Chapter 85
Chapter 85
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: Securing the Base
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Silver light began to emanate from the body of [Butcher's Hook].
The mana that flowed out naturally formed a special magic circle, as if seeking its rightful place.
[S-grade weapon 'Butcher's Hook' unique function, 'Evidence of Slaughter,' activates.
// Evidence of Slaughter: Necromantic magic power increases by 100%.]
Necromantic mana was flowing through it, after all. That was why [Butcher's Hook] efficiently amplified my mana.
I drove the hook straight into Heo Ju's body.
"Urk... Kuaaagh...!"
Pzzzzzt!!!
Unpleasant green sparks flew out.
Through the sensation at the blade's tip, I could feel the mana patterns flowing through Heo Ju's body.
Heo Ju was an otherworldly being born under the blessing of a great old one.
'As expected, the mana patterns are pretty bizarre.'
Heo Ju's mana moved in a truly alien and ominous manner.
This was no joke. If we'd clashed head-on, I would've had a tough time.
I began channeling my mana into his body through the Butcher's Hook.
"N-No! Stop...! How dare a worm like you...!"
Heo Ju seemed to realize what I was attempting now.
[The One Who Comes from the Darkness]
The prisoner of eternity's jail, the eternal convict, master of the dark night, king of the night sky, the one with a thousand mouths, raiser of the dead, leader of suffocation, the darkest being from the abyss.
'Not exactly a famous one—not a major player, by any means.'
This bastard was one of the great old ones watching us from the abyss.
Deep within Heo Ju's body—no, his soul—lay a fragment of a great old one.
And I was going to rip it out of him.
"Stop! Stop it! I said stop!"
Heo Ju thrashed wildly, but I calmly continued the procedure.
My mana began syncing with the form and flow of his mana and soul, altering their shape and current.
Swallowing it outright was impossible.
I used the same method as when I'd removed the blessing of [the Black Goat that Births Madness] from Lee Chang-hyuk.
[S-grade accessory 'Ring of Fallen Flame' unique functions, 'Crimson Element Focus' and 'Flame Knowledge Inheritance,' activate.
// Crimson Element Focus: All fire-type magic effects increase by 50%.
// Flame Knowledge Inheritance: Understanding of 'fire-type magic' increases.]
[Flames that Burn Sin]
Fwoosh!
Blinding white flames—devoid of any heat—began forcibly purifying Heo Ju's body.
His flesh, stripped of most of its mana, crumbled without resisting my spell.
Heo Ju's face slackened for a moment.
"Is it... over...?"
It was a voice unlike his previous distorted one—somehow more human.
The situation was different from Lee Chang-hyuk's.
Removing the blessing from the monster Lee Chang-hyuk had become was enough to save him.
But Heo Ju had been connected to the abyss from birth.
A monster who'd lived for roughly 150 years, by rough count.
His body was as unnatural as his lifespan, but without the source of his mana, he'd lose the fuel to sustain this wretched existence.
Almost there.
Deepest within his soul...
The fragment of the great old one...
It began to reveal itself.
Shining with blinding brilliance...
Indescribably malevolent...
I poured all my mana into the Butcher's Hook, driving it even deeper into Heo Ju's body.
The blade pierced not his flesh, but his soul.
"---------!!!"
Heo Ju unleashed a grotesque scream that exceeded human hearing limits, endlessly.
Kwarrrghghghghgh!!!
The sound of the link to [The One Who Comes from the Darkness] being severed echoed.
Stay out of it and rot in the underground where you belong!
Fwaaaah!!!
A dry noise like something bursting rang out, and the pressure crushing my soul vanished.
The [Dancing Flames] that had slipped from my control began to rise again.
No—they'd never actually disappeared.
They'd merely been shrouded by the shadow cast by the great old one.
'Did I pull it off?'
The thick darkness filling the room, the writhing shadows, and the massive maggot were completely gone.
"Hoo..."
I slowly raised a hand to wipe the sweat from my forehead.
No more resistance.
Heo Ju, stripped of his authority as the bastard child of a great old one, had lost all mana and will.
Heo Ju was dead.
No, he had never truly been alive to begin with.
He was nothing more than a grotesque mass that warped the laws and causality of reality.
The flesh tangled in his body slowly melted away.
In a [Cthulhu World] game scenario, Heo Ju would leave behind just a few bone fragments and vanish completely.
I summoned my mana, drawing out a bizarrely glistening black chunk of flesh from the pile of corpses.
"All that trouble for this...?"
Was it just this tiny fragment?
Too small to even call a chunk of flesh.
A minuscule piece, like a drop of blood or a nail clipping.
But it could never be underestimated.
Even a tiny fragment of a great old one.
It contained alien mana, profound knowledge, and endless potential.
A realm no mere mortal could ever reach.
A key to lead there.
[Echo of Asphyxiation (Legendary Elixir): A fragment of power from the great old one 'The One Who Comes from the Darkness.'
Effect: Swallow it. You can become a greater being.]
Look at that effect. "Greater being," huh? They love that line.
