Chapter 157

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Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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The Moonlight Tattoo Shop, which I visited again, was darker than last time.

Unlike before, when it felt like a somewhat warm space, it was somehow dreary.

Was it because I came in through the back door? Or…,

‘Is it because the moonlight is weak?’

The round moonlight coming down from above the giant procedure machine in the center was shaped like a crescent moon today.

‘…It doesn’t seem to be business hours.’

……I had never seen such a record.

As I carefully stepped inside step by step… I met a pair of eyes at the dark counter.

“…!”

A curly-haired tattooist with dense Hangul tattoos carved on his neck.

He was the owner of this place.

The tattooist looked at me with darker eyes than before, then lifted a notice sign….

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

Ah.

I quickly spat the stamp out of my mouth.

My body grew and returned to its original human form. Of course, because I was a young child, my growth stopped halfway. In any case, as soon as my oral structure returned, I hurriedly opened my mouth.

“Excuse me, I’m sorry for coming through the back door….”

My face was grabbed.

“…!!”

The tattooist grabbed my face tightly with one black-gloved hand and stared at me as if inspecting my left, right, front, and back….

Dark eyes were peering into me.

Dilated pupils. Pitch black. Pitch black. It was somehow strange. Don’t humans usually have visible sclera? Why could I not see any sclera?

The tattooist was giant. He grew bigger and bigger. His deep green curly hair grew longer, filling the empty air like seaweed.

The interior of the tattoo shop, which I had thought was small but cozy and professional, was somehow alien, appearing as a foreign space of technology and style that we could not understand.

‘What is this? What is this?’

My head filled with confusion, danger signals filled my mind, and I, inside the ghost story….

No.

“Excuse me.”

I moved my mouth.

“Shall I stay in my cat form?”

…….

Thud.

The tattooist let go.

I hurriedly put the stamp in my mouth. Without even having time to feel disgust at putting something I had chewed and spat out back into my mouth, my body shrank and I became a cat again.

“……Meow.”

Everything returned.

I was once again in the cozy, professional little tattoo shop, facing the gentle and unique tattooist.

“Is it okay like this?”

And I spoke in human words.

“…!”

No. I really spoke in human words, you know?

“Uh… uh.”

The tattooist quickly rummaged through the counter and pointed to one more notice.

[Comfortable Communication Guaranteed]

“…….”

Come to think of it.

‘The owner at the Moonlight Tattoo Shop never says a single word.’

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

‘…It wasn’t Hangul.’

Yet I could read it. No, if it hadn’t been for this sense of incompatibility right now, I would have kept thinking it was Hangul.

Perhaps the tattoos I thought were written in Hangul on the tattooist’s neck were also….

“…….”

Indeed. It was a bizarre occurrence, fitting for a ghost story.

‘I must not let my guard down.’

The owner not doing any harm only means he has no ill intent when tattooing. Let us keep that in mind.

However, there was something I became sure of from his reaction just now.

“…You inspected me just now because I entered through the ‘back door’ in the form of a young child, right? …Because it’s more dangerous if a child gets infected.”

!

The tattooist raised his head.

Yes.

‘This shop accepted sea-related items as payment.’

Moreover, there were sightings of this shop in the Mermaid Tomb, and that it had a back door.

Considering that a back door is usually ‘for staff only,’ I had wondered, and indeed….

“…Boss.”

I carefully extended my front paw.

“…I found the back door of this shop in the ruined deep-sea city.”

The tattooist’s eyes swirled.

“By any chance… was this shop originally there?”

Silence.

“Are you from that city?”

Silence.

“Why did that place end up like that? Children are being tricked and dying….”

Sadness dwelled in the tattooist’s eyes.

Moisture filled them instead of swirls.

Wetting my parched muzzle, I opened my mouth.

“There are still children there now. By any chance, could those children escape through the front door of this shop….”

Thud.

The wall vibrated.

It was the sound of the tattooist slamming a pen against the wall.

The thick pen stroke trembled violently, creating a giant letter filled with force….

No

“I see. Understood.”

My heart felt like it would explode, but my mouth succeeded in replying as smoothly as if greased.

“…Is it because they are infected? If so, by any chance….”

Please.

“The infection source. That strange mass of flesh colony… can you tell me about it?”

…….

The tattooist picked up the pen again.

Then, with a trembling hand, he picked up a small sticky note from the counter and began to write something.

Tiny, dense characters were pressed down hard.

Just two characters. I could see the movement as the strokes were being drawn.

Eventually, the tattooist turned the paper around and showed me the finished word.

■■

“…….”

Huh?

Why could I not understand it?

However, although I could not understand it, it seemed I could pronounce it.

So… so.

“■■!”

A shock struck my head.

