### Chapter 229 – Room 202, Cursed Room – ‘Mermaid Princess’ (7)
—
[User: Han Kain (Wisdom)]
Date: Day 100
Current Location: 2nd Floor, Room 202 – Cursed Room ‘Mermaid Princess’
Sage’s Advice: 0
– Han Kain
After exiting the cave, we returned to the government building to regroup in our limousine.
“Ah, damn it! Teacher, is your arm really okay?”
And that’s when I realized that Jinchul had an impressive tolerance for pain. Even with his regeneration from the blessing boost, I couldn’t believe he was sticking his arm back on like it was Play-Doh. But of course, the regeneration wasn’t done yet; he was just holding out because there was ‘danger’ in front of him.
“It seems like skin, bones, and nerves are all roughly attached. The problem is, it’s only ‘roughly’ attached.”
“What do you mean? Ugh…”
“If it heals like this, your arms are going to be different lengths! That arm was chopped off by a monster, right? Do you think that monster cut it with any thought about neatness?”
“Damn you…”
“All I can say is to endure this. Anyway, once we leave this room, the hotel will fix it up nicely.”
While the doctor cleaned up Jinchul’s arm, we fell into deep thought. My sister, looking tired, spoke up.
“It feels like we’ve learned a lot, yet we still don’t know much. We lost track of Elena’s location again.”
I voiced my curiosity.
“To be honest, I’ve been wondering one thing since earlier. What exactly is the curse of Room 202?”
Everyone fell into contemplation.
“Could it be that Lee Sooho got assassinated? I don’t think they’d call that a curse.”
“Based on past experiences, curses in ‘cursed rooms’ are usually something threatening human civilization as a whole. Just a couple of deaths wouldn’t attract the title of curse in this hotel.”
“So what makes no sense to me is, who in this scenario is threatening the world?”
Grandpa interjected.
“Well, something that threatens the world might not have awakened yet. Haven’t we at least learned the name of that transcendent being?”
“Are you talking about Kadaruha?”
Songi turned her gaze towards Ahri.
“You said you know the merfolk’s script? Do you have any information?”
“Not at all. The merfolk I knew were too different from the ones in this stage. The merfolk I learned about were just intelligent fish. Maybe resembling a manatee at best, but not like the scale-covered human forms here.”
“But you said the script is the same?”
“The hotel usually reconstructions scripts and languages at its convenience. They might’ve just matched it to the script I know.”
“I see…”
A silence settled in the limousine for a moment. I had no clue. We gathered tons of information and proposed various hypotheses, but the core of this room’s puzzle was entirely out of our grasp.
What the heck is the curse of Room 202? What secret is the daughter of the sea god hiding? What exactly is happening right now? Where the hell is Elena?
…
Just then, as I started feeling fatigued, everyone suddenly perked up.
“Seungyub: Can you hear me? Should I get closer?”
Seungyub, who should be in Busan, entered the conversation tab!
—
– Park Seungyub
Amidst the chaos of Busan being swept away by a tsunami, I was at a loss for words when I heard Rilinganor ask me to bring her the flute from the waves ahead!
“Just bring the flute stuck in that tire, right?”
“That’s right!”
“Hold on. I’ll get it soon!”
Ah, forget it! I just yelled that out. If I jump and believe in good fortune, maybe a turtle will magically show up to assist under the water?
As I turned around to jump into the water, hoping to meet the eager eyes of the girl, I realized the tragic fact.
The protection of the universe that had been with me was slipping away. The overflowing exhilaration in my heart fizzled out like a snuffed match.
My good fortune had run out!
As a result, I fell into shock, screaming internally. Why now of all times?! I confidently promised to get it, and now this?! If only I had five more seconds!
“…”
“…”
“…”
“Hey, Master? Shouldn’t you hurry up? The car is drifting further away!”
We were in a dire situation! The only reliable being in this moment is the grotesque creature! I tightly gripped its neck and whispered into its ear.
“Can you see the flute? Bring it to me, bring it, bring it, bring it!”
— BAPONG-MONTONG!
Did I mishear that? The sound was too different from its usual squeaking. No way, right?
In the end, the grotesque, annoyed, shoved us into a nearby building and transformed into a parakeet, flying off toward the flute beyond the obstacles.
Rilinganor’s eyes widened as she witnessed the unbelievable scene before her: A gigantic bird the size of a car transforming into a parakeet.
“Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! I’ve never seen such a magical bird! Is it raised by the Administration Bureau?”
“Probably not.”
“Is it a legendary ‘spiritual bird’ passed down in your lineage?”
“Well, that’s definitely not true.”
Considering her status as the daughter of the sea god and the fact she looked older than me, I felt it was best to keep things casual. Rilinganor accepted it without hesitation.
“I’m sorry for earlier.”
???
“What could you possibly be sorry for—”
“Thinking back, I realize you must have exhausted a lot of energy using the ‘Void Step’ technique and summoning a mystical bird, making it impossible for you to use the ‘One Reed Crossing the River’ technique! Thankfully, that mystical bird is fetching the flute!”
