Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: The Hungry Stone Coffin (1)
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A new situation arose soon after.
Thud!
A dull noise, like something toppling over, echoed from beyond the basement door.
"Hmm..."
Truth be told, I already knew what was down there in the basement.
I could just barge in and smash it to pieces, but...
"Seems like it's telling me to go into the basement, doesn't it? Am I wrong?"
[System: There are still unexplored areas within the stronghold. Investigate the entire mansion to claim the remaining rewards.]
Heh... that just makes me want to do it even less.
I still didn't know exactly what principles governed this message window's operations.
It usually seemed like a neutral device that dryly listed out my current status and situation. But every now and then, it pulled subtle tricks like this, or spat out messages that seemed designed to nudge me toward certain actions.
'Can't fully trust that thing either.'
But the information from the message window was a crucial difference between me and the NPCs living in this world.
Understanding and utilizing concepts like stats and quests was what always gave me the edge over other NPCs.
On top of that, my body was frailer than an ordinary human's.
I didn't have the robust, action-hero physique from some game.
I didn't have the stamina for two action sequences in a single day.
Should I just barricade it for now and handle it tomorrow?
But as if reacting to my thoughts, another presence stirred from the basement.
Thud, clatter, thud, grrr...
No, it wasn't just a presence anymore—it was drawing closer to the basement entrance.
"Ah, what a pain. Seriously."
I'd planned to handle it as slowly as possible out of sheer laziness, but it looked like...
If I left whatever was down there alone, it might cause some real trouble.
As if egging on that thought, the message window popped up again.
[System: There are still unexplored areas within the stronghold. Investigate the entire mansion to claim the remaining rewards.]
"Ah, I got it, okay?! Stop blocking my view and stay put!"
Fine. There was still an enemy left in the basement.
Since it operated independently of Heo Joo, taking him down wouldn't seize control.
It was a guardian left by [He Who Comes from the Darkness] as a reward for Heo Joo's long devotion.
I had to go smash it—or get smashed myself.
Either way, we needed to settle things.
It was like a bonus stage, and the way I defeated it would make a huge difference in the rewards.
Clatter, creak, thud! Groooar...
Dull, heavy noises, like something massive thrashing violently.
The danger level was rising. I could feel vibrations in the floor near the basement entrance.
"Guess I can't sleep until I clear the basement."
I glanced out the window. The night sky had lightened to a faint hue.
If I dragged this out much longer, the sun would rise completely.
"Alright. If I'm doing it, let's get it over with quick."
I cracked my neck in a stretch as I slowly opened the basement door.
A downward staircase stretched into the darkness.
As I descended step by step, I activated buffs one per step.
[Fox's Nimbleness]
[Bear's Willpower]
[Cat's Grace]
[Eagle's Eye]
[Bull's Recklessness]
[Lion's Bravery]
'The [Feast's Offering] trait might throw some unexpected variable, so...'
I couldn't afford to let my guard down.
Something ridiculous could pop up at the worst moment.
At the bottom of the basement stairs stood another thick wooden door.
Clatter... click.
Strange sounds came from beyond it.
I paused and waited, but it went silent again. Not even the faintest unavoidable presence of a living thing.
'Oh, how cute.'
Creeeak...
The heavy wooden door swung open with an unsettling creak from the hinges.
Holding the door, I peered inside the room.
'Dark.'
Like everywhere else in the Hungry Mansion, the basement was pitch black.
I couldn't make out what was inside at first glance.
Which made the bizarre smell the first thing I noticed.
I'd smelled something similar before.
The scent of chemicals used to prevent decay.
But mixed in was an even more foul, repulsive odor overpowering the harsh fumes.
Even someone who didn't grasp what it signified would feel wary from how unpleasant it was.
If I'd still been living in the peaceful real world, I might not have recognized it, but I'd encountered it twice already.
The secret lab in Helistic full of zombies.
And the abandoned hospital on Gamak Mountain where Je Mu-kyung committed his atrocities.
The smell of blood and rotting corpses.
Likely the horrific traces of hundreds or thousands of deaths accumulated over a very long time.
I circulated my mana to enhance my vision.
[Moonlight Vision]
Magical sight that pierced the darkness activated, letting me peer into the basement.
It was a space you had to call a basement, but it wasn't cramped.
Unlike the other floors divided into rooms, this was a wide-open area without walls, almost like an auditorium.
And that vast space was filled with ominous objects.
Old bloodstains, piles of bones on the floor, beast hides, and unpleasant byproducts from unknown creatures or body parts.
Shelves stacked with samples and chemicals, walls hung with grotesque partitions and ritual tools of unknown origin, bookshelves full of magic tomes.
This was the altar where Heo Joo performed blasphemous rituals, and also the magic lab for his wicked experiments.
