Chapter 53: Human Skin Obssession

Chapter 53: Human Skin Obssession

Creaaak

Just like it was written on the door, this room was a pharmaceutical warehouse.

Inside the dim room, you can see glass display cases built in layers.

[The room is dark and somewhat cold.

This is probably to preserve the medicines stored inside.]

Oh, what a surprise. After being quiet for a while, it suddenly started working.

Why didnt it make any sound in the corridor earlier? Theres supposed to be designated text for the corridor as well.

Is it just slacking off? Or maybe Ah, could it be because I didnt enter in the set order?

Normally, one should first enter the corridor while coming up the stairs.

But this time, I entered through a window, so perhaps the message that should have appeared in the corridor didnt trigger?

Given the games history of bugs and errors, I cant be certain, but it feels like that might be the case.

Well, if not, no harm done.

[In the room, each glass display case is filled with bottles labeled with medicines and small specimens.

Each transparent bottle you see contains animal or human body parts, or strange creatures you have never seen before.]

Hey, I can see things with my own eyes too.

[The creature within is truly bizarre and horrifying. It is a grotesque monster, neither human nor beast, with four arms and each small hand has six fingers. Upon witnessing this entity, your mind is engulfed in an alien fear and terror.]

Oh dear, its exciting. Really exciting

[System: Attempting to resist the distortion with your mental strength stat. Mental strength check succeeded

Since I resisted the fear, no additional traits were triggered.

I raised my hand briefly to cover the masks eye sockets, then lowered it.

Alright. Lets put off the unpleasant feelings for later.

Theres something here I want to take with me.

The things in the bottles all look similarly repulsive, but one stands out as particularly vile. Its the strange creature mentioned in the message window earlier. The label on the bottle reads Type D Biological Tissue Sample, along with two words: Dimensional Species.

When I reached for the bottle, I could feel the tiny creature wriggling inside, even though it was soaked in chemicals and sealed in a glass bottle.

It was not a mistake. Part of the small creatures grotesquely swollen head split open. And from the fissure, small round eyes emerged and they were looking at me. Although the eyes lacked emotion, I could sense an unpleasant and ominous intelligence in their gaze.

However, this bizarre scene did not last long. The creature soon closed its eyes again, as if it had lost interest. It looked to be peaceful as if dead or asleep.

Tsk, this is why I didnt like this place.

The unnecessary horror elements kept repeating endlessly.

I packed two of such bottles, took several protective measures, and then carefully placed them in my backpack.

With that taken care of, before heading out

Maybe I should do some quick looting?

Among the medicines here, there were some useful ones.

It would be best not to put myself in situations where these would be needed, but the upcoming encounter with Je Mu-gyeong would be troublesome. He wears a special artifact with high magic resistance, and stripping it would be more efficiently done with the medicines here than with magic.

Lets see is this the one?

Among the bottles, I picked up a blue one without a label.

[Valusias Blue Elixir (S-rank Catalyst): One of the potions used by the ancient serpent people. It contains a corrosively potent poison that can be deadly, so its dangerous to use without proper purification.]

Besides that, wouldnt it be a good idea to bring a few more things with me?

Ah, this one releases toxic gas when it gets exposed to the air.

Naturally, it would be problematic if such items were to go off while in my possession.

[Hardening]

I applied a hardening spell to the bottle. When needed, I could effectively use it like an improvised grenade by removing the hardening spell and throwing it.

I packed several into my backpack and kept a few within easy reach, then made my way back to the corridor.

I feel like a complete fool. Cant I just set fire from outside?

Je Mu-gyeong who had been deeply engrossed in his work beside the surgery table lifted his head to look at me.

He was draped in a hideous sackcloth that covered his body, head, and face.

The sackcloth that looked like what a medieval monk might wear, was more akin to a cape or raincoat than actual clothing.

Your skills in making clothes are quite dreadful, arent they?

It was a horrific garment he had fashioned himself using human skin he had peeled off.

Of course, this wasnt skin crafted in any proper manner through tanning.

It was skin forcibly torn from bodies, stretched and pieced together into a patchwork. Some parts still had flesh attached and others were dripping with blood.

Moreover his face was covered with a ghastly mask made from the peeled-off skin of another persons face.

Grrrrr

Although he was wearing human skin, what came out of his mouth was an animal-like growl.

Any ordinary person would lose their sanity just by witnessing this bizarre and horrific scene.

[System: The unique trait Madness of the Abyss has been activated. The effect of intimidation has been nullified.]

However, this posed no significant issue for me. Its not that Im without weaknesses, but as long as I possess the [Madness of the Abyss] trait, nothing can inflict harm upon my mind or soul.

But theres something off about Je Mu-gyeong Even though he was always unhinged, he retained enough sanity to respond when spoken to.

Thats why I had planned to confront him alone and not with Curtain Call. There were things I needed to ask him, things that needed clarification.

Yet, my plan had gone awry.

Je Mu-gyeong now was far more deranged than anything depicted in the game.

Still, it might be worth trying to talk with him one more time

Hey, mask buddy.

At that moment, his body tensed even more.

It wasnt fear.

It was the movement of a beast gathering its strength to pounce on its prey.

The bloodshot eyes visible through the slits of the skin mask gleamed with intense madness.

This is

Oh, he speaks.

This is mine! Its my face! I cant give it to you!

Ah I see, I understand.

Who else but I could understand him? Arent we both mad in our own ways?

To be precise, Je Mu-gyeong suffered from an obsession with human skin. It was different from my obsession with masks. Though his condition was worse than mine.

Alright, you can keep that.

No! Nooooo!

But why did he burst into a fit the moment we met?

Je Mu-gyeong slowly got up and screamed. His eyes flashed with madness and fear?

Ah! Aaaaah! This monster monster! Do not look at me with those dreadful eyes! Do not gaze upon me with your four eyes! Demon from the abyss! You cant touch me!

Huh?

Monster? Demon? Did he, like Jang Hyeon-deok, go mad at the sight of my mask in an instant?

I need skin to wrap around me. I must be enveloped in skin imbued with their souls and spirits! Pain and despair will protect me! The apostle of Yog-Sothoth promised to take me away!

No, it wasnt because of the mask.

The content of his words was too strange to be simply about the mask.

I have seen it! We must journey to that distant realm, the cradle of life, the sanctuary of souls! Beyond the horizon lies a place that is our world yet not our world! A haven without veils, filled with the calm and quiet unknown, to which we must depart!

Hold on. These words were something I never heard even in the game. What was he talking about?

A place that is our world yet not our world? A haven filled with the calm and quiet unknown?

We must escape this twisted, ruined, decaying, and crumbling world! We must leave! We must set out on a journey! Urghhh!