I Became a Genius Mage in the Cthulhu Game

Chapter 165: Dragon King Festival (6)

The white tentacles were still growing.

They stretched out, revealing terrifying teeth as they split open in various places. Dozens—no, hundreds—of gaping maws lined the writhing undulating white tentacles as they struggled to devour the True Person of the Tortoise.

Creak, creak, creak—

The sound of hundreds of maws grinding their teeth echoed in unison.

“Kaaargh!”

The True Person of the Tortoise thrashed desperately, but it was useless. There was no escaping the child of darkness, the offspring of the black goat. In any case, there wouldn’t be any more scenes that could be called a battle.

I scratched the side of my mask for a moment before speaking.

“Earlier, what did you say to me—?”

I didn’t remember exactly since I heard it while I was out of my mind, but it was something like this.

He hadn’t managed to fulfill his declaration, but I already had.

“Grk, grk—”

“Grkk—Grkrr—”

Splash—

Splash, splash—

The deep-sea people, along with their hybrid kin, were leaping into the sea well with feverish

enthusiasm.

The sea well.

It was a huge well hidden inside the altar.

To be precise, they must have built the structure around the sea well’s location. It was just like the safe in the village chief’s house. And this village was the same.

The altar was merely a facade. The real importance lay in that sea well.

That’s no ordinary well.

According to the legends passed down in this area and the beliefs of the deep-sea people, that well was said to connect to the Western Sea. And the Dragon King was supposed to return through that well?

If that well were just a tunnel to the Western Sea, we wouldn’t have gone through all this trouble.

The sea well was a kind of gate.

That well didn’t lead to the Western Sea. It connected to a place far beyond, deeper and darker.

The homeland where the deep-sea people must return, the deep, deep abyss.

Or the place where the great Cthulhu sleeps.

“Kaaaaah!! You monster! You horrible demon! You can’t do this! The Dragon King will reject it! The curse of the sea! The curse of the deep sea will be upon you!”

Oh, so Dagon would refuse to accept the deep-sea people as offerings? Would he?

“I’m offering seven sacrifices according to the number of stars, and one more, making it eight. This number pleases the Dragon King. To summon the Dragon King to dry land, this was repeated eight more times, making the count eight times eight. That’s a total of sixty-four. How could the Dragon King refuse?”

“Grrrrk! Stop it! Shut your mouth! Human! How dare you! How dare you speak to the Dragon King like that! Do you think the Dragon King would even listen to you?”

“If you get distracted like that, it could be dangerous.”

Crack! Crunch! Snap!

“Kaaargh!”

The child of darkness finally bit into the True Person of the Tortoise’s left hand. A gush of red blood spurted out.

Realizing what he must prioritize, the True Person of the Tortoise resisted with all his might.

“I’ll kill you! I’ll definitely kill you!”

Yes, the deep-sea people are different from humans by nature. They possess innate vitality and strong willpower. Simply losing a hand won’t subdue him.

Boom! Crack!

The True Person of the Tortoise swung his fist at the child of darkness and fired off spells. Whether his attacks were effective or not, the child of darkness momentarily withdrew its tentacles and hesitated.

Hope glimmered on the True Person of the Tortoise’s face. Is he thinking, “It worked! It’s effective!”?

Hmm, I doubt it.

Hundreds of mouths open simultaneously on the pale tentacles.

“Hungry.” “Hungry.” “Hungry.” “Hungry.” “Hungry.” “Hungry.” “Hungry.” “Hungry.” “Hungry.” “Hungry.” “Hungry.” “Hungry.” “Hungry.” “Hungry.” “Hungry.” “Hungry.” “Hungry.” “Hungry.” “Hungry.”

“Ugh, aaaargh! Aaaargh!!”

It’s over. There’s no need to keep watching.

Before fully turning my head, I reached out with my magic and pulled the crown off the True Person of the Tortoise’s head.

Whoosh—

As I caught the crown, I took a moment to look at it.

It was a grotesque yet beautiful and eerie crown, engraved with waves, fish, the deep sea, and the figures of Dagon and the deep-sea people.

[Crown of Murky Waters (L-rank Magical Artifact): A crown infused with the magic of the deep sea. It grants the wearer the power to communicate with the Dragon King of the Murky Sea. It is an essential item for conducting the Dragon King’s Ritual.

