Chapter 43
Chapter 43
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: Harvest
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“R’haaarrrr…….”
It was a grotesque voice that no human could pronounce, but it was faint and barely audible. Less like words with meaning and more like a mere groan.
“What’s this? One of them survived?”
I hadn’t expected anything to still be kicking after all that chaos……
Approaching the source of the groan confirmed it.
There was a golden dancer still alive.
But it didn’t look like it had much time left, not even enough to groan for long.
The dancer who had held out until the end, only to have its mask taken by Jang Hyun-deok.
The stubborn one who had shouted the true name of the [King in Yellow] even after taking dozens of mana bullets.
And that guy was still alive.
In a gruesome state with only its head, neck, and part of its chest remaining, but alive nonetheless.
“Hey.”
“rrrr…….”
“You’re one tough bastard. Surviving two rounds of that madness?”
“rrrr…… wrhiigh.”
“What’re you saying? Speak clearly.”
“…….”
Whether that was its last bit of strength, the dancer fell silent. It wasn’t breathing anymore, but it wasn’t dead. It could vocalize, even if it didn’t need to breathe in the first place.
A face forged literally from gold. Smoothly sculpted, it resembled a human at a glance, but closer inspection revealed a monstrous visage utterly unlike any human. Revolting yet alien…… truly yokai-like in its beauty.
“I came to grab the mask, but that’s a bust now…….”
I slowly gathered my mana as I continued.
“I’m not leaving empty-handed, so I guess I’ll take you instead.”
The dancer blinked its four gem-like eyes in what looked like shock, its mouth gaping silently. There was no tongue or teeth inside—just an empty black void.
“K’haaa!!!”
“Hold still. You’ll die soon if I don’t do this.”
[Binding]
[Wicked Gaze]
[Prison of Cold Bones]
The method was the same as when I’d captured the [Black Goat’s Essence] ripped from Lee Chang-hyuk’s body.
Crackle……
I petrified it to stop resistance, severed its bond with its master the [King in Yellow], and sealed it in a magical barrier. I couldn’t keep a living creature like this indefinitely, but this thing was more like a magical construct. As long as I supplied it with my mana, it could linger in a coma-like state.
The process didn’t take long. With Lee Chang-hyuk, I’d struggled to remove the influence fused with his soul, but this one with a solid physical form was straightforward. It felt like skinning a hunted beast and mounting it as a trophy.
‘Too easy. Did the [King in Yellow] lose interest after that last bit?’
The moment I finished, new messages began to appear.
[You have completely destroyed the ruins built for the descent of the ‘King in Yellow.’]
Descent? Ah, that explained all the dancers.
Servants prepared for the king’s arrival. Things you’d only encounter in Carcosa, that otherworldly realm where they dwelled. They’d either come here awaiting the king’s descent or spawned as harbingers of it.
[You have eliminated all the golden dancers encountered in the ruins and destroyed every mask they wore. The only ‘Mask of Carcosa’ remaining on the surface now is the one you possess. The first mask, which already held superior power compared to the others, will gain even greater strength. If you destroy the other items bearing the Yellow Sign as well, you will experience even more astonishing miracles.]
[System: You have met the specified conditions, so the hidden power of the L-grade accessory ‘Mask of Carcosa’ is activated.]
“What? The mask got an upgrade?”
I touched the mask covering my face, checking its status.
There were definite changes. The parts that had displayed ■■■■ : ■■■■■ before now showed properly.
[Invitation to Carcosa: You can visit the great and beautiful Carcosa through dreams.
Madman’s Handiwork: You can attempt to unlock hidden abilities of artifacts or bestow new ones through modification. Additionally, success rate for invention, repair, research, and development +100%.
However, each use requires a sanity check. Failure inflicts a random madness upon your mind.]
“This is…….”
Jackpot?
Invitation to Carcosa was mostly useless. Carcosa was the dimension where the King in Yellow resided. Visiting such a madness-ridden world in a human body would only net you its bizarre customs, habits, and insanity—nothing more.
But Madman’s Handiwork was an insanely good trait no standard build could ever get. The overpowered effect came with a penalty of potential madness, but I could nullify that with [Abyssal Madness].
Artifact modification…… A trait I’d never even dreamed of. Too good to be true?
I’d just been wondering what to do with this dancer I snagged, and now I could experiment freely.
The message window then began displaying the standard experience gain notices.
[You have completely destroyed the descent ruins. Experience gained.]
[You have accumulated enough experience to reach the next level. Level increased by 1.]
[You have defeated ‘Fanatic – Jang Hyun-deok.’ Understanding of the King in Yellow’s cult has increased.]
