Call of Abyss

Chapter 9

Mina was following two flames floating before her through a dark tunnel.

The flickering flames seemed to guide her, pausing when she stopped and moving forward slowly when she walked again.

Mina somehow felt a sense of familiarity with those flames.

Looking at the flames, a part of her heart inexplicably warmed.

The flames occasionally seemed to mumble something to Mina, but she couldn't quite understand what they were trying to say.

After walking for a long time like that, Mina and the flames eventually emerged from the tunnel.

Outside the tunnel, heavy snow was falling, revealing a white snowy landscape, and in the middle of that landscape stood an adult man and a girl about middle school age, facing two graves.

It didn't take Mina long to realize that the adult man was her uncle and the middle school girl was her younger self.

"Mina, you must be sad since your parents passed away in a car accident at such a young age.

Come with your uncle.

I'll take good care of you."

Her uncle spoke while patting middle school Mina's shoulder, slowly moving his hand from her shoulder to her chest, then to her waist and hips.

Middle school Mina said nothing, only shedding tears as she looked at the two graves.

"Stop it! Why are you showing me this?"

Mina shouted, covering her face with both hands.

It was then that she heard the sound of her uncle collapsing to the ground with a groan.

Mina removed her hands from her face and looked straight ahead again.

Suddenly, the scene had changed, and middle school Mina was holding a kitchen knife in her right hand with her shirt off, while her uncle lay on the ground bleeding from his thigh.

"You ungrateful wench! I took in an orphan who lost her parents, fed you, and gave you a place to sleep, and you stab me with a knife?

Damn girl! I should have abandoned you long ago!"

Middle school Mina was endlessly crying as she looked at her uncle lying on the ground with a blood-stained knife in her hand.

Mina burst into tears as she watched the terrified middle school Mina trembling all over.

"Ah.... Please stop....

I don't want to see this."

Mina spoke in a trembling voice as she looked at the two flames floating beside her.

The two flames continued to mumble words Mina couldn't understand as they slowly changed shape.

Mina soon recognized what forms the flames were taking.

They were her father and mother.

"Dad, Mom.... Why are you only coming now?

Do you know how hard it's been for me?"

The flames in the form of her father and mother slowly approached Mina without saying a word and embraced her with their arms.

Even though they were clearly made of flames, strangely, they weren't hot.

The warmth and gentle heat, like the embrace of her long-missed parents, enveloped Mina's body and heart.

Mina stopped crying and looked again at her uncle and middle school Mina.

Somehow, they were now engulfed in blazing flames, burning away.

The fire that started from them spread everywhere, setting the vast snowy landscape ablaze.

"Dad, Mom, it's so warm.

Even though it's a fiercely burning fire, it feels so warm to me.

Was it supposed to be like this?

Was everything meant to be burned?"

Mina tightly hugged the flames in the form of her parents as she looked at the snowy landscape turned into a sea of fire.

Just moments ago, tears had flowed from the painful memories, but now, seeing her uncle and middle school Mina burned away and everything engulfed in flames, a smile naturally appeared on Mina's lips.

Gas Mask watched anxiously through the iron bars at the succubus and the student named Mina.

Mina lay on the cold stone floor with her eyes closed as if asleep, while the succubus sat beside her, placing her hands on Mina's forehead, sweating profusely.

Gas Mask was ready to open the iron-barred door and rush into the cell to save the succubus if flames erupted from Mina's body again, like last time, to burn the succubus.

When Shinyoung Girls' High School was engulfed in flames, the succubus suddenly had a good idea after seeing Mina absorb the spreading flames and recover her body, and suggested bringing her here, but honestly, Gas Mask felt uneasy about the enormous, unknown power Mina possessed.

Of course, the power held by the members of the Medici family was inherently beyond human comprehension, but the power this student Mina possessed was very alien, even unmeasurable by Giovanni the cult leader or the elders of the Medici family.

Under Giovanni's orders, the succubus was using her dream-invoking ability to awaken Mina's power, but Gas Mask couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that they might be awakening a power that shouldn't be awakened.

"How's it going?"

"Giovanni, sir."

Gas Mask bowed and saluted as Giovanni, the cult leader, walked towards him.

