“Would you like this?”
It was Assistant Manager Jung Hyuna from Accounting. She had an Americano in her hand.
Ah, a franchise coffee shop finally opened near the office. Did she go there?
“Uh...”
But why is she giving me coffee I never asked for?
Maybe sensing my hesitation, Jung Hyuna twisted the corner of her mouth in a sly way and whispered.
“You know we’ve got a new, famous person in the team, right?”
New what? Famous person? Ah. No way—
“Our team’s junior? Jang Hyundeok?”
“Yes. He asked me, so it made me think of it and I bought one...”
“Mm?”
Why is that idiot asking an assistant manager from another team to get coffee?
“He forgot what he asked and bought his own on the way back.”
Ugh, is he out of his mind?
Sounded less like an offer of coffee and more like a request to keep an eye on the junior.
“I’m sorry. I’ll have a word with him myself.”
It’s probably most likely that he tossed it out as some throwaway joke and forgot, and Jung Hyuna took it as a request—but whichever it is, awkward.
“Huh? Oh, no. I didn’t mean it like that. I was looking around for whoever looked the most exhausted to give it to.”
Ah, so she wasn’t mad?
And here I thought I was hiding it well...
“Mm... Is it that obvious?”
“Yes. Super obvious. You didn’t know Manager Yang was watching you from behind just now, did you?”
“Manager Yang?”
I jolted up from my seat—but Manager Yang’s chair was empty.
Seeing that, Jung Hyuna gave a little “hee—” of a smile.
“Kidding.”
“Haa... Well, I’m definitely awake now. Thanks.”
“Did something happen yesterday?”
I glanced around, then answered. We’re close enough for this much.
“No. I just played games late.”
“Ah—games. What game?”
“Yeah, Cthulhu Wor— I mean, a horror game.”
“Horror? Oh, you like scary things? I love ghost stories and the like.”
“You could think of it as similar to ghost stories, but it’s a different genre. Strictly, it’s cosmic horror. Extreme despair and madness induced by an unopposable cosmic being—originally by the 1920s American writer H. P. Lovecraft—”
Jung Hyuna was staring at me with an awkward expression.
Ah. I’m so tired my social skills are degraded.
I hurried to wrap it up.
“Well... it’s a whooole thing.”
“Is a whooole thing fun?”
Mimicking my tone, Jung Hyuna pulled a clownish face.
“Rather than fun... it’s horror.”
“Do you like the game part? Or the scary part?”
“Mm—both? Ah, but hold on. Where is this?”
I looked around for a moment and spoke.
“This is the office, obviously.”
“I mean what kind of office? What’s the company called?”
Staring at me with a briefly vexed look, Jung Hyuna spoke to me in a calm way.
“Assistant Manager Kim Sinhwa.”
“Yes.”
“What company it is doesn’t matter. You can live as an ordinary office worker at this company.”
I shook my head.
“No. Don’t decide that on your own.”
“Isn’t this what you wanted?”
“Even if I had that wish, I never asked you for it. I’m not some cultist supplicating unknown gods—I’m a mage.”
[System: The trigger condition for a pre-charged spell has been met. Per the preset configuration (Designated Action 1), the spell activates.]
[Auto-Cast: Shock]
[Spell Boost: Power Amplification]
[crack!] [CRACKLE-CRACKLE!]
“Ghh—kk—”
When I drafted this maniac plan, did I forget that electric shocks hurt like hell?
[System: Due to physical impact on the body, your confusion weakens temporarily.]
Right—only when it hurts like hell can you break free of the confusion.
The unpleasant cobras coiled around my body opened their maws at once, and a grotesque voice poured out.
“‘You really went and pulled a lunatic stunt.’”
So even the abyssal entity behind Jung Hyuna has figured out what I’m doing.
“Lunatic? I’m offended—don’t say that; enjoy it with me!”
[Ujat’s Wrath]
[CRACKLE-CRACKLE-CRACKLE—]
Scarlet lightning, fused with the force of searing flame, branched out in a pounding barrage.
[System: “Abyssal Entity — Scaled Stratagem” withdraws its power.]
With that message, the cobras vanished.
[KREEEEE!]
Lightning slashed uselessly through empty air.
“Argh! Annoying!”
If I could have killed even one snake—cobra or whatever—I could have escaped this phobia.
Predicting that, it deactivated the ability and swept all the snakes away—
“This one’s nothing like what I’ve faced so far.”
