green skin under the coat, but it vanished from sight.
I couldn't expand my senses freely for fear of touching the Han, but I could tell the black coat guy was still alive.
Really tough.
"Whatever he is, he can't outrun the car."
I turned my gaze ahead—a bridge in the distance. The moment my eyes registered it, my idling Intelligence stat kicked in.
'Oh, that's the Ilsan Bridge?'
No, screw the name! Give me the info I need right now!
The truck's destination: Incheon.
To get to Incheon, they have to cross that bridge. Which means...
"Catch them before that bridge!"
"Who are you talking to? Snap out of it!"
Yeah, snap out of it! My madness isn't aquaphobia!
Sitting here dragging it out won't work.
I wasn't without hesitation, but I opened the car door and gathered mana.
[L-grade Robe 'Wings of the Night Veil' unique function, 'Wings of the Heavenly Demon' activates.
// Wings of the Heavenly Demon: Automatically casts 'Flight' spell.]
The Wings of the Night Veil flapped like pitch-black wings, launching me into the sky.
Raindrops flowed along the [Distortion Field]'s surface. A huge water orb seemed to form around me.
I drew up mana and poured it into the Wings of the Night Veil.
With a pop, the water droplets on the distortion field burst, and in an instant, I overtook the truck in flight.
I sharply turned and cast toward the road.
[Blade Zone]
Kkaduduk!!
The road warped. Countless blades and spikes rose from the black asphalt.
Screeech!!
The truck driver slammed the brakes, but too late.
Bang bang bang!
Tires bursting in seconds. Spikes piercing, creating a horrific scraping cacophony.
"Ha, shoulda done this sooner."
No, until just now, this wasn't an option. Honestly, a desperate measure.
If the overturned truck plunged into the Han, it'd be a nightmare.
Uh-oh, the truck's charging toward the Han!
[Wall of Force]
Wiiiing!
A transparent barrier deployed over the Han-side guardrail.
Plus, I had a friend helping now.
Shwaruruk!
Five massive tentacles extended from the truck. It stretched them to the ground to stop the tipping truck.
Kwaduduk!
The spike-ridden ground tore into the tentacles in a gruesome display, the reinforced guardrail buckled, but finally, the truck stopped.
"Good job, octopus buddy. We're the best team."
I reverted the ground spikes to road and walked toward the truck.
Bauuung!!
A remaining tentacle lunged at me. Even dazed, I expected this. I stopped at the precise spot and extended my hand.
The tentacle narrowly grazed my collar—the Wings of the Night Veil. And the spell activated simultaneously.
[Touch of Hell]
[Spell Enhancement: Explosive]
[Spell Enhancement: Chain Explosion]
[SSS-grade Accessory 'Embers of the Northern Hell Gate' unique function, 'Trace of Extreme Flame' activates.
// Trace of Extreme Flame: All fire-based spell effects increased by 100%.]
Normally requires hand contact, but the robe's conductivity substituted perfectly.
Fwoooosh!!
Pitch-black flames erupted along the octopus skin.
Hellfire that doesn't extinguish in water. Plus, I added explosive power.
Kwaaaang! Bang! Kwaaaang!
The tentacle chain-exploded. And with the smoke, a certain aroma wafted everywhere.
"Cephalopod phobia is a Western thing."
Koreans love cephalopods.
"Smells better than expected."
But the container can't blow. I withdrew the mana from the hellfire roasting the octopus.
The mana-less flames quickly died under the downpour.
"Phew, is it over?"
Wrecked road. Shredded truck. Hole-riddled container.
Jang Hyun-deok parked the car a ways off.
"Whew, I acted like a total loser today in every way."
At least it ended without major damage? Until the madness in my head clears, I need to avoid getting near water.
Pointless, really. I even forgot the Han was by the freeway.
"Anyway, who was the abyssal being that butted in this time?"
Different pattern from the ones tormenting me before.
Usually, they empowered attacks on me, but this felt like protecting the container.
"Connected to the octopus, tenderly caring for its kin."
Weird. Doesn't ring a bell.
Why?
Is it related to forgetting 'that' lives under the water?
"..."
If so, better ignore it. My thoughts are creaking. Holes everywhere.
'Just grab whatever's in the container and get out fast.'
I swept my hand horizontally, gathering mana.
Kkaduduk!
The container split in half.
And inside was...