Step— step—
The Conqueror’s gaze, drawing near at an unhurried pace, tilts slightly. What is she looking at?
Where her eyes settle lies the corpse of the [Guardian of Bongam Hall], sprawled in the wrecked main hall.
At the same time, ripples spread across the Conqueror’s mana that had been calm like a lake.
[System: ‘Enhanced Vigilance’ activates.]
Yeah, I know it’s dangerous without the warning.
I knew the Evergreen Mountaineering Club and Bongam Hall were on friendly terms... Wait, were they that close? Was there a setting like that?
Ah—during the game there wasn’t any situation where the Guardian of Bongam Hall died, was there?
So there was never a chance for that setting to come out.
‘Right, that setting just got revealed now.’
If [Old Voice] fights the [Evergreen Mountaineering Club]?
You’d have to consider a few variables, but [Old Voice] would win.
That is, if the [Evergreen Mountaineering Club] didn’t have the Conqueror.
‘Now I’m sure about the last run’s setup.’
Originally, I wouldn’t have been here.
The cultists of [Old Voice] would have burned the [Bongam Tome],
And the Conqueror, having witnessed it, would have carved the cultists to pieces.
Then, using the remains of the [Bongam Tome], she would have tried to perform a rite to revive the [Guardian of Bongam Hall].
I interfered and the situation shifted a bit, but the Conqueror’s choices wouldn’t have changed much.
‘First, cut down every last one here. Tears can be shed slowly after everyone’s dead.’
That’s roughly what she’s thinking, right? Ah, this is going to drive me crazy.
If I dither like this, I’ll get saddled with a ridiculous false charge.
"No, I mean—"
"Out of the way!"
A cultist suddenly yells and sprints for the main gate. Ah—damn it, why is that guy doing this now of all times?!
A plan to escape while our attention’s split? Rational enough. He casts a spell as he runs for the gate.
[Fire Blast]
Fwoooooosh!
Shiiiing—
The Conqueror draws one of her twin swords.
At a speed the eye can barely catch—the swordlight that whirls up around her scatters the incoming flames in a single breath.
"My warning’s late."
Tock.
The blade slides back into the scabbard at her hip.
"Anyone who moves without my leave—I’ll cut down. Retroactive, by the way."
"W-what? W-wait— that sword— y-you— no, you— could it be—"
Those were the cultist’s last words.
Thud—
His head separates from his body and hits the ground.
The head rolls across the courtyard of Bongam Hall, blinking a few times, mouth opening and closing, before finally going still.
Fwoooosh!
Only then does the cultist’s body realize it’s dead and collapse, gushing a tremendous amount of blood.
‘Outrageous swordsmanship.’
"So you’re a mage too."
"That I am."
She just said "you too," didn’t she? The Conqueror is lumping me and these old guys together.
"And that mask, and that wicked mana."
She doesn’t say more, but I can guess what she’s leaving out.
‘You’re a cultist, aren’t you?’
What should I answer? Hahaha, isn’t this mask cool?
No, not that. I took it from a cultist and I’m wearing it. But it’s cursed, so I absolutely can’t take it off. How’s that? Sounds believable, right?
The Conqueror steps one pace closer to me.
"Go on."
"...Do what?"
"Explain."
"As I said earlier—"
I was about to say, ‘I’m the one who dropped the cultists here!’ but the Conqueror lifts her hand and cuts me off.
"Kid, I can guess there’s daylight between you and the trash rolling around here. But that’s not reason enough for me to spare you. Tell me why I should let you live."
"Grrrrrrrr—"
At the same time her words end, the enormous black dog assumes an attack stance.
"Well—"
If # Nоvеlight # I say because I’m stronger than you, she’ll get mad, right? While I’m searching for the right line, something suddenly blocks my vision.
[System: The penalty trait ‘Broken Mind’ activates. Since you currently have 1 Madness, a random Madness will manifest.]
Ah. Midnight.
The timing is shit on shit on shit.
"Got nothing to say?"
"N-no. Wait. Just a moment. One minute— no, twenty seconds— no, five seconds!"
"Is your head not right?"
"No, but it will be in a moment— just give me a second! Really! Really! Hey, that hand! Why is it already moving to your sword hilt?"