Heo Ju's form had been so twisted it was barely human.
Even if it kept you from turning out like that, weak-willed fools would just end up as bastard children of great old ones.
"Well, still—no better elixir out there."
Made me think of those wuxia novels I'd read in my downtime.
If we're calling it an elixir, nothing tops this.
Of course, it came with equal risks.
But I'll trust in my talents.
I sat on the floor and crossed my legs.
Kim Shin-hwa, the wizard who gazes into the abyss—this character was my creation.
Every talent, ability, and trait was chosen by me.
I laid the Butcher's Hook horizontally across my knees.
Through the blade's tip, I felt the mana patterns of the [Echo of Asphyxiation].
It was emitting mana on its own—a thing with a will.
To accept it without issue, I needed to alter my own mana patterns.
My mana began syncing with the fragment's form and flow, transforming.
'I can't just passively accept it.'
In a game, I'd have to follow the provided flow, but not now.
My intelligence stat of 30 granted surreal empathy and mana control.
I could refine my mana more precisely, intricately, and perfectly than when playing the game.
Ziiing...
The air around me trembled.
I didn't just sync with the fragment's mana patterns—I created a superior, grander flow.
The [Echo of Asphyxiation] would become part of me, not the whole.
And I had no use for needless interference.
'I've already got too many lined up, even without this one.'
Three were already spamming my dreams every night.
This time, I'd fully absorb and assimilate it—no room for lingering connections.
My ascent wouldn't end at being some old one's avatar.
To survive to the end in this world, I needed to transcend even further.
Green radiance poured from the Butcher's Hook once more.
Through that blade, the tiny fragment the abyssal being had embedded in a single bloodline flowed into me.
[The One Who Comes from the Darkness].
Its fragment slipped from Heo Ju's soul and took root in mine.
After that, it was straightforward.
Even with the lower, more ordinary talents back in the game, I'd absorbed this mana.
I'd braced for death then, but now? Far easier than expected.
'Intelligence 30 is no joke.'
Plus, the Butcher's Hook—acquired through an unexpected path—provided massive help.
I'd thought it'd just be a top-tier necromantic artifact... but it exceeded expectations.
Maintaining my seated posture, I broke down and melted everything in the [Echo of Asphyxiation], assimilating it into my mana.
Hundreds of magic circles bloomed and faded naturally around me.
Alien properties fused with my mana, evolving it into a stronger form.
My mana core—seemingly of infinite capacity—gained new properties and power.
How much time passed?
I noticed the rain outside had stopped.
The pitch-black sky had turned a faint blue.
'Dawn already...'
My already frail body had long since exhausted itself, but my mind was sharp.
I felt unprecedented vigor and vitality.
All my senses and thoughts were sharper, more vivid than before.
At the same time, a new message window appeared.
[You have defeated the master of the ravenous manor, shrouded in unspeakable curses and blasphemous secrets. Despite facing completely unforeseen challenges, you overcame everything with your prepared tools and strategies. However, in the process... you exposed your full capabilities to the beings of the abyss.]
"Hm?"
I'd expected some out-of-context praise and that'd be it, but this took a different turn.
[The abyssal beings taking interest in you are steadily increasing. What will 'The One Who Comes from the Darkness'—robbed of its shrine—think of you? How long will 'the Black Goat that Births Madness'—stripped of its blessing—remain silent? Who knows. Soon, the arbitrators who speak for the abyss's will shall...]
"Ah, the arbitrators."
A title for particularly powerful NPCs in [Cthulhu World].
Heo Ju had it too.
'What was it again? Some long, cringey name.'
An arbitrator of the dark cult worshiping darkness and void, or something?
Anyway, killing Heo Ju—an arbitrator—would draw the others' attention.
[Quest completed!
[Base Acquisition Quest: Ravenous Manor] Reward: 250,000 XP + Manor ownership]
"What? Nothing else? Arbitrators, blah blah blah, and done?"
They tried for some ominous buildup, but it fell flat!
Finish what you started!
[You have gained enough experience to reach the next level. Level increases by 1.]
[You have defeated 'Bastard Child of a Great Old One - Heo Ju.' Understanding of abyssal beings increases.]
[You have defeated (27) 'Corpse Golems.' Understanding of undead increases.]
[You have defeated (48) 'Necrotic Golems.' Understanding of undead increases.]
[You have subdued 'Fanatic - Heo Sang-hyeon.' Understanding of undead greatly increases.]
[You have gained enough experience to reach the next level. Level increases by 1.]
"Sigh... Fine, whatever. Do your thing."
In the end, they cut off dramatically for atmosphere. Sneaky bastards.
[System: 'Ravenous Manor' has become your base.]
[Achievement unlocked! You have acquired your first base. You have obtained the 'Common Achievement: My Home!'
Achievement reward: Trait 'Housing Management' acquired + bonus XP.]
"Yeah, base secured, at least."
The quest reward granted me ownership of the manor.
If this were just an ordinary residence, that'd be the end of it—but there's a reason I went out of my way to claim the Ravenous Manor.