Chapter 257
Chapter 257
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 257
Chapter Title: Rewards and Rest
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“Hahaha, Wizard, you finally got dragged here?”
Jang Hyun-deok’s idle remark.
“What, am I a kid or something? Why the fuss over dinner?”
“It’s not fussing. I just lost track of time focusing.”
When my Mask Obsession was at its worst, I couldn’t even eat with others, but it’s not that bad these days.
Thanks to my madness easing up a lot. I sat at the table with my half-face mask on.
“Whoa... You’ve always been amazing, but today’s on another level.”
Heo Sang-hyun has incredible cooking skills. He ended up becoming a necromancer after getting caught by that mad skeleton, but if he’d been a chef, he could’ve been famous, right?
‘He originally planned to turn this mansion into a pension?’
Even if that had happened, it would’ve been great. Serving food to guests seeking relaxation— it could’ve been a popular spot.
Anyway, freed from Heo Joo’s grasp, Heo Sang-hyun’s skills improved day by day, and now he whipped up feasts fit for royalty.
‘Does he have some cooking trait or something?’
At this point, skipping meals feels embarrassing, but luckily, he’d prepare just enough for the two of them if I seemed glued to the basement.
‘Days like today, when he drags me out...’
Means Heo Sang-hyun’s in a good mood.
“I’m so happy to eat like this every day.”
Jang Hyun-deok, already devouring the food on the table before I arrived. Some plates were already empty. What had been on those?
Caprese salad with bouncy, mild mozzarella and fresh tomatoes in perfect harmony. Tagliarini pasta with rich duck broth sauce and savory egg yolk. Lamb ribs bursting with sweet juices at every bite.
So good I might pass out.
“And dessert today.”
Tiramisu blending sweet cocoa and deep coffee flavors appeared.
Even dessert isn’t an everyday thing. What’s so special about today?
With the two men on either side stuffing their faces and showering praises, Heo Sang-hyun looked a bit shy and downplayed it.
“Just happened that way. We got a ton of ingredients yesterday, right?”
“Oh, the tribute from the Blood Marquess? There was lamb in there?”
“Yes, and a huge amount of booze, but mostly Chinese stuff, so I didn’t bring it out.”
The rollback to erase the rampage caused by [Predator of the Mountains].
And as compensation for that rollback, I gained various benefits.
Some absurdly good ones, some crucial for future progress, but a few ambiguous ones I didn’t really want.
“And someone named Gyu-seong Ma-wa wants to send an offering. What should I do?”
“Huh? Gyu-seong Ma-wa? That frog-man contacted Sang-hyun?”
“No. The Blood Marquess told me.”
Shouldn’t have given Heo Sang-hyun’s contact to the Blood Marquess carelessly.
“What offering does he want to give?”
“Apparently, he wants to offer a human sacrifice.”
“...Just leave it. Better if I talk to him directly later.”
Yeah.
That was the first of my rewards.
[Followers].
* * *
“But seriously, what’s with those people? Why do they like you, Wizard, so much?”
Right after finishing dinner and cleaning up the dining room.
Jang Hyun-deok followed me to the living room and brought it up.
“You heard them. They call me the [Destroyer Demon], overseer of the world’s destruction and restoration.”
They followed me fanatically, spouting weird stuff like ‘restoration exists because of destruction.’
“Oh, the [Destroyer Demon] who restored the world—that’s you, Wizard?”
“Who else would it be?”
“Uh... the one who smashed that giant eyeball... uh? Wait, was that you? Huh? What’s going on?”
Jang Hyun-deok shook his head, confused. I sighed shortly at the sight.
“If you’re gonna rollback, do it right...”
Or at least give proper compensation.
“Rollback?”
“Never mind. It’s a thing.”
I’d half-suspected I’d been thrown to a similar-looking other dimension, but no.
This was still the buggy mess of a game, [Cthulhu World].
Plus, though terms like rollback got thrown around, the restoration wasn’t a simple [restart from last save].
I didn’t fully get it, but it was like overlaying fragments of past info onto the continuous present?
Something must’ve glitched in the process, since some people vaguely recalled that day’s events.
‘But not proper memories.’
Like recalling a horrific nightmare from years ago—just vague anxiety, fear, hazy ominous inspiration.
Faint scars of ruin or death brushing past.
Amid that, the roughly 200 cultists near Cheontae-dong that day revived with only the realization that I’d been involved in restoring this world, and as unaffiliated cultists praying for [the descent of the gods], they formed a cult worshiping me as a god.
[Unaffiliated Cultists].
Absurd term, but that’s how they revived.
[Predator of the Mountains] was completely erased from this world as if it never existed, and even its followers forgot it, leading to that state.
Or maybe artificial adjustment as compensation for me.
“Man, the [Ark of the Mage King] is annoying enough.”
“Ugh, they’re still active?”
