The Moonlight Tattoo Shop I found again was darker than before.

Unlike before, which felt like a warm space, now it feels eerie.

Maybe it’s because I entered through the back door. Or maybe…

‘Maybe it’s because the moonlight is weak.’

The round moonlight descending from the giant procedure device in the center today was in the shape of a crescent.

‘...It doesn’t seem like business hours.’

...I’ve never seen a record like this.

I cautiously took a step inside… and met the eyes at the dark counter.

“…!”

A tattoo artist with curly hair, covered in dense Korean tattoos around their neck.

It was the owner of the place.

The tattoo artist looked at me with darker eyes than before, then lifted a sign…

[Customers with fur, please wear a gown before entering.]

Ah.

I quickly spit the stamp out of my mouth.

My body grew and returned to its human form. Although I stopped growing because I’m still a child. Anyway, as soon as my oral structure returned, I quickly opened my mouth.

"Sorry, I came in through the back door..."

My face was grabbed.

"...!!"

The tattoo artist grabbed my face tightly with one gloved hand and stared at me, inspecting me from all angles…

The black eyes are staring into me.

The pupils are expanded. So black. So black. It feels strange. Isn’t there usually a sclera visible in a human eye? Why can’t I see the sclera?

The tattoo artist is huge. They keep growing. The dark green curly hair lengthens and fills the air like seaweed.

The inside of the tattoo shop, which I had thought was small but cozy and professional, now seems alien and appears to be a foreign space of unfamiliar techniques and styles.

‘What is this? What is this?’

My head is filled with confusion, warning signals flooding my mind, and I am in the midst of a horror story…

No.

"Over there."

I move my mouth.

"Should I stay in the form of a cat?"

......

Thud.

The tattoo artist let go of their hand.

I quickly put the stamp in my mouth. Before I could even feel the disgust of putting something I had chewed back in my mouth, my body shrank and turned back into a cat.

"...Meow."

Everything returns.

I’m facing a cozy, professional little tattoo shop again, with a kind and unique tattoo artist.

“Is this okay?”

And then they spoke in human language.

"...!"

No. They really spoke in human language?

"Uh... uh."

The tattoo artist quickly rummaged through the counter and pointed to another sign.

[Guaranteed Comfortable Communication]

“…….”

Now that I think about it…

‘The owner of the Moonlight Tattoo Shop hasn’t said a word.’

And the inscription on the sign I saw before entering here.

‘...It wasn’t in Korean.’

But I could read it. No, if it weren't for the current unease, I would have thought it was still Korean.

The tattoo I thought was written in Korean on the tattoo artist's neck, maybe…

“…….”

Indeed. A strange thing, fitting for a ghost story.

‘I must not let my guard down.’

Just because the owner doesn’t harm anyone doesn’t mean they don’t have malice when doing tattoos. Keep that in mind.

But from the recent reaction, there’s something I’m sure of.

"Did you just examine me because I came through the back door in the form of a child? ...Children are more dangerous when infected."

!

The tattoo artist looked up.

Right.

‘This shop received items related to the sea for a price.’

Also, there’s a story about the shop from the Mermaid’s Grave, and it has a back door.

Since a back door is usually for ‘staff only,’ I had a feeling…

"...Owner."

I cautiously extended my front paw.

"U-Um, I found the back door of this shop in a ruined deep-sea city."

The tattoo artist's eyes swirl.

"Could it be... that this shop was originally from that place?"

Silence.

"Are you from that city?"

Silence.

"Why did that place turn out like this? Children are being tricked and dying..."

Sadness fills the tattoo artist's eyes.

Instead of swirling, the eyes filled with moisture.

I wet my dry muzzle and opened my mouth.

"There are still children there. Could those children be leaving through the front door of this shop...?"

Thud.

The wall shook.

It was the sound of the tattoo artist striking a pen against the wall.

The thick pen strokes trembled and formed giant letters with intense force…

No.

"I see. Understood."

My heart felt like it was about to explode, but I managed to answer smoothly, as if my mouth were greased.

“Is it because I’m infected that it’s not possible? If so, perhaps...”

Please.

"The infection source. Can you tell me about that strange cluster of flesh?"

…….

The tattoo artist picked up the pen again.

Then, with trembling hands, the tattoo artist picked up a small post-it note from the counter and began to write something.

Tiny letters were pressed down tightly.

Just two characters. I can see the movement of the hand as it writes those strokes.

Finally, the tattoo artist turned the paper around and showed me the completed word.

■■

“…….”

Huh?

Why can’t I understand it?

I can’t understand it, but I think I can pronounce it.

So... so…

“■■!”

A shock hit my head.

