Chapter 348
Episode 348: Forced Escape
Jeong Hyeon-ah whispers with her bright red eyes without whites wide open.
“I’ll give you a mask. Please accept the mask.”
That’s an attractive offer.
Will you be able to save Hyuna if you receive the mask gift? She is the greatest child of the abyss I have ever met.
But – I don’t think I should accept it.
Kim Shin-hwa, who is just an ordinary office worker, has nothing to do with a mask, right?
Besides, even if it wasn’t for that reason-
“are you okay.”
Okay.
“No problem.”
no problem.
Yes, everything is normal and not too far outside the scope of the plan. Could it be possible that I didn’t even expect this situation and just came?
Even if problems arise, you will be able to overcome them.
hmm… … . maybe?
Hyuna must have sensed my anxiety and whispers to me.
“Don’t move.”
You can’t move anyway, but there’s no need to move.
Because Hyuna is the same as before.
It has a head, a neck, a torso, and both arms, with twelve radially split fingers attached to the ends of the arms.
A much more human appearance than the crazy wizard who lost his face and had monster seeds implanted in his body.
no no.
You keep going out of the settings, right?
I am Shinhwa Kim, an ordinary office worker. That’s much better. Because there is no need for magic in this peaceful real world.
And in front of me stands an ordinary Jeong Hyeon-ah.
Spurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr-
Jeong Hyeon-ah is wearing a dress so gorgeous that you’d think it was made from bird of paradise feathers and jewels.
Beautiful blue stripes reminiscent of the swallowtail butterfly (Papilio maackii).
The hem of the skirt naturally widens, pouring down like a waterfall.
The dress, which spread like the wings of a butterfly, suddenly became connected to huge blue flower petals.
Oh, it’s not a dress.
Slurrrrrrrrrrr-
Huge flower petals extend in six branches from the hem of the dress.
Huge fangs protrude in an irregular manner from the tips of the six petals.
Watching-
A cluster of disgusting tentacles writhing in grotesque ways on the back of the petals.
The enormous number of tentacles, reminiscent of the fine roots of a plant, are twisted and intertwined among themselves to form a gigantic shape resembling the long body of a snake.
So, it is a bird with scales like flower petals, and a snake with wings like a butterfly.
‘The guy on the other side of the message window called that thing Wadjet (??????????????????).’
There, Hyuna’s image occupied less than 10% of the area, but Hyuna was still Hyuna-
I can’t move because I’m caught up in the enormous number of tentacles flowing out of Hyuna’s body.
* * *
The part of Hyuna Jeong’s huge body that looked most like Hyuna Jeong spoke to me.
“Wear this mask.”
A mask?
Where is the mask?
The terrible monster that was imitating Hyuna’s appearance slowly ripped off its own head.
Sigh-
『Isn’t it a nostalgic sight?』
Hyuna Jeong holds out her head, which she tore off from her body, to me.
Oh, this is a fantasy? It must be a symptom of confusion. It’s a hallucination. This is not reality.
It looks like Jeong Hyun-ah’s head, but that’s not Hyuna’s head – it’s just a mask made by tearing off part of a snake.
If I wear that mask, [Scaleed Conspiracy] will no longer have to play with Jeong Hyeon-ah.
Then, Chae Tae-won’s wish to save Jeong Hyeon-ah will come true.
『Yes, please receive this mask created by putting my power into the head of an animal.』
‘The mask, the snake, the wish – even the way Cheongho died is recreated.’
All the elements that can make me crazy are gathered here.
Flowers, butterflies, birds. Or, the head of Jeong Hyeon-ah, held in the giant snake-like hand, whispers to me.
“Come closer and put on your mask.”
Besides, this is Hyuna’s request.
How could I refuse that offer?
I slowly extended my left hand towards the mask and-
Spurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr-
Now, the giant snake, with nothing left of Hyuna’s appearance, has swallowed me with its huge maw – or its wings – or its flower petals.
* * *
No, correction.
The moment you are about to be swallowed-
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“what?”
The magic formula engraved on my left hand catches my eye.
『What are you doing? don’t stop Don’t hesitate. I personally came here to fulfill your desires. Hurry and accept the mask containing my power.』
Again, I’m still about to be swallowed by a huge snake.
Giiiiiiing-
The spell prepared in my left hand was activated regardless of my will.
