I Became a Genius Mage in the Cthulhu Game

Chapter 50: Stagnant Water Play

There was one with a tail.

Another had four arms.

And there was one whose legs had an extra joint each.

It was a place designed to artificially create monstrous beings just like what Lee Chang-hyuk had transformed into.

Though these beings did not possess the stable form of a mutant, their transitional shapes that pursued a final form were clear to see.

And most of them Ah, damn it. What a pain in the ass.

Theyve already set up a barricade because the guys who came earlier messed with them unnecessarily.

Now, Curtain Call. Look at this.

[Illusion Creation]

The internal structure of the abandoned hospital began to materialize above my hands as a three-dimensional hologram.

Wow isnt that impressive? Kim Shin-hwa, I had no idea you were capable of this.

Its nothing special.

Do I look like an amateur to you? You think this speed is nothing special?

The ever-professional Curtain Call emphasized not the detail of the image but its rapid generation. Indeed, it wouldnt be easy to do this at this speed without the help of special detection equipment, other items, or artifacts.

Well, thats not whats important right now. See this barricade here?

Yes.

Its rigged with explosives.

Curtain Call whistled with an expression of interest.

Interesting lunatics. Self-destruction?

No, not to that extent. More like it would hurt if tampered with.

Not enough to blow the entire building down.

This complicates things. Anything else?

They all have metallic machines and gunpowder So, firearms. Im not sure of the types, but at least some machine guns, perhaps?

There was nothing about that in the information Tudor gave us. Ah, maybe they took it from the Wild Guns?

Probably.

[Cthulhu World] operated with a delicate real-time system that was quite sophisticated. The promotional materials were quite convincing as well.

Its a dynamic real-time active quest system where every NPC moves and reacts based on your choices! Even if you visit the same place, the situation and outcomes can be completely different depending on when you go and what choices you make!

The game changed based on when I made certain choices, whom I received quests from, or sometimes the situations changed slightly at random.

It was an exciting system, wasnt it? And playing the game was haah enjoyable. It was a fun game Who would have thought Id end up trapped in a game like this?

Now, it has turned into a reality that torments me.

Looking at what those guys were up to, they were clearly in a [Barricaded Stance].

Meaning that the creatures inside the hospital had managed to overpower the mercenaries who came for them and armed themselves with the firearms they looted from them.

If anyone tried to breach the barricade, someone from the second floor would likely jump out and open fire and they had at least 1 to 4 grenades at their disposal.

And up here.

I continued explaining the layout while adjusting the size and orientation of the three-dimensional hologram.

The ones in the windows on the third floor seem to be snipers.

Im not too worried about the snipers, but Im concerned about the extent of the explosives in the barricade. Kim Shin-hwa, can you take care of this?

It was amazing how she wasnt bothered by the snipers. From what I recall, Curtain Calls stats and capabilities placed her among the elite of Vasilisas fixers, yet not to the extent of dismissing bullets outright.

I was curious whether that attitude stemmed from mere confidence or a change that had occurred within Curtain Call.

So, youre saying everything will be fine if just the barricade is taken care of?

Yes. Is that possible?

I paused to survey the hospital building, the barricade, and the surrounding terrain.

The simplest and most brute-force solution would be to set everything ablaze and make a run for it

Helistic would really appreciate that. They might even place a bounty on me for such a favor

Moreover, while setting everything on fire might seem viable considering our main objective was subduing the test subjects, we had a secondary objective. Whether we use magic or not, we must not tamper with the systems and computers set up inside the hospital.

There were three cars available and it seemed unlikely that the building would collapse even if the barricades explosives were detonated

A few ideas came to mind.

Ill take care of it for now.

Good. If you can handle that, well move on as planned. And for these, dont want me to take care of them?

Curtain Call pointed to the snipers in the hologram I had created but I could take care of them too.

Ill deal with them. Just round up those who rely on brute force on the first floor for me.

Alright, shall we get started then?

Hold on a moment.

[Courage of the Lion]

[Willpower of the Bear]

[Agility of the Fox]

I cast several enchantment spells on Curtain Call. These spells were meant to enhance her strength, health, and agility stats.

Feeling the magic infuse her body, Curtain Call made an unexpectedly disgusted face.

Ugh, what is this?

Its good for you.

I could do without thisughno, thank you, Kim Shin-hwa.

