I Became a Genius Mage in the Cthulhu Game Chapter 3

Episode 3

Episode 3 Rubbing

‘This is not the time to be like this. Let’s get out of here! ‘Let’s just think about that for now.’

There is no way to know when the hastily constructed bonfire will go out.

It was cold and dark where the warmth of the campfire couldn’t reach, but it was enough to guess what was there.

A row of freezer tubes and the test subjects inside them.

The name of this place is [K-3675 Secret Research Institute].

It’s an insincere name, as if it was made by combining random numbers, but in any case, this is a secret testing site owned by a parent company.

It is a place where forbidden technologies such as life extension and resurrection of the dead were studied.

They had vain ideals and arrogance to turn the impossible into the possible, and ended up touching forbidden knowledge that should not be touched.

But what they created were ugly and profane monsters that could neither be alive nor dead.

The lab’s poor facilities could not stop the monsters, and the lab was eventually closed.

It’s a place with such elaborate settings, but that doesn’t really matter right now.

While looking for a way out of this, the protagonist discovers the reason why he lost his memory, and discovers the full story of the terrifying incident that occurred at the laboratory… … Just the early story of the game.

“It doesn’t mean much to me.”

Above all, the information and card key that the main character needed to obtain for the first time were caught between that pile of paper that was now burning with excitement. It’s a good thing. The standard development was overlooked.

But that’s not the problem.

As you can see, I haven’t lost my memory, I know what happened in the research, and I know how to get out of here.

The real problem is survival.

Although [K-3675 Secret Laboratory] is a kind of tutorial area, it is not easy to leave this place due to the extreme difficulty of the game.

If you start by creating a character roughly, there are many cases where you end up dying rather than escaping.

‘Oh, I’m really swearing. Why did you come into this game? Wouldn’t it be nice if I could just join a fun training game or dating simulation?’

I’ve never played a fun game before… … . Anyway, why [Cthulhu World]?

I raised my hand towards the bonfire, which was now almost dying out.

I see thin, weak arms and trembling hands.

It looks and feels completely different from before I opened my eyes in this world.

Even if I tried to exert strength on my fingers, my hand could barely perform the minimum movement regardless of my will.

[Strength 4: Infirmity]

It was an ability level that I decided to recreate if the situation arises, but does ‘again’ exist for me in this world?

At that time, a strange sound was suddenly heard.

Good profit… … .

Sigh… … .

Ssssssseu… … .

I turned my head and saw a large passage opening in one side of the wall. There were no doors for cover.

– Eek!

– Keek!

– Turn it off… … !

Strange noises and terrible groans can be heard as something in huge numbers approaches. Not just one or two.

The view is different from the computer screens I have been looking at for thousands of hours, but this is [K-3675 Secret Research Institute].

After bizarre research and forbidden experiments, monsters that cannot exist in reality were brought in, and because of that, the place is closed.

In the process, no one dealt with the monster.

The researchers who were abandoned along with the lab became food for monsters, and eventually the lab became a nest for monsters.

There was such a bright bonfire burning in such a place… … It would have slowly attracted someone’s attention.

‘But there are too many people for something like that?’

Originally, the monster that appears here is a kind of tutorial monster, so one zombie that is easy to deal with should appear. Since it’s a probability-based encounter, I’ve seen up to 3 if I’m unlucky… … .

– Kuehhh!

– Gyaaaagh!

– Gurgling!

– Shut up!

No matter how many times you catch that sound, it seems like there are 30 of them. Is it strange?

Slowly, we begin to see zombies flooding in from the dark hallway. A horde of zombies the size of a platoon is rushing towards them.

[System: The penalty characteristic ‘Feast Offering’ effect has been activated.]

[The beings of the abyss are showing interest in you.]

‘Ah… … That’s how it happened… … .’

I don’t understand it, but is there any other way?

