Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: WGS
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[System: Exclusive Trait 'Abyssal Madness' activates. Nullifies the nightmare's effects.]
“Ugh…….”
A week had passed since wrapping up the quest at Gamaksan Mountain's abandoned hospital.
After handing over what needed to be delivered to Tudor that day, I'd ignored her calls and spent the entire week lying in bed.
I'd tried my best to recover my body for the next quest, but the horrific, grotesque nightmares forced into my mind by the abyssal entities made it impossible to get any proper rest.
“I never knew not being able to sleep properly could be this agonizing…….”
Last night's nightmare had ended with me locking eyes with Cthulhu.
Even in the game, characters could sometimes fall under penalties like recurring nightmares from events such as [Repeated Nightmares] or [R'lyeh's Call]. But what I was going through now was far worse.
The [Feast's Sacrifice] trait summoned the malevolent influence of abyssal entities every single night, forcing me to endure the unsettling nightmares sent by the Great Old Ones.
As a result, my body wasn't recovering properly, and my mental strength and focus as a mage were steadily wearing down. I'd gone to the trouble of grabbing a grimoire from the lab, but with my body and mind exhausted, I couldn't even bring myself to open it.
“Isn't there some innovative way to defend against this?”
It wasn't easy to block under normal circumstances.
No matter how powerful a mage I was, these were divine beings that outclassed me by billions of leagues.
Magic itself was deeply intertwined with them, so even mastering it had its limits.
“Ah, what if I block it with something other than magic?”
There were some pretty decent abilities, even if they weren't perfect.
“Among my unique abilities or exclusive traits, maybe something worth mixing in…….”
Drawing from my experience playing [Cthulhu World], a few ideas came to mind, but there weren't many I could try right away.
To maintain that kind of magic continuously, I'd need an artifact suited for it. But there were no spots around Paju where such artifacts turned up.
“To find something with a similar effect, I'd have to head at least as far as Gangwon Province…….”
The Korean Peninsula was small—no matter how far, I could make a round trip in a day. But physical distance aside, the psychological hurdle was huge, and leaving my cramped, ramshackle one-room apartment for that long felt too risky.
‘Something like a weird pop-up quest might trigger while I'm gone that far…….’
In the end, long-distance trips would have to wait until I fortified my base's security.
“Tch, so I'm just stuck helplessly enduring the nightmares those abyssal bastards send…….”
No, on second thought, there was no reason to fixate on pre-made artifacts.
I'd gone through hell in Tanheon dealing with the [King in Yellow], but it had added a new ability to the Carcosa Mask.
[Maddened Craftsmanship: You can attempt to unlock an artifact's hidden abilities or modify it to grant new ones. Additionally, +100% success rate for invention, repair, research, and development.
However, using this ability requires a Sanity check. Failure inflicts a random Madness on your mind.]
It was a rare trait normally exclusive to non-mage classes like alchemists, technomancers, or artisans.
Of course, I couldn't just shove any ability I wanted into any artifact, but enhancing something with a similar effect was worth a shot.
A few artifacts and abilities came to mind that could do more than just block nightmares. If things went well, I might even craft ones that boosted health or strength.
“Yeah, I should've thought of this sooner.”
Alright, decision made. I had to head out today, no matter how much it strained me.
As I tried to get up, my body creaked and cracked like old wood.
“Ugh…… lying around resting isn't the answer after all…….”
While I was out, I might as well swing by Basilissa to check on Holistic's status—and if luck was on my side, gauge Curtain Call's reaction too.
“Ah, but first, some food.”
I barely navigated the cluttered room—strewn with junk, artifacts, and piles of gold and jewels like trash—and made my way to the tiny kitchen.
Opening the fridge, I was greeted by research lab tissue samples and fleshy byproducts from the life-creation spell nestled among the refrigerated ingredients.
Strange-shaped lumps of flesh floated in glass jars: ones covered in dozens of eyeballs, others sprouting unpleasant fur, some forming finger-like organs bigger than their bodies. A normal person might lose their appetite or even hallucinate at the sight, but it didn't faze my mind at all.
I pulled out half a leftover cabbage, some chopped carrots, and sausages from between the samples.
“Stir-fried sausage and veggies should work.”
In the cramped space barely big enough for living, I cooked and ate.
By the time I finished and stepped outside, the sun was already setting.
It had been over two months since I'd properly seen the sun.
They say not seeing it for too long messes with your health?
I'd started going out at night because wandering the streets in daylight with the mask felt awkward.
‘But that's already solved.’
Using Rank 2 spells, I could overlay illusions on the mask or completely conceal my presence, letting me move around during the day.