I turned my head to scan the back of the room.
I had no business with Heo Joo's research.
Sure, there were plenty of things worth grabbing or examining, but those were issues for later.
Right now, there was only one thing I needed to check.
The altar.
The ancient altar at the far end of the room.
About the size of a small bed, rising higher than waist level.
A massive hunk carved from a single granite boulder.
Plenty big enough for rituals to [He Who Comes from the Darkness] or dismantling captured sacrifices.
There had been an altar for [The Living Flame] in the Unjeong Station basement too.
They'd probably held fire-and-smoke rituals there, but here it would've been far more direct and visceral.
Blood spraying, flesh carved away... a slaughter ritual.
And next to that altar sat a large chest, placed awkwardly.
Unlike the neatly aligned tools and furniture, this big box was tilted off-kilter.
'No, calling it a chest or box doesn't quite fit.'
Since it was made of stone, stone coffin was more accurate.
Chest or stone coffin, it was enormous. Smaller than the altar beside it, but still big enough to easily hold a person if needed.
I approached the stone coffin slowly and bent down.
In the center was a groove indicating it opened top and bottom.
Massive hinges were attached to the back.
And intricate, beautiful patterns engraved on the surface.
These weren't mere decorations.
Magic circles etched with extreme precision and advanced technique.
'Not Heo Joo's handiwork.'
When I played the game, I never cared about its origins.
I'd glanced at the designs and craftsmanship, but lacked the ability to understand them.
Now the world looked different.
With superhuman vision, peak insight, and analytical prowess, I instantly comprehended details I'd overlooked even while playing.
It was ancient.
Older than when humans learned to wield fire—an artifact that had existed on this planet since time immemorial.
As I slowly reached out toward it—
Snap!
The stone coffin's lid suddenly burst open.
No, lid wasn't the right term.
This was the stone coffin's maw.
Clatter, krawr!
The stone coffin, clearly made of rock, shook its massive, crude body violently and lunged at me.
Its huge gaping mouth aimed to swallow me whole!
"You little— shit!"
[Leap]
Whoosh!
I triggered Leap and vaulted backward.
The stone coffin chomped down hard on the spot I'd just vacated.
KABOOM!
An immense impact.
The air visibly rippled.
The stone coffin, made of a gigantic boulder, wielded force beyond its already enormous mass.
I'd anticipated it, so dodging wasn't hard.
If I'd spaced out and gotten caught in that maw, my body would've been pulverized.
"You bastard!"
The stone coffin didn't stop.
It was just a big jaw and heavy body, but this was an artifact with such potent will.
I could sense the emotions it harbored: rage, wariness, confusion, murderous intent.
It came at me again, building on its previous momentum.
Boom!
I dodged the brutish attack and scanned the basement interior.
KABOOM! Crash!
No time to think.
The stone coffin clung with the ferocity of a enraged wild beast.
"Ah, come on! Stay still!"
[Grasp of the Dead]
A grim, glowing magic circle lit up the dark basement.
At the same time, the [Evidence of Slaughter] trait imbued in the Butcher's Hook activated. Even more malice and madness infused the necromantic magic circle I'd summoned.
A third-circle necromancy spell. The vengeful spirits of the unjustly slain souls wandering nearby were drawn to my circle, generating greater power.
Groooooaaar!!!
Hundreds of skeletal arms erupted from the magic circle and wrapped around the stone coffin.
Scraaaape, scritch, scritch, scraaaape...
Disgusting fingers on hundreds of arms clawed at the stone coffin's surface.
Each arm brimmed with deep resentment.
No matter its strength, it couldn't shake them off easily.
Crack... craaaack...
Even so, the stone coffin showed no fear.
It had no face, but I could tell it was furious.
Crunch, craaunch...
Every slight movement burst dozens of arms clinging to its body.
But the number of grudge-filled arms matched the countless horrific deaths in this place. For every ten arms destroyed, twenty more latched on.
'Not a bad effect.'
If I'd summoned one massive force for a contest of strength, who knows what would've happened. But overwhelming it with endless numbers kept even this brute from unleashing its full power.
Still, these wraiths were just a stopgap.
They could halt it, but not defeat it.
I gathered mana and extended it toward one of the tools in the basement corner.
Swoooosh—
A mana thread shot from my fingertips and coiled around the tool I'd eyed from the start.
A heavy hammer with a massive iron head.
Probably for smashing experiment subjects' bones or splitting magic stones.
From afar, I hurled mana and will at the hammer. That power soon became artificial telekinesis, manifesting my intent.
Whirrr!
The hammer flew through the air with a wind-cutting whoosh.
It landed perfectly in my hand.
"This'll do."
Close-quarters combat wasn't my style, but...
Considering the stone coffin's magic resistance, this was the most efficient option.