Chapter 156
Chapter 156
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 156
Chapter Title: Shadows of Innsmouth Village (5)
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“Ugh…….”
My head was spinning.
It felt like my skull was filled with seawater bubbling and boiling over.
My legs gave out, and my vision swirled. I was about to collapse. I barely held on, clutching my knee with limp arms.
“Da…….”
But my mouth kept moving on its own. I uttered that name again, the one I absolutely shouldn’t say.
So, so, so. His name, that evil, filthy name I mustn’t call.
“Da-gon.”
A massive wave crashed into my mind.
‘Father of the deep-sea race dwelling in murky depths, patriarch of the wicked Dagon cult.’
‘[Dragon King of the Murky Seas]. [Great Twins of the Deep Waters]. And [Lord of the Cloudy Depths].’
‘A village ruled by an abyssal being.’
‘How unusual. A village worshiping the Dragon King—no, Dagon—inland like this?’
No, was this a fragment of memory I’d forgotten? The memories I’d rejected, ignored, and buried were starting to resurface bit by bit.
My vision finally steadied.
“You... you said that name…….”
The old man groaned. His face was pale with sheer terror. For my magic to wear off like that... what incredible fear.
“......Yeah. I shouldn’t have, but I did.”
The unexpected flashback and awakening had made me blurt it out unconsciously.
‘Lost memories are coming back bit by bit.’
The direction was good, but the timing was inconvenient.
In the world of [Cthulhu World], there were horrific entities that could drive you mad just by pronouncing their names—or even thinking them.
‘Or ones that send curses through the name or manifest outright, the insane bastards.’
Dagon hadn’t placed any such taboo on his name.
If anything, he wanted it spread.
His name appeared multiple times in real history. Enough that it even showed up in the Christian Bible as a pagan god.
‘But this village is the exception.’
This village. Innsmouth Village was a terrestrial colony created by Dagon.
Calling his name here was like shouting it in his face.
And I was a VIP receiving special treatment, to boot......
[System: Penalty trait ‘Feast’s Sacrifice’ effect has activated.]
[An abyssal being observes your actions.]
Yeah, something like that had to pop up.
“Damn it. At least my memories are coming back now.”
Not all of them yet. But I wouldn’t be stumbling around blindly anymore.
The fog thickened.
An eerie sensation that every object in the village was watching me. At the same time, an ominous sound came from beyond the mist.
Squelch—squelch—
The sound of feet stepping in wet mud.
Squelch, squelch, squelch, squelch, squelch......
The footsteps multiplied.
“Grrruk! Who’s there! Who dares utter the Dragon King’s name!”
An enraged shout from afar.
It didn’t sound human at all. It was more like squelching mud opening its mouth—utterly repulsive.
“Grrruk! Who calls the Dragon King’s name!”
Hearing that, the old man flew into a frenzy, convulsing.
“They’re coming! They’re coming! To devour our flesh for profaning the Dragon King’s name!”
The old man clutched his face in delirium.
“Ah, ah, ah! Aaaah! Aaaah!”
A grotesque chant burst from between his wrinkled hands.
It spread like an alarm siren. I channeled mana into his body and commanded with empowered words.
[Voice of Authority]
『Be quiet!』
“Be quiet! Be quiet! Uwaaa! We’re dead! I’ll end up like the others! Into that horrible sea! I’ll die far from my home, beyond these distant walls! Be quiet! Uwaaaa! Be quiet!”
No use. Couldn’t suppress it with this, after all?
Madness, the magic of the deep sea, the horrific dominion of the abyssal being—it was driving the old man insane.
“Grrruk, gruk, gruk! There! Over there!”
“Grrruk! Tear the limbs off the one who called the Dragon King’s name!”
“Flay the flesh and stuff it into the sea well! Gruk, grrruk!”
“Grrruk!”
“The Dragon King’s wrath demands ritual! Kill! Seize! Kill!”
Their voices were closing in.
“Damn. All this over saying a name once.”
I moved to act, but my feet froze.
Dizzy again. Past memories surged back.
‘Sea well? A tunnel connecting to the sea. No, more like a [gate]?’
‘That’s how a Dagon-worshiping village survives in the middle of inland nowhere.’
‘A direct line to Dagon......’
A flashback?
These were words from my past self, Kim Shin-hwa. My eyes saw the urgent present, but my brain painted forgotten past shadows.
Back to now. My situation?
Grandpa, screaming his lungs out.
Nice villagers, charging at tremendous speed.
“Ah, this is ridiculous.”
If the old Kim Shin-hwa was a real genius, he’d have predicted me calling Dagon’s name, right? I hoped this was part of that bastard’s grand plan.
“Hah, whatever. This might actually be easier.”
More straightforward, even.
What I had to do?
Dodge the approaching enemies and run.
Squelch! Squelch! Squelch! Squelch! Squelch! Squelch! Squelch!
The footsteps now dangerously close.
“Gruk, gruk.”
“Gruk, grrruk, gruk!”
“Grrrar...... gruk, gruk.”
Nauseating breathing.
Direction...... all around. Huge numbers.
They were right upon me now. Best to ditch the old man and bolt.
“But I can’t just leave him.”
A short sigh. Treat it like a challenge quest. More memories surfaced. This old guy couldn’t die yet.
“Uwaaa! Uwaaaa! Grukul! Krulhu! Ia! Gruk Ph’nglui!”
Couldn’t take him like this, though.
“Sir, shut—er, just sleep!”
