Chapter 163
Chapter 163
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 163
Chapter Title: Dragon King Festival (4)
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“Grrrrk! How in the world!? How!?”
Oriental priestly robes clashed bizarrely with a Western-style crown.
And a bloated, hideous face covered in scales that somehow resembled a turtle.
Bihee, the governor of Innsmouth Village and high priest of the wicked Dagon cult, screamed at me with a horrific expression.
“Was it all a disguise!?”
A disguise?
Being brainwashed by the power of the [Deep Sea Mask] into a brainless idiot?
Having a seizure upon seeing Bihee’s grotesque appearance?
And meekly being carried in that cursed golden palanquin all the way to the altar?
All of that... my scheme, my ruse, my deception to create this very situation?
“Hahahaha—!”
I burst into loud laughter. From the four eyeholes in the mask, sharp yellow gleams shot out.
“—Yes. It was all a disguise. You looked utterly ridiculous, blabbering away in excitement.”
“You cunning land beast!”
Bihee couldn’t contain his surging rage, his arms trembling violently. This was quite enjoyable.
‘Though in truth, I nearly died for real.’
It had been a dangerous gamble.
The brainwashing from the [Deep Sea Mask] wasn’t a big issue.
As expected, [Abyssal Madness] had activated and shielded me.
‘But the real crisis wasn’t that.’
‘Now, I have two problems to overcome.’
‘One is the memories fading and tangling even at this moment.’
‘And the other...’
‘Becoming a full Deep One, and that turtle-like bastard triggering my ichthyophobia.’
In the end, the moment I realized the village head had activated the brainwashing ritual, I let go of both problems.
I pretended the brainwashing worked and played the idiot.
‘They plan to offer me as a sacrifice. Someone might want to vent on me, but the village head would stop any real harm.’
Yes.
Right up to that point.
That much was indeed a scheme to fool them.
But everything after that...
‘Was pure gamble.’
The seizure upon meeting Bihee was real.
After three seizures and the chain reaction of memory loss side effects, my mind was a total mess. Even though I’d blocked the brainwashing, I’d temporarily become an idiot.
The events during the palanquin ride here...
‘Only vague recollections.’
If past Kim Shin-hwa hadn’t preset specific behavioral protocols for the necromantic golems, things probably wouldn’t have gone this smoothly.
Anyway!
‘Ichthyophobia is gone now!’
The necromantic golems’ attacks were attributed to me, so the madness vanished. The system’s handling of madness-related matters still had unclear aspects, but since it worked in my favor this time, I’d let it slide.
Besides, now wasn’t the time to dwell on it.
“Grrrrk! You vile, despicable human scum!”
“Grk, grrrk! Kill him! Tear that bastard apart!”
“Grrrrr! I’ll turn you into fish food!”
The Deep Ones with scales covering their faces and the Deep One hybrids who would eventually grow into the same erupted in unison.
Half of the gathered crowd was unarmed, but each was a cultist who had transcended humanity—monsters. Even their fingernails could shred a fully armored human.
Here and there, savage spears and bows caught the eye. No guns or cannons, but their weapons would pack more punch.
“Grrrrk! Grrrrrk!”
“Grk, grk grk!”
Yet they didn’t charge.
‘They’re hesitating.’
Because I held an overwhelmingly advantageous position. Behind me was the altar hall. It was just a building, but inside...
“What, you want my help with the Dragon King Festival? Scared I might harm your precious holy site, the Sea Well?”
“Grk, grrrrk! That bastard dares!”
“Grrrrk! Get away from the holy site now!”
This was delightful. I felt like a sinister hostage-taker. I might even let out a “Keh! Heh! Ha!” if I wasn’t careful.
The holy site wasn’t the only reason they hesitated.
I glanced at my friends blocking the path between me and the Deep Ones.
Clank, creak! Clatter!
To disguise the necromantic golems as humans, I’d stripped away as many attachments as possible.
In that state, they could only startle briefly, not fight at full power.
“But the real charm of mecha stories is always the transformations and combinations.”
A flood of miscellaneous parts poured from Dolly’s body, flying to attach and combine into the necromantic golems’ missing limbs.
Even those disassembled by the Deep Ones reformed as if reborn. They sucked up a massive amount of my mana in the process, but...
‘All those modifications and research are paying off.’
The necromantic golems’ mana efficiency had increased over tenfold. Even with all seven drawing mana at once, my reserves didn’t budge.
I swung the Quad-Edged Spirit-Slaying Sword like a conductor’s baton, issuing orders to the necromantic golems.
“Good! Resetting commands. Listen up!”
I pointed to the altar hall behind me.
“That’s our temporary base! Keep the fishy bastards away from the temporary base. Smash any who get in the way. End of orders.”
I could issue commands silently, and the real critical ones were transmitted in precise detail.
So why shout a vague order?
“Grrrrk, the altar hall! He’s blocking us from the altar hall?”
“The audacity! Grrrrk! Our holy site!”
“Grrrrk! Stop him! That mage! That heretic!”
“Grk, grk, grk! Kill himmm!”
To provoke them.
The Deep Ones and hybrids blinked not at all. Two hundred large, round fish-rotten eyes advanced, blazing with hatred.
‘If ichthyophobia lingered, I might’ve fainted.’
No more ichthyophobia. But...