And yet, I still hid in the shadows with this bizarre mask on.
I blamed it on my reversed sleep schedule now, but that was just an excuse. Truth was, I felt an inexplicable aversion to layering illusions over the mask.
‘Probably the Mask Obsession unconsciously putting up psychological barriers…….’
It was hard to explain, so no easy fix came to mind. I'd probably keep doing this until a bigger issue forced a change.
Lost in these thoughts, I arrived at Basilissa before I knew it.
The place was still a parade of bizarre everyday scenes.
Watching burly mercenaries and scarred, muscle-bound fixers sit across from each other sipping iced Americanos or caramel macchiatos made my head spin.
‘Don't those guys have anything better to do? Why are they always glued to this place drinking coffee?’
Behind the Basilissa counter, a bizarre barista with a massive monitor for a head was wiping cups. Curtain Call sat beside it today too.
This wasn't a bar or a tavern. Yet Curtain Call had dragged over a stool and sat there chattering away at Orb like it was the most natural thing.
“Hey, Curtain Call.”
“Oh, Kim Shin-hwa? Hey Orb, you know I went to Gamaksan with Kim Shin-hwa last time?”
Curtain Call spared me about a second of eye contact. After that half-hearted non-greeting, it turned back to Orb. No way to have a conversation like that.
As I debated trying again or waiting for another chance, Tudor—chatting with a customer deeper inside—beckoned me over.
‘Right, I'm not here for Curtain Call today.’
I sighed, left the Orb-obsessed Curtain Call behind, and walked over to Tudor.
“We were just talking about you—perfect timing.”
“My story?”
Tudor flashed a sly smile and nodded toward the person beside her.
“Ah, so you're the new-face mage Tudor's been bragging about lately?”
‘Gangster……?’
The thought hit first, and unapologetically so—this middle-aged man had a swaggering vibe.
His shirt unbuttoned four notches in blatant style, flashy tattoos peeking through.
Oversized retro sunglasses, a beard covering his jaw, and a scar slashing across his mouth.
A familiar face. Like most people I'd met recently, he was from the game [Cthulhu World].
“I wanted to check out the guy who cleaned up what my crew couldn't. Lucky I got to meet you. Name's Ko Kyung-soo from W.G.S.”
Ko Kyung-soo kept his cocky demeanor as he handed me a business card.
The tacky design gleamed with gold-foil lettering: his name and company.
W.G.S.
Wild Guns Security.
Officially, a private security firm offering protection and bodyguard services.
In reality, a mercenary outfit specializing in firepower and outpost suppression under the Wild Guns name—a private military company, or PMC. Not that they did anything extraordinary. Just an expanded version of your typical rent-a-thug crew.
And Ko Kyung-soo, alias Wild Dog.
This gangster-looking guy led those thugs.
I gave him a deadpan look.
“I don't really have business cards.”
“Khaha…… Doesn't matter. If I need to reach out first, I can go through Tudor. You know how much she's been boasting about you in the biz lately?”
“Yeah, I know she's been working hard.”
“If you ever crave the real thrill Basilissa can't provide, hit us up. We're the types who deliver for guys like you—gah……!”
Tudor smacked his thigh with a menu.
“Oh my, Ko Kyung-soo dear. What were you saying? Time to head home already?”
“Hey, if you're not even gonna let us exchange cards, why brag in the first place!”
“'Cause I want her jealous, duh. Cards are fine, but no flirting after.”
Ko Kyung-soo was ultimately an NPC who filled a role similar to Tudor's.
Unlike Park Kwang-rim, who wasn't worth bothering with as a broker, Ko was different.
Depending on the situation, he was worth trading with.
His reliability matched Tudor's, and he unlocked quests inaccessible otherwise.
Contracting with him provided standard armaments and let you repeat direct, combat-heavy missions—more mercenary than fixer.
Unlike Tudor, he was an active field leader of his armed group, enabling different interactions.
Competing for the same target, or clashing as enemies in direct combat.
His crew was huge, nosing into anything solvable with guns and explosives.
Skip dealing with him, and you might face them as rivals or foes.
‘In the game, I killed Ko Kyung-soo…… three times? No, four.’
What would happen this time?
Ko Kyung-soo dumped the ice from his glass into his mouth and crunched it loudly.
“By the way, no word from Cure yet?”
What was this out-of-left-field question?
“Cure?”
“Guess not. Cure Biotech, you know—the ones feuding with Holistic…….”
“Yeah, I know them. What about it? What're they saying to me?”
Ko Kyung-soo hummed, scratched his chin beard, then continued.
“Cure's been talking about the basement.”