Kzzzzzzzzzt!
“Good. That should do for now.”
I am now both a [Possessed Player] trapped in a game world and a [Regressor].
Along with future intel, I’ve gained the chance to repair bad choices and mistakes— but at the same time, a special penalty is imposed on those who flout the laws of space-time.
[Prey of Tindalos]
Its structure isn’t a debuff that clings constantly like [Shattered Mind]; it’s more like [Offering of the Banquet], a penalty that irregularly empowers a certain-attribute enemy or increases the chance of encountering them.
“I did think someday I might end up like this.......”
So this is how it goes.
“You’ve chosen the hard road.”
The [Smiling One] trapped within the basement wards speaks to me through Cheongho’s form.
Why does that bastard always show up in that shape?
“Hah. Shut it. Anywhere else I need to block?”
“Mm.......”
Cheongho’s silhouette briefly looks around.
What I see as Cheongho is only an image to unify my mental picture. Motions like turning the head are meaningless.
Even so, the [Smiling One] dutifully moves Cheongho’s head, scans around, then speaks.
“Looks like you blocked everything.”
“Good.”
“You might stop one or two, but if their numbers rise you’ll need a different response.”
“They won’t rise. This is enough.”
Living in this hellish [Cthulhu World], I’ve learned what matters and what matters less.
The most important thing?
A peaceful refuge.
Whatever else, I refuse to be hounded by [Hounds of Tindalos] even inside the [Hungry Mansion]. I need sleep, don’t I?
So I threw every resource I have into reinforcing the mansion’s wards. At least in this house, I won’t have to worry about [Hounds of Tindalos].
“Now pay up.”
Cheongho holds out a hand from within the wards.
“Isn’t that a little pricey?”
“Information belonging to another space-time is pricey by nature.”
“Ng. Fine. Deal.”
I tossed one [Avatar Stone] imbued with the mana of the [Predator of the Mountain] into the ward.
“Kk-k-k-k— thank you.”
Screeeee—
There go one of my only five [Avatar Stones]. But it wasn’t a losing trade.
I didn’t just buy a ward to block [Hounds of Tindalos].
I bargained with the high-intelligence [Smiling One] and learned about the structure of space-time and Tindalos itself. And I picked up a few useful spells.
‘Good thing I bought myself a few extra days.’
A day was enough to thwart Mun Gyeongnam, but I moved earlier than that. I needed to restore Sanity— and prep a few things.
“All right. One way or another, preparations are done.”
Move.
Faster than the others this time.
— What did you say?
Park Gwangrim’s fluster comes through the phone.
“It’s a trap. You go there, you die.”
— I don’t understand. On what basis can you assert that?
What should I say to make him actually listen?
“I awakened precognition.”
— ......Are you serious?
“Do you believe a mage?”
— No.
Park Gwangrim’s eyes were already clouded by greed.
If a simple danger warning would make him let go, he wouldn’t have gone into business with me in the first place.
“But you do believe money. How much were you planning to make off this?”
— I don’t know what you’re thinking, but money talk is always fun. Can you give me, say, ten billion won?
Joking tone.
He probably tossed out any number to shut me up.
“Sure. I’ll send it.”
— Haha, see— wait, what? You’ll pay?
“Yeah. I can’t wire a hundred billion won to your account, so I’ll send it through Tudor. I’ll cover all fees— a clean hundred billion you don’t have to worry about in any way. Take it, drop that job, and pull out.”
Not certain, but Park Gwangrim triggered a critical variable in this incident.
‘Even if it’s not Park Gwangrim, the [Soul Shackle] will be unearthed eventually.’
It shows up several times in the game, so even without Park’s [Dowsing], the cultists will eventually find the [Soul Shackle] in the ruins under Buyeo.
But at least I can buy time.
And if the cost of ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) that time is a hundred billion?
I can pay it.
— ......All right.
“On one condition.”
— Condition?
“Find someone for me. With that much money on the table, you can provide that level of service, right?”
