Chapter 348
Chapter 348
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 348
Chapter Title: Forced Escape
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Her scarlet eyes, devoid of whites, widened as Hyun-ah whispered.
"I'll give you the mask. Please accept the mask."
That's a tempting offer.
If I take the mask gift, I can save Hyun-ah— she's the finest child among all the abyssal beings I've encountered so far.
But— I shouldn't accept it.
Kim Shin-hwa, nothing more than an ordinary office worker, has no connection to any mask, right?
And even aside from that reason—
"I'm fine."
I'm fine.
"There's no problem at all."
No problems at all.
Yeah, everything's normal, and it hasn't strayed far from the plan. Did you really think I'd come here without anticipating even this situation?
Even if problems arise, I can overcome them.
...Probably?
Sensing my anxiety, Hyun-ah whispered to me.
"Don't move."
I can't move anyway, and there's no need to.
Hyun-ah looks just like she always did.
She has a head, a neck, a torso, two arms, and at the ends of those arms, twelve fingers splayed out radially, all perfectly intact.
Far more human than that mad wizard who lost his face and had a monster seed implanted in his body.
No, no.
You're straying from the setup again?
I'm Kim Shin-hwa, an ordinary office worker. That's much better. No need for magic in this peaceful real world.
And standing before me is the ordinary Hyun-ah.
Chrrrrrr—
Hyun-ah, dressed in a resplendent gown woven from the feathers and jewels of the Paradise Bird, or so it seemed.
Beautiful blue streaks reminiscent of the Great Green Swallowtail (Papilio maackii).
A skirt that cascaded like a waterfall, naturally flaring out.
The gown, which had spread like butterfly wings, now connected seamlessly to enormous blue petals.
Ah, not a gown, then.
Srrrrrr—
From the hem of the gown, six enormous petals extended outward.
At the irregular tips of those six petals, massive fangs protruded.
Chrrrrrr—
On the undersides of the petals, clusters of repulsive tentacles writhed in grotesque fashion.
Those countless tentacles, evoking the fine roots of plants, twisted and intertwined with one another, forming a massive shape resembling the elongated body of a serpent.
So, a bird with petal-like scales, or a serpent with butterfly-like wings.
'The thing beyond the message window called it Wadjet.'
The area occupied by Hyun-ah's form down there was less than 10%, but Hyun-ah was still Hyun-ah—
And I couldn't move, ensnared by this vast number of tentacles spilling from her body.
* * *
The part of that enormous Hyun-ah flesh most resembling Hyun-ah spoke to me.
"Put on this mask."
A mask?
Where's the mask?
The horrific monster mimicking Hyun-ah's appearance slowly tore off its own head.
Rrrrrrip—
『Isn't this a nostalgic sight?』
Hyun-ah held out Hyun-ah's head, torn from her own body, toward me.
Ah, this is an illusion, right? Must be symptoms of delirium. Hallucinations. This isn't reality.
It looks like Hyun-ah's head, but it's not— just a mask made by ripping off part of the serpent.
If I wear that mask, [Scaled Schemer] won't need to toy with Hyun-ah anymore.
Then Chae Tae-won's wish to save Hyun-ah would be fulfilled too.
『Yes, take this mask, crafted by infusing a beast's head with my power.』
'Masks, serpents, wishes— even recreating the way Cheong-ho died.'
All the elements that could drive me mad are gathered here.
The Hyun-ah head held in the enormous hand of the massive Hyun-ah, resembling flower, butterfly, bird, or serpent, whispered to me.
"Come closer and put on the mask."
And this is Hyun-ah's request, no less.
How could I refuse such an offer?
I slowly extended my left hand toward the mask—
Chrrrrrr—
Now, with no trace of Hyun-ah's form remaining, the enormous serpent parted its massive maw— or wings— or petals— and swallowed me whole.
* * *
No, correction.
In the instant before being swallowed—
"Huh?"
The densely inscribed magic incantation on my left hand caught my eye.
『What are you doing? Don't stop. Don't hesitate. I came here personally to fulfill your desires. Hurry and accept the mask infused with my power.』
To repeat, it was still just the moment before the enormous serpent swallowed me.
