### Chapter 252 – Room 202, Cursed Room – ‘Mermaid Princess’ (30) Fin
—
– Lee Eunsol
“Agent Lee Eunsol, is what you just said true?”
“Can I confirm your identity?”
“Are you really allowed to disclose that info?”
“Hey! If you’ve finished your questions, can we hurry up and get out of here already!”
“Show us the evidence!”
The noise is just unbearable. My head is pounding from all the racket.
Despite my throbbing headache, the sky, once ominously gray, has regained its proper hue as if the day of judgment has passed. Thanks to that, I could finally calm my mind and check on the situation before we kick off the final phase of our plan.
For the third attempt, here’s my concrete plan laid out:
First, we all head to the Research Institute and gain control over the equipment, especially the ‘Living Flute.’ Then, everyone takes on their roles.
Second, Han Kain and Ahri will cause chaos in the Bureau using some kind of means. What this “means” is, Ahri absolutely wouldn’t tell me.
Third, Cha Jinchul will lead the Living Flute and the so-called New Humanity to attack the Bureau, sending them into chaos. While avenging the Sea God is important, the priority is to make the Bureau realize the dangers of the ‘New Humanity Project.’
Fourth, after my grandpa, Sanghyun, and Seungyub gather the Ruda at the Institute, they will head to Busan to ensure Rilinganor doesn’t do anything weird. Then together, we’ll inform Serenade and kick off the “Rescue the Ruda” operation at the Sea God’s island.
And fifth, the roles of Songee and I right now are…
By doing a little ‘media play,’ we’ll give the Bureau one more reason to abandon the New Humanity project!
For the Bureau, today might just be the worst day in decades.
Around lunchtime, something horrific and unidentifiable was unleashed, wreaking havoc on the world. Just as we barely managed to tackle the disaster that seemed determined to crash into us, those whom they believed were their hope—the New Humanity—suddenly attacked the headquarters in full-body suits of armor!
I’m not exaggerating when I say “attack!”
Each one of them possessed physical abilities that no ordinary human could hope to attain even after a lifetime of training. This superhuman army, decked out in powerful gear, forced the Bureau to engage in a virtual war right in the middle of Seoul!
I guess it’s a relief… maybe?
The Bureau is naturally a civilian-protecting organization, and Cha Jinchul, controlling the New Humanity army, wasn’t aiming for ordinary people, so unnecessary casualties were kept to a minimum. Anyway, in this massive chaos, the Bureau pretty much lost control over Seoul and, by extension, the entire South Korea.
To put it simply…
I couldn’t understand what on earth had happened, and no one came to stop me as I was making a fuss in front of the horde of journalists that had gathered.
“Okay! Okay! Don’t worry, I’ll explain everything to you!”
The reporters began to fidget upon seeing the Bureau’s badge and business card that Songee and I brought out. Of course, that was only the beginning. When we showed them the modified bodies of the “Evolved Humanity” spread across the area, they couldn’t help but gawk in horror.
“I’m Agent Lee Eunsol of the Bureau. I am here today to share a painful story, a gruesome truth that must never be repeated.”
“The bizarre beings you see before you are all human beings. If you doubt my words, feel free to collect samples for DNA testing.”
“Moreover, these people are your sons and daughters! Everyone, please place your hands on your hearts and feel that resonance. How could such a tragedy occur?”
That’s the vibe.
Countless cameras, a sea of reporters. A crowd so massive they were hard to keep track of!
In front of them, I rambled on for what felt like an eternity. I started out wanting to follow the script of Room 202, but swept up in the mood, I found myself getting lost in the narrative.
Before I knew it, the reality of the New Humanity had morphed into something concocted by the Bureau’s abduction of civilians and inserting alien creatures into them.
I realized Cha Jinchul had become the lonely leader of the New Humanity in response to the tragic events, and the twisted beings created using the “Stellar Variance” technique were now packaged as the Bureau’s horrific experiment outcome.
Before I knew it, the disaster that had turned the sky gray during lunchtime had morphed into yet another failure of the Bureau’s disastrous experiments.
Before I knew it, I was a tragic being who, as a child, was abducted by the Bureau and had my completely fine eyes extracted and replaced with demon’s eyes without anesthesia—huh?
Before I knew it, I had piled on too much flesh in the narrative?
“Eunsol!”
“Songee?”
“Sis! You’re great at this! Have you done this sort of thing a lot in reality? Do rich people usually operate like this?”
It seems I’ve unintentionally tarnished the image of the Daeyang Group. Or is it my own image that’s taken a hit?