Then she started scratching near her neck as if she was feeling itchy.

You shouldnt feel much of anything, though?

Its itchy.

Really?

Mhmm.

That cant be possible, right? Magic allergies werent a thing, so what was Curtain Call talking about? Why would an enchantment spell be itchy?

I wanted to ask Curtain Call more about her strange reaction, but it seemed inappropriate to continue the conversation under these circumstances.

Alright, lets go, Curtain Call. Hang back for a moment; theres something I want to try.

Whatever it is, make it quick.

Curtain Call took a step back, though she was still scratching her neck.

Well, with the bombs and barricade, its impossible to breach without causing some disturbance.

Perhaps a flashier approach would be better?

[Chain of Domination]

Shrrrr

Three chains emerged from my wrist. They were magical chains that shone with golden light.

The ends of the chains danced through the air before attaching themselves to the nearby abandoned cars.

I could manipulate objects connected to the chains.

Complex manipulation was out of the question with this spell, but then again, there was never a need for complex operations in the first place.

I forcibly started the car engines before pushing them into overload.

Vroom, Vrrroom. Buuuuu.

A fierce rumble of engines began to resonate from the cars and it grew louder and more intense.

Whether it was the noise that alerted them or something else, the inside of the hospital became chaotic.

Lights lit up on the third floor.

Ratatatatatatatatat!

Cant afford to die by a stray bullet.

So I activated the [Protection Circle] spell and simultaneously took cover behind the cars.

Curtain Call also melted into the darkness with her stream of aimless curses fading away.

Once safety was assured, I immediately started the next phase of the plan.

[Hardening]

I bestowed magical durability upon every car connected to the chains.

Though charging forward just like this would work might as well test one thing while Im at it.

I injected a forceful command into all three cars through the [Chains of Domination].

|Dont move.|

[Impact]

[Spell Enhancement: Multicasting]

The sound of the impact spell detonating in rapid succession was deafening.

Bang-bang-bang-bang-bang!

The target was the rear of the cars which were accelerating wildly in place.

Like lashing a stationary horse, tremendous blows were delivered repeatedly.

What, what are you doing!? Crazy, what is this Kim Shin-woo?

Curtain Call blurted out those questions as she seemed perplexed by my actions. But I was too preoccupied to respond. I was now focusing on layering more explosions and impacts onto the cars.

Kiiing- Kiiing!!!! An impossible sound emerged from the cars.

A force trying to push forward was entangled with a spell command that was trying to hold it back in place which created an abnormal repulsive force.

Some of the energy that couldnt dissipate combined with magical power and transformed into sparks, heat, light, and sound vibrations.

It meant that all the cars started to emit a menacing red glow and began to shake threateningly.

Rumble

The sound suggested they might explode at any moment.

Now was the time!

|Advance at full speed.|

The accumulated repulsive force was released all at once, unleashing immense kinetic energy!

Crash-crash-crash! Bang-bang-bang!

The cars shot forward like missiles in an instant.

This was not merely moving forward quickly.

The wheels were not even touching the ground. All three cars were literally launched into the air.

Could this even be possible?

A physicist might faint foaming at the mouth if he were to hear this, but havent you seen it with your eyes? Here, it is possible!

Its not that this is the real thing.

Booooom!

Kaboooom!

The cars, propelled with insane momentum, crashed through the barricades of the hospital and embedded themselves inside.

At the same time, the explosives in the barricades detonated.

Boooooom!

Smoke and flames burst forth accompanied by skin-tingling vibrations and noise.

Yet, despite the explosion, the momentum of the cars I had sent flying did not diminish.

They continued to push deep into the interior of the hospital.

Kim Shin-hwa! At this rate, the cars might just penetrate the hospital and come out the other side, right?

Its possible that could actually happen.

Crash-bang-bang-bang!

One of the cars actually went through the hospital and bounced all the way to the other side.

Wow, Kim Shin-hwa! Youre the best!

Despite Curtain Calls cheers, the destruction wrought by the cars I had launched was far from over.

Bang-crash-bang-bang-bang!

Inside the building, the sound of one of the cars still wreaking havoc could be heard.

Bang!

The car that had previously smashed through the hospital and pushed its way to the other side had evidently collided with a towering tree on the opposite end.

Then came the sound of the tree rustling and crashing down.

Creak, creak, creeeak

Rustle, rustleThud!

