Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Unauthorized Power
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Three spiraling streams of mana, simple in structure, radiate outward with malice, in a vivid yellow hue.
Imperfect in form, but that is the [Yellow Sign].
The power dwelling even now in this mask that covers my face.
It is the symbol created by the abyssal being and Great Old One, the [King in Yellow]; the manifestation of his influence on this world; the seal that proves his authority and the horrific brand stamped upon his possessions.
[Evil Gaze]
[Mana Nullification]
[Gesture of Protection]
To push back the otherworldly god's influence, I activate curses and purification spells to remove the artificial mana imbued in Jang Hyun-deok's mask, along with the blessings of benevolent gods—all at once.
None of them fit this situation perfectly, but once again, I disrupt the magical formulas and forms, reconstructing them into the shape I need.
Grgrgrgrgr....
A bizarre friction sound echoes from somewhere. At the same time, moisture in the air suddenly凝固s, forming ice shards in midair that evaporate before they can touch the ground. Sparks, flames, flashes, localized tremors flash all around... side effects of spells that failed to activate properly. And yet, the effect I want still doesn't manifest.
Output is insufficient. It feels like trying to hold back a collapsing dam with my bare hands. Like a fool ramming a wall instead of a door. An avalanche pouring down, a tsunami surging in, a train barreling right at me. Ugh, damn it, weird imagery keeps forming.
My mana isn't enough. Unless I borrow the endorsement or authority of some sufficiently powerful entity, I might just get blown away like this.
Should I borrow the power of the [Living Flame] again, like with Lee Chang-hyuk? No, no. There's something even more fitting right now.
I activate the power of the highest-grade artifact in my possession.
[L-Grade Accessory 'Mask of Carcosa' unique function, 'Yellow Sign', activates.
//Yellow Sign: The great [King in Yellow] takes an interest in you.]
[System: Penalty trait 'Feast's Sacrifice' effect activates.]
['Abyssal Being – King in Yellow' strengthens your power.]
Jang Hyun-deok's body jerks violently. For the first time, I've drawn a reaction from this arrogant, serene bastard who stood motionless no matter what I did.
Blocking the herald of the [King in Yellow] by borrowing the [King in Yellow]'s power? It might seem ridiculous or absurd, but the thing mouthing off in front of me isn't the [King in Yellow] himself descending. I have no choice but to draw on his own power to smack it away.
The power of the magic circles manifesting around my body surges hundreds of times over, their number and forms dramatically shifting.
『You seek to wield a power beyond your control, to command a force you cannot comprehend. How long do you think such folly can last?』
Jang Hyun-deok's body shakes. No— the mask he's wearing shakes.
From beneath the mask on his face, tentacles erupt like bursting, overripe tumors, sticky and oozing.
Far too many and massive for something supposedly hidden in his head.
"Ah, damn it."
[The tentacles spilling from beneath the mask gleam with a pus-like repulsive yellow sheen as they surge toward you. A truly grotesque sight. These tentacles are so vile and nauseating that their mere existence is enough to shatter a human mind.]
Sickly yellow wriggling things hard to describe writhing in a bizarre way that defies Euclidean physics ignoring physical laws rotting stench poisonously unpleasant foul dirty hideous beautiful squirming squirming slithering slithering tentacles and tentacles and tentacles and tentacles so tentacles tentacles tentacles—.
"Ah, fuck off. Shut up."
[System: Exclusive trait 'Abyssal Madness' activates. Nullifies ■■■'s ■■■■.]
Bzzzt!
Azure lightning erupts from my body, repelling the tentacles creeping toward me.
Phew, thanks. I don't know what it blocked, but it feels like something crucial. What matters isn't what I just blocked.
I concentrate the mana I've been emitting, sharpening it, honing it into a keen, pointed, rigid blade.
At that moment, a lukewarm, damp wind blows from the ruins where rocks of grotesque shapes cluster.
Woooooo....
The wind rubs against the ruins' stones, producing a sound like a groan, or perhaps someone's wail.
For some reason, it feels like a warning telling me to stop what I'm doing right now, but I don't stop and finish the job.
[System: Penalty trait 'Feast's Sacrifice' effect activates.]
Hummmm....
[Abyssal Beings take interest in you.]
Thump... Thump... Thump....
I hear my heartbeat.
Screeeech... Screeeeech....
Something razor-sharp scrapes at my mana core, a horrific sensation.
Crackle! Bzzt! Bzzzzt! Bzzzzzzt!!
The authority of the Great Old One warps and destroys my magic circles.
[Voice of Authority]
"Shut up!"
I keep generating new magic circles.
And relentlessly pour my mana into his mask.
