Rumble…
The sound of thunder rolled in.
Whoosh…Tatatata….
And the sound of pouring rain. A deluge of heavy raindrops hammering on the car roof created a chaotic symphony.
Late at night.
In a dark lampless path through the forest.
The road was barely covered in asphalt and, due to long periods of neglect, was riddled with potholes and damage.
“The rain’s really coming down.”
This was the voice of Jang Hyeon-deok.
“Mage-nim, it’s really raining. The rain, yes, a lot, really a lot, it’s raining heavily, really.”
When I didn’t respond, Jang Hyeon-deok emphasized his point by repeating himself several times.
“I hear it.”
“Ah, I thought you didn’t hear me since you didn’t reply. But seriously, Mage-nim, it’s really pouring.”
“Right.”
It was a tremendous downpour.
It wasn’t this bad when we set out, but by the time we neared our destination, it was pouring like a torrential downpour.
The day had turned completely dark, and we were on a secluded mountain path.
It was understandable why Jang Hyeon-deok felt uneasy.
“This place isn’t that far from the city, yet the atmosphere is a bit… creepy.”
“Right, it’s a bit creepy.”
“Ah, just to clarify, in case you misunderstand, I’m fine.”
“Right, you’re fine.”
“Yes. But this place really does give off a spooky vibe. It’s as if ghosts could appear at any moment.”
“Right.”
The rain was pouring heavily.
It was chilling to the bone.
It felt as if ghosts might appear at any moment.
That was going to be his next point. He had kicked aside other good requests to be here at Mage-nim’s behest. Loyalty, loyalty.
“I would still follow Mage-nim even if ghosts actually appeared! Oh, did I mention that? An incredible request came in today. It was proposed by the Traid; they were seeking a skilled driver to help in a breakout of captured gang members.”
“Right. Thirty million won.”
“Ah, that’s what I was going to say? That’s right. It’s not often that a request worth thirty million won comes in just for me. But who am I? Haven’t I rejected that request out of my loyalty and love for Mage-nim and came here instead!”
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})“Wow, that’s really impressive.”
“Ah, really! Are you going to respond so nonchalantly?”
“You’re the one… How many times are you going to repeat the same story…”
This was already the ninth time we’ve gone through this same pattern. And it was the nineteenth time he mentioned the heavy rain.
Rumble! Tatatatata!!
It looked like the rain wasn’t going to stop anytime soon.
Through the rain, a sinister mist was rising.
“Mage-nim, do you happen to know if there are any legends about this area around Jangmyeong Mountain?”
“Yes, I know.”
There was a legend that around Jangmyeong Mountain, a virgin ghost and a goblin appeared to torment passersby.
“They say that late at night, a virgin ghost appears to people walking on this road and tries to coax them into living with her at her place.”
“Right, a goblin appears too, right?”
“Ah, how did you know?”
“You’ve mentioned it about seven times already, so yes, I know it.”
“Yes, that’s right. If one avoids the virgin ghost, a nine-foot-tall goblin will leap out and drag them into the mud for a test of strength.”
“That’s amazing.”
“Mage-nim, I mean, it’s a bit of a sensitive topic, and I hope you won’t take it the wrong way. What I’m trying to say is…”
I already knew what Jang Hyeon-deok wanted to say.
“You can head back as soon as I get off.”
“Ah, it’s not that I’m scared, you see. I’ve been in this business for more than just a day or two, and the people who call for my services usually choose these late hours and secluded places.”
“So you’re used to it?”
“Yes, yes. Very used to it. Really.”
Despite his words, his expression betrayed a hint of unease.
Being accustomed to the night and secluded places didn’t necessarily mean being comfortable in a horror-like atmosphere.
The ambiance was eerie enough for us to not be surprised if a ghost appeared at any moment.
The negative energy was excessively concentrated here.
Even someone without a shaman’s spiritual abilities would feel something was wrong with such a place.
“We’re almost there. See that building? That’s the place.”
“Wow…”
Jang Hyeon-deok’s complexion turned pale.