This bastard understands the phobia-tied systems far too well.
“‘How did you shed it that easily?’”
Jung Hyuna—or [Scaled Stratagem]—spoke from everywhere at once, while remaining hidden.
I readied my next spell and answered.
“No matter what, man—having a minor working at an office and flirting with me? How is that not obviously wrong?”
“‘Useful feedback. I’ll improve that element next time.’”
Ah, the posture of an excellent creator.
[thump-thump]
A tremor from far away.
Already the next phase?
[slither— slither-slither—]
[skitter—]
Irritating sounds came from the ceiling and walls all around.
A lure. No need to get drawn in.
I did my best to ignore the sounds from every direction and cast.
[Wandering Bolts]
[Spell Boost: Multi-Cast]
[bzz-bzz-bzz— bzzzzt—]
Tiny spheres of lightning shot out in all directions.
Like discharges from a Tesla coil, strands of lightning felt along every surface.
Better to trust the system than senses shriveled by phobia. The instant they touch, they’ll explode.
[slither-r-r-r—]
A presence ahead—
“That way?”
[crackle!]
And yet the blast went off behind me.
“‘Kraaaagh!’”
“There!”
So the presence in front was a feint; the thing was behind.
[Dogged Wraith]
[Fungal Infection]
[Summon Vermin]
[Chains of Restraint]
I hurled tracking and homing spells toward the spot where the lightning had exploded.
“Not sure what element you’re weak to, so—sample the whole menu!”
“‘Gyaaaaaah!’”
It bounced necromancy as expected—
Disease is null? No worries about colds, so Executive Chae Taewon can rest easy? Summoned bugs popped like pulp, cowed by Jung Hyuna’s pressure.
[shrrrip!]
Chains of light wrapped one of the six wings.
“Got you! Well—got the wing, anyway—”
Amid flashing glares, Jung Hyuna blazed—an enormous shape like a serpent—or a flower—a bird—a butterfly—
[That vast and horrific shape was so grotesque it threatened to collapse your mind. Willpower check...]
“Damn it, one more hit before I go insane!”
[Matter Disintegration]
[Finger of Death]
[Ghastly Discharge]
[kzzzzzzt!]
Three beams fired at once.
“‘You vile wretch!’”
[Failure! Ophidiophobia manifests.]
“‘But you cannot run. A part of me is already within you.’”
What is she talking about?
[System: The penalty trait “Feast’s Offering” activates.]
[slither]
An unpleasant presence crawled up the back of my neck.
“Ugh—”
[The tendrils of “Abyssal Entity — Scaled Stratagem” crawl into your head and transform into the shape of a snake. That snake is thrashing to gnaw your brain.]
Wait—snake—
Doing what to my brain?
[slither—]
It wasn’t the back of my neck.
[slither—]
A horrible sensation from inside the skull.
Soft snake scales stroking my brain.
[You cannot endure this situation. The will of [Scaled Stratagem] exerts powerful influence over your mind.]
Right.
I cannot endure this.
Has that message been spitting out this whole time?
A grotesque attack that I couldn’t perceive or defend against because it borrowed the shape of a snake to approach.
When? When? Since when?
In my head?
“In my head? In my head? In my head?”
[System: Confusion occurs.]
“Hey, what are you doing?”
“What else? Writing a résumé.”
“Where to? What’s the company called?”
“Ehh—Hyuna. If I tell you, would you even get it?”
“Wow? That’s ridiculous. Ugh, whatever. Mom says hurry down and eat.”
“What’s for dinner?”
“‘What’s for dinner’—listen to him. You eat what Mom serves. You trying to be unfilial?”
“No, I’m just curious. So what is it?”
“It’s your favorite.”
“What’s my favorite?”
“You—uh—spicy bubbling soybean-paste stew? You like that, right?”
“You got it. But I’m not your brother. I’m not a job seeker either. I already have a respectable job—as a mage—and—wait, hold on—who’s ‘Mom’ supposed to be right now?”
[Auto-Cast: Shock]
[Spell Boost: Power Amplification]
[Spell Boost: Maximize]
[CRACKLE-CRACKLE-CRACKLE!]
“Gk—!”
Kim Sinhwa, you son of a—
Madman! Lunatic! Psychopath!
You set it so the output ramps up gradually the moment I acclimate to the pain, so I can’t wake cleanly?
You are a meticulous freak!
