Chapter 93
Chapter 93
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 93
Chapter Title: New Business
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『Do you think you can keep dodging us forever?』
An unpleasant voice.
『Dreams are the true reality. The place you think of as reality is nothing more than a fleeting dream lasting a single night.』
Disgusting voices rising from the depths of the abyss. Hundreds of maws chattering all at once, creating a repulsive cacophony.
『Do you think this is just a simple dream?』
『Right now, in this moment, you are connected to us.』
『You can never escape.』
『Did you really think that toy of yours could keep us at bay all this time?』
『Not a single day have you escaped us.』
『You've merely forgotten.』
A buzzing noise like a swarm of flies. Horrific clamor echoing from all directions at once, amid slimy darkness.
『In the end, all your tiny hands can grasp is a handful of sand.』
『The tidal wave approaches. Soon, the great flood will begin. The waves rising from the abyss will reveal all that you have turned away from.』
A cackling laugh.
『Yes, keep dreaming. Dream your pleasant little delusions.』
Pssshhh...
[System: Exclusive trait 'Abyss Madness' activates. Nullifies the effects of the nightmare.]
"This won't cut it after all."
I looked at the dreamcatcher hanging by my bedside.
As expected, all the silver threads had turned completely black and corrupted.
[Silver Dreamcatcher (B-grade magic tool): A handmade dreamcatcher woven from silver silk on birch infused with mana. It possesses the power to ward off evil and block intrusions from dream demons.
Dream Veil: Blocks magic, curses, and profane influences approaching through dreams.
Creator: Kim Shin-hwa
Current Status: Burst due to overload]
It held out well for about a week, blocking the nightmares, but in the end, it broke.
"Urgh... To make something as good as the Bright Mirror, I'll probably need pricier materials, huh?"
The Bright Mirror contained the influence of an ancient god, after all.
Ancient gods.
Or old gods, great spirits, pure chaos, the Great Ones, beings that existed before the dawn of time, and so on...
People call them whatever they want, but the most widely accepted term is ancient gods.
They stand in opposition to the beings of the abyss, as their natural antithesis—supernatural entities clashing against the denizens of the depths.
Because of that, some think of them as the good gods opposing the bad guys, but that's not accurate.
Depending on the situation, even ancient gods can become demons or calamities at any moment.
From a human perspective, they're all excessively powerful and merciless existences. Like storms or tidal waves, perhaps?
Just as there are no benevolent tidal waves or righteous storms, the mere existence of ancient gods brings immense disaster.
"Still, from a player's standpoint, ancient gods are more convenient."
Some have appeared in human history in positive forms a few times, and tracing back the roots of ancient religions or folk faiths often leads to them.
That's why there are more who are relatively reasonable.
'Plus, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.'
Ancient gods generally despise beings of the abyss.
So if you're fighting abyss entities, some will occasionally lend you power or wisdom.
To put it crudely, they're both gangs of thugs.
The difference is that the ones who've held the territory longer are the ones you can at least talk to a bit.
That's the origin of the item, so even though the ancient god's Bright Mirror was low-grade, it had the power to block the influence emanating from abyss beings.
I took down the dreamcatcher from beside my head and peered into the corrupted parts.
Ordinary items made by gathering mana or natural forces have their limits.
"Tch. Next time, I need to make something proper."
I tossed the dreamcatcher toward the trash bin in the corner of the room.
Thud, clunk.
It hit the edge of the bin and fell to the floor.
But I didn't need to get up and pick it up again.
Creak, clatter...
The trash bin moved on its own and swallowed the dreamcatcher.
It had been two weeks since I acquired the Hungry Manor.
I'd exchanged messages with Tudor and Jang Hyun-deok now and then, but I hadn't gone out much.
I'd suspended my fixer duties to interpret grimoires or craft artifacts, passing the time that way.
"Thanks to that, I've had some minor successes..."
Not entirely satisfying.
Most were about stabilizing the current situation or putting my problems on hold temporarily.
Of course, things weren't completely unchanged.
After a quick wash-up, I grabbed some clothes and headed to the first floor.
"You're awake, sir."
It was Heo Sang-hyun, who had ended up room-sharing with me.
"You're up early again today?"
"I woke up in the morning, sir."
"Hm. What time is it? Feels like afternoon."
"It's 2 p.m."
"Finally sleeping at human hours."
"......I'll prepare your meal, so please wait a moment."
"Got it."
The undead I'd unintentionally inherited from Heo Joo.
Heo Sang-hyun had decided to stick around a bit longer.
Our relationship now was as solid allies, like with Cheong-ho or Jang Hyun-deok.
Though it differed a bit from Jang Hyun-deok.
By [Cthulhu World]'s system, he was my summon... in other words, a magical slave.
