The employees of the field exploration team at Daydream Corporation are people who risk their lives because they have a wish they desperately want to come true.

What this means is that most of the employees are ready to take advantage of anything — whether it's a colleague, a civilian, or a crazy rumor — in order to achieve their own wish!

People who care only about the welfare points for their own wish.

There were three representative people like that in front of me.

Of course, their personalities… probably aren’t solely because of their wishes.

"Deputy, the people who fell behind when we met the baby mermaid earlier..."

"I don’t care."

"Pony, of course, it's really unfortunate for those who got caught… but that's their fate, right? Should we move forward quickly? We need to find the items..."

"Right, right. But they might have dropped some equipment while getting caught, so I’ll just quickly… hahaha!"

“…….”

They are truly consistent humans…

‘Telling those people that the baby mermaid is actually just a child…’

It seems like it wouldn’t even make a difference. In fact, they would probably just think of ways to take advantage of it. Having a familiar face wouldn't help.

No, the truth is, having a familiar face was useless from the start, especially in a situation where I couldn’t even show myself in the way I look right now.

I hid in the form of a street animal under the dark shadow cast by a broken streetlamp, observing the employees of Daydream Corporation as they searched through the alleys.

But then…

"Quiet."

Jin Nasol stopped her steps and crouched down.

"It's a mermaid."

“…….”

"Baby."

The three employees all held their breath and stood against the alley wall.

Kkyaarr…

A sound can be heard.

It sounds like the laughter of a child.

'Hah.'

It feels like my whole body is freezing up… but I must confirm it.

I carefully contracted my four limbs and silently leapt onto the wall.

As my line of sight opened slightly beyond the alley, finally, the image of the 'baby mermaid' came into view…

Kkyaarr…

It’s strange.

It was strange. Small bodies that mimicked humans were walking through the broken streets of the infected city.

Among them, some were sophisticated, even mimicking human expressions with grins, while others already had faces swollen with ulcers, pulsating on their own.

And beneath that, the horrifying mucous!

Every time the mucous pulsated, the wind whistled and a sound similar to the laughter of a child echoed.

Pink ulcer lumps, greenish flesh, and contaminated masses stretched along the legs, trailing like a tail.

The belongings and clothes of the dead.

The clothes worn haphazardly seemed to be trying desperately to deceive people…

In fact, even with my eyes knowing that they were all innocent children.

“…….”

A cold sweat runs down my spine as my hairs stand on end.

Instinct tells me.

I need to run.

In case of encountering infected fluids.

Avoid being noticed as much as possible and escape to gain distance. There is no manual for failure. Attempting to rescue a failed employee is not recommended.

The infected fluids came running down the street like a grotesque parade. All of us, including the employees of Daydream, held our breath in the alley.

And someone suddenly appeared from another alley.

A person encounters the infected fluids.

“……!”

However, that person was already covered in infected mucus, with their joints covered in ulcer lumps, being controlled.

A hopeless sight.

The infected person was no longer in their right mind, but they were still able to scream.

Because it has a mouth.

"Ah!! Aaah! Ah!"

The infected fluids burst into laughter and charged forward.

A mass of tentacles, trailing like a tail, swarms forward grotesquely.

The ulcers attached to the infected person's abdomen burst open, causing blood, mucus, and indescribable substances to spill out.

"Ah, haaaah, huuuh..."

Collecting the 'honey,' over and over…

I endured the time while huddling my feet together.

Eventually, the scream fades away.

“…….”

Passing by the person who perished, the infected fluids, which had gathered blood and mucus in the ulcerous tail-like mass, march again.

As a mermaid statue.

A tumor of infection, a cluster of biological disaster.

Kkyaarr…

“…….”

Only after the sound completely disappeared, did the three employees in the alley begin to move again.

"...If we get caught by that tail, it's the end, right?"

"Yes."

That was the reason we had to run.

The tail of the infected fluid secretes mucus that causes lethal paralysis, and even a single sting would immediately result in permanent loss of muscle movement.

And if infected in that state, the person should be considered already dead.

Just hearing this, one might wonder how this horror story received a C-grade rating.

‘Because there’s a very certain way to clear it.’

And like the two sides of a coin, the clearing method is actually with those infected entities.

Tung, tutung…

Again, an unfamiliar sound could be heard from the main street.

But this time, it wasn't the infected fluids.

Figures resembling fully grown humans.

But as their size increased, their delicacy seemed to have been crushed. The once-wriggling figures no longer had any expressions.

The mass of ulcers that once looked like a tail has transformed into something resembling veins, connecting to each other and stretching long across the street.

They are connected to the cluster.

They have almost shed their human form, now resembling bait meant to lure people into the cluster.

...This is presumed to be the final mutation form of the infected fluids.

The regular infected entities are fully absorbed into the cluster and move like nerve endings.

They seem more like an appendage rather than an individual entity.

A slight glint of determination returned to the eyes of the butterfly-mask deputy.

"It’s here."

