You have felled “Avatar – the Quiet Watcher.” Your understanding of Abyssal Entities has greatly increased.
You caused a commotion in the hospital lobby and the closed ward, fought the Quiet Watcher, and created further chaos during your escape. Dozens of groups are directly affected. Consequently, your insight into every stratum of Paju—social, political, and clandestine—has skyrocketed.
You’ve exerted powerful influence over numerous cultists (Gourmet Expedition), increasing your understanding of the Predator in the Mountains sect.
You’ve exerted powerful influence over numerous cultists (Sangbul Temple), increasing your understanding of the Headless Lotus sect.
You’ve exerted powerful influence over numerous cultists (Mara Nigra), increasing your understanding of the Quiet Watcher sect.
You’ve exerted powerful ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) influence over numerous cultists (Blood Demon Cult), increasing your understanding of the Blood Demon King sect.
You’ve exerted powerful influence over numerous cultists (Thirst for Terror), increasing your understanding of the Dread Drinker sect.
You’ve exerted powerful influence over the Immigration Office, increasing your understanding of the Secret Society.
You’ve felled multiple nurses (Paju Central Hospital), increasing your understanding of the Secret Society.
You’ve exerted powerful influence over Paju Central Hospital, increasing your understanding of the Secret Society.
You’ve exerted powerful influence over numerous supernatural entities (closed ward, Paju Central Hospital), increasing your understanding of the Secret Society.
...The messages keep flooding in, to the point of obscuring your vision.
“...Wow.”
There really are a lot of them. You finally cut off the mana sustaining your skateboard and came to a halt in a suitable spot, waiting for the flood of messages to ebb. Amid the endless stream, one entry stands out:
You’ve exerted powerful influence over Watch Head, the Time Traveler, increasing your understanding of the Banquet Offering.
Watch Head? Is that Gong Isu in a helmet turned into a clock? His head changed from a hollow helmet to a timepiece—hence “Watch” instead of “Bubble.” It seems these avatars rename themselves based on form and power, truly like Abyssal Entities.
You’ve gained enough experience to reach the next tier. Level up! +3 levels.
“Oh.”
Despite this being a tough stretch for advancement, combat alone earned you three levels.
Discovery: Secret Space (3) of Paju Central Hospital found. Experience awarded.
Discovery: Secret Artifact (2) of Paju Central Hospital acquired. Experience awarded.
You’ve gained enough experience to reach the next tier. Level up! +1 level.
Achievement unlocked! You have earned the Watch Head achievement (display text upon completion). Elite Achievement: “Banquet Offering.” As a reward, Watch Head becomes a steadfast ally, and you gain Null Fragment and bonus experience.
“So they do call Gong Isu Watch Head.”
Gong Isu never appeared in the game and doesn’t align with this timeline—so the achievement text glitched.
Achievement unlocked! You caused massive chaos in the closed ward of Paju Central Hospital. Elite Achievement: “Patient Rampage.” As a reward, Lee Ha-seo becomes a steadfast ally, you gain an Experimental Authorization, and bonus experience.
“...”
Lee Ha-seo is now a firm ally. Expected, but it’s hard to feel purely pleased.
Achievement unlocked! You expelled Avatar – the Quiet Watcher. Elite Achievement: “Noisy Neighbor.” As a reward, all forces related to the Predator in the Mountains become hostile toward you, and you obtain Cliff Shard and a large quantity of Mana Stones.
Achievement unlocked! You escaped the closed ward of Paju Central Hospital. Standard Achievement: “Discharge.” As a reward, Paju Central Hospital becomes hostile toward you, you gain a Random IPE, and bonus experience.
Achievement unlocked! You snapped out of stupor. Standard Achievement: “Dangerous Beyond the Covers.” As a reward, Dream Scent joins you, and you gain bonus experience.
The additional achievements feel like rightful spoils.
Experience Bonus: You achieved 5 achievements at Paju Central Hospital.
You’ve gained enough experience to reach the next tier. Level up! +1 level.
“How do I actually claim these rewards besides experience?”
Usually they’d auto-populate in inventory, but now you must retrieve them manually—impossible outside the hospital. Must go back?
You’ve reached level 57!
Reward for leveling: +1 freely allocable stat point.
A bonus stat point outweighs other interim rewards. Charisma is already 20; Willpower 18 (plus artifact bonus to 20). You could boost Strength or Health, but...
“To stand firm against madness is the first necessity.”
You allocated the bonus point to Willpower, raising it to 21. You could handle enemies tied to madness, but attacks fixated on insanity alone are brutal. You decide to raise raw Willpower to 20 without artifact support.
“Though not perfected, I’ve felled another Abyssal-spawned Avatar. Once might’ve been chance, but twice is skill.”
Previously, you defeated Dagon’s Avatar, Pale Wave; now the Quiet Watcher. Neither fully manifested due to forced summoning aftereffects.
