Congratulations. The verdict is a success.
It’s a shame we can’t call it a critical success, but you can do what you want.
What outcome do you want to create?
[L!U!C!A! : bubble— burble-burble—]
Good.
I’ll stall for time until you’re ready.
Rrrrrrrrrrumble—
A bizarre noise coming from somewhere.
An earthquake? Or thunder rolling out of a clear sky? Maybe someone just triggered an ability—
Or it could be the growl of an abyssal being trapped deep underground.
Ominous signs pressing in from every side.
‘I should’ve squeezed a little more intel out of Akiyama. A pity.’
Akiyama could’ve grabbed the main villain slot for a chapter—cunning and powerful—but the matchup wasn’t in his favor.
A living bug born from the flaws of this shabby [Cthulhu World]. A walking error whose mere existence topples every data point and plan this game assumes.
“Hey, goblin.”
Yang Seoho opened his mouth and spoke toward Seocheonseul, who stood facing him.
“What are you doing right now?”
Seocheonseul, asked the question, lifted the left hand gripping my neck and— “Ack, don’t—!” declared proudly:
“I’m protecting Mr. Kim— Huh? Mr. Kim, what’s wrong?”
He almost tore my head off. If I hadn’t hastily thrown up a mana defense, I might really have died in a ridiculous way.
Muttering things like— how pitiful— Seocheonseul let go and shoved me behind him.
“Do you see? This feeble Mr. Kim. I am here to guard this frail friend from danger.”
“Friend? Danger?”
Yang Seoho’s face went doubtful again.
“Oh, you mean I’m the danger?”
“Right. To my eyes, Mr. Kim is exceedingly dangerous.”
A rare flash of wariness from Seocheonseul.
“Haa—”
Yang Seoho dipped his head and sighed.
“Damn it, this one and that one.”
Muttering that, he raised his head and spoke to Seocheonseul again.
“A sham phantom that serves a worthless thing that leeches off human hope. You have no right to be on this land either. I’ll smash all of you.”
“How— dare—”
An insult to the master of dreams, the [King of Myriad Gold], and to the Hall of Thousand Gold. For Seocheonseul, a provocation he could never let pass.
“Are you insulting— the Hall of Thousand Gold!”
Seocheonseul shoved me back and drew his vajra staff in both hands.
Rrrrrrrrrrumble—
Seocheonseul’s golden mana heaved and surged from all directions.
Grrrrrrrrr!
That sound came from Yang Seoho’s fist. The fist itself wasn’t crying. It was the sound of a fist— warping the air— as it swung!
“Ho!”
Seocheonseul’s shadows scattered in every direction.
In a blink, Seocheonseul created hundreds of clones. Hundreds of vajra staffs hammered down on Yang Seoho.
Front, back, left, right, above, below. Attacks screaming in from every direction.
But Yang Seoho’s attack can intercept from every direction.
KWAaaaaaaaaANG!
Front, back, left, right, above, below. Shockwaves erupting in every direction.
The Cure Medical Care buildings— already ragged— couldn’t withstand the shockwaves and, with a crashing roar, their collapse accelerated.
Puh-puh-puh-puh-puh-POOM!
In the meantime, Seocheonseul’s clones scattered, belching acrid smoke.
A cheap, shattered illusion? No— there’s far too much smoke for that.
Fweeeeeeeeeee—
The smoke and dust filling the area twisted into a giant vortex and wrapped Yang Seoho.
Vwoooooooom!
As Yang Seoho’s awareness shifted to the vortex around him—
“Bahahahaha!”
At the same time, a colossal golden pillar dropped from sky to earth— hurtling at Yang Seoho.
Against any ordinary foe, it would pin their hands and feet helplessly—but Yang Seoho is no ordinary foe.
“Petty trick—”
Vwoooooooom!
A lesser opponent would’ve been bound by the maelstrom and unable to move, yet Yang Seoho’s fist rose skyward again—
Ugh, this is going to drive me mad.
[System : Penalty trait ‘Feast’s Offering’ activates.]
And at the same time, the message outputs again. A baleful presence felt somewhere underground. Something really is proceeding.
“Stop it! You idiots!”
[Twisted Gaze] [Dispel: Illusion]
[Distortion Field] [Ward] [Binding Curse]
[Chains of Dominion] [Rootless Net]
[Spell Boost: Maximize]
Chwararararararak!
Kkrrrrrrrk!
I thrust myself between them— no, not my body; I shoved dozens of magic circles between them and triggered the spells.
I scattered Seocheonseul’s illusions and warped Yang Seoho’s strike— while simultaneously firing a few defensive spells and wards—
[Mind Control: Pacifism] [Calm Field] [Warm Breeze]
I tossed a few spells that might stir equanimity in the heart.
