Chapter 90: Cleaning
I scratched my head vigorously and sighed.
Ah, theres still some use left in Heo Sang-hyeon if you look hard enough.
Anyway, when the Hollow Lord died, Heo Sang-hyeons soul had taken significant damage.
But it seems that the damage has now fully healed.
If I just leave him alone without doing anything special, he should wake up on his own.
I spoke to the necromancy golem loitering by his bedside.
Keep an eye on him, and call me when he wakes up.
Creak, clatter.
The necromancy golem made a gesture of understanding and then disassembled into several pieces of junk scattered around his bed.
I went back down to the first floor.
The necromancy golems were still busy organizing and cleaning.
After checking the situation a bit more, I came to a conclusion.
It looks like I can step back now.
They all function well enough that I dont need to stand by and interfere.
In short, I could afford to leave for a bit.
It would be best to quickly visit my studio apartment now.
I needed to bring back the items I left at my previous home to complete the move.
And while I was out, I should buy the essentials needed for living here for a while.The most uptodate novels are published on n0velbj)n((.))co/m
I also needed to stop by the pawnshop to purchase materials to create an artifact to replace the Ancient Gods Mirror that Heo Sang-hyeon had taken from me.
But then again
The food for these creatures is the problem.
The necromancy golems eat mana, of course.
And all that mana came from my own body.
There were thirteen of these necromancy golems in total.
I spent time improving their formula structure, so using just my own pure mana to operate them shouldnt be a big problem, especially since we werent in a combat situation.
But even for someone like me, transmitting mana from the city to here is too much.
Its natural that the efficiency of wireless charging decreases with distance.
Of course, if I chose the path of a villain or a madman, I could solve the mana issue quite simply.
Like the previous Hollow Lord, I could just make a pact with a being from the abyss to receive a supply of mana or dismantle the souls of innocent victims to extract their mana.
Regardless of whether such actions were good or bad, engaging in them could lead to serious consequences anyway.
I might be labeled a dark mage or a heretic and attract bounty hunters, or I could end up a mere skeletal undead, just like the Hollow Lord if I followed the demands of a being of the abyss.
I pondered for a moment and then recalled an artifact that could be useful in this situation.
Using that seems like the best option right now.
Yesterday, I had defeated the stone coffin and received a mountain of rewards.
Among them was something useful.
I looked around briefly.
Only the necromancy golems were moving around and cleaning the area.
Where was that thing now?
Hey~, Doldol-ah!
It didnt seem to be on the first floor, and it wasnt on the second floor either maybe it was in the basement?
Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!
A heavy vibration echoed from the basement.
It sounded like something large and heavy moving dozens of legs.
It was in the basement again?
I went down the stairs and there came Doldol, the hungry stone coffin.
Hey, wait, be careful!
Crash!
Doldol slammed into one of the necromancy golems with its huge body.
Clash, crash, clatter!
The necromancy golem shattered and debris scattered everywhere.
Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!
Regardless, Doldol didnt stop and continued running until it reached me.
This thing coming in like a wrecking ball
Clatter clatter, thud, thud.
Doldol fiddled with the lid of the stone coffin as if peering around me.
Of course, due to omissions and deteriorations during the translation process, this book wasnt as valuable as the original, but it was still one of the finest grimoires that could be found in [Cthulhu World].
It seemed wise to check this book first, even if it meant delaying the interpretation of the Silent Scripture of the Dreaming Path
However this isnt what I need right now.
After I set aside the Great Yin Water Treasure Secret Scripture, an item hidden beneath it revealed itself.
It was a silver mask with an elaborate design that gave off an unpleasant feeling.
It was an excessively detailed replica of a real humans face.
All items in this mansion seem to follow this pattern, but
This one looked particularly ominous.
It wasnt just a mask with an unpleasant appearance.
This was a death mask cast in silver from a mold taken from a dead persons face.
It also means there was originally a corpse that looked exactly like this mask.
He was a mad cultist who invoked the influence of [He Who Comes from the Darkness] through vile and filthy rituals Hollow Lords father.
Having lost his humanity and become a madman, he created offspring for the abyssal beings and ultimately, his soul was trapped in this mask.
Gulp.
What was that? Did I just swallow my saliva?
Its the influence of mask obsession
The madness that had taken root in my mind influenced my obsession with masks.
It started simply as a symptom of needing to cover my face with a mask, but now, just seeing a mask-shaped object triggered excessive emotions within me.
Definitely.
I thought this mask was really cool.
It was a mask crafted entirely by imprisoning a humans death.
Despite the eerie mask seemingly still echoing the death throes of a soul, I now wanted to wear it urgently.
Ugh I did take it out with the intention to wear it
Lets not think too deeply about it now.
Unlike other mental illnesses, my obsession with masks had lingered in my mind for too long.
It seemed I needed to overcome this mask obsession before it led to more serious problems.
As I took out the [Dead Mans Mask], I spoke to Doldol.
Its okay to close it now.
Thump!
I patted the top of Doldols head that is, the upper part of the stone coffin and continued.
Good job. Go rest on the second floor.
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
Crash!
Bang, crunch!
As Doldol rushed to the second floor, it completely shattered another necromancy golem.
I couldnt help but sigh when I felt a large amount of magical power being drained away.
Ah
Well, thats fine.
I raised my hand and examined the mask I had retrieved from Doldols body.
[Dead Mans Mask (A-rank Accessory): A mask made to seal the soul and magical power of a dead human.
The longer it is worn, the more the wearer becomes assimilated with the soul trapped within the mask.
Pure Silver Madness: Forces a sanity check when worn. Failure in the check will result in a random mental illness afflicting your mind and you will become possessed by the soul within the mask.
Gift of the Dead: Allows for the storage and retrieval of magical power and knowledge within the mask.
Soul Summon: Enables the summoning of the ghost residing in the mask.]
The [Dead Mans Mask] was an A-rank artifact that could store and release magical power, serve as a catalyst, or act as the core of a magic circle.
If the Hollow Lord had been equipped with this during the attack, it wouldnt have been possible to use a strategy that caused the depletion of his magical power.
The storage capacity of magical power is enormous, making it a remarkable item but clearly, its not something to use carelessly because of the penalty.
Instead, the more it was used, the more the wearer risked being consumed in body and mind by the ghost that resided within the mask.
The mask which resembled the face of a dead person looked up at me.
The empty holes where the eyes should have been showed nothing but an empty darkness, yet oddly enough, I felt someones gaze emanating from the awkwardly gaping hole of the mouth.
From inside the mask, I sensed a look filled with curiosity, anticipation, and a hint of hunger.
What are you expecting? Not even beings from the abyss can penetrate my mind; try as you might.
However, I was immune to such types of penalties.
I removed [Carcosas Mask] I was wearing and put on the [Dead Mans Mask] without hesitation.