I hear Park Gwangrim laugh on the other end. Then muttered Chinese. What’s he grumbling?
— So who is it? Who’s worth a hundred billion?
“There’s an idiot named Jang Hyundeok. Find him.”
Rrrrrrrrrrumble—
A tremendous vibration.
Thud— —thunk!!
A shock and noise I’ve already experienced once. And a view almost the same as last time.
After I rerouted Park Gwangrim’s destination, I contacted Yeonam Construction through Tudor right away.
‘Honey, what did you do?’
‘Secret.’
‘Really? Hm— interesting.’
My previous talk with Tudor and meeting with Pani were skipped, but that schedule wasn’t important, so it’s fine.
‘I tried to skip everything I could.......’
I wanted to leave this morning, but there was one appointment I had to cover.
‘I signed an annoying contract.’
If I don’t meet Lee Haseo at set intervals and help with physical exams or her experiments, it’s a breach of contract.
And it’s not a normal contract; it’s a magical one, so I can’t just ignore it.
So I hurried to meet Lee Haseo in the morning and......
‘Ahh, such lustrous blood—’
‘Ack! Don’t drink it! Stop!’
‘I wasn’t gonna—’
......had to give blood.
Time wasted on an unimportant event pushed my departure back a bit.
“We’re nearing Misiryeong nowww!”
In the end we only reached Sokcho at a darker hour than last time.
But it’s still a huge result. I moved the date up by two whole days.
Would it have been better to confirm the new madness first before leaving?
Moving the schedule two days up means no new madness has been assigned yet.
Now that it’s dark, it’ll probably come in around four hours.
‘What’s coming? The same old magic phobia? Or something else?’
The game’s admin bastards must already know I rewound time and returned to the past.
How will they play it?
‘Whatever it is, I don’t care. I’ll overcome it anyway.’
That doesn’t mean I have a special countermeasure. Now that I’ve realized ‘I can go this far’— there’s no need for half-baked fear or hesitation.
‘Junior. You’ve got four left.’
‘Four what?’
‘Chances to meet me. It was six, but just like you erased one by changing the future last time, this meeting between us will also become something that never happened. So four are left.’
‘Understood.’
Even this feels like a game in a way.
Even if the worst happens, if I can get help from Gong Isu, I can try again.
‘But this is less a save point than.......’
It feels like remaining lives.
The Gong Isu I met at the hospital last time said someday I’d meet him and I’d take care of the [Hounds of Tindalos] for him, right?
‘No— don’t get comfortable just because of that.’
I can’t guarantee the Gong Isu I meet next time will be friendly.
And the more I regress, the more [Hounds of Tindalos] will track me. I can handle one, but if the number rises, there’s no countermeasure.
“What’s wrong? Mage, are you carsick?”
Choi Mina, seated across from me, asks the same question as last time.
“Want something to drink?”
“No. I’m fine. And you should get ready for the ambush.”
Screeee—
Ahn Hyeonggu’s endoscope swings my way.
“Ambush?”
“Yes. You remember what I said earlier, right?”
“Right, I remember it well!”
Gwak Daeyong in the front seat whips around and cranes his face toward me.
“Pro Kim— because you suddenly insisted and forced a schedule change, we came first without the other teams— are you sure this is okay? Honestly, we—”
Gwak Daeyong looks a bit unsure.
Yeah. Including Gwak Daeyong— this slapdash security team Yeonam Group threw together has great gear, but not great skills.
Even a huge company’s salaries are what they are.
If you’re putting your life on the line either way, why be corporate and get shoved into unreasonable danger? It pays better to form your own team and work freelance.
They even make espers sign a pledge to donate their bodies to the company if they die.
If someone truly died in an accident, there’s nothing to say— but is there really no case where they push you into a mission where it’s obvious they just want your corpse?
“I don’t want to donate my body. So— Pro Kim. Do it right!”
“Got it, so stop blocking the driver and sit back!”
“Right, anyway—”
“Ah, boss! Move!”
