“The value of an item varies from person to person. To me, its value lies solely in being an antique, so I am willing to transfer it to you.”
“Thank you.”
“However, it’s not possible at this very moment.”
I waited silently for Cheong-ho’s next words.
“It’s not for any other reason but that the item is stored in the main house’s warehouse. Since it’s in a different region, could you wait a bit?”
This sounded like a lie. Yet, Cheong-ho didn’t seem the type to joke around with non-existent items. Though not certain, I couldn’t help but wonder if Cheong-ho was using the book as a pretext to meet me again.
“There’s no rush, so that’s fine. If you happen to come across any information related to such grimoires elsewhere, I’d appreciate a heads-up.”
“Ha! I’d be more than happy to help with that. Is there anything else you need? Perhaps access to a black market where you might find grimoires … Yes, how about that? I could help you get in.”
Cheong-ho’s efforts to win my favor were almost touching.
“If that’s possible, I’d like to ask for your help with that as well.”
“Heh… It might be difficult right away, but I’ll arrange something good before long.”
“Thank you.”
“But Mage-nim, your name was Kim Shin-hwa, right?”
“Yes.”
“You may think this is out of the blue but may I make a proposal?”
“A proposal?”
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})“Not something like access to the black market, but rather, how about working together with me?”
“……”
“Mages are often seen as slow, expensive, shady, and even unlucky and arrogant. Oh, my apologies. I mean other Mages. But Kim Shin-hwa-nim is different. You possess remarkable skills and are both agile and trustworthy.”
“Um…”
“The name ‘Triad’ might sound grand, but in reality, it’s nothing special. Back then, the times were so dangerous and chaotic… it was possible to forcibly unite things that shouldn’t be mixed. But it’s not like that anymore, right? In Paju, which is slowly finding peace, the name ‘Triad’ has become not a shield but an uncomfortable shackle.”
Surprisingly, Cheong-ho spoke of the division within Triad. I wasn’t surprised because it wasn’t my first time hearing this. I’ve encountered this event several times before. However, there were conditions for this event to happen.
First, you must form a firm alliance with one of the three heads of the Triad.
Second, the player’s level must be 50 or above.
My level is currently 28. Why has this event suddenly occurred? Does this imply my abilities are now equivalent to those at level 50?
Considering the abilities I possessed and the enemies I could challenge, it seemed plausible that I could be around that level. But it felt premature. And above all…
“The reason we’ve been hesitant to make a move is because there are two of them. The other two must be thinking the same. I can deal with either one, but I can’t deal with both at the same time. However, with Kim Shin-hwa-nim by our side, I believe we can even take on three, not just two. What do you say? I’ll offer you the best treatment I can.”
“Thank you for your offer, but I have no intention of joining any organization or group for the time being.”
I had no desire to fall under Cheong-ho’s command.
Nor was I interested in any other factions within the Triad. While the human resources and underworld infrastructure of the Triad were appealing, those were merely on a human level.
This was evident even in the case of Chae Tae-won, a senior figure in the Triad. His character and abilities were respectable, but they were still within human limits. Even compared to Curtain Call, who was no different from a wild caveman, Chae Tae-won was far behind.
The entities I would face in the future were beyond human capabilities, and compared to those monsters, the Triad’s minions were nothing more than a swarm of ants.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})“Is that so… Well…”
Cheong-ho wore a bitter expression on his face. He seemed to think it was because he showed too much desperation. But that wasn’t entirely incorrect, so I didn’t bother to correct his thought.
“And this is a piece of advice, separate from your proposal…”
“Advice?”
“Don’t think that Paju is now at peace.”
“What? What do you mean?”
Finally, the honorifics disappeared from Cheong-ho’s speech. It wasn’t that his attitude had changed because I had rejected his offer. Rather, he was so taken aback that he couldn’t maintain his formal tone.
“It may sound like a prophecy, but soon, an issue unlike any before will not just affect Paju but the entire world. For that time, whether to keep the Triad going or…”
If you want to fight, move faster than anyone else. I didn’t explicitly say it, but it seemed Cheong-ho had caught on to what I was implying without me having to state it outright.
“But with the current forces at my disposal…”
“I will continue to work solely through Vasilisa for the time being. If the conditions are right, I might come to greet you again.”
“I understand… Alright… A grimoire? Fine. I can procure as many of those as you need.”
Cheong-ho made a bold claim, but it was merely a boast since he was almost as ignorant about grimoires as anyone else. Should he truly start to search, he’d realize the difficulty of acquiring one and likely be shocked.
The conversation that followed my refusal of the collaboration offer was hardly important. Perhaps unable to let go completely, Cheong-ho brought up the topic of his grimoire several more times. It wasn’t until I promised to meet in person again on the day he would deliver the grimoire that I was finally able to leave.
***
Two more weeks passed.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})There was no word from Cheong-ho, who had promised to deliver the grimoire.
Instead, I received a compensation of three hundred million won through Tudor.
Setting aside everything else, the fact that Cheong-ho and I had become firm allies hadn’t changed, so I decided to wait for him without any sense of urgency. Anyway, he won’t betray me if nothing out of the ordinary happens.
In the meantime, I kept myself busy by resolving a few requests.
They were mostly jobs that paid pocket money. I captured a few wanted criminals, covertly blew up a mercenary group’s base that had upset a major corporation, and stole a cherished idol from a cult’s sacred site.
The last quest I undertook was particularly significant.
In the process of stealing the idol, I managed to sweep up all the relics they had gathered.
