Chapter 21
Chapter 21
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Studio Apartment
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I, Kim Shin-hwa, was undoubtedly born and raised in South Korea as a Korean person.
But if the immigration officers at the Korea Immigration Service grabbed me, I'd be classified as an illegal resident without question.
In [Cthulhu World]'s South Korea, the Korea Immigration Service had been granted surreal authority and power to deal with otherworldly problems arising both inside and outside the country.
There were North Korean refugee issues, and in Cthulhu mythos, outsiders were unlucky beings that brought disaster anyway. And there were even bigger problems.
I frowned for a moment, but Tudor, unable to see my expression because of the mask, continued cheerfully.
“But this is all because we want to give you the best possible things, so you'll understand, right?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“By the way... honey.”
“Yeah?”
“What the hell is that photo?”
That photo? Oh, this one?
I glanced at the photo attached to my ID. At first glance, it looked like a blurry, out-of-focus shot. But looking closer, you could tell it was properly taken.
It was a fake face I'd created using a few illusion spells and some other complex techniques.
Not only had I precisely adjusted the position and size of the facial features, but I'd also arranged clothing and backgrounds with colors that induced visual hypnosis.
A face that looked vaguely like anyone and no one at the same time—excessively ordinary.
I'd deliberately stripped away as much individuality as possible, so no matter how closely you stared at the photo, it was impossible to recall the face in your mind later.
“What about it?”
“If you could make more like that, there'd be a lot of people who'd want one...”
Oh, that's what he meant?
Tudor seemed to have figured out what the photo signified.
“It's not easy to make... and if you produce too many, the effect wears off anyway.”
“Hmm, whatever. I just asked because it was an interesting idea. Don't worry about it. Go ahead and check your bankbook.”
At Tudor's urging, I opened the bankbook, and there it was—exactly 50 million won.
[50,000,000]
“That's a nice chunk of change.”
“Ten million for this job, plus a little bonus to make it a neat fifty.”
I'd told him to hold onto all the payments for the jobs I'd handled since Lee Chang-hyuk. It should have been around 45 million something, so Tudor had tossed in a few extra million.
Adding in the cash piled up in my room, I'd amassed over 100 million now. After the next commission, it might be time to think about finding a proper place to live.
“And this.”
Tudor handed me a smartphone.
A latest-model one with a big screen.
“Who's ever heard of a fixer like you who stays holed up and only shows up when it's convenient to take jobs and vanish? I got this activated so I can contact you whenever I want. Pick up when I call.”
I turned on the screen, and Tudor's contact was already saved.
“Hmm... nice. Thanks.”
“Wow, I finally get a 'thanks' from you after all this time? Man, what a pricey mouth you've got.”
“You're planning to put me to work for real now, aren't you? Anyway, finish telling me about that thing you were going to earlier.”
“That's right. I'm investing this money, so get ready to be worked hard.”
* * *
Roughly a month later, I had an ID, a bankbook, and a smartphone.
I'd secured the basic items needed to prove my identity in Korea.
“If I could just get a regular job too, that'd be even better.”
Not as a fixer or a wizard, but a normal, sensible job in the everyday world.
The more work I took on as a fixer, the more money I'd handle.
It might not be an issue short-term, but long-term, I could get tripped up by tax audits or similar headaches.
I'd never encountered those kinds of stuffy events when just playing [Cthulhu World] as a game... but most of the humans making up this actual world lived much like in reality.
I fiddled with the smartphone and connected to the internet. A quick search turned up the game communities and massive wiki sites I'd frequented in the real world.
‘The details are a bit different...’
They weren't exactly the same, but the communities were active. The humor boards had no nutritional value but were full of creative posts anyway, with tons of people leaving comments laced with their own slang and memes.
The specific trendy words differed from reality—no big deal. What mattered was that in [Cthulhu World] as a game, there were no such communities or pointless humor boards.
More accurately, they weren't depicted. Games only implement what's needed for gameplay.
But here, humans with their own wills and thoughts moved in their own ways. Treating it purely as a game world and ignoring real-life issues could lead to unexpected problems.
And one more thing.
There was a practical issue I needed to resolve.
“How much you looking to spend?”
“Just a studio. Cheap rent.”
Dealing with real estate while masked wasn't easy.
So the day after getting my ID, I visited a rundown real estate agency on the outskirts of Geumchon, introduced by Tudor.
The owner was an old lady with such a shady look that she could've burst out with “Keekeke...” or “Kyaahaha...” at any moment without it being weird.
