Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: King of the Man-Eating Ghouls
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"I'm sure of it. The dead ghoul didn't come back to life."
"Then?"
"That means there's a bastard somewhere around here who possessed a dead ghoul's body and used magic."
The situation unfolding right now deviated from the game's progression.
Ever since arriving at this apartment complex, events unlike anything in the game had been happening bit by bit, but I could instinctively sense that this was the most critical divergence.
In that deep darkness, where the sound of bells echoed—something unseen in the game was happening.
Fear and tension mingled within me, but strangely, an excitement and anticipation I couldn't hide welled up alongside them.
It was odd to have such thoughts in a place where I could lose my life at any moment. Perhaps this was the greatest side effect of [Abyss Madness].
Regardless of my musings, my body actively moved toward the danger, drawn into the darkness as if by a vacuum. Ah, I can't go alone.
"It's that way inside. Follow me!"
"Ah, got it! Let's go!"
Kwak Dae-yong, with his reckless personality, boldly issued the command, but his underlings hesitated for a moment.
And who could blame them? They'd just been under attack from ghouls. Some had severe injuries like severed arms, while others showed minor delirium or madness symptoms.
Demanding they march back into that deep darkness might be too harsh for them.
As I wondered what more I could do, Kwak Dae-yong's shout exploded.
"You idiots! It's more dangerous to lag behind half-assed like that! Don't you get that sticking near that wizard gives you the best shot at survival!?"
"Ugh...!?"
"Really...??"
Glancing back, I could feel the way Kwak Dae-yong's men looked at me had changed.
This is a bit embarrassing. Better to show them with actions than waste breath on useless words.
-Kirrrrk!!
I sped up instead, hurling magic at the ghouls that appeared before me.
Might as well make it flashy.
[Wrath of Ujjet]
Groooowl...!!
A red glow of mingled lightning and flame attributes churned from both my hands and burst forth.
Kwaaagagagaga!!!
A vivid red bolt, impossible to describe except as "flame lightning," twisted through the air in scarlet trajectories, branching out menacingly.
-Krgugeggek!!
-Kieeeek!!!
Ghouls seized by the undulating crimson flames and electric claws were instantly charred, belching thick black smoke.
"Oh..."
An exclamation slipped from my lips unconsciously.
Since it was a flame-infused spell, the authority of [Living Flames] amplified it, creating an effect far larger and more spectacular than I'd anticipated.
A bit overkill for two or three ghouls, but it would do wonders for boosting the morale of Kwak Dae-yong's ragtag crew.
"Th-that's amazing...!"
"Wizard sir, take us with you!"
The thunder of rushing footsteps echoed.
Hearing the cheers laced with relief, it seemed like the right call. I expanded my mana detection range, considering not just the front but the safety of those behind as I advanced.
There had been sixteen of us descending underground, including me, but now only fourteen remained, including myself—whether from stragglers or deaths, I didn't know.
An ambiguous number.
If even one more fell behind, we'd risk hitting an unlucky count.
[Madness: Triskaidekaphobia]
'Damn, this pointless penalty...'
Probably different from the last rat phobia, but I wanted to avoid unnecessary variables.
Ting-.
Bell sound. This time from deep within.
'Is that it?'
I pinpointed the direction and distance of the sound.
The source was the deepest part of this dark, damp underground parking lot.
We—me, Kwak Dae-yong, and his underlings—could now advance without hesitation.
Even the wounded at the rear, supported by comrades, moved on, and the security team, having regained morale and reason, could now defend against ghoul attacks or launch preemptive strikes.
Riding my skateboard, I led the way.
"This way, and stay sharp. Things are about to get serious."
-Kieeeek!!!
-Gaaahhh!!!
The remaining ghouls charged with desperate ferocity to halt our advance, but they couldn't stop Kwak Dae-yong and his men, who had fully reformed their ranks.
"Hyaat!"
Thud thud thud!!
Kwak Dae-yong would bat aside ghouls lunging from the dark, and the firing squad would unleash coordinated shots.
The standard tactic for a team with a powerful ability user against monsters.
And accelerating our push further...
[Lightning]
Pajijijik!!
[Exploding Ice Jewel]
Kwajijijik!!
No boasting, but my magic overwhelmingly cleared the path.
'Magic use feels completely natural now.'
I could only cast 0th and 1st circle spells, but thanks to the [Spell Mastery] trait and my vast mana, I could spam any of them.
"Hold up."
Riding ahead on my skateboard, I gradually slowed, signaling Kwak Dae-yong's crew behind.
We should be speeding up, but [Enhanced Vigilance] tugged at my nape with an eerie sensation.
'Something dangerous ahead.'
Deep.
Deeper still.
I had a rough idea what was there.
I'd marked it before even entering.
A place linked by mana threads from my mana core.
Where I'd set up protective wards—the spot with the three survivors Mun Seung-hee was seeking.
