Chapter 2: Madness

Chapter 2: Madness

What. happened to me?

I regained consciousness due to an intense cold that felt like it was tearing my flesh apart.

Ugh its so cold

My eyes struggled to open. Had my eyelids frozen shut?

I barely managed to open my eyes, but it took a while before I could make out anything. My eyes hurt as if I was opening them for the first time in my life.

Whats this?

It was only when my vision cleared that I realized the bizarre situation I was in.

I was stuck standing in a cramped piece of machinery that was extremely cold.

Furthermore, I was completely enclosed in a large glass tube.

It was as if I had become a test subject caught by a mad scientist

In fact, my clothes were completely different from what I had been wearing before.

A plain white outfit with no pattern.

Leather straps were stitched right into the cuffs at my wrists and ankles.

Ahhh, are these straps restraining me? But their design looks almost likeUpdated from novelb(i)n.c(o)m

A straitjacket made to restrain dangerous patients in a psychiatric ward is that it?

Ah, I see. So Ive finally gone mad.

The last memory I could recall came to mind.

Suddenly, something was appearing on the monitor Ah, thats what it was I knew something like this would happen someday

But what is actually going on here?

This isnt a psychiatric ward. After all, which real-world hospital would confine patients in such huge cold glass tubes?

And why do I feel so strange?

The shift in my emotions was too drastic. Was I always like this? Instead of feeling worry and fear about my surroundings, I found myself leisurely observing them.

Outside the glass tube Im trapped in

The lighting is dim

Strange machinery

Messily exposed wires

There were a few desks too

Oh, look! To my left and right, there were more glass tubes lined up along the wall, and inside them

There are people sleeping!

Ah, what is this!

Wait a minute.

Wait, wait, wait This structure looks familiar

Just as something was about to surface in my mind, a translucent message appeared in the empty air.

[You have opened your eyes inside a test tube. Your senses are tingling. Your body, long frozen, is gradually regaining vitality. Where am I? Who am I? You realize that you have no memory of your past and are deeply shocked. You also dont know where you are. But one thing you do remember clearly.

Your name is Kim Shin-hwa.

You lived in South Korea]

What is this a message? And what do you mean I dont remember anything? I do remember.

Push-soo-

Suddenly, a sound that resembled air escaping filled the area around me. Accompanied by a faint hum of motors, the test tube that had me confined started to open, and the straps binding my body automatically released. Ah, I was free at last!

[You are a mage gazing into the abyss. No one knows what you must do or what end you will meet. Good luck.]

What kind of bullshit is this!

But the real bullshit was yet to come.

Soon, a new message appeared.

[System: Penalty trait Shattered Mind activated. Since you currently have no mental illness, a random mental illness will manifest.]

Mental illness you say? mental illness? Are they talking about the mental illness from [Cthulhu World]?

The flower of [Cthulhu World], the symbol of [Cthulhu World], the core system of [Cthulhu World].

Characters who acquired knowledge that humans shouldnt have found their sanity and reason gradually crumbling

[System: Mental illness Mask Obsession and Mental illness Musophobia (fear of rats) have been inflicted on your mind.]

Leaving abnormal scars on the psyche.

Thats mental illness, but wait, what kind of mental illness has befallen me?

[A mage gazing into the abyss] possesses an indomitable spirit that never breaks down.

Because they are already mad a mind once shattered cannot be shattered again.

They must always harbor a certain level of mental illness.

I am the mage gazing into the abyss, and Ive become mad?

Having one or two forms of mental illness doesnt immediately cause problems.

Isnt there a saying that every modern person harbors some mental illness within them?

As long as nothing triggers my obsessions or fears there should be no problem. Right, there shouldnt be. Should there?

Although it completely blocked my vision, it felt surprisingly comfortable, perhaps because it helped ease the lingering madness and pain caused by the mental distortion.

Huff, huff, huff

Now, the only sound I could hear was my breathing.

There was no sound of insect wings. There were never any insects in this place to begin with.

Haah

I was going crazy. Or had I already gone crazy? Regardless, nothing would change if I just stayed like this. First, I needed to make sure I could see.

I tried to make eye holes in the mask, but it wasnt working. Was it because I had used up too much strength during the distortion?

My hands were shaking unusually, and I couldnt muster any strength in my arms and legs. Ugh, if I accidentally tore the mask completely, that would be the end of me!

Carefully, I inserted my hand inside the mask and slowly made the holes. Thats right, good job, Kim Shin-hwa!

It was only after I could see that I realized how bizarre I looked.

I was wearing a paper bag over my head, and my clothes were a pure white straitjacket. It was a relief that I had shoes on, even if they were white rubber slippers. Anyway, I couldnt take off the mask even if I wanted to.

If there is no mask, will things like this continue to happen?

It wasnt a mask, but a paper bag. However, as long as I perceived it as a mask and wore it, I wouldnt experience that mental distortion.

But my mental illness wasnt just limited to an obsession with masks. There was another thing

[List of mental illnesses: Mental illness- Mask Obsession, Mental illness Musophobia]

Thank you for letting me know.

How kind of them.

Damn it, damn it!

What in the world is happening!

Madness and the distortion that comes from it were horrific experiences.

To the player outside the game, madness was just a state, but now I could understand how terrible it was for the character experiencing it.

As my mind began to stabilize, my body started to scream in discomfort.

So, so cold Incredibly so

While it wasnt as cold as when I first stepped out of the test tube due to the distortion, the temperature of this space itself was extremely low.

I wrapped my arms around myself and shivered for a moment. Considering how much I had sweated during the recent distortion, my straitjacket was damp. Ugh the sweat is going to freeze.

What now? Is there a heater somewhere or at least a lighter?

Wait a minute, think

After going through panic, anger, and irritation, a natural sense of self-awareness dawned on me.

Madness was not the only thing that the [Mage Gazing into the Abyss] possessed.

Thats right, I am a mage.

If I truly have become a Mage Gazing into the Abyss, its only fair that I have magical abilities, not just madness, right?

In the world of [Cthulhu World], a mage was an amazing being.

They can twist cause and effect and alter the laws of the world to create the reality they desire.

Moreover, I was not just any mage. I was a genius mage with Mythical talent.

I have become a being capable of achieving anything I desire.

I need warmth now so, fire. How do I use magic?

Fire! Bring forth fire! Come out, fire! [Ignition]!

My hope soon transformed into will, and the magical power flowed along a defined path.

It was as natural and simple as breathing or moving a finger.

Perhaps even more familiar than moving my eyelids or tongue.

The magic emanating from my body reshaped reality to fulfill my wishes.

Flames ignited on the piles of paper scattered on the floor (likely the papers that had been inside my mask).

The red color, the smoke, and the ample warmth it provided were just as I desired.

Now, it feels like I can survive.

As I gazed absent-mindedly at the fire, my eyes naturally began to dismantle and analyze the components and flow of magical power that made up the fire.

This flow was a concoction of artificial magic that I created.

At the same time, a list of spells capable of altering, enhancing, and controlling this flow of magical power popped up in my mind.

And beyond that list, there were many more spells.

I could perform all of them.

Is this for real?

I was truly a mage.

I felt a trembling sense of omnipotence and a slight sense of self-loathing at the same time.

In the end, a self-deprecating laugh escaped my throat due to a sense of desperation.

Hahaha, I must be going mad Have I really entered the world of the game? And of all games, this terrible one?

I knew the name of this place.

[K-3675 Secret Research Facility].

This was the starting point in the game of [Cthulhu World].