Zombies are not beings of the abyss. The beings of the abyss designated by the system are surreal gods or otherworldly rulers. It seems that some great being exerted an inexplicable influence and drove away the zombies for me.

Now we have reached a distance where we can clearly see the zombies.

The spaciously designed hallway is so cramped that the zombies keep pushing each other.

The sight of a zombie being pushed down and being trampled by someone running from behind… … It was truly a spectacle.

The degree of decomposition and damage to their bodies varied, but they were all now wearing half-tattered white gowns.

They were probably all researchers working at this research institute.

They are corrupted intellects who once dabbled in evil knowledge to overcome the limitations of humanity.

But now they have become zombies, unable to live or die.

Little remains of what it was like when it was human.

It has viciously developed fingernails and toenails, and sticky black bodily fluid flows from its scarred body.

A person without an arm or a leg.

A guy spilling out his intestines from his open abdomen.

The guy whose head was broken and his brain exposed.

As in many games, in [Cthulhu World], zombies are low-level, insignificant monsters.

but… … When you actually encounter it, you feel a force that cannot be ignored.

The realistic killing and disgusting body odor that would make any ordinary human being immediately appalled.

Despite that realization, I didn’t feel any shock or fear.

‘Wow, Mr. It’s real, it’s real.’

It was real, real.

Real zombies.

An overwhelming sense of reality that cannot be thought of as imagination or a dream.

What surprised me was not the zombies, but the fact that this absurd situation had become a reality for me.

[A horde of zombies comes at you, gushing disgusting black fluid. It’s an overwhelming number. The worst situation that no one can escape from. The terrible smell of death and absurd movements. When you see that bizarre and hideous appearance, you feel physiological repulsion, dizzying fear, helplessness, and despair.]

You sound like despair. Because I don’t feel fear.

[System: Attempts to resist fear using the mental strength stat. Mental strength test… … failure.]

“what?”

Ai, I was so embarrassed that I made a noise.

Failure? really? Oh, is that because it’s a probability-based decision?

[But you have already looked into the deep, deep abyss. Paradoxically, the madness of the abyss will become a shield that protects reason… … .]

Pajijik-.

A white spark leaps from my temple, removing the artificial fear that was trying to be placed on me.

[System: The exclusive attribute ‘Abyss Madness’ is activated. Removes fear effect.]

At this point, I could roughly understand what was going on.

I am not an ordinary human being. As long as I have the [Abyss Madness] trait, no matter how disgusting those monsters are, they cannot inflict any harm on my spirit.

And I have more power than that.

“Hey, you zombies, don’t come any closer.”

– Turn it off… … .

Is there any way to hear it through words? They don’t even have the intelligence to do that in the first place. Not this… … As the zombie horde gets closer, my mind calms down and I remember what I can do and what I need to do. Okay, show me, Shinhwa Kim. Show me!

I directed my will toward the campfire, which was now barely a spark.

The enormous intelligence stat of 30 begins to move in earnest. All calculations necessary for magical operation were made in an instant, and my will was realized in reality beyond the speed of thought.

As I began to use my magical power in earnest, my magical power began to appear in detail.

The magic power scattered around flows violently.

‘Are all those red sparkles covering this room my magic power?’

A truly bizarre feeling, as if you were inside a fantastic special effect.

[Flame manipulation]

[Spell Enhancement: Maximization]

Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…

A flame that grew with explosive momentum.

The bonfire, which had now grown to a size worthy of being called a flame, quickly expanded its range and rushed towards the zombies like a living creature.

Originally, flame manipulation was a minor magic that had the effect of changing the direction of flames.

That trivial, small magic, combined with the [Spell Enhancement: Maximization] attribute, made it incredibly powerful.

Pukwakwagwagak!

– Meeeeeeeeeee!

– Wow!

Oh, what… … . The firepower is much stronger than I expected.

No, it’s not just that.

The amount of magical power emanating from my body… … There are too many!

There are so, so so so so many.

‘What is this enormous amount of magical power?’

