Chapter 357
Chapter 357
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 357
Chapter Title: Jung Hyun-ah's Wish
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Sand pouring in from all directions.
The child of darkness coiling around my body.
A high-density magic formula connected to the ley lines.
Abyssal mana scattered everywhere.
And a massive dragon blotting out the sky.
Kiiiiing—
[Perception] provides the power to gaze directly at this world's truths.
And if I take in this overwhelming amount of information without any filter—
Even with my Intelligence stat of 30, [Abyssal Madness], and the protection of my other personalities aiding parallel processing—
My brain might just explode.
That's why I summoned mana to drastically limit my field of vision.
Pzzzzzt!!
It's like walking blindfolded in a raging outdoor typhoon—an utter gamble.
But Agag will protect me somehow, right?
"Danger!" "Danger!" "Danger!" "Danger!" "Danger!" "Danger!" "Danger!" "Danger!" "Danger!" "Danger!"
Agag's voice, as if saying that's impossible.
"Just hold on a little longer!"
Excluding all other information, I take in only the data contained within the silver casket.
An abyssal being has gathered the items needed to fulfill one girl's dream.
What's inside is—
[Moly - 100g]
[Various Herbs - As much as possible]
[Lung of a monster with cosmic power – One lump]
[Shoggoth - About 1,000kg]
[Nightmares of gangsters – 100 servings]
[Manpower accumulated underground in Paju – As much as possible]
Enough materials to make the girl's dream come true.
It's not planning to boil them all up into a tasty pot-au-feu, is it?
My vision now traces the ritual inscribed inside the casket.
An enormous flood of information pouring in through the four holes in the mask.
Transformation. Heating. Condensation. Pressure.
Desert. Thirst. Change. Rage.
Construction. Flesh. Vessel. Birth.
Just as expected, the abyssal being intends to create a body for its descent—
Wait, hold on.
"This is a bit different, isn't it? A body for some other guy?"
『Do not touch it!』
A thunderous roar crashing down.
"Scary!" "Scary!" "Scary!" "Scary!" "Scary!" "Scary!" "Scary!" "Scary!" "Scary!"
Agag fleeing in a panic while cradling me.
But while using [Perception], I can't help Agag. Even if I could—I probably wouldn't have.
I couldn't afford any other actions while deciphering the ritual on the casket.
[You have realized the true nature of the item prepared by 'Scaled Schemer' and are plunged into great shock. 'Scaled Schemer' did not prepare it for its own descent.]
This isn't a body for [Scaled Schemer]'s descent. It's loaded with the body of a completely unrelated entity.
Cheong-ho? Hyun-ah's mom?
Neither.
This is—
[It will become the body of an abyssal being worshipped fervently by 'Scaled Schemer'—one of the rulers of the abyss, the king of kings from another realm, more cruel than any other, wiser than any other, nobler than any other, more alluring than any other. The 'Black Pharaoh.']
'Oh—really?'
Doesn't it feel embarrassed saying that itself?
[Black Pharaoh] is one of Nyarlathotep's avatars. The pinnacle of Egyptian blasphemy in [Cthulhu World].
And though not certain yet—the one behind the message windows is probably, with high likelihood, another of Nyarlathotep's avatars.
"Then if I wreck this, you'll be pretty pissed off too, huh?"
Thirteen keyboards—or a piano of bizarre structure—my five fingers and one hook moving at blinding speed.
Kiiiiing—
The ritual's structure shifting like a dance.
『Stop!!』
[System: The unique trait 'Degeneration of ????????????????' of '????????????????' activates.]
"Agag! Dodge! If that hits us, we're both dead!"
The desert wind whipping like a storm.
Come to think of it, [Scaled Schemer] had the setting of being an abyssal being that moves for the [Black Pharaoh].
"Tired!" "Tired!" "Tired!" "Tired!" "Tired!" "Tired!" "Tired!" "Tired!" "Tired!"
Agag bouncing around like a rubber ball to evade. Every direction change sends massive shocks through my body.
"Urgh— not enough fingers!"
[Mask of Carcosa] floating in midair.
[The unique function of L-Grade Accessory 'Mask of Carcosa', 'Madman's Dexterity', activates.
