Escaping the Mystery Hotel

User: Han Kain (Wisdom)

Date: Day 100

Current Location: Floor 2, Room 202 – Cursed Room ‘The Little Mermaid’

Sage’s Advice: 1

- Han Kain

After following Ahri into the building, I couldn’t help but feel countless times how fortunate we were to be operating under the guise of “Administration agents”.

Objectively speaking, our party was a spectacle.

Excluding Seungyub outside the island, the doctor conducting research on the merfolk, and the sealed Elena, there were six of us.

The sheer sight of six people moving together naturally drew attention, especially when the leading girl was clad in a bizarre, spacesuit-like outfit.

This was hardly the kind of group that could operate in secrecy.

Fortunately for us, we were Administration agents, and this world operated under the influence of “Control factions,” where the Administration worked openly.

As long as we carried our badges, which served as symbols of authority, there was little need to hide in most situations.

Flaunting our badges, we drove the staff out of the government office and headed to the basement.

Our official justification?

Investigating the casualties involving Cheongseong Group. The merfolk staff had no choice but to comply.

Still, the boldness of our actions left Noona uneasy.

“Grandpa, shouldn’t we at least try to be a little more discreet?”

“Us? Does that seem possible to you, Eunsol? Besides, do you think we could hide that Protective Suit if we tried?”

“…You’ve got a point.”

“The entire island is already keeping an eye on us. Where could we possibly hide? In situations like this, it’s better to wield authority openly. Do police officers or detectives always sneak around?”

Songee also voiced her concerns, “The staff might be one thing, but what if Serenade shows up? She seems to have some mysterious supernatural abilities.”

Ahri dismissed it nonchalantly, “The governor is currently outside the island, praying.”

“Praying?”

“Apparently, whenever Kadaru’dah experiences its ‘nightmares,’ the governor performs a ritual prayer to soothe the god’s suffering. It’s treated as an extremely sacred and important event here.”

While discussing this, we reached the first basement level of the building, only to find ourselves at a dead end.

“Ahri?”

“…The compass says to go further down.”

“But there’s no door leading down. According to the floor plans, the basement only has one level, and the parking garage isn’t in the right location either.”

Ahri’s compass was directing us downward, but there was no visible path leading further below. After wandering in circles and wasting time, we made a decisive move.

“You there, come here.”

“…?”

“Do I have to drag you over?”

Grandpa singled out a high-ranking merfolk staff member who had been nervously hovering nearby.

“Spit it out. How do we get down?”

“I-I think there’s been some misunderstanding. This building’s basement ends at the first floor, and there’s no further—“

“Don’t play dumb. We already know there’s something below. Now, talk before I make you regret it!”

The staff member initially tried to resist Ahri and Grandpa’s intimidation, but with a mere gesture from Songee, his resolve crumbled.

“A-ah! Ah…!”

“Songee, what did you show him?”

“A vision of the floor collapsing. I just showed him what could happen if we were forced to break through.”

Whether it was Songee’s supernatural display or her unyielding will, the staff member, defeated, reluctantly led us to the hidden path.

“When the governor returns, she won’t take this lightly!”

“That’s our problem. Just do what you’re told.”

Curiously, the path to the lower level wasn’t accessed from the first basement but from the second floor. No wonder we hadn’t been able to find it earlier.

As we descended a dimly lit staircase, the staff member finally stopped, his expression filled with fear.

“I’ve told you everything. May I leave now?”

“Go ahead.”

After the staff member departed, Jinchul-hyung asked, “Is it really okay to just let him go?”

“What else would we do with him? In cases like this, it’s important to strike a balance. We’ve already crossed a line by resorting to coercion, but we’re only able to act this way because the governor is absent.”

“I see.”

Ever since Grandpa and Ahri began leveraging the Administration’s authority, we had no choice but to trust their judgment.

None of us truly understood the boundaries of what Administration agents were allowed to do.

The door leading to the second basement—or perhaps even deeper—finally opened.

The sight beyond those doors left us all speechless.

***

- Splash! Splash!

“How on earth could a place like this exist under a government office?”

- Ripple!

The damp stone floor echoed with the sound of water splashing as our feet lifted with each step.

Tracking the clothes once worn by the Daughter of the Sea God, we ventured into the depths of the government office’s basement and found ourselves in an underground cavern.

“It’s not that the cavern exists under the government office. It’s more accurate to say the government office was built on top of this cavern.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean the government office isn’t the main focus—this cavern is.”

- Squelch!

The chilling atmosphere and damp air filled the cavern, evoking an eerie feeling. Moss blanketed the surroundings, and slimy creatures resembling snails squirmed everywhere, making this an unsettling place to be.

The only solace was that I wasn’t alone—the others were with me, after all. Thanks to the headlamp on the Protective Suit, our visibility was somewhat maintained.

After walking for quite some time, Ahri spoke, “We’re almost there… According to the compass, it’s right around here.”

“What’s that smell?”

Jinchul-hyung’s sudden remark made us pause and focus on the sharp stench invading our senses.

Soon, everyone began reacting to the overwhelming odor.

“What the hell? Is this a fishy smell?”

“It’s like a homeless person who hasn’t bathed in years!”

“Or the stench of rotten meat?”

To my nose, it seemed like all those smells were blended together—fish, unwashed filth, rotting flesh, and even excrement.

It was an assault on the senses, the kind one would only expect in some hellish nightmare.

