บท 96: Return (1)
The professor and I are walking down an alley in Geumchon-dong.
My back is full of cursed jewels from the mansion, and in one hand I am holding an out-of-date briefcase entrusted to me by Tudor.
This means that it is somewhat uncomfortable to help a person in a wheelchair.
But the professor doesn't need that kind of help.
Even though no one is pushing or holding the wheelchair, the wheels of the wheelchair are moving.
However, this does not mean that the professor is directly moving the wheels of the wheelchair.
Both of his hands are used to wrap around the large jade-colored package resting on his lap.
An ordinary-looking wheelchair is moving on its own like an electric wheelchair.
'Anyway, this guy is not an ordinary person either.'
When I think about it, it doesn't really matter.
A wheelchair that moves on its own, a strange mask with four eyes, and a lot of luggage.
Even if you accidentally encounter the police or the enforcement agency, it will be difficult to escape.
"Walking like this... … ."
The professor suddenly opened his mouth, probably thinking the same thing as me.
"It reminds me of 20 years ago."
No, I didn't think the same way.
"I guess this isn't your first time in Paju?"
It was a setting I knew everything about, but as always, I pretended not to know and asked back.
"That's right, wizard. "Twenty years ago, he used to come and go around here a lot."
They say it was roughly 20 years ago, but to be exact, it was 23 years ago.
You can see that the 150-year-old Heoju and the older Tudor are walking around fine, but the Cthulhu mythology problem existed even 23 years ago.
But they were all hidden in the shadows of this world, secret knowledge shared only by a select few.
The great collapse that occurred 23 years ago in the world of Cthulhu World is an event that made such secrets no longer secrets.
There were people like Jeong Eun-taek who made a big splash and quickly announced retirement, but most did not.
Either he died or went crazy, but he lost his former innocence and became a cultist.
The professor was a person who wandered through the darkness of Paju as an 'explorer of the unknown world' at the time, and is one of the very few people who are still active without losing their purity and original purpose.
In addition, he is one of the very few NPCs that can be trusted in the Cthulhu world, which is full of terrible traps, betrayal, and trickery.
We walked without much discussion or direction.
The professor looked as if he had just gone out for a leisurely night walk.
Since I was in a situation where I didn't really need to express any particular opinion, I quietly followed him.
Eventually, we arrived near Geumchon Market.
Although it was late, the last night market wasn't over yet.
The market was brightly lit.
The number of passers-by somehow seems to be greater than during the day.
Exotic foods and processed goods of unknown origin are sold at open stalls here and there.
The professor looked at the scene and spoke in an amused voice.
"Huh, there are a lot of people."
"It's a night market. Do you see the banner over there?"
There is a banner with such information posted at the entrance to the market.
"It's best to start from a place where there are a lot of people. "Let's go inside."
"Like this… … No, I think it would be a bit uncomfortable to go in this state."
"hmm… … "Is there any technology that I can use?"
"It would be okay if I could push the wheelchair."
"Oh, my. "I need to ask you a favor."
"All right."
At the same time as he said that, the professor slowed down the wheelchair slightly.
I also kept pace with his speed and caught up behind him.
At the same time, I created magic and light illusions to lower my own presence.
In places with a lot of people, this is enough. People are surprisingly uninterested in other people.
"You need this soon, right?"
I lifted the bag hanging on the back of the professor's wheelchair and handed it to the professor.
The professor who took the bag looked up at me with a strange expression for a moment.
"From what I heard, this is your first time traveling. Was there perhaps a misunderstanding?"
"yes?"
"Haha, I usually have to explain how to get to Cheongeumdang around this point. But for some reason, it seems like you are not a beginner."
It's not your first time, but there's no need to tell you that.
"This is my first time. "I just picked up my way."
"is it? Actually, the process of moving to Cheongeumdang is very simple. But what I thought was funny was your attitude."
"Attitude?"
"It looks very familiar and comfortable. If this is truly your first time traveling, then you are quite a bold person. "The more vaguely a person knows about Cheongeumdang, the more nervous they become."
What the professor said is not an exaggeration.
Cheongeumdang is hiding in a position that is difficult to accept in reality. If you don't know how to get there at all, you might not know, but as the professor said, people who have vague knowledge are in a place where they can be nervous.
Because it is not this world, but the land of ghosts and monsters.
"I guess I was nervous last night and couldn't be more nervous."
"Hahaha, fun. good. "It's not that I doubt you, but there may be errors in the knowledge I learned, so I'll just point it out briefly."
Should I say it was an occupational disease? The professor really started talking like a professor.
"great."
"Now, look at this."
The professor rummaged through the bag I gave him for a moment and took out an artifact.
It is a jar-like object made from hardened Korean paper.
It is roughly the size of a child's head.
Of course it's not a jar. There is a hole in the bottom of the jar, and a long wooden handle is attached to the top of the jar.
At first glance, it has a silhouette that somewhat resembles a handbell.