// Madman's Dexterity: Attempt modifications to unlock hidden abilities of artifacts or grant new ones. Invention, repair, research, and development success rate +100%.]
Shrrrrk—
The artifact's effect activates to compensate for my lack of fingers. Golden tentacles join my work, gleaming.
[Your intelligence contemplates various ways to utilize this flesh. If you wish, you could discard your current broken, frail body and switch to this new one.]
No need, no need, no need.
I've pushed myself in all sorts of ways so far—but this is a power I absolutely cannot handle. Anyone else maybe, but [Black Pharaoh]?
The answer is to have zero dealings with anything tied to Nyarlathotep.
[If you desire, this body could become a subordinate to aid you. It could even change form to fulfill Jung Hyun-ah's wish. How about having the transcendent Cheong-ho at your side?]
No need, no need, no need.
'Echo of Asphyxiation' dwelling in my mana core activates. The abyssal fragment stolen from Heo-joo.
[System: Hidden trait 'Heir of the Corpse Pile' activates.異形 beings that submit to you become subordinates.]
Kiiiiing—
[System: Submission judgment in progress……]
[System: The shoggoth inside the silver casket cooperates with you.]
[System: Submission successful.]
Great!
[System: To save the modified settings, please enter the password. If not entered within 13 seconds— the world will forcibly reboot to the last save point to block unauthorized access.]
"What the hell is this?!"
Password?
Password? Ah, damn, is it in there maybe?
"Mirror!"
Grrrr!
[Mirror of Wisdom] leaping from my embrace.
[The unique function of L-Grade Magic Tool 'Mirror of Wisdom', 'Abyssal Knowledge', activates.
// Abyssal Knowledge: Acquire special knowledge. Content varies by owner's access rights.]
"Tell me the password!"
Please! If it's not here either, we're screwed.
Shrrrrk—
[66+47JWILCDsobDquIgg642UIOydtCDrqrjsl5DshJwg6rmA7Iug7ZmU7JmAIO2VqOq7mCDsnojqs6Ag7Iu27Jy864uI6rmMLiDtjKjsiqTsm4zrk5wg7JWM66Ck7KSE6rKMLgo=]
Damn, what the hell?
Did I get it wrong?
[System: Password confirmed. Saving components according to modified settings.]
Huh?
"Ah, whatever. Guess that means I win?"
Following the ritual I readjusted—the silver casket forming the god's body—
Transforms into—
"Eat this!"
Kwarrrung!
A massive silver projectile hurtling toward [Scaled Schemer].
Irresistible power. Unavoidable speed.
[Fascinating. I hand you a cutting-edge computer, and you use it to bash the enemy's head like a caveman.]
Sarcasm from the message window.
But no matter what it says, that thing will hurt like hell on impact!
-----------!!
A deafening roar beyond human hearing. An surreal cry incomprehensible to humans.
Mana erupting endlessly in all directions.
Pouring rain.
The purified water gathered by [Scaled Schemer] from Paju Samneung has turned to rain and is falling.
I weave that mana to complete a single spell.
[The unique function of L-Grade Weapon 'Flesh Blade', 'Power to Cleave Barriers', activates.
// Power to Cleave Barriers: Slashes through space.]
[Forced Eviction - ????????????????]
Craaaack—
A massive hole torn in the middle of the desert.
[Scaled Schemer]'s will sucked into it.
[System: Influence of abyssal being - ???????????????? weakens.]
And falling from the sky……
Jung Hyun-ah.
"Damn— normally, after all this suffering……"
Splash! Shrrrrk!
A grotesque noise.
The sound of a 10-meter colossus crashing into the horrific mud pit formed by sand and rainwater.
Normally—
Yeah, normally speaking.
Once you defeat the enemy—the problems it caused should resolve automatically, right?
[Scaled Schemer]'s will has vanished into the abyss, but the wounds clawed by its talons remain as is.
Shrrrrk—
Jung Hyun-ah rising her massive body, gazing at me.
Reptilian, blood-red, monstrous eyes.
Unnaturally pale white skin.
A beautiful dress reminiscent of a luna moth's wings.
Enormous wings formed along the hem of the dress.
Massive fangs sprouting from the wingtips.
And a writhing bundle of serpentine tentacles.
Chrrrrk—
Hyun-ah's unblinking eyes wide open, slithering toward me like a snake.