As I began to release my mana in earnest, the mana contained in my mana core began pouring out.

As if the floodgates of a dam that had been closed for a long time were opening.

High-purity magical power pours out.

I can’t control it!

Even though I released such a huge amount of magical energy, the magical energy contained in the mana core inside my body has not decreased in the slightest. No, it’s not that much.

‘what’s this? Isn’t it the sea?’

It may not be an appropriate analogy for a fire-breathing situation, but it is like pouring the entire ocean of water when you need a glass of water.

‘How far can we go?’

Shining magical particles move according to my touch.

And pours all of this into the flames that are burning the zombies.

Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The flames have now become a huge wall of flames, engulfing the entire hallway where the zombies were coming from.

With this level of power, it is so powerful that it can easily overcome almost 3rd level magic, or even higher level 4th level magic, to put it even higher. Even though this is only a level 0 basic magic for manipulating the flow of fire and keeping a bonfire alive!

Zombies are undead who cannot feel pain, so they keep coming despite the burning flames. However, even the few elite zombies that show such grit crumble into charcoal in front of a huge blazing fire.

“Did you get rid of it?… … ?”

Oops, this was my mistake. She quickly closed her mouth, but the aftermath of the useless sound occurred immediately.

– Gwaoooo!

excuse me… … A new friend has appeared at the very end of a group of zombies burning with excitement.

Exceptional belligerence and presence that are noticeable even from afar.

I filled the narrow hallway all by myself.

A body that has expanded grotesquely and become twisted and twisted.

This is the [Giant Zombie], the mid-boss of this secret laboratory. Aside from the uncharacteristic name that seems to be just what it looks like, why did that bastard crawl all the way here?

‘He’s a guy you have to go up one floor to meet in the first place. [Feast Offering] Is this an effect? It’s all so arbitrary.’

Unlike other zombies, that guy has some semblance of intelligence.

Let’s say it’s intelligence… … It’s not like I’m going to rush into the huge, rushing flames, but… … . Anyway, even to that extent, it is still dangerous.

– Gwaaaaah!

The giant zombie wriggled its bulky muscles and began to grab the zombies and throw them. Wow, this guy has a lot of power. Zombies on fire are flying towards me.

[Invisible Hand]

It is a magic that demonstrates small-scale telekinetic power.

I thought of spells like [Shield] or [Distortion Field], but I can’t use them because they are first-tier spells.

No matter how transcendent magical power you have, level 1 is still level 1.

The only magic that can be used is level 0 basic magic.

However, insufficient efficiency is solved by pouring in excess magic power, and limited effects are solved with transcendent magic management ability.

I think of an image of catching a flying zombie with an [invisible hand].

Wow!

“Ugh?”

Wow, the force was too much.

The zombie that was flying excitedly was instantly crushed like a tomato in a transparent press, and all the juice in its body was squeezed out.

It’s not a very nice sight. But what is even more terrifying than that is my mind, which feels no emotion or shock even after seeing something that resembles a human being burned or destroyed like this.

There is no time to indulge in sentimentality.

If we wait any longer here, more guys will come.

Use magical power to push a new image into the [Invisible Hand].

Seueuu- skin-.

pop!

How can it sound like that… … ? All he did was catch the zombie in the air and throw the crushed zombie flesh at the giant zombie. However, the zombie’s flesh was fired with almost the same force as a cannonball, and the body of the giant zombie, exposed to the absurd attack, was shattered into pieces.

At that point, the frantic cries of the zombies stopped.

‘Is it roughly organized? … ‘It smells terrible.’

The zombie’s body is burning and an unpleasant stinging smell is spreading along with the acrid smell of burnt smoke.

But I feel a strange vibration from far away.

– Woooo… … .

Are all the zombies from other floors flocking in? … Our Kim Shin-hwa, is she really popular?

‘Ah, it’s annoying.’

I scratched my head for a moment and then changed my mind. Following the official route while dealing with meaningless zombies is a waste of time.