****
Kim Shin-hwa
Class: Abyss-Gazing Mage
Level: 44
Mana Rank: 4th Circle
Madness: [Mask Obsession (Latent)]
****
‘No idea what the guy behind the message window is scheming.’
Quite some time had passed, but no new madness appeared.
‘Watching for a bit?’
Or waiting for a more decisive moment? Maybe something happened to the entity beyond the messages.
‘Whatever it is, I need to move fast.’
I didn’t know what absurd madness would hit next, but I’d clean up everything I could before it introduced weird variables.
“Alright! Come on, you fish bastards—all of you charge in with everything you’ve got! We gotta get the Dragon King Festival done before it’s too late, right?”
“Grrrrk! Grrrrk!”
“Grk grk, grrrk!”
Shwaaak! Pssshook—
Spears and arrows laden with deadly force flew in.
[Protection Circle]
[Distortion Field]
I activated defensive spells and retreated. And the seven junk monsters blocking the enraged fish-humans.
Kwachijik, shraaak!
“Graaaak!!”
The necromantic golem (Fangs)—covered head to toe in racks, torture tools, saws, axes, hammers—bestowed an enthusiastic hug on the Deep Ones.
Tang tang tang! Tang tang tang!
They collapsed, blood spurting from heads and chests. The necromantic golem (Archer), perched on the altar hall roof, unleashed dozens of guns mounted on its eight limbs.
Shuwaaaa—Kwaaaang!
Oh, did I mention I’d mounted the rocket launcher taken from Yongsu?
Kwaaaang! Kwaaaang! Kwaaaang!
The massive necromantic golem (Bulk), made of boulders and rebar, rampaged through the Deep One ranks.
Whirrrl—
Golden shadows leaped and danced everywhere. The dance of the necromantic golem (Dancer), formed by combining the golden dancer’s limbs. Every grotesque yet beautiful move severed a Deep One’s head.
“Achilles!”
Clank!
[S-grade magic tool ‘Beacon Wand’ unique function, ‘Flame Kin Binding,’ activates.
// Flame Kin Binding: Grants the owner the ability to summon and control ‘living flames’ kin.]
Will-o’-wisps with long trailing tails swam into existence. The [Living Flame] kin moved under Achilles’s control.
They flew at the Deep Ones, emitting horrific shrieks.
“Uhryyyyyyyyyy!!!”
“Uhraaaaaaaaaa!!!”
A hundred Deep Ones? Even double that would be manageable. Assuming, of course, they were all ‘ordinary’ ones.
“Yongsu! Poroe! What are you doing!”
Bihee, leader of the Deep Ones, bellowed.
Right, the Dragon Sons (龍生九子). They had powerful named Deep Ones too.
‘Fortunately, not all showed up.’
“Guwaaak!”
Poroe, the whale-like Deep One, thrashed. But he was already wounded. He tumbled entangled with the necromantic golem (Bulk).
And Yongsu...
Having lost both arms, Yongsu still rolled in the mud. His gaping mouth and shaking pupils. Perfectly ripe.
[Thousand Eyes]
I sent half my consciousness into the fog.
Flutter—
Red swooped in from the fog.
“Red? Can you hear me? You did great. One more favor. See that idiot rolling around? No, green skin. Green. Yeah, that. Approach him.”
A distant kiiiii! cry echoed.
Good, that’s settled. One more thing needed.
Where’s the village head?
“Grrrrk! All of you, get lost!”
Gaudy priestly robes, an even gaudi er crown. A bulkier frame than the others. A face even more turtle-like.
Bihee.
Kwaaaaaang!!
Absurd mana.
The necromantic golem (Bulk) rocketed into the sky. Huh? Flying too far? A distant kwaaang—boom from the fog. I hurriedly sent part of my consciousness.
“How far did you go? Near the village?”
Too far. Tough to return soon. While at it...
I issued new orders to the necromantic golem (Bulk) as I thought.
‘Hm, pit it against that turtle head-on?’
By Masquerade’s ranking, that turtle was Inquisitor-level cultist.
‘Inquisitor or not, I’ve already taken down two.’
Huju, that skullhead, was way stronger than the turtle.
But that wasn’t a head-on fight.
I’d used various tricks to keep them from performing. A straight fight, and beating Huju at that level would’ve been impossible. Even now, probably not easy?
“Grrrrk, Dragon King! Murky Sea’s Dragon King! Protect your sea children!”
Bihee desperately cried to his god.
[System: Penalty trait ‘Feast’s Offering’ effect activates.]
[An abyssal entity bestows power upon its kin race.]
Rumble.
Sudden climate shift.
Rain began to fall.
“Grrrrk—”
“Grrrrrr—”
“Grk, grk—”
And the frog bastards croaked in unison.
“Hey, Mr. Turtle. Calm down? I said from the start, I’m here to help with the Dragon King Festival.”
“Grrrrk! Turtle?”
Ignoring my last words, Bihee let out a kraaaak! and charged.
Bihee had this pointless ‘turtle-quarter Deep One’ backstory, hating the word ‘turtle.’ Some traumatic childhood memory? No time for such thoughts.
Kwaaaaa!
A mud-mixed wave suddenly surged.
“Dieee!”
Bihee flew straight at me, his scale-armored body a weapon itself. Jealous he could do melee while casting spells!
[L-grade attire ‘Night Veil Wingrobe’ unique function, ‘Heavenly Demon Wings,’ activates.
// Heavenly Demon Wings: Auto-casts ‘Flight’ spell.]