I reached out and covered the old man’s eyes. “Uwaaa! Gruk Ph’nglui!” Ugh, enough!
[Ra’s Golden Sand]
Mana sand inducing sleep poured from my hand.
“Ughhh......”
He’d wake up safe somewhere.
I caught the old man as he slumped to the floor...... ngh, heavy! I released mana to hoist him over my shoulder.
[Strength of the Bull]
[Endurance of the Bear]
[Invisible Hand]
Even with strength buffs, I needed telekinesis to carry him. Damn, Strength 5 is brutal! Give me back my artifacts!
[Leap]
I jumped toward the fog-shrouded sky thick with ominous mana.
“Gyaak!”
Silhouettes of grotesque forms surged from all sides at once.
“Grrruk! Where, where?!”
“Gone! Gruk, gruk, grrruk!”
“Gyaak! On the wall there!”
One shadow, barely visible in the fog, pointed my way.
“What if I say I was helping him with a sudden stomachache?”
“Gruk! Futagn!”
“Gyaak! Gyaaaak!”
No chance of talking it out?
I leaped again to another nearby roof. Frog-like shadows climbing the walls. Quite a few.
“Popularity’s through the roof today.”
Dodging the charging frog friends, I jumped again. Rural villages had houses too far apart! Kicked off a withered persimmon tree, dashed along the wall—swoosh—and onto another roof.
“Gyaak!”
“Hnglu, glunama!”
“Huh?”
Frog-leaping attackers, ones racing along muddied paths, others already reclimbing walls.
Fog blinded them too, yet they were sharp. Not all memories back yet. How were they tracking me? Hearing? Smell?
“Nice villagers, huh? Such a pain.”
Good or bad aside, these weren’t village ‘people.’ The real village ‘people’—humans enslaved by these hybrids—were fleeing the commotion.
My pursuers’ silhouettes were unnatural.
For a moment, my own shadow caught my eye below.
‘Yeah, similar.’
Their silhouettes matched mine now.
‘Mine’s the mask, though.’
A grotesque mask mimicking a frog’s face. So, masked ones chasing me? No. They were......
[Strange staggering gait, hunched posture, twisted facial structure, pale lifeless skin, bulging oversized eyes, flapping gills beneath the jaw. Monsters wearing human skins. They are the true residents of Innsmouth Village. Unholy hybrids bearing the blood of the deep-dwelling fishfolk pursue you.]
“I know that already.”
Not wearing masks.
Reality pushed aside again as past shadows seized my mind.
‘Deep Ones. Locking humans here to breed their kin? Hybrids everywhere.’
‘Humans with Deep One blood.’
‘Look human on the outside, but monsters at core. Grow more monstrous over time, fully transform and return to the sea.’
Dagon-worshiping deep-sea dwellers.
The deep-sea race beloved by Dagon.
Scaled, finned, gill-breathing monsters.
[Merely imagining their true form yet to come cracks your soul with horror.]
“Damn, cut me some slack here.”
I eat carrots, limit games to an hour a day, right? Help out good Kim Shin-hwa this once.
Luckily, no mental resistance checks or whatever with the resurfaced info.
“Graaa!”
Finally, one reached my roof. Crunch, crackle. Plastic fake tiles splintering.
“Hey, watch the roof.”
[Slippery Floor]
“Grrruk?!”
Just a spell to slick the surface.
It couldn’t balance on the steep roof and slid off with a whoosh.
They weren’t ‘adults’ yet. Deep One hybrids, destined to become full monsters.
Still retained human form. Like with the chief earlier, this stage was barely tolerable.
‘Smell, probably.’
Sound or other senses wouldn’t matter.
Added a spicy scent to the fog.
Arms outstretched, I cast.
[Explosive Smoke]
Kwaaaaa!!
Vast white smoke billowed from my hands.
It merged with the village’s milky fog. Even I couldn’t distinguish shapes.
Not ordinary smoke.
[Leap]
Hoisting the old man, I jumped again.
“Grrruk! Chase!”
The hybrids climbed roofs unprepared.
Boom! Bang!
Sudden blasts.
They flew off, caught off guard.
“Ta-da, special smoke that explodes on touch.”
Bang! Kablooey! Boom!!
Chain reactions.
‘Lure ’em in nice and tight, then AoE. Classic.’
I’d baited without countering.
They weren’t weak enough to get wiped like this.
‘But it’s enough.’
Deafening noise, acrid gunpowder stench.
Flashing lights. Surging mana. Whatever tracked me, they’d lose me now.
“Just in case, one more.”
At leap’s peak, I conjured another spell.
[Mirror Image]
[Spell Enhancement: Multi-Cast]
Shazam!
Dozens of Kim Shin-hwas scattered, leaping every which way.
“Wh-what!? What’s happening!! Grrruk!”
Hybrids panicked, directionless.
[Invisible Hand]
Crash!
Tiles rained down; pursuers tumbled from roofs.
[Mana Bolt]
Kwa-gwang!
Walls crumbled, windows shattered.
Kwaaaaang!
Explosive smoke still detonating.
“Grrruk! Where!”
“Gruk, gruk! Gruk! There! That way!”
“Grrruk!! Stop! Stop it!”
No need to flee hard now. I boldly dashed across roofs, scanning buildings.
‘Let’s see, was it that house?’
The old man’s place, slumped on my shoulder. Not ready for full Deep One showdown yet.
‘Memories still missing.’
Fill the gaps there, then next phase.