"It’s not actually a hard problem."
It’s a question where the answer is half decided already.
"Sokcho."
Or more precisely, should I say Seoraksan?
That’s where the bastard beyond the message window— the one whose alias is [||`/a®|_a†|-|◎+ëP], seriously, what a joke— said the [Lacrex Codex] would likely be.
"Strictly, he said the [Lacrex Codex] was moving toward the Abyssal entity [Great Source], right?"
And Seoraksan is exactly where a flesh fragment of that [Great Source] remains.
Brought up like this at this timing, I can’t not check Seoraksan.
Of course, Seoraksan isn’t the only place connected to [Great Source]...
But we’re talking about an Abyssal entity— a place containing its own body.
No matter how long ago that body was discarded and rotted and decayed, at a place where such remains exist, descent can happen without a medium, one of the absolute conditions for descent.
You just descend through the discarded fragment.
On top of that, Yeonam Construction is gathering gifted espers there who could serve as sacrifices.
If they know the rite, the cultists of [Great Source] can execute his descent with absurd ease.
Having made up my mind, I called Tudor first.
"So that’s how it is."
— Hehe, good. Darling. Then I’ll inform Yeonam Construction. When will you depart?
"Mm, nothing too grand so—"
Tomorrow, right away?
No, hold on.
There is one grand thing left.
I still have one empty madness slot.
"Hmm, depending on which madness I get, I might need to adjust the schedule."
"It’s confirmed for now, but let’s reschedule the departure tomorrow."
— That’s fine too. Oh, if you need it, Yeonam said they can send transport... What will you do?
They even arrange transport— how moving.
"I have a driver. No need to ride in someone else’s car."
— Hm, you’re going to take that kid’s car again? I know she’s old enough to get in and out of Tanhyeon, but is she competent enough to take to Sokcho?
True, to get to Sokcho you have to cross the sprawling danger zones west to east.
At low level, that trip alone can be a risky venture that needs serious prep.
But at my current level, the driver’s skill isn’t the issue.
"If I put my mind to it, we can cut across Seoul, so don’t worry. Of course..."
Keeping Jang Hyundeok with me while working in Sokcho... could get cumbersome.
"Anyway, including the transport, I’ll think on it a bit."
— Sure. The road to Sokcho’s been secured for ages, so no need to agonize. Just decide however’s comfortable for you.
"Got it."
I wrapped up with Tudor and called the next person.
"I thought it over. It’s double booked, so it’ll be hard for me to join you."
— Ah, so that’s how it is? Then shall I move alone?
Park Gwangrim made no effort to hide his disappointment.
"Hmm, but that doesn’t mean I’m washing my hands of it."
— Mm, and by that you mean?
"I’ve recently made a few capable cultist friends. I’ll introduce you. If you move with them, it’ll be easier to approach the cultist side."
— Cultist friends? Not Bongilcheon Sect or the Three Heads?
"Right. Cultists."
— Hah, now you even command cultists. Planning world conquest next?
"World conquest, what. In front of Yang Seoho they’re just a handful of rabble. While we’re at it— don’t force an approach to Yang Seoho."
No matter what scam Park Gwangrim runs, do you think his fangs will sink into Yang Seoho?
"Frankly, Mr. Gwangrim, I don’t think you’re going to achieve anything grand."
— Now isn’t that looking down on me a bit much?
I’m not looking down on Park Gwangrim. Nor is Yang Seoho some piercing judge who’ll see through his con.
Yang Seoho probably won’t even listen to him.
With out-of-spec power and out-of-spec belligerence, the moment you run your mouth, Yang Seoho’s fist will fly.
Let’s hope your head doesn’t pop in one hit.
After stating that directly, I added calmly,
"Whatever the cultists gather to do, Yang Seoho will smash it all anyway. So don’t risk your neck chasing huge profit— just come back alive. And if you just tell me what happened along the way, I’ll make sure you’re compensated so you won’t feel shortchanged."
— Mm, understood. But...
Even after I said that much, he made it clear he planned to push ahead, and only after a drag of a back-and-forth did I get to end the call.
"Hmph, suit yourself."
I haven’t exactly accepted the quest, but I decided to actively support Park Gwangrim’s movements.