However, only the descendants of the sea can use this item.

Further research is needed to obtain more detailed information.]

The [Ocarina of the Deep Sea] also had usage restrictions, but this one came with even more limitations than what is indicated. It could only be used by someone who was either a deep-sea person or a deep-sea hybrid and who also had the aptitude of a shaman.

In short, it meant that as a human and a mage, I couldn’t use it.

Not that I ever intended to use it anyway.

I needed someone who could use it in my place.

To stop the Dragon King’s Ritual and free Insu Village.

Now that my memories had returned, I could think of various methods. I could simply destroy the well by physical means, or I could settle for wiping out the deep-sea people and making my escape.

But If I were to use such methods…

“These persistent deep-sea bastards would just end up creating a second Insu Village or a second sea well.”

Because of that, the solution that the past Kim Shin-hwa had suggested was to carry out the Dragon King’s Ritual. He planned to subdue the current ritualist, appoint a new one, and steer the ritual in the direction he wanted.

“To do that, I need a deep-sea person who can become the ritualist. The village chief is a backup option, but… is Yong-soo still alive?”

There he was.

Among the deep-sea people trudging toward the well, I spotted Yong-soo.

That green-skinned hybrid deep-sea boy who was a genius among deep-sea people. Someone who was rare enough to appear once in a thousand years, according to the story. He was the True Person of the Tortoise’s disciple. And in terms of aptitude, there was no one better than him.

“Hmm, but look at him, still acting like that.”

I had already injected Yong-soo with Red’s bodily fluids to make it easier to track him and carry out the subsequent tasks.

But I guess that wasn’t even necessary?

Yong-soo was behaving completely differently from the other deep-sea people. While they were all being lured by Red’s song and throwing themselves into the sea well, Yong-soo was still rolling around in the muddy ground.

“Ah, ugh… ahhhh…”

A groan escaped his lips. Something was off.

Why is this idiot acting like this?

Red’s bodily fluids were still inside Yong-soo’s body. Through them, his thoughts were seeping into my mind.

Pain—blood loss—a sense of loss—the shock of losing a part of his body and the excruciating pain, accompanied by massive bleeding.

But Yong-soo was a deep-sea hybrid who was born with talents far surpassing those of others. Like the True Person of the Tortoise, a deep-sea person wouldn’t be incapacitated by merely losing a few fingers, right?

“Ugh… Please, save me… Save me…”

Despair—fear—madness—hopelessness—sorrow—a sense of helplessness. He had come seeking revenge, only to lose both hands in a single blow.

A single blow? No, not even that.

From Yong-soo’s perspective, I had merely waved my hand as if swatting away a fly. That simple gesture had overloaded the spell Yong-soo was controlling, causing it to explode entirely.

Yong-soo hadn’t even managed to attack, and I hadn’t even counterattacked.

Ah, I see now. I understood after reading Yong-soo’s thoughts.

Anyway, it seems he still has a long way to go before he dies.

After all the horrible things he did to humans, now he’s whining. I infused Yong-soo who was writhing on the ground with magical power and cast a spell.

[Voice of Authority]

A voice imbued with irresistible power and authority.

|What is your wish?|

“Oh, Dragon King! Dragon King! I’ve longed to see you! I’ve wanted to speak with you! Oh, great Father of the Sea! I wanted to make a wish to you, O Dragon King of the Murky Seas!”

It was simple. I spoke again.

|Yes, speak. You may state your wish.|

“That evil mage! That human! Please kill the evil mage who dared to insult and humiliate the descendants of the sea with a mere human body! Grant me the power to kill him, to punish him, and to take revenge!”

Hmm, a troublesome wish.

I spoke again.

|Think again. Is that truly your wish? Is that what you really wanted to say to the Great Father of the Sea? Speak your true desire, the one buried deep within you. The dirty longing you’ve kept hidden from others, the secret wish you’ve always wanted to fulfill one day. Tell me what you truly desire.|

“I, I…”

A faint noise arose in Yong-soo’s consciousness. Was something trying to intervene? Where? I don’t allow for sudden shifts or unexpected variables. I spoke once more.