[You have defeated Golden Dancer (13). Understanding of ‘Creatures of Carcosa’ has greatly increased.]
[You have accumulated enough experience to reach the next level. Level increased by 1.]
[Discovery: Acquired (2) secret items from the ruins. Experience gained.]
[Discovery: You have found a secret chamber. Experience gained.]
[Achievement unlocked! You have liberated a human dominated by an abyssal entity.
You have obtained the ‘Common Achievement: Are You All Right in the Head?’
As achievement reward, you gain a firm alliance with ‘Driving Expert – Jang Hyun-deok’ and additional experience.]
“……That guy’s still alive?”
Not certain yet.
[Cthulhu World] was infamous for its bugs and poor optimization. During play, it wasn’t uncommon to see relationship info pop up for dead NPCs or ones that shouldn’t even appear.
And what kind of reward is this? Give me an artifact or trait.
What good is a firm alliance with a security taxi driver? Oh, free rides from now on?
[Experience Bonus: You have achieved a total of (2) achievements in the descent ruins.]
[You have accumulated enough experience to reach the next level. Level increased by 1.]
[You are now level 22!
Level-up reward: Obtained (1) bonus stat point to freely allocate.]
[Sufficient experience has unlocked 2nd-circle spellcasting for you. Note that to properly use 2nd-circle spells, you need a grimoire containing them or personal study.]
[System: ‘Spell Mastery’ trait activated. Automatically acquires basic spells of the 2nd circle.]
Finally unlocked 2nd-circle spells and got my bonus stat point.
I pondered where to put the bonus point, then remembered losing the Hoolook gloves that boosted health and allocated it there. My plans were a bit derailed, but no choice.
No easy way to gain 2 health points via artifact. For future progress, I needed at least 8 health.
****
Kim Shinhwa
Class: Abyss-Gazing Wizard
Level: 22
Spell Circle: 2nd Circle
Madnesses: [Mask Obsession], [Ichthyophobia]
Strength 5(+3) (Ring of Fallen Flame)
Health 7
Dexterity 8
Intelligence 30
Mentality 14
Charisma 17
****
‘If I can snag even 1 more health point somehow…….’
[Your achievement is truly astonishing. Though not a full descent, it was a terminal created by an abyssal entity manifesting its own will. An irrational being with no means of defeat. Yet you overcame it with nothing but your own wisdom and skill. This is an incredible feat! Your astonishing deed echoes in the deep abyss. More abyssal entities will now watch you.]
……You think I want that? I’d beg them to leave me alone.
[What did the words left by the King in Yellow mean? When will the flood come? Can you avert the approaching doom? And can you overcome your fate as the feast’s sacrifice?
A chaotic future awaits you.]
Damn, no wiki, no veteran players to ask—clueless about what’s happening.
Who would know anyway? Even before, no one knew more about [Cthulhu World] than me. No one to ask in this world or my old reality.
If I want answers, I’ll have to find them myself. Even if it means getting battered and broken.
No more messages seem to be coming.
“Whew…… Hell, let’s go home.”
I muttered as I tried stuffing the dancer’s head into my backpack…… Too big.
No dice. And the backpack was already crammed with the underworld silver bell and other artifacts…… No room for this massive, gleaming noggin. Damn, too much loot.
Oh, right—and this wasn’t all.
I turned to gaze at the pile of golden dancer corpses.
A scene that was ambiguous—grotesque or beautiful?
It glittered like gold dust had been scattered everywhere.
“Dazzling.”
It evoked the eerie night sky overhead.
Thirteen golden dancers shattered to pieces, their golden scales spilling out. And the multicolored gems adorning their bodies—not a small amount. Enough to decorate thirteen humans.
Gold and jewels littered the ground in absurd quantities. Plenty of people would lose their minds just looking at it.
On top of that, the motionless fragments of the dancers’ bodies…… retained their sensual forms. The barren soil of the ruins, where not a blade of grass grew, was now a beautiful, messy wasteland strewn with golden corpse shards.
“If only that were real gold…….”
Unfortunately, no.
The dancers’ split flesh, scattered golden scales, and vibrant gems…… were slowly discoloring black. They might hold their treasure-like appearance for a week or two, but no sharp-eyed merchant in Paju would buy such junk.
‘But if I find the right buyer, there’s a way to offload it.’
Material born from the abyss’s depths, infused with otherworldly mana and alien thoughts. As perilous and profound as its backstory, with magical utility to boot.
If I grabbed those too…… Hmm. Looking up, stars gleamed like they’d pour from the high night sky. Around me, beyond the ruined site, lay the dense forest of Tanheon.
How the hell do I get back from here?