Gwak Daeyong finally returns to his seat only after Choi Mina has to shove his head back.
“Ugh, Mage. Sorry— our boss is a dummy.”
Even when circumstances change, somehow most things flow roughly the same.
Which means the ambush will start soon.
“Sharp curve incoming.”
Yom Cheolmin’s voice.
Screeeech—
The truck enters Misiryeong.
Clatter— rrrrrrr—
“Pro Kim— Pro Kim! Hey, an old man! Old man! I see an old man!”
Gwak Daeyong suddenly repeats the word “old man.”
[System : ‘Heightened Vigilance’ activates.]
Right, it’s begun.
My sensing naturally expands. I feel the presence of the [Evergreen Mountaineering Club] hidden in the Misiryeong woods. Refined mana. And killing intent.
“Okay. Mr. Hyeonggu, open the door. I’m going out.”
The date is two days earlier, but the [Evergreen Mountaineering Club] had been attacking Moon Seunghui for weeks already.
Before the new madness kicks in in earnest, I’m going to clear everything I can.
“Can you really handle this alone?”
“Oh, sure. I’ve got to earn my fee.”
Clack—
Vrooooooom—
As the door opens, a fierce wind pressure slams in. A short deep breath. Right— how cramped was it not being able to use magic? Let’s go.
[The unique function ‘Wings of the Celestial Demon’ of L-grade clothing ‘Night Veil Wing Garment’ activates.
// Wings of the Celestial Demon: automatically casts the ‘Flight’ spell.]
Frrrrrrrrip—
The pitch-black coat billows grandly— and launches me out of the armored truck.
The armored truck is barreling along, but I fly even faster and......
[Bloodfire]
[Spell Boost: Chain Explosion]
Rrrrrrrrumble—
I spew a flame with a viscous, bloodlike aspect toward where the [Evergreen Mountaineering Club] is hiding.
Kwoaaaaaang!
Explosions follow.
“Gyaaaah!”
“Scatter!”
Waiting for the moment to ambush, the [Evergreen Mountaineering Club] takes an unexpected hit and scatters in all directions.
Between thick-grown trees I catch flashes of bright hiking wear.
[Sonic Shock]
“Sorry, elders! If you don’t want to get hurt, all of you back off!”
My shout rides the shockwave of sound and rolls out with a rrrrrrumbling blast.
Whirr-r-rip—
Whirr-rip—
Magic-stone bombs come flying from all sides.
“Yeah, you weren’t going to back off that easily. And magic-stone bombs— I’m really sick of those.”
[Ignition]
Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwa-gwang!
A spell that forces explosives to trigger. The magic-stone bombs all self-detonate before they can reach me.
“Okay then, bombs are banned!”
[Spell Boost: Range Increase]
I add [Range Increase] to [Ignition]’s formula to extend the area.
“Danger! Fall back!”
Bababababak!
Wow, veterans indeed.
Sensing what I’m about to do, the old-timers instantly drop the magic-stone bombs or get out of range entirely.
“Good. I’m glad you’re at least backing off cleanly.”
[Lightning Shockwave]
[Surging Waves]
[Raging Current]
Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwa-gwang! Kwarrrrrrrrrrk!
To be more certain, I call down waves and lightning and sweep this whole area.
Frrrrrrrrip—
Then I return to the armored truck.
“Huh? What’s with those faces?”
Everyone inside, including Gwak Daeyong, stares at me looking dumbfounded.
“Y-you’re even more incredible than before. Truly amazing.......”
“Seriously— a real mage. Really! I’ve never seen power like this!”
Ah, just compliments. A little embarrassing.
“It’s not that big a deal.”
Ahn Hyeonggu trains every endoscope on me and adds an unnecessary remark.
“And for a mage this powerful to be this mentally stable.......”
“Mm.......”
We’ve only got a few hours left on that.
It’s under thirty minutes to the construction site from here.
I fully subdued Mun Gyeongnam before coming, and this time I can finally confirm exactly what’s going on here.