Beside Giovanni stood Blaze, wearing a black cloak and a plague doctor mask.

He was always an ominous and unpleasant man.

"The succubus is trying hard to awaken the child's power while suppressing her rampage.

However, over the past six months, the child's power has grown stronger, making it increasingly difficult for the succubus to continue the dream-invoking ritual while simultaneously suppressing the child's rampage."

"But we can't stop.

To successfully achieve our great cause, we absolutely need that child's power.

I plan to blow up an island six months from now.

It seems like it's time for the Medici family to officially start moving the world, and we need to test the power of the Abyss One currently under development.

If Nyarlathotep breaks the non-aggression pact and tries to interfere with our work, that child will play a significant role in stopping Nyarlathotep."

"Are you talking about Nia? Do you think that child has that much power?"

"You'll see.

That child will become the most dangerous and powerful weapon our Medici family possesses."

Gas Mask listened to Giovanni's words and watched the succubus's dream-invoking ritual with even more unease.

The question of what to do if even our Medici family couldn't handle that power arose from the depths of his heart, but to avoid disrupting the dream-invoking ritual, Gas Mask decided to keep his mouth shut for now.

Mina stood in the middle of an old industrial area.

White smoke billowed from many factory chimneys, and the loud, harsh sounds of machinery echoed incessantly from all directions.

Mina walked for a long time, observing the industrial area, until she eventually saw a group of high school students gathered in a corner of the industrial area.

"Hey! You thought we wouldn't see you again just because you transferred, you parentless brat?"

"Seoyeon, this letter came out of her bag. Take a look.

To Teacher Sungmin? Is she trying to confess to the teacher?"

"Minju, give me that letter.

Song Mina.... Couldn't get rid of the habit of selling herself to men and now trying to seduce the teacher?

Crazy girl, then you wouldn't mind selling yourself to the men we connect you with, right?

Why transfer schools? Why....

It was exhausting finding you all the way here."

"The teacher isn't like that...."

"Isn't he.... All the men around you are the same....

But Mina, does that teacher know?

That you're famous as a slut in the whole school."

"I'm not a slut."

"Ha.... Song Mina, if you deny it one more time in front of me, I'll cut your mouth with a knife.

I have dozens of photos of you selling yourself to men, and you say it's not true?"

"That's because you forced me...."

"This slutty girl, it's been a while since I've seen you, and you don't know your place and keep talking back?"

A large male student standing next to the girl named Seoyeon suddenly slapped high school Mina in the face, who was in the center of the group.

High school Mina lost her balance and fell to the ground.

"Oh Gijun, you crazy bastard, what are you doing?

She's supposed to earn money with her face, and you hit her face?"

Seoyeon fussed as she approached high school Mina, who had fallen to the ground.

"Mina, I'll give the letter back.

We don't care if you have a passionate love with that teacher or whatever.

But, you know. We hope you continue to do the things you've been doing for us.

There's no one like you, Mina.

As you know, older men go crazy when they see you, Mina."

Seoyeon gently stroked high school Mina's swollen red cheek and spoke to her as if coaxing her.

"Mina, how about starting work tonight?

I'll buy you your favorite pork cutlet.

If you refuse, this time I'll really show you a lesson, so be aware.

First, starting with that teacher you like, we'll distribute all the photos of you selling yourself to the orphanage where you live and the new school you transferred to.

If you don't want that to happen, you must not break the promise anymore. Got it?

"You devil...."

"Hoo.... What did you just say? You insolent girl?"

Seoyeon kicked high school Mina's stomach hard as she lay on the ground.

High school Mina screamed and clutched her stomach with her hands.

"Seoyeon, didn't you say not to hit her?"

Gijoon burst into laughter and spoke to Seoyeon, who was kicking high school Mina.

"It's not the face. This girl needs to be hit a bit.

Maybe it's because she grew up without parents, but she's got no manners."

Mina burst into tears as she watched the scene of what had happened to her months ago by Seoyeon's gang unfold before her eyes again.

She saw herself being unilaterally beaten by Seoyeon's group without any resistance and felt so pitiful and insignificant.

Why was I born into this world?