Images swirl. Strange creatures descend from the shining surface, growing on the outskirts in silence, removing ticks, and no matter how much you remove them, they regrow and infiltrate. Researchers in the great city of the waves commit suicide, death spreading from the underground furnace. The screams of contamination, attempts to escape, the last shelter sinking. Over the conch, no! The contaminated children, the children, cutting the infection’s umbilical cord, beware of the children, it’s hell, clear the conch, don’t trust it, the infection runs rampant…

Cough.

Blood and spit erupted.

It wasn’t from my mouth, but from my nose and eyes, everywhere. Every orifice with mucous membranes burst open from the shock.

The tattoo artist was startled and immediately poured lemon drink into a bowl and offered it to me. I wasn’t sure if it was safe for a cat to drink, but I drank it.

Focusing on the sensation of drinking the beverage with my tongue, I tried to shake off this overwhelming image as best as I could…

It tasted like blood, lemonade.

Then, a few flashes of inspiration sparked in my confused mind.

‘Just now.’

The immense meaning contained in those two characters poured out like a bomb.

Is this the language of the Mermaid’s Grave? I don’t think I fully understand it. No, if I could understand this, I wouldn’t be human.

But one thing I was sure of.

‘That tattoo artist is originally from the Mermaid’s Grave story.’

And for some reason, I don’t know why…

‘Conch shell.’

The item called the Sigh of an Angel was deeply connected to this situation…

What’s strange is that two extremely opposite images are combined in the conch shell.

‘Healing and death.’

It was eerie.

...What would a conch shell look like from a child’s perspective?

"Mr. Tattoo artist."

I swallowed the taste of sourness and blood.

“Do you have any thoughts on the conch-shaped object you might have remembered?”

The tattoo artist moved their lips… showing only the pronunciation.

I read it.

If I translate this into a word I can understand…

Filth.

Impurity. An unsettling feeling. Even though logically it might not be a threat, it leaves a powerful afterimage of a horrific event and a sense of revulsion.

And the space around the tattoo artist begins to ripple again…

"I see. Understood. ...Thank you."

Is this the end?

After calming the tattoo artist, I slowly began to combine the clues I had gathered so far in my mind.

“…….”

The vague methodology in my plan began to fit together like a detailed puzzle.

Of course, it was a hypothesis I created.

‘But if this is correct.’

By the skin of my teeth, using everything to the very end... there was something worth trying.

‘Alright.’

My mind cleared.

Now what I need are the conditions that will support this plan.

And the abilities to fulfill those conditions.

Luckily, I had entered a shop where I might be able to buy that ability.

"Um, now I’d like to talk about something related to tattoos..."

The tattoo artist nodded as if understanding, then quickly showed another sign.

[Procedures for immature entities require the guardian’s consent.]

"Yes. I’m not planning to get a tattoo right now."

Considering the crazy power of the tomato tree tattoo stickers, I think I should be extremely careful when getting a tattoo here…

Even if the other party only has good intentions, the standards are subjective, so I’ve seen irreversible results can happen.

So instead of a permanent tattoo, I asked for a short-term effect again

"Do you have stickers for tattoos like this, of the same kind?"

The tattoo artist tilted their head and was about to get the tattoo booklet. The one I got last time, 'Royal Special Premium No. 1 (Customizable)...'

No!

"That’s fine. I’ll just take the basic version."

Then a simple, ordinary booklet came out. 

Phew.

‘Because I have no money to pay...’

I’m such a beggar…

I don’t even have money to buy pearls. I thought about getting something from the Mermaid’s Grave, but after seeing the tattoo artist’s reaction, I’m glad I didn’t.

I nodded after seeing the very simple tattoo design the tattoo artist pointed to.

"Alright. Please make that one."

And then, we got into the real issue.

I struggled to open my mouth.

"Um, the cost...?"

Tap tap.

The tattoo artist tapped on a sign.

[3 free tattoo stickers with review writing (Basic version only)]

……!

…….

"Uh, where should I write it?"

And so, I had the rare experience of writing a review saying, "The owner is kind and professional," with my front paw.

I don’t know where the review I wrote will end up... Well, let’s not think about that for now…

The important thing is this.

‘Escape safely with the most people in this crazy ghost story.’

And I just acquired the ability that will be the foundation for that.

I politely bowed in the form of a four-legged animal and finished my second visit to the Moonlight Tattoo Shop.

The scheduled time with the agents was approaching.

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

"Agent Bronze."

Ryu Jaegwan turned his head.

His senior, who had just waved goodbye after playing with the children, was approaching.

"Agent Choi."

As soon as the children disappeared from sight, the smile on Agent Choi’s face faded.

"Nothing."

“…….”

"It seems like there’s really nothing we can do this time, Bronze.”

"I..."

Ryu Jaegwan gritted his teeth.