I had no clue what those terms meant! What even is ‘Void Step’? Is this ‘One Reed Crossing’ a skill too? What was that previous phrase about?
Confused, as Pero brought the flute back, the girl smiled brightly.
“Since it’s the Administration Bureau member, you must be here to rescue someone, right? Please help me!”
—
After that, for nearly half a day, I helped the girl with her task.
What the heck was my ‘good fortune’ even used for?
At first, I thought it was meant to protect me from being eaten by a marine worm, yet here I was riding atop that worm, rescuing people. In other words, the earlier danger of being engulfed by the worm was non-existent.
Even if I hadn’t used my good fortune, Rilinganor would most likely still have saved us.
Instead, my antics of riding ‘Kong’ made her slip off the worm, creating a scenario that didn’t exist before.
Was it the case that I interpreted a non-crisis as a crisis, and that’s why my fortune activated?
I pondered for a moment but quickly dismissed that possibility. While it’s true I can get swept away by my misjudgments when using it, moments like now, when good fortune activates on its own, are unrelated to my perception. Even when I entered Room 101 without any awareness of blessings, fortune activated automatically.
…
One thing became clear. This girl helping me rescue people, Rilinganor, the third daughter of the sea god, firmly believes I’m an extraordinary being connected to the Administration Bureau.
In reality, my good fortune had long since vanished, and I hadn’t been showing off any significant abilities for a while now. However, seeing me fly in the sky and flip around in the void had already made her imagination soar right past the moon!
Though I still didn’t understand the meanings of the words she used, like ‘Bunro handong’ or ‘Hwanggol’taltae’, I had gained a rough understanding. It seemed that Rilinganor thought I was hiding my identity or using ‘energy’ to command Pero, hence could not perform other tricks.
Nonetheless, a fascinating relationship had formed, and after helping Rilinganor for nearly half a day, we genuinely grew closer. Ultimately, the result of the ‘good fortune’ might just be this newfound bond between the daughter of the sea god and myself. How should I utilize this?
…
As I was mulling over this, the once-struggling marine worm seemed to tire and slipped into the water. We naturally began resting in a nearby higher building that appeared safer.
“I found that flute interesting. Is it a divine artifact gifted by the sea god?”
“Something like that.”
“Can you command animals with that flute?”
“Um… not just any animal, only those special sea creatures blessed by Kadaruha.”
“Like this marine worm?”
“Yes, but the flute’s original purpose doesn’t involve animal manipulation at all. This is just something my sisters and I developed over time by frequently using it.”
“The original use?”
“The original purpose is to calm nightmares.”
Nightmares. I felt it was an important word.
“Who would need a divine artifact for nightmares?”
Suddenly, Rilinganor fell silent, muttering as she gazed wistfully at the ocean.
“Everyone does.”
“Everyone?”
“All merfolk suffer from nightmares every night. No one knows why we’re enduring such torment. Children and elders, men and women, highborn and lowborn—all merfolk suffer night after night, including the god we serve. It’s a trial we must bear forever.”
“Do you also have nightmares?”
“Last night, I dreamt of being a fish, flopping around on land and dying. Naturally, I couldn’t breathe, and no matter how much I wriggled, I couldn’t reach water. I felt like my lungs, or rather my gills, were bursting with pain before losing consciousness.”
Drowning pain? Is that the opposite in this case? Either way, that was an incredibly gruesome thought!
“About three days ago? I had a nightmare of being eaten alive by a shark. I fled and fled and eventually got caught.”
“Every merfolk has such nightmares every day?”
She shook her head.
“Not everyone experiences it like that. If they did, all merfolk would be insane! Most just feel vaguely uneasy and experience hazy, unpleasant nightmares similar to ordinary human nightmares. Of course, even that nightmare every single night is quite torturous.”
“So why do you remember it so vividly—”
“Precisely, it’s not me; it’s the ‘daughters of the sea god.’ That’s part of what it means to be a daughter of the sea god.”
What in the world does that mean?
As if sensing my confusion, Rilinganor offered a slight smile and explained further.
“Mee, my sister Serenade, and Elena—all of us—”
“Elena?”
“Yes?”
“…Wait. You mentioned a name I recognize. Keep talking.”
“Being a daughter of the sea god isn’t strictly a hereditary position. My parents were just normal public servants.”
“How do you inherit such a position?”
“The endless nightmares experienced by the merfolk, we interpret those as memories of our distant ancestors. In reality, most of these nightmares involve the pains suffered by fish.”
Memories of ancestors.
“Most only receive dim, vague portions and live with those fuzzy, sloppy nightmares. Yet sometimes, there emerge merfolk who recall significant portions of ancient memories. Those who become closer to their ancestors gain various powers in return. And with those powers, they earn admiration from their kind.”
Having said that, Rilinganor smiled brightly. The calm atmosphere, the receding tsunami, and the slowly drying daughter of the sea god.
Under the sun breaking through the clouds, signaling the end of disaster, Rilinganor looked remarkably magical.
“Now, does that clear up many of your questions? Administration Bureau’s top expert? I guess we’ve settled the accounting for your help?”
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