[System: Due to physical impact on the body, your confusion weakens temporarily.]
The [Chains of Restraint] I’d hooked onto Jung Hyuna’s wings were still holding. Thanks to that, tracking her position wasn’t hard.
That position is...
[System: “Heightened Vigilance” activates.]
No need to sense where—now it’s obvious.
The [Chains of Restraint] surged toward me in a straight rush. Jung Hyuna was coming!
Hiding’s no longer possible, so now it’s a wild assault?
[Leap]
I dodged into the air—and the spell I’d prepped—
“Wait, what’s that?”
What came flying at me wasn’t Jung Hyuna. A wing from her body?
Did she tear off the wing the [Chains of Restraint] were wrapped around and throw it? This one’s brutal too. Where’s the main body?
[rumble-rumble!]
Something massive poured from the ceiling—damn it, Jung Hyuna!
“‘Got you—Kim Sinhwa! And take one hit before you go mad!’”
She echoed what I’d said earlier and dove. I’d love to volley back with a decent quip, but there’s no time. Counterattack—
Counterattack—
A colossal maw unfurled like petals.
At its center, an appendage that looked like Jung Hyuna, arms spread toward me.
A grotesque horror evoking a serpent.
“Aaaargh!”
[System: Willpower check failed. Confusion occurs.]
Damn it. I have to break this pattern somehow!
I hurriedly shook the [Silver Bell of the Underworld].
“Sinhwa!”
“Mm?”
“What are you doing? The teacher’s calling!”
Ah, the class rep—in other words, Hyuna.
“The teacher? Which teacher?”
“Huh? Why are you like this since last time? The homeroom teacher, obviously,”
“Oh, Teacher Taewon? Better hurry, then. Hm? But why are you coming with me, Hyuna?”
“What—like I want to walk with you? Teacher said to come together, so I’m going.”
“Aha. And what is it he wants us two to—hm... Class rep?”
“Yeah?”
“These uniforms—aren’t they from Cthulhu World? Aha, so this must be the uniform of the school the young miss attended?”
With an annoyed look, Jung Hyuna sighed.
“‘I can’t pry out your deep memories at all, can I.’”
Ah, I get it.
She couldn’t find the data on my uniform, so she used Jung Hyuna’s memory?
And the reason it’s NPCs from Cthulhu World and not the people I really knew—roughly that as well.
“This may be rude to say, but—you don’t exactly have a repository of ‘common experiences’ either, miss. Next time, try ‘Kim Sinhwa, young executive of the Cheongho Faction.’”
“‘Not allowed.’”
“Why not?”
“‘Because you don’t have the desire to be a member of the underworld.’”
“Aha, so even the floor has to be met. But I also have zero desire to flirt with you, miss—can we ditch this theme?”
“‘That reflects Jung Hyuna’s side’s desire.’”
So the wish for a normal boyfriend—or a big brother—got reflected?
I’m not talking to Jung Hyuna right now.
It’s probably a message shaped by [Scaled Stratagem]’s influence.
“Let’s stop. I’m a mage—and I’ve decided to accept that as a fact.”
Ordinarily, you can’t snap out of confusion this easily.
Thanks to [Scaled Stratagem] imposing needless order on what should remain in the realm of chaos—
I could tell what was confusion, what was illusion, what was brainwashing, and what was reality.
That’s exactly what the [Silver Bell of the Underworld] was for.
“‘I am a mage. If a situation arises that conflicts with that setup, verify what’s wrong and declare ‘I am a mage.’ With each ‘I am a mage’ declaration, auto-cast [Shock] and [Euphoria]. Target: self. With each repeated ‘I am a mage’ declaration, double the mana allocated to the auto-casts to increase the impact.’”
“‘You deranged monster. I wonder how long you can keep up such a self-destructive stopgap. The moment you lose your will, your brain will be entirely mine.’”
“People always make threats like that—but it generally ends with my victory. I’ll show you how dogged and horrific I can be.”
[Auto-Cast: Shock]
[Spell Boost: Power Amplification]
[Spell Boost: Maximize]
[Spell Boost: Multi-Cast]
And yet, seeing the actual spell sequence fire made my head swim.
Multi-Cast? You want me to get pummeled by Shock in a chain?
Sinhwa, are you sane? You really are a madman, huh?
But there’s no other way.
It’s the only method to kill this disgusting snake that’s burrowed into my brain.
