Chapter 24: 122 Ghouls and 6 People

Chapter 24: 122 Ghouls and 6 People

[System: The trait Enhanced Vigilance has been activated.]

What?

As soon as the trait was activated, I instinctively raised my magical power.

[Guests from the Underworld] was a quest I had cleared several times before.

Back then, there had been no incidents that gave off such an ominous feeling.

There were adjustments, like changes in the number of ghouls that appeared based on the difficulty settings or previous branches of the quest.

But now, it was completely different.

The ominous aura and magical power that filled the construction site.

This was not the level of pressure a few ghouls could generate.

It was as if

[System: The penalty trait Feasts Offering has been activated.]

[The beings of the abyss are showing interest in you.]

Ah, this again?

It seemed one of the beings from the Abyss was showing unnecessary interest.

Irritation and discomfort, along with an overly sensitive sensation, caused me a slight feeling of nausea.

Phew Haah Suu

I paused for a moment and took a deep breath.

Phew

Things were becoming troublesome.

With things turning out this way, the situation was now completely different from the quest I remembered.

I had come here thinking it would be simple; perhaps I should have prepared more?

The quest hadnt officially started yet.

But there was still time to prepare.

I took deep breaths, maintained my posture, and concentrated my mind.

My arms loosely hanging at my sides with a relaxed stance.

To an onlooker, it might have seemed like I was just lost in thought during a walk

But my gaze transcended physical limits and my eyes were peering into an entirely different space.

The location where the ghouls had emerged was the underground parking lot beneath the apartment complex.

This meant that right under the ground where I stood, monsters could be lurking.

Lets see what kind of creatures and how many are gathered.

[Remote Detection]

[Curse Detection]

[Life Force Detection]

[Magical Power Detection]

[Trap Detection]

Pop, pop, pop!

From the tips of my hands that were dangling towards the ground and from beneath my feet, fluorescent lines of magical power burst forth.

The magical power imbued with the abilities of detection, analysis, and observation, seeped into the ground and started sensing, analyzing, and observing the entities lurking in the darkness below.

[Detection Complete]

The number of ghouls that appear usually ranges from 10 to 30, and the number is generated randomly.

[The number of curses matching the conditions is 2.]

[The number of traps matching the conditions is 5.]

[The number of life forms matching the conditions is 129.]

Ah, shit.

129? Is this some kind of joke?

For a moment, I seriously considered abandoning the quest and returning to the motel.

After finishing this quest, I could achieve the feat of slaying 100 ghouls.

Huh? Butwait a minute.

The information provided by the system only went so far, but my magically enhanced senses, which had evolved beyond that, detected several unexpected pieces of information.

It wasa unique sensation that I had not experienced when playing the game.

Humans.

Among the ghouls moving underground, there was clearly a presence with a different kind of magical power.

So there were humans among the underground ghouls.

Four humans, then five, and one more.

A total of six.

[The number of life forms matching the conditions is 128.]

One had died.

The magical presence I had detected disappeared.

[The number of life forms matching the conditions is 127.]

Now there were only five humans left.

Ah, wait, wait, wait!

An unnatural and awkward beauty that seemed to have been artificially created by someone.

That was the impression I got from her appearance.

She couldnt hold back and pressed me again.

May I ask what you were just doing?

Since I couldnt ignore the same question thrice, I explained what I had done.

There were still people alive. I saved them.

What?

A mix of confusion and astonishment surfaced on her face.

So you used magic toNo, not that. People? Did you say there were living people there?

Yes, thats right.

And you saved them?

Yes.

A new emotion flickered across her face, one that could roughly be described as hope.

Who were they? A woman? Was it a woman?

At the same time, she approached me with excessive excitement. Wait, thats too close. Why is she acting like this?

No, hold on. Could you step back a bit?

Oh Yes.

Following my request, she took a few steps back. But she was still restless.

Excuse me. Mage-nim?

No, I dont know.

It seemed like she would be happy if I said I had rescued a woman, but I didnt know that much.

You dont know?

Yes. The distance was too great, and there were obstructions. I could only tell if they were alive or dead.

It would have been easier if it was the first basement level, but the person I sensed was in the second basement.

It was too far.

Moreover, the malevolent energy filling the basement greatly reduced the accuracy and effectiveness of my skills.

But what do you mean by you saved them?

Distrust, doubt, anticipation, and confusion.

I was able to reach out the place with my magical power. I pushed the ghouls away from the people and erected a barrier around them.

That sounds absurd but I have no choice but to believe you.

Absurd you say?

Our organizations magic advisor said that due to the malevolent energy and the influence of surreal entities in the basement, nothing could be confirmed without going down there in person. In reality, they couldnt do anything.

When she mentioned that the magic advisor was unable to do anything, Moon Seung-hees expression turned noticeably darker.

When I played the game, the position of Moon Seung-hees magic advisor was vacant.

It seems they were attacked by ghouls.

Yet, the fact that you were able to confirm survivors or use magic without even entering thats astonishing.

Although she said this, Moon Seung-hees expression still carried traces of distrust and doubt.

Well, its unreasonable to expect her to believe my words unconditionally. After all, weve only just met, and I havent shown any proof yet.

Whether Moon Seung-hee believes me or not, my magic is still active.

I was late in responding, so I could only save three people, but as long as my magic remains, they will stay alive.

After I explained the situation briefly, Moon Seung-hee seemed to ponder for a moment before continuing.

How long can you maintain that magic?

I can sustain the magic as much as you want.

Hmm

Even though I was only speaking the truth, it seemed Moon Seung-hees distrust of me only deepened.

Additionally, there was a hint of skepticism. It seemed she was wondering to what extent she should believe the words of this braggart.

Well, leaving that aside, the peoples magical power and life force are weak. They cant hold on indefinitely. How long have the people been down there?

Its been 24 hours since the ghouls were first discovered. And about 14 hours have passed since people entered to rescue those taken in the early stages of the incident.

Then its difficult to expect them to endure much longer.

Moon Seung-hees expression became noticeably darker.

Whether she believes my words or not, the condition of the people underground remains dire.

There might be injured among them, and the environment is far from ideal.

While I can protect their bodies to some extent, I cannot safeguard their minds.

Youve done a great job as soon as you got here, and Im sorry to have to tell you this, but can you get started on. right away?

Of course.

I said this and then pondered who Moon Seung-hee was doing this for.

Even in the game, several people were caught up in the ghoul infestation and died, and several were kidnapped.

I had always thought there was no way to save the kidnapped people, regardless of how early we intervened. I believed there was no route to rescue them.

But unexpectedly, the condition turned out to be something as bizarre as You can only save them by using magic remotely before rushing inside.

No, thats not it, is it?

I realized that I had been thinking about something wrongly.