But this is an item that has nothing to do with sound. This is a lighting fixture made using traditional techniques.
"This light is your ticket to the Heavenly Golden Temple."
"okay."
"Haha, usually a lot of people here are surprised. "This isn't fun."
"I picked up a lot of things by chance, but this is my first time seeing the real thing."
"Even if it's not an artifact, it's probably not something people can easily see these days. It is called a jojok lantern (照足燈), and it is an object that resembles a traditional object used since the Joseon Dynasty. "Except for its ability as an artifact, it can perform exactly the same functions as the forefathers."
In short, this means that if you light the candle inside, you can use it as a lamp to illuminate your feet.
But this thing is an artifact. There is more to it than just lighting a fire.
[Jojok Lantern for Return (Cheongeumdang): This is a lamp that has the power to illuminate the path back home.
It can be used continuously as long as there are candles left in the firelight.
If you light a candle and walk down the street on a dark night, you will find yourself on your way home before you know it.
If you deviate from the designated path, you cannot reach your destination.
Destination: Cheongeumdang
Strengthening: The more people you start from, the sooner you can reach your destination.]
"Now, you don't have to push the wheelchair, but you might want to keep at least one hand on it."
I held the handle on the back of the wheelchair with one hand. The moment you let go of this hand, you may become lost.
"Gotcha."
"Then now let's turn on this light… … Oh my, can I ask for a light?"
I stretched out my finger and blew a small flame towards the candle of the candle.
The lamp turned on, and the professor moved forward, lowering his lamp to illuminate the path.
"That's great. Now, all you have to do is follow the path illuminated by this lamp. "That alone will get us on our way home."
"It looks like it's already started."
Perhaps it was because there were so many people, but the change came very quickly.
Strange substances began to appear in the surrounding landscape.
"Have you felt it already? It's hard to notice this quickly, but I guess I have a very sensitive constitution. "Very sharp."
In a way, the process of walking home can be said to be a kind of dimensional shift.
However, there is no need for a pitch black hole or flashing light to pass through as is commonly done.
It's just that you start to see things that you couldn't see before, as if something is slowly starting to blend into reality.
As the professor said, it starts with small dust particles, mismatched déjà vu, awkward gestures from passers-by, and light optical illusions.
A small change that is difficult for sensitive people to notice.
We continued walking through Geumchon Market, which was gradually turning into a strange place.
Soon, a big change will come that even those who are not sensitive will be able to ignore.
For example, people dressed in clothing that does not match the times.
A woman walking in a simple dress in the middle of a crowded business district.
A man wearing an old military uniform passes by.
An old man wearing an old robe like a mat.
And the strange sound of music can be heard faintly.
Shadows that seem to be dancing can be seen here and there.
A procession of the dead moving in a consistent direction.
Without a moment's delay, we are on the path of the dead.
So, I'm on my way home.
"Since you're a wizard, there's no need to explain what a return trip is. "Isn't that right?"
"I know that I shouldn't talk to people on their way home."
Anyone who walks home without these special items is naturally not alive.
"It's not good to make eye contact or look at someone's face. In that respect, you must be comfortable wearing a mask."
The professor continued speaking in a tone as if he were dealing with a student he liked.
Unlike other professors I know, his voice was exquisitely paced, so I wasn't bored just listening to his explanations.
Most of them are still trying to imitate humans, but as time goes by, more and more things are taking on more bizarre shapes.
For example, a 10 meter tall giant sticking out its face above that building.
A beast resembling a dragon running down an alley, a person with only one eye, on the other hand, a person whose entire face is covered with hundreds of eyeballs, a person with no face at all, etc... … .
Originally, it was a strange sight that would have left a reason test.
Although the issue of insanity has nothing to do with me, those who have returned home through normal means do not make sanity checks.
This is because this entire space is a reality that can be touched with the body, an alien world that exists in a different phase, and at the same time, a vague illusion like a one-night dream.
When faced with an unacceptable reality, the mind that cannot overcome the shock develops madness.
But because this place is like a dream... … Well, there is a setting like that, but I don't know the specific mechanism.
In any case, this means that, limited to these spaces, the annoying process of having a judgment pop up every time you look at something, a message window popping up, and the process of crackling with the characteristics displayed is omitted.
Of course, like any nightmare, if you do not realize that this is such a space and mistake it for reality, you may be shocked.
The same thing also applies if you are forcibly kicked out on your way home or are attacked by someone, as if you were waking up from a nightmare.
But it's not something to worry about right now.
"Wizard, do you see those kites over there?"
Before you know it, dozens of shield kites are floating across the dark sky.
"I can see it."
"You have good eyes. No, should I say it has good sensitivity? That's the curse gathered in Heaven's Golden Temple hanging there. "It is completely invisible to the untrained eye."
To me, I can see bluish wisps flying in the sky along with the kites, and even strange magic power being released in all directions.
"And it's over there at Cheongeumdang. "It looks quite far away visually, but we'll get there sooner than you think."
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