"No!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "No!"
Agag growling to protect me.
"Agag, it's fine."
Her tentacles hesitantly release me.
I brush the mud off my body with my right hand and approach Jung Hyun-ah.
"Miss."
Shrrrrk!
Hyun-ah's tentacles surging at tremendous speed.
I had predicted this scenario, but I let her tentacles coil around my body.
"Why did you interfere with my wish coming true?"
A voice devoid of any emotion, carrying only dry curiosity.
"Because I was asked not to."
"By whom?"
"I was asked by Director Chae Tae-won. And President Jeong Cheong-ho made the same request before."
She has a human-like face, but it's merely an appendage mimicking Hyun-ah's features. So Hyun-ah speaks not from the mouth on her 'head,' but from the gill-like organ beneath her wings.
"Their wishes were fulfilled. But why wasn't mine?"
"Was your wish truly to summon a surreal being to end the world?"
No expression rises on the appendage resembling Hyun-ah's face.
But her tentacles writhe in a bizarre manner.
"No."
"What did you tell him your wish was?"
"To resurrect the people who died because of me."
"Was that truly your wish?"
"Mom died because of me. If I hadn't touched that strange book on the shelf, Mom wouldn't have died. Then Dad wouldn't have gone strange. Uncle wouldn't have looked at me with that expression all the time."
I gazed at Jung Hyun-ah for a moment before speaking.
"If I may be so bold, I peeked into your memories. If I'm right, resurrecting someone wasn't truly your wish either. Isn't that so?"
Jung Hyun-ah gives no reply.
I waited a bit to give her time to think, then continued.
"You wanted to become strong, didn't you?"
Chrrrrk—
Her tentacles twisting and coiling around her own body.
"I sensed it even in how you approached me. [Scaled Schemer] glossed it over as you having feelings for me—but I thought differently."
If the benchmark is too high—you can drag it down, make it something lower or more approachable.
That's why the illusion Hyun-ah constructed guided me not just as an ordinary person, but as someone equal to or familiar with her.
"Maybe."
Her wings close, concealing the human-like appendage.
"You're right. You said it was wrong for me to lead the organization, didn't you, wizard? But I wanted to make this organization stronger, and get revenge on Akdu. So I wanted even greater power."
Her form shifts to a flower bud before blooming.
"I didn't want to see anyone die, get hurt, or sacrifice because of me. Yet because of that wish, I did all this. But do you know what's even more horrific?"
Srrrrk—
Her tentacles gently set me down on the ground.
"Because of me, so many people got hurt, went mad, and died. And while I feel guilt, fear, and disgust at this state—I also feel satisfied."
In a sense, from the moment she took this form, Hyun-ah's wish was fulfilled.
She gained the power to control the dubious wizard who had to be begged to save her, and to etch her presence strongly into everyone's minds.
Shrrrrk—
Jung Hyun-ah's wings spread wide.
The human-like appendage reemerges, displaying its eerie beauty.
"Wizard. Answer me."
Jung Hyun-ah spoke with an emotionless face.
"Have I become a monster? How should I live from now on?"
I let out a sigh.
Contrary to what people think, the body dominates the mind.
Having acquired a body structure unlike a human's, Jung Hyun-ah can no longer see the world as she once did.
And……
'She's wrestling with the same dilemma as me.'
In a way, the current Jung Hyun-ah is my mirror image.
I can impose on others without hesitation the mad acts I've inflicted on myself to achieve my goals.
After thinking a bit more, I answered slowly.
"Well, we can think about that slowly later."
"Later?"
"Yeah. Later. Do you even know the pyramid's structure to begin with? Or how to make the giant crocodile?"
"No."
"Most of the choices you made were actually unrelated to your true will or nature. It stole away your chances to choose, leaving you only with anguish and frustration."
Jung Hyun-ah gazes at me with her alien eyes, incapable of emotional exchange.
"And honestly, I don't really know how to live either. I'll restore whatever can be restored as much as possible, so for now, go have a hearty meal with that worried person over there."
"That person…… worried?"
I pointed beyond the desert.
Looking that way, Hyun-ah spoke for the first time with emotion in her voice.
"Uncle."
It was an utterly sorrowful voice.