So, if the encountered danger is not the infected fluids but regular infected entities…

"Catch it."

Kill it and collect evidence.

The three employees go out, lure the infected entity, and kill it.

In the case of regular infected entities, surprisingly, when the connection to the cluster is severed, they easily dry up and die.

“…….”

By presenting the evidence, one can board the remaining escape shuttle in the city and clear the darkness.

So... the children…

They are used while infected, and when those ulcer-like creatures spread completely throughout their bodies, they lose their identity and transform into grotesque creatures.

The reason children disappear every time agents visit.

Once they are fully infected and die, they become connected to that grotesque biological disaster cluster and become part of it…

‘…Damn it.’

I held back a curse and clenched my front paws tightly.

Curses are rising up inside me.

In fact, once it reaches that point, there is no way to save them, and even though I've read about it multiple times in the exploration records, the physiological rejection still sends shivers through me.

"Evidence collection complete!"

"Shut up."

"Ah, yes, yes."

Finally, the three employees succeeded in hunting the 'mermaid' and collecting evidence, such as sensory organs attached to its tail.

That scene strangely overlapped with the image of the baby mermaids collecting blood and mucus from the infected people.

They could now escape from here.

But instead of immediately running toward the escape shuttle, they continue to search the alley and move forward.

‘…Because there’s a second objective.’

If you had become familiar with the behavior patterns of the Daydream Corporation employees, you would realize it immediately.

‘Item.’

The reason this darkness received a C-grade rating but was not assigned to a regular team.

Because it was judged that 'there may be a bigger secret hidden, considering its scale and the clues,' it is still under the research team.

They often receive volunteers to conduct the exploration... and there’s always a steady supply of volunteers.

‘There’s a reason for that.’

It’s because the 'item' itself is a clue that can be discovered here.

There were traces of a very mysterious and wondrous civilization that could be found in this ruined city.

Known as…

‘The Sigh of an Angel.’

----------------------------------

"Damn it, there's no such thing as a sigh or whatever."

"Shut up."

An employee of Daydream Corporation, dressed in a suit and wearing a strange mask, grumbled from the corner of the alley.

There was a mysterious civilization, but it had already perished, and what remained in this place was only grotesque creatures, contamination, and terrifying raids. Coming here wasn't just for the points.

In fact, this expedition was made up of volunteers more interested in personal gain than the mission itself.

The Sigh of an Angel.

It was an item shaped like a conch shell, occasionally found inside and outside the residential areas of this city.

Its true value comes when this item is brought to the ear.

When the beautiful humming sound from the conch is heard, it calms the mind, heals wounds, and revitalizes energy.

A healing item.

Naturally, it was one of the few items that Daydream Corporation purchases, useful for dark exploration, so many employees were searching for it with eager eyes.

However, since it had been explored dozens of times, it was no longer easy to find.

They had to either venture deeper into more dangerous areas or find secret spaces that others hadn't discovered.

In the process, encountering infected entities was a frequent occurrence.

Just like those employees now.

"Ahhh!"

‘Idiot.’

Baek Saheon, hearing the scream from the alley he had passed earlier, briefly felt satisfied with his chosen companions.

‘It was a good idea to shove them away.’

These humans are crazy, but they aren’t foolish enough to engage in short-sighted acts like that, just because they’re mesmerized by an item.

He touched the escape shuttle entry ticket he had collected from the tail, subtly smirking.

‘The preparation for the clear is also finished.’

Now, while searching for items, if things go wrong, I can just feed the people next to me to the mermaid and run... Wait a minute.

Just now.

Did something just pass by?

‘...Huh?’

Baek Saheon blinked.

Clearly, something popped out from the shadow of the streetlight down the alley and moved beyond the corner, something I saw at the edge of my vision.

He quickly checked on his companions, but they showed no reaction.

‘Did I see it wrong?’

Baek Saheon, who had always desperately relied on his own senses and judgment, could not accept that conclusion.

He didn’t want to tell the Team A deputy either.

...Instead, he was the type of person who was hard to lure into action.

“ – Hey. If you want to make a monster-like sound in a darkness where only mermaids have appeared for the past 7 years, you’d better describe it properly.”

“ – If you disturb me one more time, I’ll leave you behind.”

‘What an annoying bastard.’

Ah, damn it. I don’t even have time to search for items.

It was a shame, but he gritted his teeth and decided to stay on alert, watching the corner of the alley.

It was then.

Whoosh.

A shadow brushed past the streetlight in the alley.

It was definitely that black thing he had seen earlier. That silhouette…

Triangular ears, a streamlined body, four legs.

...Huh, what is that?

It was familiar.

‘It was just a kitten.’

Baek Saheon let out a frustrated sigh of relief. It was just one of those pesky street animals commonly seen in India.

He thought so…

‘...Huh?’

In that moment.

A cold chill passed over Baek Saheon’s back.

In the darkness, where no life other than the biological disaster—mermaids—had ever been discovered.

There’s no way there could be a stray cat.

“…!”

A quick calculation ran through Baek Saheon’s cold mind.