The smell was so overpowering it felt less like an odor and more like a psychological attack. Just as we were about to collapse from the stench—

Advice: 1 → 0

Duck!

Before I could even register what was happening, my body instinctively bent down.

At the same time, a sharp scream erupted from behind me.

“Ahh! Aaargh!”

Everyone turned in shock to see Jinchul-hyung clutching his wrist, blood spurting out like a fountain.

His hand—where’s his hand?

“Everyone, get behind me!” Ahri’s sharp command snapped us out of our panic, and we scrambled to hide behind the Protective Suit.

- Ting!

A loud clang reverberated against the suit, revealing the nature of the attack.

Something sharp and invisible had been hurled at us from the darkness of the cavern.

Simultaneously, horrifying cries echoed from all directions.

- Uoooooh! Krrrrk!

Unseen movement erupted beyond the beam of the headlamp.

The ground squelched with writhing things, and countless feet scuttled up the cavern walls.

Just imagining the grotesque forms conjured by the sound was enough to make one’s skin crawl.

As everyone braced for battle, I found myself wondering…

How can I sense these invisible beings?

Is this the heightened awareness I had first experienced in Miro’s Hell?

“They’re coming from above! Something huge is moving on the ceiling!”

At Noona’s shout, Ahri swung her arm through the air.

A fierce motion sliced through the darkness, tearing apart whatever was approaching from the ceiling.

As viscous liquid splattered everywhere, we instinctively stepped back.

What should I do?

Should I try to possess one of these creatures?

But I couldn’t even see them.

In truth, I wasn’t even sure how I was perceiving their movements.

Suddenly, something lashed out at lightning speed.

Who’s their target?

Before I could consciously decide, I instinctively knew it was heading for Songee.

In the blink of an eye, we both rolled to the ground.

“Kyaaah! O-Oppa? Did you just… teleport?”

Instead of answering, I stared at the translucent tentacle that had narrowly missed us.

[Dóminus técum. óra pro nóbis peccatóribus.]

A haunting melody filled the cavern, its ethereal notes brushing against my ears.

First, it was a song; then, a flute joined in.

The mysterious music swept through the cavern, pacifying the menacing creatures that had been attacking us.

As the chaos subsided, a voice broke through from behind, “You truly are reckless. And that employee you coerced—just as foolish.”

It was Serenade.

Grandpa spoke, his tone slightly sheepish, “Governor, I may have applied a bit of pressure, so please be lenient with your staff.”

“How considerate of you.”

“But it seems we have much to discuss. What are these creatures?”

“First, come with me. Oh, and Agent Cha Jinchul—be sure to pick up your severed arm.”

Before Serenade could finish her sentence, Jinchul-hyung casually picked up his severed wrist and reattached it.

Everyone, including Serenade, watched in disbelief.

Sure enough, the arm reconnected seamlessly.

Within seconds, Hyung was moving it as though nothing had happened.

“What’s with those stares? Haven’t you seen my regeneration before?”

Serenade’s expression was a mix of admiration and shock.

“Wow. Truly impressive individuals. Now, let’s move along without causing further trouble.”

It felt like we were children caught misbehaving.

The confident Grandpa and Ahri, who had so boldly intimidated the government staff, were now much more cautious around Serenade.

Is this the line even Administration agents can’t cross?

Watching their interaction, I felt like a junior agent learning from my seniors.

“Governor, we acknowledge we overstepped. However, we still need an explanation about these creatures hidden in the basement.”

Serenade looked at all of us, then seemed to deliberate for a moment.

“If I lead you out of here, what will you do?”

“…”

“Let me guess. You’ll go back to intimidating staff or worse. Haa… What’s the point? You already know the way here now.”

“Fair point.”

At Ahri’s shameless reply, Serenade sighed in exasperation.

“Let me explain. These creatures aren’t mere monsters. They are… our unfortunate possibilities—kin who failed to develop properly.”

Unfortunate possibilities?

Kin who failed to develop properly?

What does that mean?

Unable to contain his curiosity, Grandpa asked, “Governor, could you clarify what you mean?”

Serenade tilted her head slightly.

“Even after everything, you still don’t understand? These are individuals who failed their awakening as merfolk. Across the entire island, three or four of them emerge each year. Over the years, they’ve accumulated here underground.”

What’s she saying?

Awakening as merfolk?

Why would merfolk need an awakening to become merfolk?

Is it possible that merfolk aren’t born as merfolk?

I suddenly remembered the doctor’s earlier observations.

“Despite losing most of their intelligence, they remain our kin. Proof of this is how they respond to my control.”

“They respond to your control?”

“Yes.”

At that moment, Noona’s sharp voice rang out, “Not to your control, but to the ‘Daughters of the Sea God,’ right? I noticed something interesting in that box over there.”

“What box are you referring to—“

“Don’t pretend you don’t know. That box attached to the cavern wall. What’s inside it? The pieces sticking out look like clothing.”

“…”

“Let me guess. These ‘comrades’ instinctively follow the Daughters of the Sea God. Is it a scent? Pheromones? Whatever it is, you’ve placed your sisters’ belongings in those boxes to keep them confined here.”

“Your observations are quite sharp. At any rate, now you understand the situation.”

Without further elaboration, Serenade turned to leave.

As we followed her out of the cavern, I realized why she had gone out of her way to explain the situation.

The Saintess wasn’t justifying the presence of the creatures to us—she was defending herself to the Administration, making it clear she wasn’t using them for malevolent /genesisforsaken