In fact, since it catered to people with unclear identities, they could've done a deal even without an ID. But having this one card changed how much I'd have to pay by multiples.
“There are a few nearby. Wanna see 'em?”
“If possible, I'd like to look and pick.”
“Hmph, what a pain...”
The main customers here apparently signed contracts without even viewing the places. Made sense. The office itself showed no sign of any passion for providing trust or service to clients.
The map clumsily taped to the wall depicted Paju from 30 years ago, and the consultation table's coating was worn through, with the spots touched by customers deeply gouged and shiny black.
Still, thankfully, the listings they showed were pretty normal.
After checking just a couple without much legwork, I signed a lease right away.
It was cramped, but it had what you could call full options, and most importantly, it was within walking distance of the Basilica.
I had no real luggage to begin with, so moving was just a round trip from the motel after signing—easy peasy.
Quiet and clean. Not bad.
The motel had a fridge too, but here there was a washer, a sink for simple cooking, and even a rice cooker.
My mood lifted a bit. Especially being able to handle my own cooking and laundry.
I figured I'd unpack right away, do the piled-up laundry, buy ingredients outside, and cook.
Or rather, that's all I thought about doing.
The penalty traits clinging to my body weren't the kind of problems you could just shrug off.
Thanks to [Stamina Reduction], I was already on the verge of exhaustion after barely unpacking.
In the end, I skipped both food and laundry, collapsing straight onto the bed.
“Urgh...”
Lying down was the best, after all.
For a moment, I wondered if the springs were a bit too bouncy, but it was still way better than the motel's creaky bed.
The plain white wallpaper on the ceiling was nice too.
Escaping the motel's garish, chaotic wall colors made this move worthwhile enough.
Having given up on eating and laundry, the only task left was something I could do lying down.
Bwoooong...
I spread both arms wide toward the white ceiling, and magic circles of various shapes bloomed from my open palms.
If anyone who'd learned magic through proper channels saw them, they'd freak out—these were multicolored circles, uneven and lacking any uniformity.
There was no need to follow symmetry, regularity, or standardized traditional designs.
Instead of sticking to the most primal forms with just the essentials, I'd calculated them to influence each other, achieving maximally efficient and freewheeling effects.
In an instant, the studio was cut off from the outside world.
Now no one could peek inside or barge in without my permission. Of course, beings beyond normal human level might force their way in, but for those, I'd set up magical traps, alarms, and other security spells.
This should do it. I didn't plan on staying long in this plain, useless studio anyway.
In [Cthulhu World], there were special residences that provided magical benefits just by owning or staying in them.
Some even came with underground dungeons for leveling up or farming.
Of course, snagging one required higher levels.
‘Or just having enough money to ignore all that.’
Not right now, anyway.
“By the way, that was pretty good today.”
I recalled the skateboard I'd hastily made to resolve the biker gang race event. It had been a desperate measure, but it worked better than expected.
In [Cthulhu World], there were enchantment magics to enhance bodies or objects. But the number you could apply to a target was limited, and more meant more strain on the subject.
So it was better to attach magic circles to carried items for indirect effects rather than casting directly on yourself.
Dumping mobility-related enchantments onto a board for movement seemed solid. With the [Stamina Reduction] debuff, even walking was a chore.
Wouldn't a skateboard nicely compensate for my physical limits, where I exhausted after just a little indoor movement?
‘But I don't have a board artifact...’
Should I carve one from some sacred wood? It's just a plank with wheels, right?
But crafting depended on dexterity, and I had no confidence in mine.
For now, I'd just buy a couple cheap ones, use 'em, and toss. Levels would rise soon enough to offset the stamina drain anyway.
Lying there zoning out, sleep started creeping in.
“Time to crash?”
I was beat.
It'd only been a little over a month, but I'd been constantly on the move.
Thanks to Tudor's consideration, I'd stuck to low-difficulty quests, but even those were tough on this frail body riddled with penalties.
Maybe instead of ramping up quest difficulty, it'd be better to adjust the schedule for more rest? Might actually speed up growth.
‘Eh, from now on he'll be throwing real quests my way... so probably no need to worry.’
I wanted to think more, plan more, but I was too sleepy. Head was fuzzy. Night after night of nightmares for a month meant no proper rest.
Eyes stinging, eyelids heavy. I finally gave in and closed them.
Sinking into deep darkness like falling, I slipped into sleep.
Just a quick nap for now...
I'd probably wander the abyssal being's nightmare gift tonight anyway...