I Became a Genius Mage in the Cthulhu Game - 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.

“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?”

“Take Achilles with you. And follow the instructions. You can go anywhere in Sejong City, but don’t go outside the city.”

“What happens if I do?”

“If our connection is cut, Achilles will break your neck.”

It was a lie. But knowing his personality, if I didn’t say this much, he might wander off.

“How many kilometers away would that happen?”

“I don’t know. It depends on my condition and the surrounding magic concentration.”

There are many factors to consider, such as the position of the moon, the movement of stars, humidity, airborne particles, and the terrain.

That’s why in the underground fallout shelter filled with the magical power of [the Laughing One], I couldn’t maintain the connection for even 10 meters, but in an open field, I could extend my influence over dozens of kilometers.

“Anyway, it’s dangerous here. See those apartment complexes far away? Stay around there. I think I can reach that far.”

“Are you really sure it’s okay? And this fake dog seems a bit off.”

Achilles who was seated in the back was unusually still.

He actually looked like a piece of modern art made by solidifying random junk into the shape of a dog.

Well, he is made of solidified junk in the shape of a dog.

Jang Hyeon-deok couldn’t see it, but Achilles was busy processing the complex calculations I had input.

“That’s because I’m maintaining some magic through Achilles.”

“You always just say ‘magic!’ at the right time and end the talk.”

“What, would you even understand if I explained it all?”

“Ooh?”

“No, no. Stop! Please, just stop nitpicking!”

“Okay, okay, I got it.”

“Right. Anyway, Achilles is busy, so he can’t protect you. Take care of yourself.”

“Hmm, well, if I stay in the apartment complex, no one should bother me, right?”

“Hmm.”

Even though I said that, Jang Hyeon-deok was one of the strategic assets I needed to protect. And if the magic Achilles was maintaining got dispelled, my entire plan would fall apart…

[Protective Circle]

[Hazy Presence]

[Ghost Step]

[Tindalos’ Shell]

I cast several spells on Jang Hyeon-deok. Because the connection may be lost unexpectedly, I sacrificed a few magic stones to create an auxiliary magical power battery.

“Those magic stones seem incredibly high-purity; aren’t they expensive?”

“The money we earned from chasing away those birds earlier is all gone now.”

“Huh?”

To be specific, 120 million won. Since I have to give Jang Hyeon-deok a share, I’m already at a loss.

Anyway, I have more than enough money now, and I can earn more whenever I need it.

But a medium with the [Living Altar] trait and an S-rank artifact embedded in that necromancy golem can’t be bought with money.

“See you later then.”

“Hey, wait a minute.”

“Yes?”

I need to clear up one of the suspicions I had been harboring.

“Are there any ghost stories or legends related to Sejong City?”

“Huh? No, there aren’t.”

“Really?”

Jang Hyeon-deok occasionally talked about strange legends tied to the places he visited. At first, I thought he was just making things up, but it became suspicious as he repeated them more often.

Every time this guy talked about weird things, something terrible happened.

Today, he hadn’t said anything unusual. Did that mean nothing unexpected would happen? I hoped it truly meant that.

I couldn’t let my guard down yet. It could just be that the conditions hadn’t been met.

As soon as he dropped me off, Jang Hyeon-deok’s car quickly drove away.

I walked slowly along the red carpet while scanning my surroundings.

By the way, seeing how poorly they’re hiding actually makes it more obvious.

Sticky gazes could be felt from all directions.

Artificial darkness was scattered around the vast gymnasium.

And within that darkness, I sensed high-level magical powers.

There were even some hanging from the roof and walls of the gymnasium.

Most of them were security personnel placed to block unexpected intruders.

Looking at those guys reminds me of the frustration I had when I was playing the game.

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.