…
The sky is clear, and the world is peaceful. Even if the “slightly fleshy” tale spreads across the land, who cares? It’s all for the greater good!
Today’s a good day. On a day like this, perhaps the wrath of the Sea God, who has been driven mad by the suffering of his followers, can finally be calmed.
It was only when I saw the reporter frantically scribbling notes fall apart like sand and turn into light that I knew the moment of resolution had come.
The world is collapsing.
In a void filled with nothingness, my comrades and I floated. And then – amidst this ocean of lies, we caught sight of another “truth.” Rising from the depths of the dark blue sea was a presence.
“Finally, it’s over. Did you orchestrate this? Thank you.”
I felt a massive light scrutinizing me. Perhaps I had been freed from pain? His words reached me quite clearly.
“Who are you?”
“I’m Lee Eunsol—”
“I have quenched your roots…”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Do not obsess over escape. This hotel is filled with traps… Indeed, even escape itself might be a trap. Know thyself.”
As the Sea God crumbled, I shouted out in exasperation!
“No! Hey! Could you explain that in a way we can understand?!”
/You have succeeded!
A beautiful sea, a jewel-like shining island. And the princesses of the sea shining even brighter than the sea and the island. Who would have thought that such a picturesque stage was hiding an unimaginable darkness and sin?
All tragedies began with the encounter between a princess hopeless from endless pain and the Bureau despairing at humanity’s weakness. Their meeting could quench their thirst, yet it also created another scapegoat.
From one perspective, it may seem trivial. Is it really such a major crime to clone, dismantle, and analyze a few sea snails?
From another perspective, it’s an unforgivable sin. Selling the followers of the god who saved the ancestors is a grave sin. Breaking the divine bond with the God of Chaos, which was protected by an inviolable treaty, is undoubtedly unforgivable.
In the end, it’s up to you to decide. Today, you made a major decision. To break away from the narrow concept of humanity and begin to see the world from a larger frame. Congratulations. With the followers liberated, the wrath of the Sea God has calmed. The Bureau has returned to a natural order by giving up on its misguided ambitions. Doesn’t that seem like a happy ending?
It would be a pity if there weren’t some ‘slightly additional rewards’ for a happy ending. You won’t be disappointed!
.
.
.
Among my comrades, the final resolution has occurred! Congratulations! The final resolver has emerged, ensuring all members return safely.
Feel free to decide what treasure you will receive and who receives it!/
As predicted by Ahri, the hotel was rated quite positively.
They seemed to give high marks not only for the approach that broke free from the fixed notion of humanity but also for the ‘fundamental resolution’ that calmed the wrath of the Sea God, which had been the source of the curse.
I was buzzing with excitement at the mention of ‘additional rewards.’ what could possibly be given? And what legacy would go to whom?
An announcement appeared to answer all these questions.
/Participants! Once again, congratulations on resolving Room 202.
Survivors who have endured thus far and contributed to the final battle are eligible for inheritance. Eligible participants are as follows:
1. Kim Mooksung (Communication)
2. Kim Sanghyun (Diligence)
3. Park Seungyub (Fortune)
4. Yu Songee (Affinity)
5. Lee Eunsol (Wealth)
However, only one person can receive the inheritance! The ‘time for choice’ will soon begin!/
/Having excluded the deceased, Ahri, Han Kain, and Jinchul are ruled out. Elena didn’t do anything during the final battle’s third attempt, so she’s out too. This leaves five participants eligible for inheritance, excluding those four.
With a dizzying sensation, I fainted.
*
When I came to, my comrades and I found ourselves standing in a mystical space that resembled a research institute. The joy of reuniting quickly turned into a difficult dilemma as we laid our eyes upon the ‘reward’ that appeared in the center.
Two objects floated in the middle.
On one side was a wriggling creature. On the other was an old and noble flute.
At that moment of silence, Elena appeared with a wry smile before everyone.
“The hotel can be quite petty in situations like this. They say you’re not eligible for inheritance, yet here I am. Well, I guess they want me to explain the inheritance for you to choose wisely.”
As the ‘Daughter of the Sea God’ from Room 202, she surely knows the most about that ‘Ruda’ and ‘Flute.’
The ultimate reward, which item will our party take, and who will take it?
—
I always want to thank the readers.
Thanks to tg55, kimmu, welchwelch, and nanisi for your support.
Additionally, today, I wanted to express my gratitude to those I haven’t thanked before.
Thank you to jipuragi and elbissop for your recurring support. It’s strangely the case that there don’t seem to be notifications for recurring support on Nobelpia. So I just realized I’ve received support for three months today. Thank you!
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.