Then, quietly, so the other employees wouldn’t notice, he slightly lifted his blindfold... to check the danger with the purple equipment hidden beneath it.

And then.

He saw the danger.

“…!”

A horrific red halo rippled beyond the corner of the alley.

It could be seen even in the stretched shadows. Rats, cockroaches, wings, teeth, all sorts of lowly, harmful creatures seen on the streets were writhing.

No.

It’s not a cat!

That’s not a four-legged beast. Something’s wrong! It’s a mermaid! No, something more dangerous than a mermaid... wait, the shape of that halo... I’ve seen it before…

‘...Kim Sol-eum?’

Baek Saheon quickly lifted his head.

"What are you doing?"

"Ah, no."

He stiffly turned his neck and looked back at the corner of the alley…

There was no shadow.

The red halo beyond the corner had vanished as if it were a lie.

“…….”

Pretending to search, he took stiff steps toward the corner.

His heart raced.

And the moment he turned the corner, he saw it.

On the ground, there seemed to be words written, as if scratched into the dust with sharp claws.

Prepare for death.

“……!!”

----------------------------------

Ugh.

‘Atmosphere set.’

With this, I’ve laid the groundwork to lure the employees of Daydream Corporation if needed.

I ran through the alley, holding back a sigh.

‘As expected, Baek Saheon’s eyesight is really good.’

It seems that the effect of the eye-shaped equipment I gave is indeed certain. Honestly, it feels like the brainwashing pen I exchanged for doesn’t really match up.

‘I’ve never used it because I was worried they’d suspect me of being a spy...’

As the item becomes more valuable, it makes me think of all sorts of things.

Anyway, I’ve seen and understood the situation with my own eyes... In a place where infected entities are rampant, children and adults are killing each other in a hellish frenzy.

Hell.

‘I feel like I’m going to vomit.’

The bigger problem is... the lack of resources.

Time, information, strength.

All of them.

‘...How the hell am I supposed to save the children here?’

As the shock wears off, reality sets in.

There’s no answer.

‘If I tell the agents about this, there’s a chance they’ll suggest it’s better to just do a humane execution...’

It seems like even just taking care of myself would be overwhelming.

On top of that, when the sun sets today, I will leave this supernatural disaster with the agents anyway.

I know.

I know that knowing this horrible truth doesn’t make me responsible for saving anyone, and it’s easier to just ignore it and focus on myself.

It seemed like a suitable solution to just lay low, get through the day, and leave.

But…

‘...It feels ominous.’

I already know this duality.

But could I safely escape based on the 'Disaster Management Bureau' methods if I’m treated like a child...?

‘...There’s a chance I might not be able to.’

It seemed better to investigate further and prepare a countermeasure.

If I could save at least one more child in the process... that would be good.

And since it’s a story full of meaningful corners, by digging deeper, I might unexpectedly find items or information that could help my survival later.

‘...Alright.’

Let’s do what I can.

Until the agreed afternoon time, the Team Hyunmu 1 agents won’t search for me even if I don’t show myself.

The children are scattered across the large area, so it wouldn’t be awkward if I didn’t run into them.

‘A method, a useful method...’

I now dug through my blurry memories of the <Chronicles of Darkness>, wondering if there might be any hint.

Even if it’s not directly related to the Mermaid’s Grave itself, searching through similar stories might lead me to a potential solution…

Oh, wait a minute.

"...!"

Ah.

‘It’s there.’

Another <Chronicles of Darkness> where the Mermaid’s Grave is mentioned...!

And that darkness... is something I’ve already experienced.

‘...Alright.’

I’ll try it.

I shifted back to running on all fours.

I run.

Danger lurks throughout the city, ruined by the infection of grotesque creatures, but my agile four-legged body makes it a bit easier.

‘Being small makes it easy to dodge.’

My destination, avoiding the mucus and ulcers, was clear.

‘Western outskirts.’

Far from the infected cluster.

Among them, especially... a place with fewer ulcer masses, feeling relatively safer.

But since it’s not a residential area with items, none of the Daydream employees will search here.

No baby mermaids either.

That’s why the exploration here is slow.

‘Somewhere here... right.’

Found it.

Between the half-collapsed and worn-out buildings, a small brick house with a basement, now buried due to ground collapse, can be seen…

And if you look closely at the corner of that door, you can see this inscription.

Moonlight Tattoo Shop

“…!”

It’s engraved in a more elaborate cursive than I had seen before, small at the edge of the door.

“…….”

I found it.

The back door of Moonlight Tattoo Shop.

I found a connected door at Qterw-C-1642 (Mermaid’s Grave), but it had a sign that said, "Only accepting reservations."

This appeared to be a closed back door, not the main entrance.

All attempts to open this door and sneak inside had failed.

It was one of the various accounts about the Moonlight Tattoo Shop.

However, in most of the accounts, the door to the tattoo shop was closed to prevent entry, and the only visit record Daydream had secured was the one I used with 'This is vacant.'