Here it is.

What was in Jang Hyeon-deoks hand was a worn mask. Or to be exact, a fragment of a shattered mask.

Look. Its quite similar to the one Mage-nim is wearing, isnt it?

Indeed.

To reiterate, this was a fragment of a mask. The chin part is missing, and the forehead part is cracked, leaving only just enough to cover near the eyes, and these eyes are quite unique.

Four eyes, I see.

Even without its distinctive appearance, there are other ways to tell that this item is not mere trash.

[Damaged Mask (Junk) Part of a certain mask.

Research or appraisal is necessary to identify it.]

Not just any item triggers a message window. If that were the case, even the dumplings I ate today would have displayed something. It must hold some special secret.

Let me see it.

You have to give it back!

Understood.

After being reassured multiple times, Jang Hyeon-deok finally handed over the mask.

Hmm.

I turned the mask fragment over and examined it closely. It was a faded gray, almost tinged with blue but it must have originally been white.

The remnants of magical power are still present, but its so deteriorated that its hard to make anything out of it.

I struggled to appraise Carcosas Mask that I was currently wearing, but it seemed that appraising something as damaged as this might actually be easier.

[Identification]

When I activated a first-order appraisal spell, a dry sound effect accompanied a burst of light.

[System: Unveiling the veil surrounding the Damaged Mask.]

[Unveiling Judgment in Progress]

Beyond the fragment of the mask, I could see Jang Hyeon-deoks face.

The fluorescent glow emanating from the mask and the purple dusk falling from the sky intertwined, creating an indescribable and bizarre color that made his handsome face appear as if it belonged to an ominous mythical being from the abyss.

Kiiiiing

[Judgment successful.]

The appraisal was unexpectedly successful.

At the same time, new information appeared in the message window.

[Carcosas Mask: Damaged (Junk) Although it is now completely destroyed and has lost its power, this object once contained the power of the Great Old Ruler, He Who Must Not Be Named, the mighty [King in Yellow].]

Holy sh*t, its real.

I told you, didnt I? I told you, there are many more things just like this in Tanhyeon!

***

Tanhyeon is a neighborhood located northwest of Geumchon neighborhood, and speaking from the perspective of the real world I inhabited, it is one of Pajus tourist attractions.

It houses the Heyri Art Village, a folk museum, and a decent-sized theme park, and its also home to one of only two Unification Observatories in South Korea.

Since I have lived in Paju in the original world, I have visited Tanhyeon a few times in reality.

To be honest, the atmosphere of Tanhyeon was closer to the countryside than a tourist destination.

The landscape was a monotonous repetition of forests, mountains, and factories punctuated occasionally by tourist spots, with the Imjin River flowing alongside the road, and beyond it, the land of North Korea in view.

However, in [Cthulhu World], Tanhyeon held a special significance.

Similar to the issues with the apartment complex in Munsan by Yeonam Construction I had visited before, being close to North Korea in [Cthulhu World] meant that the area was synonymous with danger.

Therefore, in the world of [Cthulhu World], Tanhyeon had become a sort of high-level area and none of its tourist attractions were operational anymore.

Instead, there were only areas overrun by outlaws, restricted zones created by surreal disasters, and slums inhabited by bizarre individuals.

In such an absurd place, Jang Hyeon-deok cheerfully made idle conversation as he drove.

Though the atmosphere here has turned a bit strange now, it used to be a beautiful region and quite the decent tourist destination. Do you see that ruin in the distance? Thats the Heyri Art Village. Oh, and did you know theres a legend about beautiful celestial maidens who descended to dance at a pond somewhere around here?

How can you still find beauty in a place like this?

Well, it does look a bit different now, doesnt it?

As people stopped visiting, the landscape of Tanhyeon completely transformed.

Even the air outside the window seemed to have changed. Although we were moving away from the citys outskirts and approaching nature, the nature here was not the clear and verdant type one would expect

The trees that pierced the streets and buildings, perhaps drinking water that had poured in from the North Korean side, grew in strange, twisted shapes, unfurling leaves of a strange, ashy brown color that was neither green nor yellow.

Trees and stones, and then trees again, everything that caught the eye seemed twisted and contorted as if suffering from some disease. Amid such twisted shadows, one could even fall under the illusion of seeing something move, something that was neither human nor beast.

These ominous woods formed dense forests, and beyond lay mountains upon mountains with the Imjin River visible alongside the road, and further still, the land of North Korea, which one should never gaze upon for too long.

It wasnt the kind of place where bandits or goblins might suddenly block your path, yet it was a place where no decent citizen living in the bright hours of Paju would ever visit.

A considerable amount of time had passed since we had left the Geumchon neighborhood. This area was among the deepest parts of Tanhyeon.

Were getting into the real heart of Tanhyeon now. Youre sure you know what youre getting into, right? I cant be responsible for you from here on.

Ah, of course. Its not my first time here. Ive carried around professionals like Mage-nim through here more times than I can count.

So how much further do we have to go?

Were almost there. About 5 minutes? No, maybe 10 minutes?

As I pondered the cost of calling another secure taxi in Tanhyeon, I spoke to Jang Hyeon-deok.