“Isn’t that… Isn’t that a bit too much? How can such a building even exist?”
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})A grand mansion with an antique Western exterior.
It was [The Hungry Mansion].
Honestly, it was the epitome of a haunted house, one that anyone would acknowledge as impressively creepy.
“Did someone deliberately design it like this? It looks like something straight out of a theme park! A theme park!”
The mansion’s ominous exterior seemed as if someone had intentionally set out to craft the perfect haunted house.
Such a gloomy mansion stood in the rain, in the woods, in this dark hour.
The sight of the building made me feel a tad sorry for Jang Hyeon-deok.
“Well, it is a bit over the top.”
The design of the building itself wasn’t to blame.
Apart from its awkwardly Western appearance in the heart of Korea, it was merely a mansion with a somewhat antique design.
However, the problem lay in the malevolent and eerie energy that the mansion harbored.
It was a different kind from the abandoned hospital on Gamaksan Mountain. It was the repulsive and chilling aura of the dead.
It was so strong that one could almost believe the smell of corpses was seeping into the car.
The magical power, along with the evil energy and malice emanating from the entire building, was so intense that it distorted not just the building but the surrounding landscape as well.
Anyone who laid eyes on that building would inevitably feel an inexplicable unease and an instinctive terror.
“What is that?”
“Huh? Huh? Eeeeeeh?!”
Something bizarre and writhing was spotted on the roof of the building.
Though I wished to take a closer look, the surrounding trees obstructed the view.
Would it become visible if I moved just a bit closer?
What was crawling on the roof was…
A person?
On such a rainy day, was there someone on the roof?
No, it seemed to be more than just a person…
Suddenly, Jang Hyeon-deok screamed out loud.
“AAAAAAAH!!!”
Holy shit.
“What’s wrong!”
Had this guy lost his mind?
Before I could even respond, Jang Hyeon-deok slammed on the brakes.
Screeeeech!!!
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})Thud!!
There was a dull sensation as something collided with the car.
Something white flashed past the windshield too quickly for me to see what it was.
Before I could even identify it, I reflexively activated a spell.
[Protective Circle]
Screeeeeech!
The protective circle hadn’t formed around me but around the car, and something had collided with it.
Pop.
It’s gone. What was that?
It wasn’t a ghost. Something tangible had hit the protective circle.
But what?
Did Jang Hyeon-deok see it?
I stayed on guard and called out to Jang Hyeon-deok.
“Hey, did you see that?”
No reply came.
“Uh… Uh…”
Only a strangled groan.
Jang Hyeon-deok’s face had gone deathly pale.
I had never seen such a pallid expression on his face.
He was completely frozen with his eyes wide open.
“Hey, hey!”
“Uh… Uh…”
Jang Hyeon-deok, this guy, must have seen something.
“Hey, snap out of it! What did you see that’s got you all freaked out?”
“Uhh… Ugh…”
This wasn’t a normal reaction.
Jang Hyeon-deok had definitely seen something he shouldn’t have.
His body was so rigid it felt like stone.
Something must have appeared while I was distracted.
In [Cthulhu World] there were monsters whose mere form or presence could shatter a human’s mind with their malevolent essence.
“You’re supposed to be a professional in the underworld, man!”
Even if Jang Hyeon-deok was an expert driver accustomed to the underworld, that’s only within human limits.
The distortion effect of witnessing a supernatural entity does not discriminate.
Madness appeared as a result of him witnessing something, and the resulting distortion effect occurred.
In this state… a transparent message window appeared around Jang Hyeon-deok’s body.
****
[Distortion—Psychosomatic Disorder]: Random status ailments occur for a certain period.
/ Temporary abnormalities occur in the body due to excessive mental shock. You might not be able to see, hear, or speak. In severe cases, paralysis can occur in the limbs.
Jang Hyeon-deok’s current condition: Paralyzed
****
“Hey, man! Snap out of it!”
“Uh… Uh… Uhh…”
This was not going to work.
I shouted several more times, but there was no response.