Kim Shin-hwa, an office worker living in reality, does not know how to use magic, but Kim Shin-hwa, who is completely deranged, cannot cast proper magic –
[Auto Cast: Accelerate Growth]
This is a magic that is activated regardless of my state.
It would have activated even if I wasn’t alive.
The one who set this magic was not me – it was Heo Sang-hyeon.
* * *
Kim Shin-hwa’s left hand wriggles uncontrollably and robs Kim Shin-hwa of his magical power. Because it is set up that way.
A hand that grows with explosive force and becomes gigantic.
No, the word “hand” cannot already describe that monster.
Churrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
A bizarre noise that can cause your mind to collapse just by hearing it.
“Tekeli-li!!”
And the terrible roar made by what was Kim Shin-hwa’s left hand.
Quad deud deuk!
Some of Jeong Hyeon-ah’s scales and wings are torn off.
“Kyahaaaaaaa!!”
Hyuna Jeong’s scream with a surreal vocal organ.
Kim Shin-hwa bounces away with the impact.
Food deud deuk!
[Night Shroud’s Wing Clothes], an artifact with will, flies in and protects Kim Shin-hwa, who is about to be thrown to the ground.
A strange situation that could not have been predicted even by the existence of the abyss.
『Shoggus? You said you planted the seed of Shogus in your left hand?』
The will of [Scaled Scheme] in Jeong Hyeon-ah’s body hurriedly checks Kim Shin-hwa’s condition.
“Aaaah!”
Kim Shin-hwa screams. I am not out of delirium yet.
『To aim for this moment and insert a bomb into one’s own body without knowing when it will explode is a madness that surpasses humanity.』
What were the trigger conditions? A moment when your life is in danger?
“You monster! stop! No, wait. “Where are we?”
Kim Shin-hwa has not yet recovered from her confusion.
Kim Shin-hwa is confused as she goes back and forth between [Wizard Kim Shin-hwa] and [Ordinary Office Worker Kim Shin-hwa].
There is no answer for him.
“Gaaaaaaaaah!”
Jeong Hyeon-ah, entangled in the Shogus’ terrible tentacles and waves of flesh, just lets out an animal-like scream.
And Kim Shin-hwa screams at the sight.
“Oh, no! I- I-”
Kim Shin-hwa screams while covering her face with both hands.
But what touches his right hand is the feeling of a foreign mask.
And – there is no left hand.
Kim Shin-hwa looked down at her hands and screamed again.
“Aaaah!”
I was a wizard!
[Cthulhu World] Trapped in the world!
A crazy wizard so crazy that he planted a Shogus egg in his left hand!
That kind of awareness hits Kim Shin-hwa hard.
I tried my best to escape from the illusion created by my delirium, but the reality outside of the illusion was more terrible than my delirium.
* * *
At the border of the desert, another trap that Kim Shin-hwa had prepared in advance is activated.
[Fake Kim Shin-hwa], who had been luring members of the Cheongho faction and members of the [Scaleed Scheme] until now, flew into Cheongho’s mansion.
Crumbling!
“Kyahaaaa!!”
There is a huge Jeong Hyeon-ah right next to him who is entangled with Shogus and causing trouble, but that is not of interest to [Fake Kim Shin-hwa].
“If I am attacked, come to my rescue. Please enter specific action guidelines to be used at that time.》
Let’s go together-
[Fake Kim Shin-hwa] begins to search for Kim Shin-hwa by rotating his head 360 degrees.
“Now, wait, wait! “Don’t come any closer!”
Kim Shin-hwa is making strange noises – but all commands that ignore specified procedures are set to be ignored.
“Let go!”
[Fake Kim Shin-hwa] quickly picked up Kim Shin-hwa and asked for magical power to make up for the lack of magical power.
“Let go!”
There is not enough horsepower.
Since it was created based on a spirit golem, it can forcibly take away the owner’s magical power if necessary. [Fake Kim Shin-hwa], who absorbs the necessary magical power according to the procedure.
“Hahahaha! “What are you doing!?”
[System: The conditions for triggering a pre-created spell have been met. The spell is activated according to the preset settings.]
[Auto Cast: Protection Circle]
[Auto Cast: Create Gateway]
An automatically activated protective force surrounds Kim Shin-hwa, and the gateway to the designated location opens. And the next spell to be cast immediately.
[Auto Cast: Summon Meteor]
Rumbling!!
A huge rain of meteors flying towards Cheongho’s mansion.
Quaaaaaaa!!
* * *
In the distance, you can see Cheongho’s completely destroyed mansion.