While none of the items were immediately usable, I ended up with a bounty of versatile catalysts and materials that could be used for various purposes.
“Phew… It’s about time I got a proper workshop or research space.”
Or more accurately, what I needed was a warehouse. Warehouse! The small studio apartment I had was far too cramped for all the items I had accumulated.
Now, there were cursed fake gold turning black, fragments of bizarre creatures, magical tools, various catalysts, and shimmering magic stones, not to mention a golden dancer’s head displayed in one corner as if it were a piece of decor.
The items here alone could build a decent alchemy workshop if I take good care of them.
“Whatever it is, this isn’t the place for it.”
Of course, I had conducted some limited work and magical experiments here, but even that was reaching its limits.
As time passed, both my collection of items and my wealth grew significantly. At the same time, my reliability with Tudor and my reputation as a fixer had solidified which paved the way for more dangerous quests to come my way.
Furthermore, if I were to advance further in this line of work, my reputation as a fixer could very well develop into notoriety. That would certainly bring about exciting times; I’d become a wanted man, with bounty hunters and assassins trailing me.
Taking all of this into account led me to a simple conclusion.
“It’s about time I moved my base of operations.”
With the money at my disposal and Tudor’s cooperation, securing a safehouse-level residence wouldn’t be a difficult task.
However, I needed a place that was more spacious than what could typically be acquired through such means.
Ideally, a residence with unique features that would benefit its occupant would be preferable.
Should I go for [Home Usurpation]?
If I wanted to, I could easily kill an easy NPC and take over his house. Although it’s an outrageous crime, it’s a brilliant system that reflects the ruthless nature of the [Cthulhu World].
But I need to choose carefully. The better the house, the more likely it was to have formidable defenses or a highly capable owner. Moreover, the closer to the city center, the higher the chances of getting caught by the police or even the immigration bureau…
Tsk, how did it come to this?
Despite justifying it as part of the game’s system, what I was thinking about was essentially murder and theft. If I were still living in the real world as Kim Shin-hwa, I would never even consider such things, let alone carry out such a plan.
Ah, fu*k it. What was I going to do then? Had I not taken lives until now? Was there another way? If I kept delaying, the path to ruin would begin to advance, leading to an ending engulfed in doom. To escape this world before that main event triggers, I have to amass power by any means necessary.
“No, wait. I don’t have to kill anyone, right?”
Yes, that was it. There were homes I could take without having to murder innocent people. In fact, some even pleaded for me to take theirs…
There was this one particular house that seemed perfect. It wasn’t bad at all and it offered many beneficial options for a mage.
Although there were some challenging parts, overcoming them could grant me a level of power usually not attainable until much later in the game.
At this point, I made up my mind about my next course of action. I left the overcrowded house behind and headed towards Vasilisa.
As I entered the café, a hush fell over the place.
Everyone glanced my way while whispering quietly among themselves.
No full sentences were distinctly audible, but words like “Je Mu-gyeong”, “The Triad” and “Wild Guns” occasionally reached my ears.
This was a recent change. Now, there was no one in Vasilisa who didn’t know me.
Outside of Vasilisa, the name Kim Shin-hwa and the Carcosa’s mask I wore had become quite well-known too.
I ignored their gazes and turned to Tudor. And as she usually did during her free time, she was sprawled in a corner of the cafe and reading a fantasy novel.
“Oh dear, you’re here? I didn’t call for you today, yet here you are.”
“Yes, this time I have a favor to ask of you.”
“Oh, a favor from you? That’s kind of scary.”
What’s so scary about that? Ignoring Tudor’s joke, I continued.
“I’d like you to narrow down the conditions for my next request.”
“Narrow down the conditions? Ah, it seems you have something specific in mind?”
“Exactly.”
There was one particular request I had in mind among those Tudor could arrange, but it would be odd to directly pick that one out, wouldn’t it?
What should I say to gloss it over?
“I’ve recently acquired some items related to necromancy, and I’d like to experiment with them.”
“Ahaan, so you did manage to pick up something from that mess, didn’t you?”
The mess referred to the sacred site of the cultists that I recently raided. The mission was completed successfully, and I was able to recover the idol…. But buildings collapsed, fires broke out, monsters suddenly flew from the sky, and all sorts of things happened.
“I hadn’t expected to encounter a genuine cultist capable of summoning magic. Nevertheless, I made sure not to bring back anything that could be traced back to us.”
“It’s unlike you to leave traces that could lead to being tracked. As for necromancy, what exactly do you wish to accomplish?”
“I’m not particular about the level of difficulty; if there are any requests to resolve psychic phenomenon, I’d like you to arrange them for me.”
“Any psychic phenomenon?”
“Let’s avoid possessions… they’re troublesome. I’d prefer something related to a property or real estate that can be resolved with a wide-reaching suppression.”
“Hmm…”
Tudor placed a finger on her lips and started thinking.
Given the current circumstances, there should be a few requests that fit the criteria.
“I recall there was something like that on the network… “I think I probably skipped it because the conditions weren’t that good.”
“I’m not too concerned about the payment.”
“So, shall I look into it and get back to you with the details? You’ll probably hear from me by tomorrow at the latest.”
“Sounds good.”
“Necromancy, though… Should I start considering that area for future requests?”
What a troubling kindness. Practicing necromancy was merely an excuse to convince Tudor.
“As I mentioned, it’s for practice, so let’s see how this goes and then decide.”
What I really want isn’t to practice necromancy. I’m simply looking for a quest that allows me to acquire what I need and earn a decent reward in the process.