The stiffness in his muscles was worrying.
While lashing out or falling over could be problematic, paralysis was a serious issue in its own right.
In the worst-case scenario, he could suffocate while still conscious but unable to breathe.
“Damn it, this isn’t my specialty.”
None of the magic I could use had the effect of curing madness or eliminating distortion. However, waking someone up… I had tried it before when waking up Jeong Hyeon-ah.
[Exhilaration]
[Brilliance of the Eagle]
[Courage of the Lion]
The magic incited a battle desire, uplifting the spirit and boosting mental strength while simultaneously igniting courage. Furthermore, these spells were beneficial for vitality and were excellent for invigoration.
“This isn’t enough…”
As was the case with Jeong Hyeon-ah before, these spells were merely effective in preparing the body to rise. To actually open one’s eyes, a stronger stimulus was needed, such as a powerful electric shock…
[Voice of Authority]
A spell that temporarily controls humans weaker than myself.
Jang Hyeon-deok, open your eyes.
“Ah! Ugh… Ugh…”
Jang Hyeon-deok began to roll his eyes as he exhaled deeply.
Blood rushed to his eyes, turning them bright red with congestion.
“That’s right. Breathe slowly. It’s okay.”
“Huff… Huff… Ah… Haah… Uh… Mage-nim…”
Life began to return to his eyes.
“Are you coming to your senses?”
After mumbling incompletely a few times, the words he finally managed to utter were somewhat offbeat.
“Did you see? The one I hit… It was a person, right?”
That was a subtle way to put it.
Jang Hyeon-deok was implying that he hoped what he had hit was indeed a person.
“What if it wasn’t?”
“Huh?”
“What did you see? Tell me exactly what you observed.”
We haven’t even reached the mansion yet.
It’s too soon for anything to happen.
It would be more realistic if we had hit someone who had lost his way.
“It might sound strange to Mage-nim, but… I hope what I saw was a person! No, it must have been a person!”
“I understand, now try to calm down for a moment.”
Jang Hyeon-deok was not yet in his right mind.
The madness shimmering in his eyes, his unstable breathing, his incoherent speech and his excessively high temperature.
In such a state, scolding him would only backfire.
I shifted my gaze from Jang Hyeon-deok and looked outside the car.
Splish splash… drip drip…
The sound of the pouring rain…
And the darkness.
It felt like something might attack me at any moment If I were to go outside.
I hate getting wet in the rain…
[Distortion Field]
A semi-circular transparent dome made of magical power formed around us.
“The sound of the rain…”
Jang Hyeon-deok wore a surprised expression on his face.
The sound of rain hitting the car suddenly disappeared.
“I’ve created an umbrella with magic.”
It was a distortion field that refracts long-range attacks.
Though it may not be considered an attack, it can definitely refract raindrops.
It should also be able to block any long-distance sniping attempts.
“Just wait here. I’ll go check it out.”
“Ah… Wait, just a moment, please!”
“Oh, why?”
Irritation began to seep into my voice.
“T-Too fast…… Can you go a bit slower….”
“Oh, come on…”
Click.
Ignoring Jang Hyeon-deok’s nonsense, I opened the car door.
A tremendous amount of rain was falling outside the car.
However, due to the effect of the distortion field acting like an umbrella, the rain pouring around the car scattered in all directions.
I amplified my senses using magical power.
I was on the alert, but nothing out of the ordinary appeared.
“There’s nothing here.”
“Oh, nothing?”
That was Jang Hyeon-deok’s voice from behind the rolled-down window.
“Yeah, nothing.”
“Then, shall we go?”
“No.”
A pure white thing appeared in front along with a thumping sound.
Evidently, the car had hit something.
I slowly walked towards the front of the car.
The bumper of Jang Hyeon-deok’s speedy call van was slightly dented.
“It seems we definitely hit something…”
And this is…
There were marks on the bumper where part of it was sharply cut.
“Knife marks?”
On one corner of the bumper, there were four parallel traces.
No, not knife marks.
They were claw marks.