“Hyuna… … ?”
[System: The duration of ‘Delirium: Escapism’ has ended.]
[Your mind has temporarily stabilized as there is no object around to stimulate your madness. If you witness the object of your phobia again, or something reminiscent of it, madness will reappear.]
It looks like he escaped alive.
“Was it an escape from reality? … .”
This is not a realistic symptom, but a game setting.
[Delirium: Escape from reality].
Confusion that causes one to believe that the target of the phobia is a close or dear person, or that a dangerous situation is considered safe.
[The Scaled Scheme] penetrated that gap.
[Tip: Increase your fellow NPCs through conversation! Not only do they help you, but they can also protect or wake up characters who are in a state of confusion.]
“You give me a good tip. “You rotten bastard.”
What do you do after having fun all the time? Want more colleagues? Oh, you’re a genius just for having a temper tantrum.
I lifted my left arm and looked at my left hand, which had disappeared.
“Ah, Sang-hyeon worked hard to make it, but it’s already gone.”
It was an excruciating experience that made my body tremble.
A brief delusion that was vaguely sweet and therefore vain.
“I feel like I’m going to throw up… … .”
Am I okay now?
Honestly, I don’t feel fine. The unpleasant feeling of still wandering in a delusion… … .
Rumbling rumbling-
This is the sound of [Fake Kim Shin-hwa], who has completed her mission, breaking down and the junk that made up her body pouring out.
[Fake Kim Shin-hwa] was manufactured by embedding a mask containing magic stones and the power of the desert into the body of a ghost golem and then covering it with an illusion to replicate Kim Shin-hwa’s appearance.
It would have been possible to create something with better performance using the previously created [Homunculus], but it was a kind of deteriorated version created due to the risk of mental breakdown.
“I have to take care of that first…” … .”
I stretched out my trembling right hand and pulled at the alligator’s snout sticking out among the junk.
[Desert Mask (改)] made by combining two crocodile masks stolen from the cultists of [Scaleful Scheme].
In the process of combining, the guy who transformed into a crocodile mask with four eyes spoke to me.
“I almost died.”
“that’s right. “It was dangerous.”
“If it weren’t for me, you would really be dead.”
“Ok, thanks.”
“After all, the mask is the best, right?”
“that’s right. “It’s the best if you go!”
“Where am I?”
“The mask is the best!”
“If you go, stop being the best and ask where I am.”
[Desert Mask] looked at me with four eyes and said.
“The mask is the best!”
“Hey, Shinhwa Kim. I am not your separate personality. It’s just your imagination. calm down. “I feel like I’ll hurt myself if I don’t have someone to talk to, so you’re talking urgent nonsense, so calm down.”
“Calm down.”
“Great. Again, this is your self-talk. That’s not what the crocodile mask is talking about. But if you need a name to call me, call me ‘Niall’. Instead, from the moment you call this name, you become truly crazy.”
“Thank you, Niall. “Is this the power of friendship?”
A crocodile mask with a troubled expression.
“Hopefully, a new personality will be added. Well, that doesn’t matter either. “But are you lonely now?”
“Niall, it’s okay because I have you.”
“Umm, it’s serious. “The confusion should have ended, but the aftereffects last a long time.”
“The mask is the best!”
“It seems that he is somehow expressing his obsession in a strange way in order to alleviate the influence of the mind control that has penetrated through his snake phobia.”
“I’m really scared of snakes.”
“no. “If we even regress from here, it would be the worst.”
“I want to go pet the cat.”
“You’re in big trouble.”
“If you pet about a hundred cats, you will calm down.”
“Hey, Shinhwa Kim. “You’re walking away from me now.”
“Oh sorry. “My masked friend.”
I hurriedly put on my mask and stumbled towards a place where there were likely to be many cats.
“Let’s pet the cat.”
“Kim Shin-hwa. That’s escapism. And now you’re wearing a mask over a mask.”
“Thanks to my hard work in heading, I found a way to defeat that guy, but I lost more sanity points than I thought. “We need to reorganize.”
“That’s right. But is this really your self-talk? “You’ll look really weird to other people.”
“The mask is the best!”
“Don’t you know Hyeondeok’s phone number?”
“I don’t know. I do not remember.”
“Are you going to walk?”
“Let’s go pet the cat…” … . “If you want to pet 100 animals today, you have to move quickly.”
“Is there anyone nearby? “Please call this poor friend’s family!”
fantasy,