It seemed that the tree had unfortunately fallen towards the hospital. The situation was escalating beyond expectations. I could see some of the lights visible through the windows suddenly going out.

What? No way.

Feeling a bead of cold sweat, I hastily activated a detection spell.

Fortunately, it seemed not all the electricity in every room was cut off.

It was hard to say with certainty, but the area I was aiming for appeared to be safe.

Curtain Call was unaware of my inner turmoil and she remarked on the situation with evident amusement.

So thats why Tudor values you so much? Youre capable of such incredible feats?

This wasnt a result of my magic, though.

In the world of [Cthulhu World] such a feat was a widely shared skill among the veterans (stagnant waters) that its considered a basic requirement for engaging in meaningful conversations with others.

It originated as a sort of a bug. but its been used by so many players that its practically become an official strategy or a widely known trick.

Its not some hidden piece or anything; the game was simply poorly made.

The reason such antics were possible in the game was due to a glitch in the physics engine.

But why does this work here, in the real world?

How could such a bug exist in this vivid and tangible world?

Anyway, the laws of this world are far more lax than those of the world I came from.

I must take advantage of everything available to survive and escape.

Its an attack!

Move the injured!

Voices buzzed inside the hospital. A few faces peeked through the gaping holes in the barricade.

They must have been on guard, but they couldnt have anticipated such a bizarre bombardment.

[Remaining Targets: 6/58]

Six were subdued in one go. Were there any casualties? If they were lucky, they might have survived.

Alright, its my turn now. Ill meet you on the third floor in a bit.

With those words, Curtain Call sprinted away at an incredible speed and headed for the hospitals wide-open main entrance.

Ratatatatatatatatatat!

With a huge sword slung over her shoulder, her small frame burst forth at an unnatural speed. It was a display of agility that only a warrior who had transformed all the excessive magical power inside them into physical strength could achieve.

The ground where her feet landed could not withstand the impact and ruptured.

She closed the distance in the blink of an eye and, with a spirited momentum, latched onto one of the test subjects while screaming.

Cover your head!!

Wha-what the!!

The test subject reflexively attempted to shield his head, but her sword was descending with the force of a lightning strike and it cleaved through his defensive posture. Blood was sprayed in all directions.

Yet Curtain Call did not stop. She spun around before slicing through another clumsily advancing test subject.

Die, all of you!!

Following that, she plunged into the hospital. At the same time, chaos erupted inside. Screams, shouts, explosions, the indiscriminate noise of gunfire, the blood mist painting the windows red, and the heads of test subjects crashing through the glass. Crash!

Soon after, a bloody Curtain Call jumped out of another window.

She rolled around several times without stopping, and then with movements that seemed to be defying inertia and the laws of physics, she went back sprinting toward the back of the hospital.

Capture her!

No, stop! Dont chase her!

Kill her!

The test subjects were in disarray and unable to make a decisive call.

As expected, the true beauty of wide-area suppression lies in destruction, chaos, and madness.

Now is not the time to stand still.

Its time to show what a real veteran player (stagnant water) can do.

I focused my mind and released my magical power.

It was several times more than the amount I usually gathered for casting spells.

A dense and potent magical power began to flow out.

The ground around trembled, and the air stirred.

A huge magic circle with a diameter of 1.5 meters soon started to form in front of me.

In [Cthulhu World], the intelligence stat was the wellspring of magical power that simultaneously provided everything needed to activate, apply, and create magic.

For this reason, I had endured the excruciating penalties to secure as high an intelligence stat as possible.

Currently, my intelligence stat stood at 30.

Thanks to this, I possessed an enormous amount of magical power which surpassed the limits allowed to humans.

With such an excess of magical power, I can attempt some utterly absurd feats.

I brought my hands together and then spread them apart.

One magic circle split into two, and then three.

The trails of magical power shining in different colors were being combined at slightly different speeds.

In the end, five magic circles were formed.

These magic circles set to activate a different type of spell will be completed one by one at regular intervals.

And the first one would be launched immediately.

The first magic circle to be completed was a blazing red fire spell.

[Fireball]

[Spell Enhancement: Maximization]

Whoooosh

A fireball as large as the magic circle itself emerged and soared toward the hospital entrance.

Upon impact, the already devastated entrance where the car had crashed was engulfed in ferocious flames.

Boooooooom!