"I... I told you we should leave that day...!"

“…….”

"Breaking the rules... giving false hope..."

"I know."

Agent Choi instinctively made a motion as if he were about to light a cigarette, but then realized he was in the form of a child, lowering his hand and chuckling.

"Even so, you won’t regret it if you try until the end."

“…….”

"I think so."

Ryu Jaegwan quietly clenched his fist.

"And, you didn’t break the really important rule... not revealing what this place truly is."

“…….”

That’s right.

Even the Disaster Management Bureau already knows.

The Sparkling Dragon Palace is a hallucination caused by hypnosis.

Many agents confirmed this while carrying out their missions.

And everyone tried to rescue the children in their adult form, but they failed miserably.

If an infected child is forcibly boarded onto an escape pod, acute shedding progresses, and ulcers grow all over the body, resulting in the loss of life functions.

Never attempt it.

The children transform into regular infected entities, and their bodies burst and die.

Afterward, the agent could not return due to severe psychological trauma and nightmares, and the Disaster Management Bureau does not bother to reveal the truth to newly deployed agents.

"Grape doesn’t know yet."

“…….”

"Let’s keep it that way. Got it?"

Ryu Jaegwan nodded.

In that moment.

Whoosh.

A small shadow moved near the alley.

The two agents immediately turned around and adopted a defensive posture.

Ryu Jaegwan furrowed his brow.

"Just now, it looked like a cat’s shadow..."

"A cat?"

Agent Choi let out a hollow laugh.

"Oh, it probably just looks like a cat... something like that."

“…….”

That’s right.

In this place, you can’t trust appearances.

The reason I can’t get lost in the dazzling sight of what appears to be a child is because I’ve already seen the truth behind it.

Ryu Jaegwan slowly lowered his steps and checked beyond the alley.

And then... he saw something unexpected.

Wind-up doll ornaments the size of a human walking down the alley.

"...Daydream."

“…!”

The Field Exploration Team of Daydream Corporation.

Perhaps because of their eerie animal masks, they always appeared in the strange form of a "cute animal ornament drinking fountain," which made them stand out in the eyes of children.

It was the same this time.

A beautiful butterfly perched, a cute pony shape, and even a friendly goat.

These are cute ornaments from a child’s perspective.

But.

"Hmm."

Agent Choi, who approached silently, took out something that gleamed in the shape of wings.

It was a glass-crafted suncatcher.

A sunlight catcher.

It looked rough, as if made by a child, but even without sunlight, it emitted a strange glow. When brought near the eyes…

The truth is revealed.

"...Right. Wow, their abilities are impressive. They look fine, though?"

Ryu Jaegwan also lifted the suncatcher, or sunlight catcher, to check them out.

Three people in suits. Animal masks. Butterfly, pony, and…

Goat.

“…….”

That.

Ryu Jaegwan gripped the glass tightly, feeling his blood run cold.

He recognized it.

‘Kim Sol-eum’s colleague...!’

It was the man with the black goat mask he saw at Sekwang Technical High School.

Recalling the conversation with the person who wore the bison mask back then, he was definitely someone who had a pretty deep acquaintance with Kim Sol-eum.

‘In that case.’

...If, by any chance, he recognize Kim Sol-eum’s features in the face of this child.

And if he investigate further.

‘No.’

‘I couldn’t let that damn company contact him to drag him back into the cult after he barely managed to regain his composure and change jobs…!’

Ryu Jaegwan’s mouth opened involuntarily.

"Agent."

"Huh?"

"How about we just subdue them and chase them out for now?"

"Oh."

Agent Choi shrugged.

"Bronze. There's only one day left, why would you do something that might just make things worse?"

Of course, the Disaster Management Bureau knew that the damn company had been sneaking in through their own secret channels.

Even so, the reason they held back was because engaging would only increase civilian casualties.

Manpower needed to be allocated to places where more lives could be saved, where supernatural disasters could be dealt with more effectively.

"Just in case, let’s keep an eye on the kids a bit more closely."

“…….”

“…Is what I should say, but!”

A twisted smile spread across Agent Choi’s face.

He looked at one of the staff.

A butterfly mask. Marked with a golden insignia.

"…An Elite Team has arrived."

A flame-like glint flashed in Agent Choi’s eyes.

"If we toss that one into the glass prison for obstruction of official duty, I bet we’d get some juicy intel."

“……!”

"Let’s move."

The agents moved out.

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

“D-Deputy Manager!”

Jin Nasol clutched her throbbing head as she watched the dumb brat running toward her.

"Over there, over there…!"

And behind him, the mermaid baby chasing after.

Only… they had no tails.

"They’re special entities."

Jin Nasol’s index and thumb extended, revealing a sharp, chilling silver thread within.

"What a pain."