Jang Hyun-deok grimaced at the mention. Makes sense—it’s a nightmare memory for him.
“Active? They’re the most zealous religious group south of Paju and in Goyang City these days.”
The [Ark of the Mage King] is a new religion preaching that to survive the coming doom, one must board the [Mage King]’s ark.
To board, you need [filial piety and service].
Yeah, the [Ark of the Mage King] cult formed during my old fight with the Huanglin Church.
“Oh, they won’t come barging in again later, right?”
“They’ve changed so much from the start that even I don’t know. Honestly, didn’t expect them to grow this big.”
Their proselytizing unexpectedly boomed, so now most believers aren’t even brainwashed by me?
* * *
Leaving the grimacing Jang Hyun-deok behind, I headed back to the basement.
“Anyway, resting without worries is nice.”
That was my second reward.
Right after the rollback finished, this message popped up.
[For the next week, no events will occur. During that time, the activation of your ‘Shattered Mind’ trait will be suspended. Additionally, most penalty traits on your body and mind will halt.]
I got a brief respite. It was phrased as compensation, but maybe they needed time to recover from rollback aftereffects?
“Didn’t think much of it at first, but this feels like the best reward.”
Honestly, it’d been like driving a brakeless car straight into endless abyss. What I needed was rest.
Thanks to it, I sorted out loose ends, cleared the mental fog, and shook off most accumulated fatigue.
“But now that I’m actually feeling human, I’m getting restless.”
Can’t just lounge forever.
In three days, chaos starts everywhere again.
The random [Followers] aside, I reviewed my other rewards.
Why do gamers hate server rollbacks?
Levels drop after grinding, artifacts vanish, reinforcements reset— all that effort down the drain.
****
Kim Shin-hwa
Class: Abyss-Gazing Mage
Level: 69
Magic Tier: 6th Circle
Madness: [Mask Obsession (Latent)], [ ]
Strength 5 + 4 (Embers of the Northfall Sect’s Gate)
Vitality 8 + 3 (Fourfold Death-Slaying Sword (Rusty))
Agility 8 + 2 (Night Veil Wingrobe)
Intelligence 30
Mind 20 + 2 (Necklace of the Body Seizer)
Charisma 20
****
Many of my rewards are reflected here.
First, the blank second madness slot. Won’t fill for three days anyway.
Next, level.
“Was 59 before? Jumped 10 levels in a flash.”
Skipped the hellish 50-60 range quick. The 2 bonus stats went to Mind and Vitality.
Now I can use 6th-circle magic, and a bit more activity hits 70.
Plus piles of pricey artifacts and magic stones I can’t even count.
“But this is the real prize.”
I pulled five iridescent gems from the shelf.
Incarnation Stones condensing part of [Predator of the Mountains]’s mana.
Woooong—
The Incarnation Stones hummed ominously. Insanely potent power packed inside.
‘Honestly, no confidence in fully controlling them.’
But if I could somehow, maybe recreate a fraction of that world-shaking power I saw?
“Alright. That settles this stuff?”
Followers, rest, exp, cash, artifacts, some omitted achievements, and [Predator of the Mountains]’s mana.
‘Still, seeing that stuff makes it all feel hollow.’
I saw with my own eyes what they can do when they break game rules on purpose—levels and influence feel like petty number games.
“But I’m not helpless.”
What happened after proved breaking rules carries huge risks for them too. As long as they stay within game rules, I can handle them.
‘Besides.’
My goal isn’t defeating them. Can’t ignore tendencies pushing that way, but anyway, not my aim.
“Not sure how far I can trust that guy.”
The final reward I earned to achieve my goal.
Info on escaping this world.
I recalled that conversation.
‘You’ve overcome many trials and ordeals. All because you previewed events and info in this world in a very special way before.’
‘Right. But my experiences didn’t include escaping this game.’
‘Something always appeared in those loops but hasn’t yet. Your answer lies there.’
‘What’s that riddle... Wait. Always appeared but not this time? You mean...’
‘It’s heading to the [Great Origin] now.’
Only [Cthulhu World] players would get this exchange.
The [Great Origin], also [Source of Life] or [Source of All Corruption], an abyssal entity.
In ranking, leagues above [Predator of the Mountains], right below [Crawling Chaos]—Nyarlathotep’s tier...
In short, among the game’s portrayals of power, top five abyssal being.
The item I need is moving toward that monster.
No issues during this reward rest period, but I’ll have to head there soon.
“Of all things, that book?”
That book.
The one always in the game but hasn’t appeared yet, for some reason.
“Has to be the [Lakrex Grimoire], right?”
In-game, it showed up with fanfare but did nothing—no effects, no events. Total dud.
But it holds the way out of this world.
“Alright.”
Maxed out rewards, secured the solid clue I’d been chasing.
Just need to move now.
But...
“...For now, rest while I can.”
Ugh—only three days left anyway.