Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: 122 Ghouls and 6 People
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[System: The ‘Enhanced Vigilance’ trait has been activated.]
“Huh?”
The moment the trait activated, I instinctively drew up my mana.
[The Guest from the Underworld] was a quest I’d cleared several times before.
Back then, nothing as ominous as this had ever happened.
The difficulty setting or preliminary branches might adjust the number of ghouls that appeared slightly.
But this was completely different.
This ominous evil energy and mana filling the construction site.
It wasn’t the level of pressure a few ghouls could produce.
It was more like...
[System: Penalty trait ‘Sacrifice of the Feast’ effect has been triggered.]
[Abyssal beings are showing interest in you.]
‘Ah, this again?’
One of the abyssal beings was showing unnecessary interest, it seemed.
Irritation, disgust, and overly heightened senses brought on a slight nausea.
“Hoo... haa... sss...”
I stopped walking for a moment and took deep breaths.
“Phew...”
This was a hassle.
Things were about to unfold in a way completely different from the quest I remembered.
I’d come right away thinking it would be simple—maybe I should’ve prepared more?
The quest hadn’t started yet.
I could still prepare.
Maintaining my deep-breathing posture, I focused my mind.
Arms loosely at my sides in a relaxed stance.
To an outsider, it might look like I was just pausing during a stroll, lost in thought...
But my gaze transcended physical limits, peering into an entirely different space.
The ghouls had appeared in the underground parking lot beneath the apartment complex.
Meaning monsters could be hiding right below the ground I was standing on.
‘Let’s see how many of what kinds are gathered down there.’
[Remote Detection]
[Curse Detection]
[Life Force Detection]
[Mana Detection]
[Trap Detection]
Zap zap, flash!
From the tips of my hands dangling toward the ground and from beneath my feet, fluorescent mana lines blazed outward.
Mana infused with the power of detection, analysis, and observation seeped into the earth below, sensing, analyzing, and observing the things lurking in the underground darkness.
[Detection complete.]
‘The number of ghouls that usually appear is randomly generated between 10 and 30.’
[The number of curses matching conditions: 2.]
[The number of traps matching conditions: 5.]
[The number of lifeforms matching conditions: 129.]
“Ah, damn it.”
129? You’ve got to be kidding.
For a split second, I seriously considered ditching the quest and heading back to the motel.
Finishing this quest might even unlock the achievement for killing 100 ghouls.
“Hm? Wait... hold on?”
The system info stopped there, but my more advanced magical senses picked up some unexpected details.
It was a special sensation I’d never encountered while playing the game.
Humans.
Amid the ghouls moving underground, there were entities with distinctly different mana signatures.
In other words... there were humans among the underground ghouls.
Four humans, five, and one more.
A total of six.
[The number of lifeforms matching conditions: 128.]
One died.
One mana signature vanished from detection.
[The number of lifeforms matching conditions: 127.]
Now five humans left.
“Ugh, wait wait wait...!”
[The number of lifeforms matching conditions: 125.]
Another one—no, two died at once.
Three survivors remaining.
“Stop, you bastards!”
I hurriedly thrust my hand toward the ground.
I poured mana into the underground recklessly, but no time to construct a complex new spell.
I converted and reinforced the nature of the mana lines I’d sent down for detection.
The form...
[Chains of Domination]
[Spell Enhancement: Range Increase]
Zzzzap zap zap zap zap!!
I gathered the intangible mana lines into several physical-force chains.
Then maneuvered those chains to...
“Hyah!”
I couldn’t grasp the exact situation, but anyway, I beat the crap out of all the ghouls swarming around the presumed human mana sources.
- Grreeeeek!!!
- Kirrrruk!!!
The ghouls’ shrieks echoed faintly from underground.
I could feel the ghouls struck by the physical-force magical chains scattering in all directions.
“Got ‘em! Wow, holy shit!”
Wow, it worked? Does this count for an achievement?
Still on all fours, I waited a moment, but no message window appeared.
Guess it wasn’t the kind of action that triggered one.
Instead of a message, a human voice came from an unexpected direction.
“Magic... user...?”
A woman’s voice laced with bewilderment. Someone must’ve heard my cheer and approached.
Talk about terrible timing, though.
It was still tricky for this human hiding underground to fully reposition.
No choice—I addressed the woman.
“Just a moment, almost done, so please wait a bit!”
[Enhanced Vigilance] wasn’t signaling any hostility from her direction, so she wasn’t an enemy.
And roughly speaking, a woman’s voice at this location right now—I had a pretty good idea who it was... so it was fine.
I drew up a massive amount of mana again and poured it underground.
Mana bursting from both hands and the soles of my feet began drawing a massive magic circle beneath the earth, per my will and command.
Gleaming mana lines and high-density magic circles radiated brilliant light in all directions.
My surroundings transformed into a spectacular, mystical scene—save for the fact that I, the spellcaster, was in quite an undignified pose.