Why do I continue to live in pain when there's no one who loves me?

Such thoughts continued to linger in Mina's mind.

At that moment, a warm flame appeared before her eyes.

The flame floated in front of Mina for a while and then slowly changed shape, becoming the familiar figure of a person.

It was Teacher Park Sungmin, whom Mina had liked for a long time.

"Teacher Sungmin, I've missed you.

I'm really insignificant, aren't I?

Even if I live for several decades, I'll never become someone who suits a person like you."

Mina covered her face with her hands and burst into tears.

The deep-seated sorrow that she had suppressed and held back all this time erupted at once upon seeing the face of the beloved Teacher Sungmin.

Mina couldn't control her emotions and cried aloud.

The flame in the shape of Sungmin approached Mina and embraced her.

"Ph'nglui.... Cthulhu.... Fhtagn.... Huggoth.... Ptahk."

The flame in the shape of Sungmin also muttered something like the flames in the shape of her parents had just done.

Although there were a few words she could faintly understand compared to what the flames in the shape of her parents had said, she still couldn't grasp them properly.

"Your embrace is warm, teacher. Really.... It's this warm.

If I had known, I would have embraced you long ago."

Flames began to rise in the industrial area.

Large flames erupted from the ground, lakes, and numerous factory roofs and chimneys in the industrial area, soaring to the sky.

The image of Seoyeon's gang and the past Mina being bullied by them also disappeared into the flames before she knew it.

It was a sight worthy of being called a fiery hell, but to Mina, it all felt infinitely warm and soft.

"Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn."

"Iä iä Cthulhu."

Around Mina, the illusions she had seen so far—her father and mother, middle school Mina and Uncle, Seoyeon's gang, and the high school Mina being bullied by them—gathered.

The illusions made of flames murmured continuously, and Mina finally understood the words they were uttering.

"Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn."

"Iä iä Cthulhu."

Mina felt her body being enveloped in flames and floating into the air.

An indescribable sense of liberation was felt throughout Mina's body.

While floating in the air, Mina looked at the land, sea, and sky covered in flames and lightly waved one hand.

The massive flames moved from the sky to the sea, from the sea to the land, and from the land back to the sky following Mina's gesture.

Only then did Mina realize that she had been reborn as a transcendent being beyond human boundaries.

Mina shouted aloud the words that had been resonating from deep within her heart for a while.

Those words were Mina's very existence and the spell of power that awakened her true soul.

"Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn iä iä Cthulhu."

The daughter of flames born from the fire, burning the world.

That was the true identity of the great being hidden within the shell of the human Song Mina, who cried and despaired in pain day by day.

The underground prison was instantly engulfed in a sea of fire.

The fierce flames emanating from Mina consumed the Succubus and burned the entire underground prison before Giovanni could even block it.

Gas Mask and Blaze hurriedly escaped the underground prison, relying on the barrier Giovanni had cast.

"For the power to be this strong...."

"Cult Leader, can you handle this power?

This is not a power we can manage.

The world might be completely consumed by fire before Nyarlathotep intervenes."

"Even if the essence of that child's soul is the Vampire of Fire, Cthulhu itself, as long as she's wearing the human flesh, she's not entirely beyond our control.

Besides, the child has just realized her identity and is like a newborn to the world.

We have enough room to tame her before she tries to burn the world."

"Who do you intend to tame? The Great Old One? Cult Leader...."

Gas Mask was momentarily speechless at Giovanni's unimaginably bold statement.

Giovanni was determined not to shy away from any reckless act for the sake of his plan.

The flames that started from the prison building quickly spread to the surrounding forest, beginning to set it ablaze.

"Once the child wakes up from her slumber, the flames will soon cease.

For the time being, Gas Mask, you will take care of the child.

Just make sure not to disturb her deeply and take good care of her."

Gas Mask sighed as he looked at the fierce flames burning the prison building and forest at Giovanni's words.

Even putting aside the sudden responsibility of taking care of a high school girl, he was worried about whether he could properly care for her so that she wouldn't burn the world.

A high school girl with the soul of the Great Old One....

It was an unimaginably heavy burden that couldn't be compared to anything in the world.