The event will of course end in Yang Seoho’s victory, but I need to find out what the cultists deploy and what exchanges occur in the process.
"It’d be even better to see it with my own eyes."
Honestly, this event is suspicious.
Something similar exists in the game, but the situation differs from the quest unfolding now.
Baengma River ruins, of all places?
The Baengma River site is linked to [Source of All Corruption], the avatar of [Great Source].
"As expected, suspicious."
The opponent is an Abyssal entity.
Having more avatars doesn’t mean stronger; having fewer doesn’t mean weaker.
[Great Source] has exactly two avatars:
[Source of Life] and [Source of All Corruption].
"He said the [Lacrex Codex] was near [Great Source], but he might mean the [Source of All Corruption] in Buyeo."
By “he” I obviously mean [||`/a®|_a†|-|◎+ëP].
Either way, there could be a trick; raising antennas is just standard procedure.
"Ugh, I’m tired. What a way to spend the last day of vacation."
More like the day before the incident— that’s more accurate.
I was sitting in the living room debating which cultist to introduce to Park Gwangrim when Heo Sanghyun suddenly approached and spoke.
"Mr. Sinhwa."
Heo Sanghyun looked worried.
"Have you heard from Hyundeok?"
"From Jang Hyundeok? What message—"
No, that’s not the question. I hastily corrected myself.
"Looks like he hasn’t told you much either?"
Jang Hyundeok went to Ansan to see his siblings, and we haven’t heard from him in three days.
"His vacation ends today, so he’ll be back soon."
"I thought he’d be back for dinner tonight and cooked accordingly. I guess I jumped the gun."
Heo Sanghyun wore a regretful look.
From the kitchen, a thick perfume of oil was flooding out— seems he prepared lots of fried dishes Hyundeok likes.
"He just isn’t fated to eat them, that’s all."
"But you can’t eat much, Mr. Sinhwa."
Ah, he means the food-waste issue.
"Mm— well, I’ll do my best tonight."
"It won’t do a man with a weak stomach any good to eat a lot of fried food."
Nngh. Annoying, but true.
If I’d known beforehand that reduced Health stats would affect fried food intake, I’d have allocated differently.
Huh, wait?
A powerful surge of mana entered my detection range.
— [chirr-r-r-rk!]
And the sentry cry of Kkumeuri from the attic.
"[screeeeech!]"
Rrrrrumble— clatterrrr, drrrrrr—
"An enemy? Battle stations!?"
Heo Sanghyun sprinted for the ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) entryway, but I shouted toward Kkumeuri in the attic.
"No! Kkumeuri, stop! Leave it!"
Sensing something off in my reaction, Heo Sanghyun halted and looked back at me.
"Leave it? Not an enemy?"
"Right. Not an enemy— someone who’ll eat the fried food in Hyundeok’s place."
From far outside the mansion came the br-r-r-r-rum of an engine— and with it, that signature laugh.
"Bahahahaha! The guardian of Cheongeumdang, Captain Cheongeum, arrives!"
A motorcycle whose round wheels are replaced by spinning blue foxfire.
Seo Cheonseul came flying, wearing a flashy rider jacket that suited such a surreal motorcycle.
"Bahahaha, for a house spirit you’ve got impressive cooking!"
It’s a near-taboo phrase in this home, but you can’t expect better from Seo Cheonseul.
Called a house spirit, Heo Sanghyun returned the compliment with a somewhat hollow smile. I hurried to change the subject so no similar words came out of Seo Cheonseul’s mouth again.
"Anyway— what’s up? Suddenly."
"Ah, Kim seobang. Remember the cursed items you entrusted to this body eight years ago?"
Eight years...
"I didn’t entrust them that long ago, but yes, I did present certain goods to Man Geum Daewang."
Last time, when he came by with Dream Incense, I sent him off with the gold siphoned from Insoo Village.
"Ah, right, was it last week? Anyway, dates don’t matter. As thanks for your devotion, Man Geum Daewang bestows a gift."
"A gift— I’m intrigued. What is it?"
"Here, this."
From the sack hanging at his waist, he drew a long sticklike object. Obviously longer than the sack, but no one in this house is surprised by things at that level.