Vvvvvvv—
Regardless of my will, the prepared spell on my left hand activated.
Kim Shin-hwa, the office worker living in reality, doesn't know how to use magic, and the completely deluded Kim Shin-hwa can't cast proper spells—
[Auto-Cast: Growth Acceleration]
But this is a spell that activates regardless of my state.
It would have triggered even if I weren't alive.
The one who set this spell wasn't me— it was Heo Sang-hyeon.
* * *
Kim Shin-hwa's left hand writhed of its own accord, seizing Kim Shin-hwa's mana. That's how it was set up.
The hand grew explosively, swelling to gigantic size.
No, the word "hand" could no longer describe that monster.
Chrrrrrr! Grrrrrr!
A grotesque cacophony that could shatter the mind just from hearing it.
"Tekeli-li!!"
And the horrific shriek issued from what had been Kim Shin-hwa's left hand.
Crunchhhh!
Chunks of Hyun-ah's scales and wing ripped away.
"Kyaaaaaaaah!!"
Hyun-ah's scream, from surreal vocal structures.
With that shock, Kim Shin-hwa was flung back.
Fwoosh!
The sentient artifact [Wings of the Night Veil] flew in, wrapping around and protecting Kim Shin-hwa as he hurtled toward the ground.
A bizarre situation even an abyssal being couldn't predict.
『A shoggoth? You planted a shoggoth seed in your left hand?』
The will of [Scaled Schemer] dwelling in Hyun-ah's body hurriedly scanned Kim Shin-hwa's condition.
"Uwaaaagh!"
Kim Shin-hwa screamed. He still hadn't snapped out of his delirium.
『To plant a bomb in your own body that could go off at any moment, just waiting for this instant— madness surpassing humanity.』
What was the trigger condition? Mortal danger?
"You monster bastard! Stop! Wait, where am I?"
Kim Shin-hwa still hadn't escaped his delirium.
Wavering between [Wizard Kim Shin-hwa] and [Ordinary Office Worker Kim Shin-hwa], lost in confusion.
No answer came for him.
"Gaaaah!"
Entangled in the shoggoth's horrific tentacles and surging waves of flesh, Hyun-ah could only bellow beastly roars.
And Kim Shin-hwa screamed at the sight.
"Ah, no! I— I—"
Clutching his face with both hands, Kim Shin-hwa screamed.
But what his right hand touched was the alien texture of a mask.
And— his left hand was gone.
Kim Shin-hwa looked down at both hands and screamed again.
"Uwaaaagh!"
I— was a wizard!
Trapped in the [Cthulhu World]!
A mad wizard deranged enough to implant a shoggoth egg in his own left hand!
That realization struck Kim Shin-hwa.
He'd struggled to escape the illusions born of delirium, only to find the reality beyond even more horrific.
* * *
At the desert's border, another trap Kim Shin-hwa had prepared in advance activated.
The [Fake Kim Shin-hwa] that had been luring Cheongho faction members and [Scaled Schemer]'s minions flew toward Cheongho's mansion.
Rumble!
"Kyaaaaaaaah!!"
A massive Hyun-ah tangled with the shoggoth and rampaging right beside it meant nothing to [Fake Kim Shin-hwa].
《If I'm attacked, come save me. I'll input specific action protocols then.》
Kreeee—
[Fake Kim Shin-hwa] spun its head 360 degrees, searching for Kim Shin-hwa.
"W-Wait, stay back!"
Kim Shin-hwa was making weird noises— but it was programmed to ignore any commands disregarding protocols.
"Let go!"
[Fake Kim Shin-hwa] swiftly scooped up Kim Shin-hwa and demanded mana to replenish its shortages.
"Let me go!"
Mana insufficient.
Built on a death spirit golem base, it could forcibly drain its master's mana if needed. [Fake Kim Shin-hwa] sucked in the required mana per protocol.
"Hah— huff! What the hell!?"
[System: Pre-set spell trigger condition met. Spell activating per pre-configured settings.]
[Auto-Cast: Protection Circle]
[Auto-Cast: Gate Creation]
The auto-activated protection circle enveloped Kim Shin-hwa, and a gate opened to the designated location. Then the next spell triggered instantly.