But my sharpened hearing and smell told me survivors weren't the only things waiting.
A blood stench so foul it turned my stomach.
And...
Crunch... munch... slurp... crack, snap...
Viscous dripping blood.
Scattered crimson chunks, yellow bits, greenish sludge, unpleasant gray matter.
Flesh, organs, bone fragments, brains.
Slashed by sharp claws and teeth, devoured.
We'd reached the deepest part of the underground parking lot.
The farthest recess of the structure.
An eerie space with unfinished construction—exposed concrete and wires.
Between pillars and walls, in a narrow gap, mountains of corpses piled high.
And ghouls with faces buried in those bodies, tearing into the flesh.
Sizzle, slurp, crunch...
Table manners aren't their strong suit.
A monster resembling a human devouring a human.
Dismembered bodies stacked like hills, blood flowing like rivers.
Guts spilling everywhere.
A gruesome, horrifying sight that would instinctively terrify any human.
But something even more horrific unfolded before us.
"Oh, my God..."
"What... what the hell is that..."
[System: 'Enhanced Vigilance' trait activates.]
[It is... a primitive, grotesque mural depicting an eldritch form. The primal, barbaric patterns etched on the underground parking lot's outer wall seem to manifest shamanic thoughts into reality.]
Behind the corpse pile stretched a gray concrete wall densely covered in truly grotesque, nauseating drawings.
Handprints, scratches, dripping red pigment mixed with human flesh and hair.
Evil, blasphemous patterns made by smearing blood-soaked palms across the wall.
Bizarre shapes defying human language.
Four-pronged tentacles.
Serpentine, ominous forms.
No, not serpents—something more base... yes, maggots.
Maggots devouring corpses.
Master of the crypt, swirling darkness, king of the man-eating ghouls.
Glyphs praising the [Father of All Ghouls] and invoking his power.
And at the center, a massive red hole.
Not a hole—just a hugely drawn red circle.
Yet it looked like the gaping maw of a colossal monster yawning toward us.
Those swallowed by that jaw would be dragged to the abyss's depths.
[...This is no mere drawing. It is a magic circle embodying the god's power, authority, and will in its very existence. The divine presence emanating from this image shatters human minds. Your mind, and the minds of the humans beside you, cannot accept this absurdity. Resist fear with Willpower stat. Sanity check... failed.]
Seeing it wouldn't drive you mad instantly, but repeated sanity failures wear down mental endurance. Eventually, madness manifests, triggering delirium.
If lucky, like Kwak Dae-yong earlier, you snap out after brief odd behavior.
If not—or if no sanity remains—incurable madness takes hold.
Such humans become abyss-touched monsters, vegetables, or cultists worshiping the depths.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
"I-I wanna go back! Let me out! This is wrong!"
"Heh... fuck... fuck..."
Kwak Dae-yong's crew was already at their psychological limits.
Some began light delirium upon seeing the massive mural.
"You idiots, get a grip! It's nothing! Just a damn drawing!"
Kwak Dae-yong barked at his men. He'd probably passed his sanity check this time.
Funny that he was the first to freak out, now yelling at others—but exactly what was needed now.
[System: Exclusive trait 'Abyss Madness' activates. Nullifies fear effect.]
An otherworldly terror hit me too, but [Abyss Madness] prevented any issues.
More pressing were practical concerns.
"First things first!"
I accelerated my skateboard toward the ghouls.
This isn't the time to scream at pictures! Ghouls, damn it!
[Cage of Cold Bones]
Kwadddduk-.
Gigantic skeletal hands erupted from the floor, seizing the mangled ghouls...
-Kkeuk?!
[Burning Spear]
Shyyyyrururuk!!!
Kwachik!
I impaled them with a flaming spear.
-Kkeeeek!!
"And [Fireball]!"
[Spell Enhancement: Power Boost]
Kwaaaaaang!!!
The ghouls feasting on corpses were cleared in seconds. [Leap]!
"Whoa, where you going?"
Kwak Dae-yong's dumbstruck voice. The guy really spouts nonsense to the end.
Leaping over ghoul corpses, I replied.
"Team leader, you blind? Can't you see that?"
The mural's direction.
The massive red circle at its center.
That was no ordinary drawing.
The culprit behind this incident—a dimensional gate linked to a tunnel somewhere under Paju.
"That's the source!"
[Burning Spear]
A fresh flaming spear whistled fiercely toward the mural's center.
Paguaguagua!!!
Ting-.
The bell rang, very close this time.
Kwaaaaaang!!
The flying spear exploded midair.
A protective ward. A green barrier formed right before the mural, blocking my spell.
And from beyond the barrier, a raspy, hoarse voice.
"Damn... you fucking punk wizard..."
Ting-.
The bell again. That infuriating sound.
A hand clutching a small, gleaming silver bell came into view.