“This proves how special you are. Abyssal Entities now definitely notice you. All who dwell in the Abyss will observe you.”
“Let them try.”
With Cliff Shard in hand, you now wield a weapon against those entities. It may be a mere thorn to them, but it’s enough to pierce.
“You’ve also tampered with causality. How it returns to you is unknown. Now not only the chaotic future but the chaotic past can reach you. Enjoy the impending horror from every direction.”
“They even changed the final line.”
But it feels ominous. Disturbing Gong Isu...was that wise? Increasingly, my world diverges from the Cthulhu realm I knew. Perhaps that’s why I got that final message.
“Future Shin-hwa Kim said everything’s on track.”
Then no need to waste thought here.
“Anyway, where are my achievement rewards? Don’t vanish on me—hand them over!”
Silence.
“Hey? What—”
Just as you’re about to unleash curses, a distant explosion—
“Kraaaang!”
A whistling roar approaches. You turn to see a massive creature hurtling toward you, not flying but launched by an explosion in the closed ward. Smoke still drifts from somewhere in the hospital.
It’s charging directly at you.
“Here we go.”
[Leap]
Kraaaang!
The creature, half-cooked by the blast, crashed to the ground and shattered into fragments, obliterating any hint of its original form. Inside its torn carcass lay Mana Stones beyond measure.
“What a sloppy way to process it.”
But no matter. What matters is acquiring a fortune of Mana Stones easily. Enough to fulfill Yeom Geum-ja’s request for a bulk delivery of Mana-bomb crystals.
“My burden is too heavy to carry alone. I wonder if Jang Hyun-deok has recovered enough?”
“Come on, Roll-Roll, get in.”
The miniaturized stone creature scurried into Jang Hyun-deok’s Kolben.
“Let’s behave until we get home.”
Roll-Roll rumbled happily from swallowing so many Mana Stones.
“Geez, why didn’t you call me earlier in the day?”
“I wanted to visit the hospital too, you know.”
“Hmm—”
Misreading your pause, Jang Hyun-deok elaborated.
“Strange things keep happening, right? Maybe it’s an occupational hazard of problem-solvers—nervous breakdowns.”
She’s euphemistically saying she feels like she might go mad. You understand.
“For now, stay away from that hospital.”
“Why?”
The engine starts, and the car pulls away, revealing Paju Station’s nightscape. In the distance towers Paju Central Hospital, smoke curling from its corner.
“It’s under internal repairs.”
“Ah... I should’ve known somewhere you visited wouldn’t stay intact.”
She wants to object, but you’re at fault.
“Hmph. For mental issues, I’ve got something better than a hospital.”
“Better than a hospital? What?”
“Alcohol.”
“...Wizard.”
Jang Hyun-deok looks at you pityingly.
“No—think what you will.”
Among unclaimed rewards is Dream Scent, a rare libation with special effects. You open your bag and pull out an old scroll.
“Wenn Mana Stones entered my bag somehow, Dream Scent will too.”
“What’s that?”
“Do you know what papyrus is?”
“Papyrus?”
Papyrus is a paper made in ancient Egypt.
“This is it.”
“Oh—an antique?”
“Exactly.”
But not an ordinary antique: IPE-21, OOPArt Blueprint. The Random IPE reward from escaping the closed ward is this.
“So it was just hidden in my bag without my knowledge?”
You found it while waiting for Jang Hyun-deok.
“Well, Lee Ha-seo packed this bag after all.”
It’s possible something was inside that you didn’t notice—but isn’t that a stretch? You definitely inspected its contents before escaping. How could you miss this?
“Wizard, what’s written here?”
“Oh, this? Want to see?”
As you reach to unroll the scroll—
[System: Penalty Trait “Shattered Mind” activates.]
“Ugh, Hyun-deok, hold on.”
You stuff the scroll back into the bag. You’re finally outside Paju Central Hospital’s sphere of influence.
You currently have one Madness point, so a random Madness emerges.
[System: You acquire Phobia—Aviophobia.]
A fear of flying? Is this different from acrophobia?
“No, wait.”
“Wizard?”
“No, not you—wait. Could it be—?”
Your words fade as Jang Hyun-deok chatters on; you can’t make out a thing.
“Hyun-deok, it can’t be. Right?”
“Wizard, you’re not seeing another hallucination, are you?”
“What do you see right now? Please be quiet a moment.”
“Wizard, you started talking to me first...”
Is it...is it a phobia of all winged creatures?
Shin-hwa Kim
Class: Abyssal-Gazer Mage
Level: 57
Magic Rank: 5th Circle
Madness: Mask Obsession (latent), Aviophobia
Strength 5 + 4 (Residual of Northern Fist Sect)
Health 7 + 3 (Sign’s True Sword, Green Sprout)
Agility 8 + 2 (Night Veil Winged Cloak)
Intelligence 30
Willpower 19 + 2 (Necklace of Corporeal Seizure)
Charisma 20