[Auto-Cast: Meteor Summon]
Rumble!!
A barrage of massive meteors hurtled toward Cheongho's mansion.
Boom!!
* * *
In the distance, Cheongho's mansion lay utterly demolished.
"Hyun-ah...?"
[System: Duration of 'Delirium: Reality Escape' has ended.]
[No targets nearby to provoke your madness, so your mind is temporarily stabilized. Madness will re-manifest if you witness the phobia target or something reminiscent of it.]
Looks like I escaped alive.
"Reality Escape, huh..."
Not realistic symptoms— it's a game mechanic.
[Delirium: Reality Escape].
A delirium that makes phobia targets seem like close or cherished people, or safe in dangerous situations.
[Scaled Schemer] exploited that gap.
[Tip: Recruit ally NPCs through conversation! They can not only help you but also protect or awaken characters in delirium.]
"Handing out tips now, you rotten bastard."
Watched the whole thing amused, and now? Recruit allies? Argh, it's a genius at getting under my skin.
I raised my left arm to gaze at my vanished left hand.
"Ah, Sang-hyeon worked so hard on it, and it's already wrecked."
It was an experience so intense my body still trembled.
A clumsy sweetness, all too fleeting and hollow.
"Gonna puke..."
Am I okay right now?
Honestly, doesn't feel fine. Still that nauseating sensation of wandering in delusions...
Crashhh—
The sound of [Fake Kim Shin-hwa], mission complete, breaking apart and spilling its junk components.
[Fake Kim Shin-hwa] was manufactured by embedding a death spirit golem body with magic crystals and a desert power-infused mask, then overlaying illusions to mimic Kim Shin-hwa.
Using the previous [Homunculus] could've made something even better performing, but this was a downgraded version due to split personality risks.
"Guess I should grab that at least..."
I extended my trembling right hand and yanked out the protruding crocodile snout from the junk pile.
[Desert Mask (Mod)], made by fusing two crocodile masks seized from [Scaled Schemer]'s cultists.
In the fusion process, it had become a four-eyed crocodile mask, which now spoke to me.
"Really thought I was gonna die."
"Yeah. It was close."
"You'd be dead without me."
"Yeah, thanks."
"Masks are the best, right?"
"Yeah! Masks rule!"
"Where are we?"
"Masks rule!"
"Enough with the masks rule— where are we?"
[Desert Mask (Mod)] looked at me with its four eyes and said.
"Masks rule!"
"Hey, Kim Shin-hwa. I'm not your split personality. Just your delusion. Calm down. You're spouting nonsense urgently because no one's around to talk to and you might self-harm, so calm down."
"I'm calm."
"Good. To repeat, this is you talking to yourself. Not the crocodile mask talking. But if you need a name to call, use 'Nile.' Though the moment you start calling that name, you'll really be insane."
"Thanks, Nile. This is the power of friendship, huh?"
The crocodile mask wore a troubled expression.
"Keep it up, and you'll add a new personality. Whatever. Feeling lonely right now?"
"Nile, you're here, so it's fine."
"Hmm, severe case. Delirium's over, but the aftereffects linger."
"Masks rule!"
"Seems like it's mitigating the mental domination that infiltrated via serpent phobia by fixating on obsession in some weird direction."
"Serpents are really scary."
"No. Regression here would be the worst."
"Wanna go pet some cats."
"Oh boy."
"Petting like a hundred cats should calm me down."
"Hey, Kim Shin-hwa. You're walking off leaving me behind."
"Ah, sorry. My mask buddy."
I hastily flipped the mask onto my head and staggered toward a place likely full of cats.
"Time to pet cats."
"Kim Shin-hwa. That's reality escape. And you just put a mask on top of your mask."
"Thanks to heading in blindly, I found a way to take that thing down, but I lost more sanity points than expected. Need to regroup."
"Fair. But seriously, this is just you monologuing? Other people will think you're totally nuts."
"Masks rule!"
"Don't know Hyeon-deok's number?"
"Nope. Can't remember."
"Gonna walk?"
"Let's go pet cats....... Gotta pet 100 today, so hurry."
"Anyone nearby? Please call this poor guy's family!"