Chapter 43: Harvest

Chapter 43: Harvest

Rhaaarrrr

It was a very bizarre voice that humans couldnt pronounce, but it was very low and faint. Rather than articulating any meaningful speech, it seemed more akin to a groan.

Whats this? Theres one still alive?

I didnt expect anyone to have survived that chaos

When I approached the source of the groaning, sure enough, there was a golden dancer still clinging to life.

However, it appeared it wouldnt have much longer to even groan.

This dancer held on till the very end only to have its mask taken by Jang Hyeon-deok.

Despite being hit by dozens of magic bullets, it stubbornly proclaimed the true name of the [King in Yellow] to the very end.

And here it was still alive.

Its condition was gruesome, with only its head and the upper part of its chest remaining intact, but it was alive nonetheless.

Hey.

rrrr

Youre really something, arent you? To have survived through all that chaos not once, but twice?nove(l)bi(n.)com

rrrr wrhiigh.

What are you trying to say? Say it clearly so I can understand.

Perhaps it was its last bit of strength, but the dancer could speak no more. It wasnt breathing, yet it wasnt dead either. Although it was capable of making sounds, it was not a being that required breathing in the first place.

Its face was literally crafted from gold. Its smoothly polished face appeared to resemble a human at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it was clear that it was the face of a creature far removed from humanity. It was alien and grotesque. A truly monstrous beauty.

I came here to retrieve the mask, but it seems thats no longer an option

I slowly gathered my magical power as I continued.

I dont want to leave empty-handed, so it looks like Ill have to take you with me instead.

The dancer blinked its four jewel-like eyes in shock and tried to speak but its mouth was empty and devoid of tongue or teeth. There was just a pitch-black empty space.

Khaaa!!!

Just stay still. At this rate, youre going to die soon anyway.

[Binding]

[Evil Gaze]

[Cold Bone Prison]

The spell I used was the same as when I had extracted the [Black Goats Body Fluid] from Lee Chang-hyuks body.

Dododododo.

After hardening it to prevent resistance, I severed its bond with its master, the [King in Yellow], and trapped it within a magical barrier. While it was impossible to keep a living creature alive in such confinement, this being was more akin to a mechanical device. As long as my magical power was supplied, it could be maintained in a quasi-living state.

The task didnt require much time. While I had struggled to remove the influence that fused with Lee Chang-hyuks soul before, dealing with a being with a definite physical form turned out to be much simpler. For a moment, it felt like I was skinning a hunted animal and making a taxidermy of it.

Its too easy. Did the [King in Yellow] lose interest after what happened earlier?

As soon as the work was finished, new messages began to appear.

[You have completely destroyed the ruins created for the descent of the King in Yellow.]

Descent? Ah, so thats why the dancers were there.

The servants prepared for the kings descent. They were beings one would normally encounter only in Carcosa, in the other world. They either came here waiting for the King in Yellow to descend or were spawned as a harbinger of that descent.

[You have eliminated all the golden dancers you encountered in the ruins and destroyed the masks they were wearing. Now, the only Mask of Carcosa remaining on earth is the one you possess. The first mask, which was inherently more powerful than the other Masks of Carcosa, will gain even stronger power. If you can destroy other objects bearing the yellow sign, you will experience even more amazing miracles.]

[System: You have met the specified conditions so the hidden power within the L-rank accessory Carcosas Mask is now activated.]

Level: 22

Magic Order: Second Order

Madness: [Mask Obsession], [Ichthyophobia (Fear of Fish)]

Strength: 5(+3) (Corrupted Ring of Flame)

Health: 7

Agility: 8

Intelligence: 30

Mental Strength: 14

Charm: 17

****

There must be a way to secure at least one more point in health

[Your accomplishments were truly amazing. Although the abyssal being had not fully descended in its complete form, it was an endpoint created by the entitys own will. It was an absurd being, one that seemingly could not be defeated. Yet you overcame such a being with nothing but your own wisdom and skill. This is a truly an amazing event! Your remarkable feat is echoing through the deep abyss. More beings from the abyss will be watching you from now on.]

Is that supposed to be a good thing? I just want to beg them to lose interest in me.

[What could the words left by the King in Yellow mean? When will the deluge occur? Can you prevent the impending doom? And can you overcome the fate of becoming a feast offering at the banquet?

A chaotic future awaits you.]

Damn, theres no wiki and no other veteran players to ask, so I have no idea whats going on.

Then again, who would know about a situation like this? There has never been anyone who knew more about [Cthulhu World] than I did. Theres nobody to ask in this world, nor in the reality I used to live in.

If I want to understand whats happening, I have no choice but to check it out myself, even if it means getting bruised and broken.

It seems there are no more messages coming through now.

Ugh Damn it, lets go home.

After muttering that to myself, I tried to put the dancers head into my backpack but it was too big.

It wouldnt fit. Moreover, my backpack was already filled with the silver bell from the underworld and various other artifacts there was simply no room for this large, shiny head. Damn, I was carrying too much.

Ah, but there was still more to gather.

I turned my head to look at the pile of golden dancers bodies.

The scene was ambiguous, teetering between horrific and beautiful.

They glittered as if dusted with gold powder.

Its almost blinding.

It was like a bizarre reflection of the night skys brilliance.

Thirteen golden dancers lay shattered; their bodies golden scales spilled out. And the brightly colored jewels that adorned their bodies were not in short supply either. There was enough to adorn thirteen humans.

Because of this, the amount of gold and jewels scattered and spread around was absurd. Just witnessing this scene could drive many to madness.

In addition, the completely motionless fragments of the dancers bodies still retained their sensual forms, turning the barren ground of the ruins, where not a single blade of grass had grown, into a beautiful yet filthy wasteland littered with golden sculptures of corpses.

If only this were real gold

Too bad, but this was not real gold.

The split and cracked bodies of the dancers, the golden scales scattered on the ground, and the brightly colored jewels that adorned their bodies were slowly turning black. They might maintain the appearance of treasures for a week or two, but it would be difficult to find a foolish enough merchant in Paju willing to buy such items.

However, if I could find the right buyer, there might be a way to dispose of them.

These items were crafted from materials from the depths of the abyss, and they were imbued with the magic and alien thoughts of another world. They possessed a lethal and profound danger and magical effect that was as deep and deadly as the stories they held within.

Should I take these with me Hmm Looking up, I saw stars embedded in the high night sky, shining as if they were about to spill over, and looking around, the dense forests of Tanhyeon could be seen beyond the ruins turned to rubble.

How do I make my way back from here anyway?