Ah, I’m going to lose it. If you’re going to hand me a madness, hurry up and do it—get out of my face!
[System: Your mind is afflicted with ‘Madness – Cynophobia’.]
Dogs?
Now?
Of all times, this one now?
"Ah. I get it!"
"What on earth—"
"This fucking timing! This was all a setup, wasn’t it! What’s ‘random’? You picked exactly what would screw me, didn’t you? You fucker! I knew it. You bastard! You were watching the whole time!"
Isn’t this one of those situations where cursing is unavoidable?
"This won’t do."
Shiiing—
Whoa, she’s drawing! She’s drawing.
"Grrrrrrrr—"
At the same time, the thing standing beside the Conqueror—<a monster that exhales a horrid smoke from its nostrils like a brimstone stench—chews calamity with its jaws—and excretes death from its rear>—lets out a thunderous howl and surges forward.
[‘Chokko,’ friend of the ‘Conqueror of the Evergreen Mountaineering Club,’ agitates your Madness.]
Ah, cute name for that thing.
Hey, you bastard behind the message window—this is fun for you? Huh? You enjoying this?
Ssssak—
The Conqueror moves at insane speed, and the two swords at her hip—one Tweety, the other Ice Veil, right?
Ice Veil comes for my neck. No questions asked. It’s far too late to handle this by talking.
[Lightning Field]
Bzzzzzzzt!
Tweety dances—and the lightning spraying toward her scatters.
Amazing!
[Ward]
Skrrrk—
The ward is sliced apart in a single sweep.
From the message about agitating my Madness to now—barely a second has passed.
[‘Madness – Cynophobia’ manifests.]
[Leap]
I spring back and—
[Fireball]
As I fling a fireball, I cast two more spells at angles that are hard for her to respond to.
[Dancing Blades]
[Blade Mist]
How’s that?
The fireball is cut apart. Yeah, I knew that would happen!
Shraaaaak— kararararang!
The real threat is the dozens of blades made of magic and the storm of blades blooming like mist.
Skagak— sksseok—
Wow, she just cuts those too.
Up to here—another second.
[You test your Mind stat to resist delirium.]
"Roooaaar!"
From the flank charges <a being born to prove that this world is a piece of hell composed of absurdity and misfortune, hatred and resentment, sorrow and frustration>. No—so your name is Chokko? Good grief—this is going to drive me mad.
[The unique function ‘Dreamlike Blur’ of the L-grade accessory ‘Mask of Carcosa’ activates.
// Dreamlike Blur: Auto-casts the spell ‘Blink’.]
A sensation like the world spinning.
I reappear in the main hall of Bongam Hall, but the Conqueror is already flying my way. Wow, she predicted the blink and already used a movement skill? Are you a pro gamer?
[Impact Horn]
KAAA-THOOM!
I frantically rake the air to form a shockwave, but the Conqueror kicks off empty air and leaps again.
Oh, come on! That movement skill doesn’t have a cooldown?
"Roooaar!"
As the Conqueror soars skyward, <the monstrous extract distilled by gathering and concentrating all the world’s vices and absurdities> lunges from her shadow.
Up to here—one second.
[Mind check... failed.]
Waaah— I hate it here! I hate this world! I hate this place! I hate that horrible beast! I hate this situation! I hate Bongam Hall! I hate Sokcho! I hate the Conqueror! I hate the cultists of Old Voice! I hate that I have to be here! I hate this shitty plot! I hate everything that’s dealing me this monstrous absurdity! I hate that Nyarl-whatshisname beyond the message window who’s trapping me even now! I hate you all who are watching and having fun this very instant!
Enough!
I’m getting out of here! I’m leaving! I won’t stay here any longer! I’m going! To the far beyond, to nostalgia with a guaranteed promised future! I’m going! Farther away! Come on, let’s go! Let’s leave! Let’s run anywhere that beast isn’t! Let’s run somewhere the Conqueror isn’t! Let’s leave Bongam Hall! Let’s get out of here! Let’s go somewhere else! Let’s escape this wretched [Cthulhu World]! I’ll get out no matter what it takes!
How many seconds has it been now?
It’s dark around me, and odd clots of light float before my sinister eyes.
"Did I die?"
[System: The duration of ‘Delirium: Desperate Flight’ has ended.]