I looked around the space where I was standing.

A monotonous square space comes into view.

There is only one exit.

On the wall to the left of the exit… … One, two, three, four freezer tubes. There are people in there, but there’s nothing good about touching them.

One desk and two on the opposite wall. That’s it.

The second desk… … Originally, the [Research] option was printed… … Now I have to find it myself. Damn it, I don’t have time.

When I was playing the game, there was a message that was displayed when I inspected this desk.

What was it about… … .

‘[A pistol was found in the bottom drawer of the desk].’

No matter how old the text is, it is impossible to memorize even trivial sentences from such trivial places.

Nevertheless, from what I remember clearly, it seems that the effect of increasing intelligence does not simply occur when using magic.

In the bottom drawer of the desk, there was indeed a pistol.

Even if my intelligence increases, it doesn’t give me abilities that I didn’t have before.

My form while holding the pistol was quite awkward even I thought about it.

“Roughly speaking, is this a lock, and can I pull it like this and then shoot?”

The gun isn’t important. Even if it exists anyway, it is not something that can be used properly.

What is important is that, as I remember, there was a gun there.

This is the game [Cthulhu World].

I have been to this [K-3675 Secret Research Institute] thousands of times.

He knows the locations of almost all secret doors, secret locations, and items not only here but in [Cthulhu World], and now has an otherworldly intelligence that allows him to remember them all in detail.

But maybe… … Will that also be implemented?

Instead of looking at the passage where zombies were crowding, I stared at the wall next to it.

‘Originally, it’s rubbing here… … .’

It is a wall reinforced with mechanical devices and steel plates. The location is accurate. From now on, I have to rub my body against this wall.

“Uhm… … But how should I rub it?”

No, I’m not really talking about rubbing my body… … .

[Cthulhu World] is not a perfect game, regardless of what I like about it.

Far from being perfect, it is a game with so many bugs that users ignore it.

Therefore, in the game, there are often objects that cannot be touched, or ‘walls that can be passed through if you rub them in some way’.

That’s the wall in front of me right now.

This is a place I often used whenever I tried speedrunning in the past, but how on earth should I do the ‘rubbing’ action I mentioned earlier? After all, just because it’s in a game, shouldn’t we assume that such bugs exist?

I slowly stretched out my hand and felt the wall, but I felt a cold sensation reinforced by the iron plate.

It is an ordinary wall that the act of passing through is unthinkable. Oh, perhaps.

I immediately cast [Detect Secret Door], one of the basic level 0 spells.

Faba Park-.

The magic power extending from my fingertips turns into a shining line and heads towards the wall.

The magic lines spread out like a complicated circuit diagram, branching out in an instant and covering the wall in an instant.

The structure of the wall flows into my mind.

The thickness and strength of the walls, the type of mechanical devices installed, and… … good! I found a hidden switch!

When the magic-sensed switch is forcibly activated, a secret door hidden in the wall opens.

A long secret passage can be seen beyond the large dark hole that opens between the walls.

“But this is so strange… … .”

I accepted it without much thought in the game, but as the structure was implemented in reality, the awkwardness of this place was clearly felt.

Why on earth was this passage created?

What I was more concerned about was the secret device from earlier.

This passage can only be entered through a bug during gameplay.

In the game, no door was created from the beginning, and this passage itself was created by a mistake by the game developers, but now doesn’t it seem like an intentionally designed space?

As if I was testing whether I could find this place.

“I feel like I’m being tricked, but it’s better than spending time dealing with zombies and the like.”

It may not be difficult, but I don’t want to waste that kind of money. The goal right now is to escape this lab as quickly as possible.

The noise of zombies can be heard nearby. Oh yeah. Going, going. You’ll know if it’s a trap or not when you look at it.

I entered that dark passage.

If you keep going like this, you will go straight to the boss room of [K-3675 Secret Research Institute].

fantasy,