Chapter 44: How to Go Back

Chapter 44: How to Go Back

I do know how to drive, but

Should I load everything into Jang Hyeon-deoks call van and head back? Thats not a choice I want to make

Stealing a secure taxi and getting caught would make me an enemy of the Paju Transport Association. Not only would a bounty be placed on my head, but I would also be unable to use any form of transportation in Paju until I paid a tribute to lift the hostile status.

Finding a taxi willing to come all the way here is impossible anyway

No choice then. I scratched my head and walked towards where Jang Hyeon-deok lay collapsed.

Ah, damn it Tonight is really something else.

Though I confirmed in the message a little while ago that I had gained a firm alliance with Jang Hyeon-deok, its impossible that hes still alive.

Even if a minor ghost or a demon possessed his body, it would cause it to deteriorate. But Jang Hyeon-deok directly harbored the will of an abyssal being in his body. Even if he shared the damage as a medium, survival is out of the question. If by some miracle he did survive, the never-ending divine heat would soon disintegrate his body, or he could be completely dominated by the abysss influence. This would lead to the collapse of both body and mind and he would turn into a madman or a monster.

Well, if he were to become a golden dancer, it would mean retaining a human form, which could be considered lucky compared to transforming into an ugly descendant of Carcosa or a fulfiller of oaths.

But I soon faced a situation I hadnt anticipated.

Well, what do we have here? This guys still alive?

To my surprise, he was still alive and in relatively good health no less. He was certainly bruised, dirty and passed out, but he had no severe fractures or was spilling out anything that shouldnt be spilled. And all of his ten fingers were intact on his hands.

Compared to my burnt, torn, broken, and burst fingers, it was almost irritating.

Hmm He hasnt turned into a monster.nove(l)bi(n.)com

But just because he looked alright on the outside didnt mean everything was fine.

But the insides might not be intact, right?

I remembered the situation that occurred right before I fell into distortion. Jang Hyeon-deok was praising the dancers performance with a burst of manic laughter.

Waking him up might only result in delirious ramblings

In the worst case, he might let out a shrieking yell and attack me.

I tapped the mask covering my face with my fingers while lost I was in thought for a moment.

The deliberation was brief, and I reached a conclusion.

[Prayer of Protection]

[Protective Circle]

[Foxs Agility]

This and that and a few more. I felt a pain akin to my fingers tearing apart each time I activated a spell, but I couldnt afford even a moments distraction.

Ill be lucky if he doesnt suddenly start spewing tentacles from his mouth

However, considering my [Enhanced Vigilance] trait hadnt been activated, it seemed unlikely that I was facing a trap quite that dangerous. I maintained a distance of about two meters from Jang Hyeon-deok and activated a new spell.

Since I have recently acquired the ability to cast second-order spells, it seemed fitting to test them out right now. This one wasnt a flashy spell, but it was one of the crucial ones needed to survive in the [Cthulhu World].

[Inspection]

If the first-order [Identification] spell was used to ascertain the origin or composition of objects, then the second-order [Inspection] spell was meant to discern the nature of places, people, or even the identities of unknown species. In simpler terms, it was similar to viewing someone elses status window.

Of course, it didnt grant me knowledge I didnt already possess. It merely provided the information that A = B. But that was enough.

After all, theres no one who knows more about the [Cthulhu World] than I do.

Giiiiii.

The magical tentacles conjured by [Inspection] reached toward Jang Hyeon-deok and slowly started scanning him from head to toe. They were assessing everything from external mutations to internal conditions and inherent traits.

He seems fine?

Surprisingly, Jang Hyeon-deoks mind was as clean as his outward appearance. Of course, this didnt mean he was entirely normal.

He had witnessed shocking things and acquired knowledge that should have remained unknown. He bore the minimum level of madness and traumamental scars that come with the revelation of this worlds truthsbut such afflictions are commonplace among those who navigate the dangerous nights of Paju.

The moment I saw your mask, things started to feel off! It seems like that mask twisted my mind! I didnt even know places like this existed before! And that fragment of a mask wasnt something I found here! I got it from Myeong-sii ahjussi, you know? Seung-jae-ssi and Gil-young ahjussi have one too! Something is terribly wrong! I wasnt trying to deceive you, Mage-nim; I was being used too!

In his desperation, Jang Hyeon-deok rambled on about a few more nonsensical things. He mentioned something about an orphanage, his siblings who looked up to him like rabbits, and how he had planned to buy gifts and visit the children at the orphanage who were eagerly waiting for him. If he suddenly stopped showing up without any notice It seemed that his tendency to blurt out irrelevant things when flustered was a part of his personality and was unrelated to any mind control.

Considering the grim situation in Paju, where fixers, monster hunters, and treasure hunters typically exact their own forms of retribution on those who threaten them.Jang Hyeon-deoks reaction couldnt really be deemed overly sensitive. Even I had entertained the thought that the safest course of action might be to slit the unconscious Jang Hyeon-deoks throat.

Okay, I get it.

Please believe me! Im truly innocent!

Sure, sure. You dont need to make any more excuses.

Although I meant for him to just shut up, Jang Hyeon-deok seemed to misinterpret my words to mean something along the lines of There is no need to make any more excuses; just die, Jang Hyeon-deok. He clung to me with even more desperation.

Please! At the very least, let me deliver the shoes I promised to Hyeon-ji

Ah, let go! I said I understand! My backs hurting!

Please, Mage-nim! Spare me!

I attempted to peel off Jang Hyeon-deok who was clinging to my waist but eventually gave up.

Alright, Jang Hyeon-deok, I understand. I got it, okay?

You believe me!

Yes. So, just shut up and take a couple of hits.

What?

Whack.

I quickly smacked him on the head.

Ugh my hand.

Hitting him with my hand was not the right move, it seems.

I spoke to Jang Hyeon-deok who was holding his head and groaning.

I intended to hit you twice, but my hand hurts, so Ill let you off with just one.

Jang Hyeon-deok who was crouching down gave me a puzzled look.

Youre letting me off?

Yes. Lets call it even with that and leave it be.

Really?

Yes, but theres much to be done. Follow me.

Ah, understood!

I led Jang Hyeon-deok to where the dancers bodies lay. Jang Hyeon-deok who was confronted with the fascinating yet gruesome sight of golden corpses scattered in a mess recoiled with a look of disgust.

We agreed to split things fifty-fifty at the beginning.

Uh? Yes we did say that but that was before

Im going to take care of those. Are you going to claim them?

.

Jang Hyeon-deok hesitated to respond. In fact, his expression seemed to convey all he wished to say. Well, his reaction was typical for most people. Even if it were called a treasure, it was an ominous and dreadful object. It was normal to fear a curse leading to death more than to be driven by greed.

Before Jang Hyeon-deoks eyes, I reached into the abdomen of one of the destroyed dancers corpses and tore out the scales.

Even though I was rummaging through the belly of a being that resembled a human, I felt no revulsion or emotional disturbance. The pain emanating from my damaged fingers was, in fact, more distressing.

The entity seemed more like an inanimate object moved by magic than a living creature. It was more fitting to describe it as a device that had stopped working rather than a dead body.

I then extracted something of true importance from within the destroyed dancers body.