Alright, Ill trust you then.

Huh? Were you doubting me?

No one trusts anyone they meet in Paju after dark.

Thats harsh I came all this way trusting Mage-nim. Thats too bad.

Jang Hyeon-deok spoke with a tone of disappointment, but his face was filled with a smile.

From the beginning, ours was not a relationship where notions like loyalty or trust were relevant.

The moment I verified that the fragment of the mask he brought was genuine, Jang Hyeon-deok demanded a fee for the information. After a long and tedious argument, we were able to reach the following agreement:

So, for the information fee, 2 million, for the fare to get there, 3 million, and any treasures or artifacts we find must be split exactly 50/50.

Once we entered the interior of Tanhyeon, our speed drastically decreased. Roads neglected and eroded were the least of our worries.

There were times when large trees or deformed animal corpses blocked the road, and there were times when we had to push through bushes where there was no road at all.

As a result, the car didnt just shake; it jolted forward almost as if it were a ship caught in a storm. I had to spread my magical power to stabilize my metabolism to avoid getting motion sick.

After a while, Jang Hyeon-deok fell silent. When I glanced at the side of his face, I saw him muttering and counting numbers under his breath.

Six, seven. Then theres a landmark, and after that, two, three.

He was navigating without a GPS. He was memorizing the route based on the trees and rocks that grew by the roadside.

The complexity of the path required such concentration that it left no room for conversation.

After repeatedly forging through areas off the beaten path, the car finally came to a stop.

Were here! Its just over there!

Jang Hyeon-deok raised a hand to point between two trees to a certain spot.

Just trees?

Well, its not very visible from here. We cant go any further by car, so well have to walk a bit from here.

Are we going hiking?

No, its not that serious just past that tree and were there.

Jang Hyeon-deok got out of the car. It was difficult for me to get out of the car because I was still suffering from the throbbing pain of the vibration that seemed to be going up to the top of my head, but I gritted my teeth and got out.

If only my health were a bit better, this might have been easier but I guess I cant improve it here and now.

Just like Jang Hyeon-deok said, the destination didnt seem far. Ahead, I could sense an unpleasant magical power pooling in a way that was hard to detect elsewhere.

I did some light stretching to straighten my back and activated my spells.

[Trap Detection]

[Magic Detection]

[Invisibility Detection]

Aside from the unnatural gathering of magical power, no particular dangers were detected.

In the meantime, Jang Hyeon-deok was sneakily moving ahead.

Hey, Jang Hyeon-deok. Wait for me.

Ah, yes. Please hurry. Its right here.

Slow down a bit.

[Protective Circle]

[Distortion Field]

[Mountain Goats Step]

To be honest, my condition wasnt very good because I hadnt fully recovered from the aftereffects of the quest I had undertaken three days prior. As a result, I had to activate not only basic defensive spells but also supplementary magic to bolster my stamina.

Maintaining a high number of spells at the same time isnt ideal.

No matter how vast ones magical power pool might be, there is no benefit in maintaining multiple spells at the same time. Theres the issue of each spells power and precision diminishing, and maintaining focus also becomes increasingly taxing.

Apart from the drain of spellcasting, the surrounding environment was sapping my concentration.

First, there was the strange fishy smell emanating from the trees. It was different from the typical musty scent of the forest and more akin to the smell of sewage stagnating in a sewer. Then there were the bizarre insects with grotesque forms hanging from the trees. Bugs with spiny shells or patterns resembling human faces, scurrying around on eight or nine legs.

Nothing here seems normal.

The fact that this place was unfamiliar territory also unnerved me. While Ive encountered deviations from expected scenarios before, none were to this extent. Im familiar with the worlds both outside and inside the game, yet I had never visited such a place.

Suddenly, I realized that I had arrived at the very spot Jang Hyeon-deok had mentioned.

What is that?

It was a landscape unlike any I had ever seen before.

The forest, dense with trees upon trees, abruptly gave way to an excessively wide clearing.

And within this clearing were what appeared to be hundreds of rocks placed at intervals.

Although they were made of stone and thus referred to as rocks, I questioned whether it was appropriate to call them such.

These rocks had a bizarre lifelike shape as if they had sprouted from the ground instead of trees, and there was a disturbing malevolence about them that seemed to defy the idea they were formed naturally.

Even thinking such thoughts soured my mood, but these formations were roughly the size of a human and bore a vaguely human shape.

It was as if as if

[The ruins spread out before your eyes are eerily quiet. The usual sounds of insects and birds that tickled your ears until now are absent in this land of silence. It is a barren land where not a single tree or flower can bloom.

Across the vast landscape, bizarre stone pillars stand endlessly, their ominous shapes seemingly beyond description. As if humans writhing in agony and pleading with a cruel deity have been petrified in their distress.

Everything in sight appears as if it was crafted by an artist possessed by a dynamic and destructive madness, resulting in a horrifying and blasphemous spectacle.]

[The ominous silence and malevolent aura that hovers in this space have a negative impact on your psyche.]

[System: Attempting to resist the malevolent influence with your mental strength. Mental strength check Success.]

Although the check was successful and I suffered no harm, the place still felt profoundly unsettling.