Chapter 252: Room 202, Cursed Room - 'The Little Mermaid' (30) - End |
- Lee Eunsol
“Agent Lee Eunsol, is what you just said true?”
“Can you verify your identity?”
“Are you sure it’s okay to disclose this information?”
“Hey! If you’re done asking questions, step aside!”
“Can you show us some evidence?”
The noise was overwhelming.
It was so loud that my head started to ache.
Meanwhile, the sky, which had turned gray as if Judgment Day had arrived, was slowly regaining its true color.
In this third attempt, the plan I devised could be broken down as follows:
Firstly, we all headed to the research facility to take control of its systems—especially the “Living Flutes”. After that, each of us would move according to our roles.
Secondly, Kain and Ahri would use a certain method to throw the Administration into complete chaos. What exactly this method was, Ahri never told us.
Thirdly, Cha Jinchul would lead the Living Flutes and the so-called New Humans in an attack on the Administration, now paralyzed by chaos. The goal here wasn’t just to help fulfill the Sea God’s revenge—it was to force the Administration to realize the dangers of the New Humanity Project.
Fourthly, Grandpa, Sanghyun, and Seungyub would secure the Rudahs from the research facility, head to Busan, and restrain Liringanaur before she could do anything drastic. Then, they would all go to Sea God’s Island, inform Serenade of the situation, and begin the rescue of the Rudahs.
And finally, what Songee and I were doing right now—
Launching a media play campaign to give the Administration another reason to abandon the New Humanity Project!
For the Administration, today was probably one of the worst days in its history.
By noon, an unknown abomination had been unleashed upon the world, forcing the Administration to risk their lives to barely contain the catastrophe.
And just when they thought they had survived the crisis, the New Humans, whom they had placed their faith in, suddenly stormed their headquarters, clad in advanced armor and weaponry.
Calling it a terrorist attack wouldn’t even be an exaggeration.
Each New Human possessed physical abilities far beyond what any normal person could achieve, even after a lifetime of training.
Now imagine an entire army of them, wearing reinforced armor, charging into the Administration’s headquarters—even the all-powerful Administration was forced into full-scale warfare in the middle of Seoul.
The only silver lining in this chaos?
The Administration was still an organization that prioritized civilian safety, and Jinchul, despite leading the New Human army, wasn’t targeting ordinary citizens.
As a result, collateral damage was kept to a minimum.
Still, the Administration had lost control over Seoul—and by extension, South Korea.
Which meant…
There was no one to stop me as I stood in front of a swarm of reporters to deliver my speech.
“Alright! Alright! Everyone, calm down! I’ll explain everything!”
The reporters, upon seeing Songee and I flash our Administration badges and business cards, began to stir anxiously.
But that was just the beginning.
When we removed the armor from the fallen New Humans, revealing their mutated flesh, the journalists recoiled in horror.
“I am Lee Eunsol, an agent of the Administration. Today, I stand before you to reveal a painful truth—one that must never be repeated.
“These grotesque beings you see before you… are all humans.
“If you doubt me, take a sample and run a DNA test yourself.
“More than that, they are your sons and daughters! Look into your hearts and ask yourselves—why has such a tragedy occurred?”
That was the tone I was going for.
Countless cameras.
Countless reporters.
A massive crowd that seemed to stretch on forever.
Before them, I launched into an impassioned speech.
At first, I was simply trying to explain the scenario of Room 202 as it was.
But caught up in the atmosphere, I started embellishing the story.
Before I knew it, the New Humans had become victims, abducted civilians who were forcibly implanted with alien creatures by the Administration.
Before I knew it, Jinchul had become the tragic leader of the New Humans, a lone warrior rising in anger against the Administration’s atrocities, his twisted body the result of the Administration’s inhumane experiments.
Before I knew it, the gray catastrophe that had covered the sky at noon had become another failed experiment of the Administration.
Before I knew it, I had become a tragic figure—an agent who had been kidnapped by the Administration as a child—her eye forcibly removed without anesthesia and replaced with that of a demon.
Wait.
Had I gone too far???
“Unni!”
“Songee?”
“Unni! You’re really good at this! Have you done a lot of this kind of thing before? Do all chaebols do this naturally?”
I had a feeling the reputation of Daeyang Group had taken a hit.
Or maybe it was just my own image that had suffered.
The sky was clear, and the world was at peace.
Even though my story had gained a little too much… embellishment, it didn’t really matter.