Images whirled.A strange lifeform coming down from the shining water surface mites growing and attaching silently to the outskirts tearing off tearing off but growing again and infiltrating into the city of the great wave those who study suicide death pollution spreading in the underground station screams attempt to escape sinking of the last ark comfort of the conch shell no!infected child, child, infection cutting the umbilical cord scream beware of the child, it is hell, put away the conch shell don’t believe it the infection runs wild…

“Cough.”

Blood burst out.

It flowed not from my mouth, but from my nose, eyes, and everywhere. Every hole with a mucous membrane burst open from the shock.

The tattooist was startled and immediately poured a lemon drink into a bowl and offered it. I did not know if it was originally okay for a cat to drink, but I gulped it down.

Focusing on the sensation of lapping up the drink with my tongue, I tried my best to shake off these mental images….

It was a blood-flavored lemonade.

And a few inspirations flashed through my confused mind.

‘Just now.’

The immense meaning contained within just two characters had poured down like a bombardment.

Was this the original language of the Mermaid Tomb? I did not think I understood it properly. No, if one could understand this, they would not be human.

However, I was certain of one thing.

‘That tattooist was originally from the Mermaid Tomb ghost story.’

And though I did not know the reason….

‘The conch shell.’

That item called Angel’s Sigh was deeply involved in this situation….

What was bizarre was that two extremely contrasting images were combined in the conch shell.

‘Cure and death.’

It was eerie.

……By any chance, if seen from a child’s perspective, what would the conch shell look like?

“…Mr. Tattooist.”

I swallowed the sourness and blood flavor.

“By any chance… what do you think about that conch shell-shaped object you thought of?”

The tattooist moved his mouth… showing only the pronunciation.

I read it.

Translating this into a word I could understand….

Dirtiness.

Filthiness. A repulsive feeling. Even knowing rationally that it posed no threat, a powerful afterimage of a fatal image left by a horrific incident. Disgust.

And the space around the tattooist began to shimmer again….

“I see. Understood. …Thank you.”

Was this as far as it went?

Having calmed the tattooist, I slowly began to piece together the clues I had found so far in my head.

“…….”

Detailed puzzle pieces began to fit into my plan, which had previously only had a vague overall methodology.

Of course, it was a hypothesis of my own creation.

‘But if this is correct.’

By a hair’s breadth, utilizing everything to the absolute limit… there was something worth trying.

‘Okay.’

My mind was organized.

What was needed now were the conditions to support this plan.

And the abilities to satisfy those conditions.

Coincidentally, I had entered the shop where I might be able to purchase those abilities.

“Um, now I would like to talk about the tattoos….”

The tattooist nodded as if understanding, then quickly showed me another notice.

[Procedures for immature entities require the consent of a guardian.]

“…Yes. I’m not trying to get a tattoo right now.”

Considering the crazy power of the tomato tree tattoo sticker, I had to be extremely cautious when getting a tattoo here….

After all, I had seen that even if the other party had only good intentions, since standards are subjective to each individual, it could lead to irreversible results.

So instead of a permanent tattoo, I requested a short-term effect this time as well.

“…Are there stickers for this kind of tattoo too?”

The tattooist tilted his head, then tried to bring a booklet containing tattoos. The ‘Royal Special Premium No. 1 (Customizable)’ that I received last time….

No!

“It’s fine. Just the basic type, please.”

Only then did a normal booklet finally come out. Whew.

‘It’s because I don’t have any money to pay….’

To think I am a beggar….

I didn’t even have money to buy pearls. I had thought about tearing something off from the Mermaid Tomb, but seeing the tattooist’s reaction now, it was a good thing I didn’t.

I looked at the very simple tattoo design pointed out by the tattooist and nodded.

“Great. I will go with that one, please.”

And then I got to the real problem.

I opened my mouth with difficulty.

“Um, as for the cost….”

Tap, tap.

The tattooist tapped a notice.

[Write a review to get 3 free tattoo stickers (Basic type only)]

……!

…….

“W-Where should I write it?”

Thus, I ended up having the rare experience of writing a review with my front paw stating along the lines of ‘The owner is kind and professional.’

Where on earth the review I wrote would be uploaded… well, let’s not think about it for now….

What was important was this.

‘Safely escaping from the crazy ghost story with the maximum number of people.’

And having just acquired the ability that would serve as the foundation for it.

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

The promised time with the agents was approaching.

* * *

“Agent Bronze.”

Ryu Jae-gwan turned his head.

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

“Agent Choi.”

The moment the children disappeared from sight, the smile faded from Agent Choi’s face.

“There’s none.”

“…….”

“It seems there is really nothing we can do this time, Bronze.”

“I…”

Ryu Jae-gwan gritted his teeth.

“I, that’s why I said we should leave on the same day…!”

“…….”

“Breaking the rules and giving pointless hope is…”

“I know.”

