Chapter 133: Banquet of Madness

Chapter 133: Banquet of Madness

“Is that party really happening here? On that spaceship?”

Jang Hyeon-deok looked at the huge building in front of him with a bewildered expression on his face.

“Spaceship?”

I wondered what the heck he was talking about so I looked up at the building.

The building was designed like three huge domes connected together in a sleek rounded design.

It was even covered in a metallic and shimmering silver finish, so it certainly looked like something that could be called a spaceship.

“Yes.”

“At this time?”

It was 3 a.m., not a typical time for any kind of event.

“Yes.”

“You’re saying you’re going to a party in that mask, wearing that strange hanbok, with a sword at your waist, at this time? And this place is... what? Sejong Govern something?”

What is he even saying?

“It’s Sejong Government Complex. And that’s the Sejong Government Complex Gymnasium.”

“Oh, right. The New Government Complex.”

It didn’t seem like he knew what he was talking about, but Jang Hyeon-deok nodded his head with confidence and continued speaking.

“It seems like this is some really shady event, right? In stories like this, isn’t it usually a secret party?”

“It is a secret one.”

“But they’re doing this kind of thing here? Don’t people in Sejong City have eyes?”

He was looking at the area around the entrance to the gymnasium.

Although streetlights and night lights were installed nearby, they were all turned off for some reason and the place was very dark.

And if one looked closely into the darkness, they would notice a red carpet laid out. It was all ridiculous.

At the entrance, there was even a guide perfectly dressed in a formal tailcoat.

“Even if they have eyes, they can’t see this area, at least not tonight.”

“Huh? Why?”

“If I weren’t in this car, you wouldn’t have been able to get close to this area.”

“Oooh...”

I took Dokgo Gyeom’s invitation out of my pocket and showed it to Jang Hyeon-deok.

Even though Dokgo Gyeom was known to be a madman, he didn’t send out an invitation imbued with magic just to show off.

“The enchantment on this invitation... no, never mind. Think of it as a high-pass card. We passed the checkpoint without you realizing it.”

“Hmm? You changed your explanation because you thought I wouldn’t understand? Maybe I could have understood.”

“...No, I meant to say it was a high pass card from the beginning.”

Fortunately, Jang Hyeon-deok quickly lost interest.

“Anyway, this is one of the strangest places I’ve ever brought a fixer to. Honestly, even the... black market? It wasn’t as oddly themed as this.”

“In terms of danger, this place is a hundred times more dangerous than the black market.”

At least the black market is a place for humans. This is a place for cultists, madmen, and the beings of the abyss that embrace them.Diiscover new stories at novelhall.com

“Now, enough chit-chat. Let’s get ready to get off.”

I pulled the hoodie over my head and activated the effect embedded in the winged robe of the night veil

[Shadow Deception]

Buzz...

The black collar of the mantle gradually spread out, becoming a black liquid or shadow itself as it covered my entire body.

I briefly became a faint shadow. I was completely enveloped in pitch-black darkness.

And I cast a new spell over this darkness.

[Tangled Identity]

Buzz...

A new form emerged over the blurred silhouette.

Since there was no need to change my appearance drastically, I didn’t look much different from before. However, the mask on my face transformed into a completely different design.

It became a grotesque silver mask, made to resemble the face of a dead person, just like the [Dead Man’s Mask] that was in Hollow Lord’s mansion.

Of course, it was only a change in shape. The real Dead Man’s Mas was still being used as a terminal to control the necromancy golems in the mansion.

Jang Hyeon-deok who had observed the entire process whistled in admiration.

“So, what do I do now? I don’t want to go back to the empty car. Should I wait? The waiting time is also billed, you know.”

Ah, thanks for suggesting it first. I had already planned around Jang Hyeon-deok waiting.

“Fine, but it’s dangerous around here. So, hang out somewhere in the city.”

“Oh, if that’s okay, it’s fine by me.”

“But.”

“But?”

Originally, to enter the event hall, I would have had to sneak past those guys, slipping in here and there with stealth action.

In the process, there were instant-death traps that would trigger upon stepping on them. Climbing up the outer wall had an immediate fatal fall if I slipped, and the bugs were so bad that all resources were probably wasted to create this huge gym.

But this time, I have an invitation, so I can enter confidently.

Hahaha... Just the thought of not having to do that made me feel good.

At the end of the red carpet, an old gentleman in a perfectly tailored tailcoat was checking invitations.

“Do you need any help?”

Oops, I had been thinking for too long.

The elegant old gentleman in the tailcoat, or rather the masquerade’s gatekeeper, spoke to me.

Without a word, I took out Dokgo Gyeom’s invitation from my pocket and showed it to him.

It was a cute postcard with a purple bear drawn on it, but the appearance didn’t matter. This postcard which was prepared through some kind of ritual contained Dokgo Gyeom’s magical power.

The gatekeeper recognized the magical power and bowed politely.

“Thank you for coming such a long way.”

“Can I go in?”

“Yes, just follow the carpet straight inside.”

“All right.”

I walked slowly past the gatekeeper. It would be a lie to say I wasn’t nervous at all, but still, it was as expected.

Alright, I made it this far.

Since I have already experienced similar difficulties at the Thousand Gold Temple, I took the best possible precautions.

Having been entangled with so many beings of the abyss, I now carry too many diverse scents to disguise myself as a follower of any specific cult.

The [King in Yellow], [The One Who Comes from the Dark], [The Living Flame]...

Fortunately, the Winged Robe of the Night Veil alleviated those issues.

A flimsy illusion spell like [Tangled Identity] couldn’t solve this problem, but the [Shadow Desception] of the [Winged Robe of the Night Vei] provided a very strong concealment.

Unless an L-rank artifact or a being of the abyss itself intervenes, no one can see through my identity.

But even if they did, what could they do?

My mana core contained a fragment of [He Who Comes from the Darkness]. In any case, I could argue that I wasn’t entirely unrelated to the Hungry Mansion.

So, I concealed other magical powers and disguised myself by showcasing the magical power of [He Who Comes from the Darkness].

And this level of disguise should be enough.

They wouldn’t have assigned just anyone as a gatekeeper for an event with such sensitivity. But even the specially selected gatekeeper for today didn’t notice.

Inside the gymnasium, the path split into two.

One path led to the door directly ahead.

And the other path led up a flight of stairs.

Was it to guide the way? This time, a woman in a tailcoat appeared. She brushed aside her flowing hair and spoke in an annoyed tone.

“Welcome. May I verify where and whom you are visiting from?”

A strange manner of speaking again. Another excessive setup.

Well, today was a special day. Wasn’t it the day when the main villains of a chapter, or at least mid-level bosses, gathered in one place?

I would be meeting these kinds of people all day. They would each make a brief appearance and showcase their strange personalities, but after today, I might never see them again.

“I am a member of the Hungry Mansion.”

“From the Hungry Mansion...”

She shuffled through some documents, confirmed something, and continued speaking.

“What is your name?”

“Heo Sang-hyeon.”

Still speaking with that careless tone.

She briefly looked up from the documents and stared at me.

After a brief silence.

“Thank you for confirming. Please proceed straight ahead.”

As expected, there was no problem.

By the way, weren’t we supposed to be wearing masks to conceal our identities? Why was she asking for names?

Well, in the end, it’s all up to Dokgo Gyeom’s whims.

It was a gathering organized by a madman anyway. Complaining about the detailed setups would only tire me out.

So, was I on the first floor?

Members, that is, direct disciples, stayed on the first floor.

And the distinguished guests, the judges, went to the second floor.

Creeeeak...

The large door opened, and a banquet of madness prepared for the cultists was revealed.