It was all for the sake of saving the world, after all.
It was a good day.
If even a god, driven mad by the suffering of his kin, could find peace, then that was all that mattered.
And as the reporter in front of me, who had been frantically jotting down my every word, suddenly crumbled into dust and returned to the light, I knew—
The resolution had come.
The world was collapsing.
In the void where nothing remained, my comrades and I floated weightlessly.
And then, from the deep abyss of the dark sea, we saw it.
The entity that had awakened—a being of pure truth in a world built on lies.
[So it’s finally over. Were you the one who set the stage? Thank you.]
I felt an immense presence observing me, so vast that I couldn’t take it all in at once. Was it because he was finally free from suffering? His words reached me with surprising clarity.
[Who are you?]
“I am Lee Eunsol—”
[I asked about your roots…]
“What do you mean?”
[Do not obsess over escape. This Hotel is filled with traps in many forms… In truth, even escape itself may be a trap. Know yourself.]
As the Sea God crumbled, my patience snapped, and I shouted—
“No! Hey! HEY! Explain it properly before you go!”
Congratulations!
A beautiful sea, a jewel-like island.
And princesses of the ocean who shine brighter than the sea and the island combined.
Who could have imagined that behind such a picturesque scene lay unimaginable darkness and sin?
The origin of this tragedy began when a princess, consumed by endless suffering, and the Administration, desperate to overcome humanity’s frailty, crossed paths.
Their meeting could have fulfilled each other’s desires, but instead, it only created new victims.
From one perspective, perhaps it wasn’t such a big deal.
What is the sin of merely cloning, dissecting, and analyzing a few sea snails?
From another perspective, however, it was an unforgivable crime.
The act of selling off the sacred offspring of the god who once saved their ancestors was a great sin.
Betraying the divine faith with a Chaos God, with whom even a non-aggression pact had been established, was another unforgivable crime.
Ultimately, it is up to you to decide how to perceive it.
Today, you made a monumental decision.
You have stepped beyond the narrow perception of “humanity” and begun to see the world from a greater perspective.
Congratulations.
The offspring have been freed, and the Sea God’s wrath has been calmed.
The Administration has abandoned its misguided ambitions and returned to the natural order. Isn’t this a happy ending?
And, of course, a happy ending wouldn’t be complete without a ‘little extra reward,’ would it?
Don’t worry—you won’t be disappointed!
…
One of your teammates has successfully resolved the issue!
Congratulations!
The successful resolution allows everyone to return safely.
Now, who will receive the treasure and what will it be? You get to decide!
Just as Ahri predicted, the Hotel gave a highly positive evaluation.
It seemed to have given high marks for our approach, which stepped beyond the “fixed perception” of humanity.
More than anything, resolving the root cause of the curse—the Sea God’s wrath—was seen as a fundamental solution.
The mention of an “additional reward” thrilled me.
What would we receive?
What kind of Inheritance would be granted, and to whom?
A notification popped up, answering my questions.
Congratulations!
Congratulations once again to all participants for resolving Room 202.
The participants who have survived until the end and contributed to the final battle are eligible to receive the Inheritance.
The eligible participants are as follows:
Kim Mooksung (Communication)
Kim Sanghyun (Diligence)
Park Seungyub (Fortune)
Yu Songee (Affinity)
Lee Eunsol (Wealth)
However, only one person can receive the Inheritance! The “Moment of Choice” will begin shortly!
Since the dead were automatically excluded, Ahri, Kain, and Jinchul were out.
Elena had done nothing in the final battle so she was also excluded.
That left five of us as the eligible candidates.
…Suddenly, an overwhelming dizziness struck, and I lost consciousness.
***
When I came to my senses, my comrades and I found ourselves standing in a mysterious space that closely resembled the research facility.
The joy of reuniting was short-lived, as our attention quickly turned to the “rewards” that had appeared in the center, forcing us into a difficult decision.
Two objects floated in the air.
On one side, there was a writhing creature.
On the other, an old, noble-looking flute.
As everyone remained silent, Elena stepped forward with a wry smile.
“The Hotel can be pretty petty at times. It says I’m not eligible for the Inheritance, yet it still brought me here… I suppose it wants me to explain what these are so you all can make the right choice.”
Fitting her role as the “Daughter of the Sea God” in Room 202, she likely knew more about the “Rudah” and the “Flute” than anyone else.
The final reward—what item should our party take from this room, and who should claim it?
***
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