Anyway, with the magic circle’s aid, I cast spells at near-remote activation range, far beyond mere range increase.
[Flame Burst]
[Spell Enhancement: Range Increase]
The ghouls that hadn’t retreated even after the chain beating were engulfed in flames suddenly pouring from the ceiling.
The humans I’d saved... a total of three. Fortunately, they seemed still alive.
They were stationary in one spot, not moving, but at least they wouldn’t die immediately.
[Protective Ward]
[Spell Enhancement: Range Increase]
That should do it.
I brushed the dirt off my knees and palms and stood up.
“What... did you just do?”
I turned to look at the woman who’d spoken to me.
That voice, that appearance.
She might not know me, but to me—who’d met her often through gameplay—she was a familiar face.
“Hello. I’m Kim Shin-hwa, who contacted you through Cafe Basilissa.”
“Ah... yes.”
She hesitated, struggling to respond properly.
Facing my face—or rather, my mask—head-on had flustered her.
But the fluster didn’t last, and she returned my greeting.
“...Hello. I’m Manager Moon Seung-hee from Yeonam Construction.”
Moon Seung-hee, one of [Cthulhu World]’s major NPCs.
Not as a monitor image, but as a living, breathing person—her first impression was like a statue.
Not just flattery or praise for her beauty.
Of course, no one could disparage her looks.
Her face was impeccably refined, composed of smooth, sculpted lines.
But her eyes and expression were cold and rigid, like stone or a doll—lifeless.
An artificial, awkward beauty, as if man-made.
That was the impression her appearance gave me.
Unable to hold back, she pressed me again.
“Could I... ask what you just did?”
I couldn’t ignore the same question three times, so I explained what I’d done.
“There were still people alive down there. I saved them.”
“What?”
Bewilderment or absurdity bloomed on her face.
“So... you used magic to...”
“No, not that. People? You said there are living people?”
“Yeah. That’s right.”
“And you saved them?”
“Yes.”
A new emotion rose on her face—something I’d call hope.
“Who were they? Women? Were they women?”
She approached me, overly excited. Wait, too close. What’s with this woman?
“No, hold on. Could you step back a bit?”
“Ah... yes.”
At my pointing it out, she took a few steps back. But she was still fidgeting anxiously.
“Um... Mr. Magic User?”
“No, I don’t know.”
She seemed like she’d be thrilled if I said I’d saved a woman, but I didn’t know that much.
“...You don’t know?”
“Yes. Too far away, too much interference. I could only tell if they were alive or dead.”
It would’ve been better on B1, but that person was on B2.
Too distant.
Plus, the evil energy permeating the underground drastically reduced accuracy and effect.
“But... what do you mean you saved them?”
Doubt, suspicion, expectation, confusion.
“Magic could reach them, barely. I pushed back the ghouls around them and put up a barrier.”
“It sounds absurd... but I have no choice but to believe it.”
“Does it sound that absurd?”
“Our magical consultant said that, due to the evil energy underground and the influence of surreal entities, nothing could be confirmed without going down personally. And indeed, they couldn’t do anything.”
Her expression darkened sharply when she mentioned the consultant doing nothing.
When I played the game, Moon Seung-hee’s magical consultant position had been vacant.
‘Must’ve gotten taken out by ghouls.’
“But to confirm survivors and cast magic without even entering... impressive.”
She said that, but doubt and suspicion hadn’t fully vanished from her expression.
Well, I couldn’t demand blind faith. We’d just met, and I hadn’t shown proof yet.
Whether she believed me or not, my magic was still active.
I’d only saved three due to checking too late, but as long as my spells held, they’d live.
After explaining roughly, Moon Seung-hee pondered briefly before continuing.
“How much longer can you maintain that magic?”
“Maintaining the spell itself? As long as needed.”
“Hm...”
It wasn’t a lie, but her distrust seemed to grow.
Along with a hint of skepticism—like wondering how much of this braggart’s words to trust.
“Well, separate from maintaining the magic, their mana and life force are faint. They can’t hold out forever. How long since people went down?”
“24 hours since the ghouls were first discovered. About 14 hours since people went in to rescue those dragged off initially.”
“Then it’ll be hard to tell them to hold out much longer.”
Her expression darkened further.
Believe me or not, the poor state of the people underground didn’t change.
There might be injuries, and it wasn’t a good environment.
Plus, I could protect their bodies somehow, but not their minds.
“I hate to bring this up after you’ve done something big right away, but... could you start now?”
“Of course.”
As I said that, I pondered why Moon Seung-hee was acting this way.
‘In the game too, several people died in the ghoul outbreak, and some were kidnapped.’
Even advancing the entry time, I’d thought there was no route to save the kidnapped since it was impossible.
Who’d have thought the bullshit condition was ‘you have to use remote magic before entry to save them.’
‘No, that’s not it, is it?’
I realized I’d been thinking wrong about something.