Not just a stick. Wrinkled heteromorph hide wrapped round and round— no, it’s an umbrella.
"Ah, [Disaster Averting Umbrella], huh?"
[Disaster Averting Umbrella (S-grade Armor) — An umbrella made by flaying a monster that lives on the ghost road. The handle is ginkgo wood with sacred vigor; the ribs use blessed gold.
Avert Calamity — Simply carrying the umbrella grants S-grade defense against curses, spirit damage, and beguilement, and B-grade defense against attacks of all attributes.
Evade Harm — When opened, automatically casts an S-grade protective field that blocks fire, lightning, shock, and physical attacks.
Release — Gathers absorbed impacts and discharges them at once as a shockwave. Shockwave power scales with absorbed impact.]
"Oh, truly something I don’t need."
Curses, spirit damage, beguilement— [Abyssal Madness] is already handling those nicely. And an S-grade protective field? When would I sit around opening this? If I just shout "[Protective Field]!" I get a field.
Sure, B-grade defense to all attributes is nice.
"It’s a rare piece, so it’ll make a good gift. Who should I give it to?"
I thought that, but I poured out words about being moved by Man Geum Daewang’s gracious favor, which pleased Seo Cheonseul.
This gacha roll was a miss, but it’s still a high-rank artifact. I should aim for a guaranteed gacha later.
"Good, then can I ask the same favor again this time? I’ve actually piled up tons of items to present to Man Geum Daewang."
It’s a gacha that trades bundled junk for high-rank artifacts. Best to roll whenever there’s a chance.
"Ah, I could, but let’s do it next time."
"Next time?"
"Yeah. This time, this body has a separate mission from Man Geum Daewang."
"A mission? What is it?"
Right on cue.
"Bahahaha, it’s a secret, so I can’t say."
"Ah, of course. A secret mission from Man Geum Daewang, huh? Hearing it that way makes me even more curious."
"Ehet— but it’s a secret. And a secret means— even to Kim seobang I must not tell it."
"Right, right. Anyway— Mr. Sanghyun, could you bring out a few bottles of that Chinese liquor you said you got from the market head, Blood Marquis?"
"Bahahaha— till we meet again!"
Seo Cheonseul shot off, delighted.
You could call it drunk driving, but he seemed to have shed the buzz already when he got up, so no need to worry.
"Eh, ended up just losing liquor for nothing."
"Wasn’t that helpful information?"
"No. Thanks to you, I learned a lot."
Noticing what I’d done, Heo Sanghyun kept cooking endless dishes to please Seo Cheonseul, and in the end Seo Cheonseul blabbed— he spilled everything he knew.
"Bahahaha— I’m off to Busan to clean out the den of henge yokai."
Henge yokai.
Yokai from Japan.
And Cure Medical Care is a Japan-based company.
"Hmm— that’s troublesome."
I suspected, and of course.
If I take Cure’s request, I’ll have to fight Seo Cheonseul.
"I’ll have to approach that one carefully."
As it stands, the officially accepted requests narrow to "Sokcho" and "Buyeo." And since I won’t go to Buyeo personally, that locks in just Sokcho.
"As for ‘Busan’..." I’ll refrain from half-baked meddling and, like Buyeo, just plant an antenna and call it done.
"Come to think of it, it’s almost midnight, and still no word from Hyundeok."
Heo Sanghyun checked the clock, worried about Jang Hyundeok.
"Hmm, he’ll be here soon. Probably—"
—Around three or four in the morning? I was about to add that when I shut my mouth at the message window blocking my view.
[System : Penalty trait ‘Broken Mind’ is activating. As you currently hold 1 madness, a random madness will manifest.]
Ah, vacation’s finally over?
What will it be this time? Fear of flying was a pain because of the accompanying anger management issue, but it was fairly manageable.
Let this one be something doable too—
[System : ‘Madness – Magic Phobia’ has been bestowed upon your mind.]
"Huh?"
"Mr. Sinhwa?"
"Ahahahaha— uhahahahaha!"
"Mr. Sinhwa? Mr. Sinhwa? Are you all right?"
At last, the time to delete the character has come.