With the power to suppress others’ minds and control their thoughts.

|Yes, speak. To the one you believe in, the one you revere, the one who shaped you, who granted you the power of the sea—what do you truly wish from your true father, the Dragon King of the Murky Sea, the ruler of cloudy waters?|

Yong-soo slowly raised his body.

“I… I am… using the power of the sea well… waiting for the great Dragon King of the Murky Sea… to descend in his true form…”

Yes, that’s the real purpose of the Dragon King Ritual.

It wasn’t just an incarnation; it was the descent of the true form of the very being of the abyss onto this land. For this, they had deliberately built a village here, offered sacrifices, and waited for a special day.

The sea well has been growing in strength by devouring the souls and bodies of humans for a long time, and today, thanks to me, it was feasting immensely.

When the exact date appointed by the Dragon King—Dagon—arrives, the sea well will open its gate and summon Dagon’s true form into the present world.

I placed a crown on Yong-soo’s head and spoke.

|Then today is the day. By your wish, the sea well will open its gate and release what lies beyond. Go.|

Now, Yong-soo was the only living deep-sea person or the only living deep-sea hybrid in the vicinity. He would throw himself into the sea well. Those who fail to do so will become breathless, inanimate objects, with their bodies buried in the muddy ground.

But still, the surroundings were filled with Dagon’s lingering magical power and covered in a dreadful fog. The only sound within that fog was the footsteps of one person.

Squelch, squelch.

Walking through the sticky mud, the new priest of Insu Village advanced. Yong-soo would state his wish to the sea well and open the gate to the other side.

“Timing is crucial.”

I gestured to the necromancy golems and gave the command.

“Alright, let’s go. Get ready to escape with the villagers.”

Creak, crack.

The necromancy golem containing my consciousness led the other golems to rush down the mountain.

Then I gestured toward Red.

“Red, it’s time. I listened to your song. You really are a great singer. Now, do you see that green one wearing the hat over there? Get inside that body. And when I give the signal, devour everything you can.”

Thud, thud, thud—

“Kkiiiiie!”

Again, I emphasize that the exact date is crucial. That day is important.

Just as destroying the event venue right before the event will make the Masquerade disappear, if it’s not that day, their plans will be ruined. Today, I will deceive the sea well.

Standing before the sea well, Yong-soo spoke.

“I bow with all my heart to the great Dragon King, who dwells in the murky sea, grants enlightenment, and changes his form to grant eternal life to the foolish beings.”

Yong-soo spoke again. He was the priest of this village and the one who acted as the Dragon King’s messenger.

“I have a wish. I have a wish. I have a wish. I ask the Dragon King, who can summon rain to this dry land and bring waves that carry the blessed sea water to all, to grant my wish.”

And this genius deep-sea hybrid spoke once more.

“Please, please, by the Dragon King’s mercy, accept our sincere devotion today as vast as the sea. Grant us our wish. We offer this feast, prepared with utmost care, to the Dragon King. Please, open the gate of the sea well.”

Rumble, rumble—

Rumble, rumble—

A menacing noise echoed from beneath the ground, no, from beneath the well.

The earth shook as if the mountain were about to collapse.

And then, an enormous surge of magical power and seawater began to pour out of the well.

Rumble!!

Rumble!!

A ridiculous amount of seawater was gushing out of the well.

[System: The exclusive trait ‘Feast’s Offering’ has been activated.]

It’s coming!

Something was rising, something was coming up!

But today was not that day. Yet despite that, something was crawling out. I had expected this. That wouldn’t be Dagon’s true form. It must be something of a lower rank.

Still, a monstrous being that was hard to handle was crawling up!

[From beneath the sea well…….]

“Move! I can’t see!”

Fzzzzzzzzt!

The message window tried to say something, but I struck it with lightning to get rid of it.

“Now! Doldol!!”

Rumble!!

Doldol who had been waiting by the well opened its mouth.

Crash!!

A huge amount of magic stones were sucked into the well. The sparkling magic stones were a staggering amount. How much could that be worth? It must be more than a billion, at least. The magic stones that the Hollow Lord had been hoarding were being swallowed up by the well.

What a waste.

No, this wasn’t the time to be having such thoughts! I shoved my magical power into the object in my hand—crash!

—And hurled it toward the well.

The glittering object flew in an arc.

It was a magic stone bomb.