Tzzzzzzzz! Crack! Pabababak!
Tch, as expected, forced pacifism bounced right off without effect.
Both of them have high magic resistance, and Yang Seoho’s mind carries a madness that simple spells can’t suppress.
“I don’t care what order I kill you in.”
“Mr. Kim, don’t shove in with that flimsy body—”
Their voices turned toward me at once.
I drew their attention for a moment, but the fight hadn’t stopped.
They were still watching each other like hawks.
“Ah, for crying out loud.”
I glanced up, and in the funereal dark of the night sky, baleful stars were streaking with a sinister gleam at a bizarre speed.
The stars were changing places.
[System : Penalty trait ‘Feast’s Offering’ activates.]
The message blinked in and out, repeating. It only displays; nothing obvious changes.
This isn’t the time to keep a useless brawl going.
“I—”
From atop a half-collapsed wall, Seocheonseul leveled his vajra staff at Yang Seoho and started to say something.
“I know! Your intention to help me! I understand just fine! So listen to me first!”
“Hm— something?”
“You said awhile ago you’d protect your friend, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Then don’t worry. Truth is, I’m on friendly terms with Yang Seoho.”
“Hm?”
“What are you talking about?”
I felt both their consciousnesses fully peel off each other and lock onto me.
Not bad.
“And you, Yang Seoho— you’re not a monster who runs wild and commits indiscriminate slaughter. You’re a public official with a clear purpose and duty, right? Am I wrong?”
“......So?”
“Even with an enemy, if he reports crucial information, you have the reason to hear him out. And—”
“And?”
Good. Now he’s listening. I smiled and said:
“Hey, sis, you and I are close, aren’t we?”
“......”
Yang Seoho stared at me with a face that said, What is this bastard?
I had to redirect his awareness before he thought of something else.
“So, look at that! That! Before you fight, look at that first!”
I pointed at a spot in the ripped-open ceiling.
Their gazes followed my finger— Seocheonseul’s and Yang Seoho’s both.
And there...
Fweeeeeeeee—
A golden pillar, floating in midair— drinking in the mana around it.
Akiyama wrapped Abyssal Gold around [Wisdom’s Mirror] and granted it a new ability.
Normally, Akiyama should’ve used [Wisdom’s Mirror] to prepare the descent of [Life’s Source].
So why did he make that?
‘Did he call it a golden hairpin?’
A hairpin that doesn’t even fit the theme?
Well, the C.E.O. of Cure Medical Care is a Japanese yokai called a nue and at the same time a Shoggoth— so who cares about themes.
“Akiyama said it earlier, right? That if that thing starts up— a hole to the Abyss will open in this land.”
“The ritual’s convener—”
Because you sealed the ritual’s convener, Akiyama, it’s over?
“No! Something is crawling up from underground right now! Until we plug that giant hole in the floor and smash that pillar, this situation isn’t over!”
Ggggggggggg—
So Kim Sinhwa noticed.
[L!U!C!A! : bubble— burble-burble—]
Yes, you can begin now.
A perfect coincidence?
Or did you lie in wait for a chance, and now begin to move?
[System : Penalty trait ‘Feast’s Offering’ activates.]
From the hole Akiyama had prepared for a long time— chwirurururuk— grotesque monsters made of heaving slime and flabby tentacles burst out.
“Chwirurururuk—”
“Chwirerererelek!”
Grotesque lifeforms like protozoa— the kind you only see under a microscope— grotesquely swollen to giant size.
Even the smallest are over three meters tall. The biggest one—
Grrrrrrrrrrrk—
“Oh, quite large.”
Seocheonseul looked delighted at the sight of a gigantic paramecium about twenty meters long.
Bang!
Yang Seoho struck the monster without a moment’s hesitation.
KWAaaaaaaaaANG!
As always, her basic attack converted into a ludicrously powerful area attack, and in a single breath she popped dozens of monsters.
Splutch! Shlaaak! Shlirururuk—
Fluorescent slime splattered in all directions.
“Was all that noise over just these things?”
Yang Seoho glared at me with a growl.
“No! This isn’t the end! There’s more! Plug that hole! I’ll pull that pillar down!”
I said that— while winding up my mana in case Yang Seoho decided to attack me—
But for some reason, Yang Seoho nodded without a fuss.
“Fine. I’ll deal with you after I cork this hole.”
KWAaaANG!
Her fist flew toward the protozoa again.
Phew— thank goodness.
[System : Penalty trait ‘Feast’s Offering’ activates.]
But the protozoa kept pouring out—
“Great Captain of Gold!”
“Bahahaha! Is this all? I’ll show you a golden dream that lights the darkness of night!”
Kwagwagwang!
There are a lot of them, sure, but if those two move in earnest, they can mop it up in a minute.