Agent Choi habitually tried to make a gesture as if putting a cigarette in his mouth, but realized he was in the form of a child, lowered his hand, and chuckled.

“Still, you have to try until the end so that no regrets remain.”

“…….”

“That’s what I think.”

Ryu Jae-gwan silently clenched his fists.

“And, we didn’t break the truly important rule. …Not revealing what kind of place this really is.”

“…….”

Indeed.

The Paranormal Disaster Management Bureau already knew.

The Twinkling Dragon Palace is a hallucination caused by hypnosis.

There were many agents who confirmed this while executing their missions.

And they all attempted to rescue the children in adult forms, but failed miserably.

If an infected child is forcibly boarded onto an escape craft, acute shedding occurs, ulcers grow all over the body, and life signs are lost.

Never attempt this.

The children would turn into ordinary infected entities, burst open, and die.

Since the agents involved suffered from severe mental trauma symptoms and nightmares and never returned to duty, the Disaster Management Bureau did not bother to inform newly deployed agents of the truth.

“Grape doesn’t know yet.”

“…….”

“Let’s keep him from knowing. Got it?”

Ryu Jae-gwan nodded.

At that moment.

Swish.

A small shadow moved near the alley.

Immediately turning back, the two agents assumed a defensive stance.

Ryu Jae-gwan furrowed his brows.

“Just now, something like a cat’s shadow….”

“A cat?”

Agent Choi let out a hollow laugh.

“Oh dear, something that appears as a cat… well, it’s probably something like that.”

“…….”

Indeed.

One must not believe appearances here.

The reason they could not lose themselves in this mesmerizing sight that appeared to be young children was likely because they had already seen what lay beneath.

Ryu Jae-gwan slowly lowered his steps and checked beyond the alley.

And… he saw something unexpected.

Human-sized wind-up doll ornaments walking down the alley.

“…It’s Daydream.”

“…!”

Daydream Co.’s Field Exploration Team.

Perhaps because of those eerie animal masks, they always appeared in the bizarre form of ‘drinking fountains with cute animal decorations,’ which was captured very distinctively even from a child’s perspective.

It was the same this time.

One with a beautiful butterfly perched on it, a cute pony shape, and even a friendly goat.

To a child’s eyes, they were cute ornaments.

But.

“Hmm.”

Silently approaching, Agent Choi pulled out something glittering in the shape of wings.

It was a suncatcher made of glass craft.

Sunshine catcher.

When brought to the eye, that object—which looked clumsy as if made by a child but emitted a bizarre light even though no sunlight shone on it—showed….

The truth was visible.

“…Indeed it is. Wow, those guys have good abilities. They look perfectly normal?”

Ryu Jae-gwan likewise lifted the suncatcher, so-called sunshine catcher, to check them.

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

Goat.

“…….”

That one.

Ryu Jae-gwan gripped the glass tightly, feeling his blood run cold.

Because he recognized it.

‘Kim Sol-eum’s coworker…!’

It was the man in the black goat mask he had seen at Segwang Technical High School.

Recalling the conversation with the person wearing the bison mask at the time, he was definitely someone who was quite familiar with Kim Sol-eum.

‘In that case.’

…If by any chance, they recognized Kim Sol-eum’s features in this child’s face.

And investigated separately.

‘No.’

He could not let that damn company contact someone who had finally made up their mind to change jobs and try to drag them back into a den of cultists…!

Ryu Jae-gwan’s mouth opened on its own.

“Agent.”

“Huh?”

“For now… wouldn’t it be better to just subdue them and drive them out?”

“Oh.”

Agent Choi shrugged his shoulders.

“Bronze. There’s only one day left, so why do something like picking a fight and inviting trouble?”

It was obvious, but the Disaster Management Bureau also knew that that damn company sneaked into this place through a passage only they knew.

Nevertheless, they left them be because they judged that clashing with them would only increase civilian casualties.

It was only right to deploy manpower where they could save more people, where they could end the supernatural disaster more definitively.

“Just in case, let’s focus on checking on the kids more.”

“…….”

“…Or so I should say!”

A twisted smile spread across Agent Choi’s face.

He stared at one of the employees.

Butterfly mask. Stamped with a gold mark.

“…The Elite Team has entered.”

A fire-like look flashed in Agent Choi’s eyes.

“If we put that one in the glass prison for obstruction of official duties, I feel like some juicy information would come out.”

“……!”

“Let’s go.”

The agents moved.

* * *

“A-Assistant Manager!”

Jin Na-sol held her throbbing head and looked at the stupid bastard running toward her.

“Over there, over there…!”

And the baby mermaids chasing after him as well.

Except they had no tails.

“They are special entities.”

Jin Na-sol’s index and thumb nails stretched long, revealing the sharp and chilling silver threads inside.

“Annoying.”