Begone. There's no place for you in this world. Return to that filthy, dark abyss you came from. I won't allow you to set foot here. Get out.
A magic circle imbued with more coercive, unyielding force than any I've made before.
Screeeeech... Cracck... Cracracrack....
The vibration spreads from the entire ruins to the surrounding forest.
A horrific, menacing quake that feels like the ground will split and the sky will fall any second.
Shut up get lost be quiet leave me alone get out disappear!!!
Quuuuuaaaack...!!!!
An irrational friction sound starts coming from somewhere.
Then, silence.
The mask covering Jang Hyun-deok's face.
Cracks begin to form on it.
『How amusing. I shall watch how long you can endure. I await with pleasure the day you wallow in the mud and call for me.』
The crack at the mask's edge spreads uncontrollably, engulfing it. His power and authority leak from the fissures. Whatever bullshit that thing spouts, it's already irreversible.
Unlike the crumbling mask, the shadow of the Yellow King moves Jang Hyun-deok's body with elegant poise, pointing toward one direction in the night sky.
『The flood will soon begin. Build an ark before then. And if you can avert the doom that approaches in the receding waters, it shall be as you desire.』
"What? Flood?"
『As the light of Fomalhaut, so the lord of Aldebaran has refused the feast's invitation. But know that not all parts of me support you.』
With those words, the mask embodying the otherworldly god's authority shatters completely.
The mask falls to the ground in fragments, and Jang Hyun-deok's body, standing imperiously, collapses backward like a marionette with cut strings.
The bizarre pressure, presence, and mana filling the ruins vanish.
I've successfully forced back the illusion created by the [King in Yellow], the great abyssal being, to manifest his will in reality.
[Achievement unlocked! You have repelled an abyssal being.
You have obtained 'Advanced Achievement: Uninvited Guest'.
As achievement reward, obtain 'Artifact: Keystone' and bonus experience.]
The achievement message pops up, and at the same time, as if by coincidence—or perhaps orchestrated—a small stone rolls from Jang Hyun-deok's bosom onto the ground.
Tock.
It is a muted grayish-brown stone shaped like a rounded triangular pyramid.
Oh, a keystone. Haven't seen one in a while. A reward you get when you send back an abyssal being that descended to the earth in any form.
[Keystone (A-Grade Magic Tool) - A small fragment of an alien material never before seen on Earth. Its surface is engraved with bizarre glyphs. The waves emanating from this stone have astonishing effects on the human mind.
Affinity of Madness: If mental resistance check succeeds, you can communicate with extraterrestrial beings, otherworldly entities, or the mad. On failure, 50% chance to fail conveying desired words or hear opponent's words distorted bizarrely.
Mental Keystone: On use, random chance to recover a target in delirium. However, on failed check, delirium worsens.]
Smaller than a fist, its surface etched with characters from an alien culture never seen on Earth.
I currently lack traits related to [Alien Languages], so I can't read them, but through past gameplay, I've confirmed their meaning multiple times. Nothing grandiose.
"As long as the abyss does not permit it, you cannot escape this dream."
Thinking about it, it sounds like it's talking to me, which pisses me off.
"Haa...."
Anyway, is this it? This event was no joke. I came prepared since meeting Jang Hyun-deok, but damn, it was really no joke.... My legs give out.
I just slump down carelessly. Nothing more to worry about anyway.
"This kind of development is seriously the first I've ever seen. What the hell, abyssal bastards lining up from the early game? What the fuck do they even want?"
Ugh, damn. Sitting was a bad choice. Legs, waist, shoulders, head, neck... my whole body goes limp, head lolling back. I barely prop my arms behind me to keep from falling....
"Ughhh...."
My fingers feel like they're being sliced by a knife. Ahhh... right, my fingers are wrecked.... The flashing pain makes me clutch both hands to my chest and collapse flat on the ground.
The ground is lumpy and hard, stones and mask shards digging into me... but I lack the energy to get up, so I just lie there for a bit.
Turning my head, I gaze at the sky from my prone position. The chaotically churning sky and the yellow star shining larger than the moon have both returned to normal.
So, I've roughly finished what I came here to do?
But why no experience?
I'm not certain since this weird ruin is a place I never visited in [Cthulhu World] playthroughs, but an event this scale should at least be a hidden quest. So why's the message window silent? Is there an unresolved trigger left?
"Grgh....!"
I barely twist my prone body to sit up.
My joints make gruesome noises, but that's not the issue now. An unresolved trigger usually means some monster left to deal with.
In this state, I can't handle whatever comes. It's a game where even after barely beating the boss, you can die to an overlooked trap. Kim Shin-hwa, snap out of it!
As I force myself up and scan the surroundings, I soon spot what I missed.
Because a strange sound echoes from somewhere.