"No, that’s not it."
I’m alive, for now.
I’m lying flat somewhere in the forests of Seoraksan.
[Since there is no target nearby that agitates your Madness, your mind is temporarily stabilized. If you again witness the phobic target or something that evokes it, the Madness will remanifest.]
"Ah, thank you. You bastard."
My back hurts and my legs hurt. I can’t get up. Ow ow ow— I don’t know what happened while fleeing, but the middle, ring, and little fingers of my left hand are twisted in a terrible direction.
"Ah, damn it."
I do have regeneration, but if I heal while it’s twisted like this, that’s worse.
A short deep breath. Resolve. Grit. Ah. Damn damn damn.
[Euphoria]
[Invisible Hand]
[Hardening]
Cr-krk—
"Uuuuuuu..."
I force the twisted fingers back into place with telekinesis.
I used [Euphoria] to squeeze out adrenaline, but maybe that’s still not enough?
For a moment the number of stars in front of my eyes multiplies tenfold and then fades from the stabbing pain surging from my fingertips.
[System: ‘Rapid Recovery’ activates.]
My fingers knit at high speed. Really trying everything tonight.
With my intact right hand I feel around my chest; beneath the clothes I find the [Bongam Tome]. Good. Even in that mess I grabbed what mattered.
Staying on my back, I gauge my location and the situation.
"Not that much time passed. Maybe one o’clock? No, two or three?"
"Three."
A young woman’s voice.
"Ah, thanks."
Turning my eyes while lying down, I see a bizarre woman standing against the dark forest. Her age... small build. For the record, not Curtain Call.
Mid-twenties? Late? A mess of short hair. Maybe early twenties or late teens.
But her outfit is truly strange—
"There isn’t a hospital around here, is there?"
"Hospital?"
A mental hospital, I mean.
She’s wearing a snow-white restraint suit.
Belts are attached here and there, and the long sleeves are sealed so you can’t pull out not just fingers but hands at all.
There’s a big belt around her neck too, and from the center of the belt a long strap hangs. So...
A device similar to what you put around the neck of .
Putting aside the rest, that belt and strap on her neck conjure an unpleasant image that makes my body shiver.
Deep breath. Deep breath.
No. She’s a person. A person. A bipedal animal.
"If you didn’t escape a hospital, why are you wandering alone dressed like that?"
"I’m not alone. I came with my sister."
"Who’s your sister?"
"Over there— over there."
Where’s that supposed to be?
I turn my head in the direction she points with her long sleeve, but all I see is trees-trees-trees, shadows-shadows-shadows, darkness-darkness-darkness.
"I don’t know what you’re talking about."
"Dummy. Dummy."
"People usually call me a genius mage."
"Genius mage? Then why are you lying there?"
"Ah, I got played by a bastard— wound up in a filthy mess."
"A bastard? Filthy mess?"
"I thought things were going pretty well, and then— out of nowhere— a super granny who can cut through magic tried to kill me."
"Aha? That’s serious."
"Well... if you think about it, maybe it’s not that serious?"
Right.
The Conqueror is a headache of an enemy, but in a way, anything involving her is a side event. My business hasn’t knotted up badly.
I grunt and raise my back, and only now can I properly see my conversational partner’s face.
"What— it was you? What are you doing here?"
"Hm? I just told you. I came with my sister."
"Well, yes, you did say that."
I scratch my head for a moment, mull things over, then finally stand with a short sigh.
"Getting up now?"
"Yeah. I’ve rested enough, time to move again."
"Are you going to fight the granny?"
"No. I’m going to do something more important."
"What will you do if the granny who cuts magic attacks?"
"Let her cut a lot of magic."
She can cut spells and fire off three-hit strings per second, that super granny might chase me— well, then I’ll cut time.
There’s some squeaking and grinding in the situation, but it’s not bad.
I’ve checked everything I needed to check.
Once I retrieve the [Blade of Flesh], [Old Voice] won’t be able to attempt the descent of the [Great Source]. Which is to say, there’s nothing more for me to do in Sokcho.
At daybreak I’ll contact the people I sent elsewhere and decide the next destination.
"All right, let’s go."
"Where?"
"The sister you mentioned— Moon Seunghee, right? I’ll take you to her. Come with me, Lee Seonbin."