[System : Penalty trait ‘Feast’s Offering’ activates.]
The same message outputs again.
Uneasy.
“Hm— but truly, is it only— merely— that?”
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrumble!!
“Ah.”
In that instant, my senses picked up a horrifying aura.
A preposterous malice I hadn’t caught properly because of the noise flooding the area until now.
[System : Penalty trait ‘Feast’s Offering’ activates.]
[System : Penalty trait ‘Feast’s Offering’ activates.]
[System : Penalty trait ‘Feast’s Offering’ activates.]
[System : Penalty trait ‘Feast’s Offering’ activates.]
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrumble—
It was a colossal hand blooming like a flower.
“Everyone, freeze!”
Shin Woojin’s warning boomed out through a loudhailer.
“This is the Foreigners Administration and the Police Corps of Busan Special Autonomous City! In the name of the Mayor of Busan Special Autonomous City, we are commencing armed suppression!”
Shin Woojin’s proclamation.
At the Busan Police Corps, a few muttered, “Why are you throwing our Mayor’s name around?”— but no one was dumb enough to butt in openly.
“Wooooaaaah!”
“Grab them! Smash anyone who resists!”
Fortunately, there wasn’t much fierce resistance.
Because the huge explosion a moment ago had shattered the most feral ones.
KWAANG! KWAJijijik!
Unsettling vibrations and detonations kept coming from the rubble of the Cure Medical Care complex.
“Team Leader...?”
A hard-to-describe dread twisted Shin Woojin’s face at the noise.
The trait Kim Sinhwa calls [Heightened Vigilance] had activated and was pricking his senses. What is happening?
Screeeeeeeech—
BANG!!
“What was that!?”
Shin Woojin hastily extended his perception and looked toward the source of the sound. Outside the cordon.
A call van with a crushed frame—
Screeeeeeeech—
Was racing in from outside the Foreigners Administration perimeter.
“What the hell is that! Stop it!”
“Yes, sir!”
Combat officials of the Foreigners Administration rushed with a mobile barricade— but at that instant—
KWAaaaaaaaaANG!
The ground split—
And a hand of breathtaking ivory rose—
No, hands— gigantic hands—
KWAjijijijijik!
Hands so huge their length could reach a five-story building thrust up from the earth.
Wajijijijik!
“Ah— aaaaah—!?”
In an instant, those colossal hands coiled around and snatched up the call van carrying Jang Hyundeok and Park Gwangrim.
An unfathomable beauty and overwhelming strength the human mind cannot accept.
Everyone who witnessed it broke down at once.
“Aaaaaah!? Aaaaaaaaaaaah!?”
Screams burst from every direction.
Far away—
Not Busan, but Paju.
A place that was originally elsewhere, but because a bizarre phenomenon kept expanding its domain, now called by the name [Tanhyeon]— somewhere underground there.
Crrrraaaaack—
Chrarrrrk. Wajijijik.
Iron chains shattered and flew apart in all directions.
“You can no longer keep me bound.”
Dokgo Gyeom rose and declared.
The shard of [The Laughing One] that had held him ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ in check till now laughed in Cheongho’s voice.
“Khehehehehe— I agree. Do as you please.”
This much should be fine.
In any case, [The Laughing One]’s mission wasn’t to lock Dokgo Gyeom away forever. The plan was to let him out when it became impossible to contain him.
“I will go save the apostles of Mannse Ilwon Church.”
Dokgo Gyeom said that and looked at [The Laughing One], who was smirking in Cheongho’s shape.
“I said do as you please.”
Dokgo Gyeom didn’t answer— he triggered his ability to distort space.
Fweeeeeeee—
A gate to Busan opened. But Kim Sinhwa and [The Laughing One] weren’t the only ones waiting for Dokgo Gyeom to be released.
Chrarararararak!
“Ghk!?”
Dokgo Gyeom let out a startled grunt at the unexpected development.
A colossal hand packed with tremendous force— a shining, beautiful hand— wedged through the crack in space and destroyed his body.
KWAaaaaaaaaANG!!
Dokgo Gyeom’s body shattered and scattered in every direction.
Blood poured like rain.
“W-what!? [Life’s Source]? Wh-why!?”
[The Laughing One], wearing Cheongho’s body, realized it too late and recoiled in horror.
Before he could attempt anything, the beautiful hands coiled around him and seized him.
“GraaAAAAH! Let go! Let me go!”
Chrarararararak!
There was no escaping. A colossal power, an abyssal being manifest in the present world by borrowing a singularity’s strength. Power that, debased by kneeling to the Feast’s Offering, could not be resisted.
In the end, he was dragged into the rift Dokgo Gyeom had made.
Urrrrp—
With a sound like a satisfied burp, the crack to Busan closed.