'At the same time, he's like a butler NPC tied to the housing system.'
I'd removed the excessive loyalty, but he wasn't fully free either.
Anyway, summon and butler. By the game's system, the title for such a being addressing a player was limited.
At first, Heo Sang-hyun had tried calling me by that honorific.
"Master Shin-hwa, it's ready."
"Yeah."
That felt a bit off too, but if I started nitpicking, it'd never end. Like, 'Shin-hwa, I'm your big bro, so call me casually.' No way was it going that route. For now, we'd live with this.
The dining room next to the living room on the first floor.
In the center stood a massive table draped in a pristine white tablecloth.
Big enough for over ten people to feast, yet today, only I would eat.
On one side: a glass of milk, pancakes, jam, fried eggs, salad, grilled sausages, grilled tomatoes, grilled pineapple, bite-sized cheese chunks...
Listing them out sounds like a lot, but mostly one or two pieces each—perfect portions.
The vast table was the real issue.
A single serving neatly arranged in such expansive space looked utterly absurd.
"I've thought this before, but isn't this dining room ridiculously oversized?"
"The previous owner often held banquets......"
Heo Sang-hyun put a strange nuance on the word "banquets."
Heo Sang-hyun's former master and this manor's owner, Heo Joo, hated wasting corpses.
Human bodies were highly versatile magic materials, golem fodder, spell catalysts.
And leftovers could become jewelry or even food ingredients.
Those "banquets" were probably some inhuman, nauseating ritual.
Or just pointless nonsense to sate Heo Joo's sadism.
"I see."
"Yes. I'll be in the living room if you need me."
"Sure."
Heo Joo apparently loved hosting feasts with others who shared his tastes, but I didn't enjoy eating with company.
Meals weren't something I could do while wearing this mask.
I pulled out the dining mask from the sideboard and swapped it on.
The jaw and mouth were open.
Eyes, forehead, nose, cheeks still covered, but even partial exposure of my face unsettled my mind.
To prevent any glimpse of my face in mirrors, I'd removed every one in the dining room.
Even metal cutlery was gone.
Could call it the obsession of a madman...
"Well, I am a madman."
......
Ah, this sucks. Tried thinking positive, but nah, not easy.
What the hell is this? I wanted to cure this mask obsession quick.
I slowly spread jam on the pancakes with a wooden spoon and ate.
"Mm, this meal is really..."
Undeservedly delicious.
Heo Sang-hyun said it was nothing special, but it was damn good.
At first, I wondered why grill fruit, but some taste better that way than raw.
The sweet-salty harmony of bursting sausages oozing juices and sugar-grilled pineapple was artistic. Then fluffy pancakes and top-quality grape jam he made himself melted in my mouth.
He said he'd kept making this jam even as Heo Joo's slave.
If I twisted it dark, it was jam made by an undead neither living nor dead amid horrific slaughter and profane rites in this manor.
But it was the one thing he'd made of his own will during his enslaved days without free agency.
Too tasty to force bad thoughts.
"Took the Bright Mirror, but got meals like this in exchange—no loss."
Life in the crappy studio after dropping into Cthulhu World had dragged too long.
Wonder what he'll make for dinner...
As I finished eating,
My smartphone buzzed.
'Before coming to this world, I was glued to my phone and PC...'
Games and webnovels—my only hobbies, filling most of my life. Trapped in this bizarre world, chased day by day, paradoxically...
"Ah, right, phone call."
Hadn't used it much, so the vibration didn't scream "answer me."
- Honey! Why didn't you stop by for me last time you were at the market?
Tudor. How'd she know I went to Paju two weeks ago?
"Had no chance to drop by."
- What? Do you know how busy it's been here? Gonna keep slacking like this?
"Busy? Something up?"
- Hmph, whatever. Come see for yourself, and we'll talk work now.
"Calling this early means a named request, right?"
- Early...?
It was proper morning—2 p.m. sharp.
- Honey...... Fixers are like that, I know, but how about living like a normal person?
Hearing that from a witch who could work 24/7 without sleep...
"Not my habits—work talk, remember?"
- Oh, right. Heard you've been making friends and connections behind my back lately? Jealous-making, huh?
Connections, and this timing. I get why she's calling.
"I know why you're calling. Escort job?"
- Hehe... As expected, quick on the uptake—makes it easy. Yep. Came via the old man at Geumchon Pawnshop. Guarding some gentleman. Location's none other than...
"Thousand Gold Hall."
- Bingo! You sly fox! How'd you snag a Thousand Gold gig? They say diligent brokers get lucky even in sleep. Must be Buddha's grace from all that churchgoing.
Obviously joking, but a European witch saying it sounded half-serious—creepy.
Tudor outlined the request, and we agreed to move tomorrow before hanging up.
Tomorrow, my first outing in a while.