Following Jelf's gaze, Bai Liu looked over at the mermaid wax statue. It remained motionless, head bowed, eyes cast down toward the water.
Andre, startled by Jelf's outburst, punched him hard. "What do you mean, it moved? It didn't move at all! If you keep shrieking like that, I'll rip out your vocal cords and stomp them into the ground!"
Jelf clutched his head where he'd been struck, casting a fearful glance at Andre before curling up, muttering to himself, "She moved, she really did…"
Lucy, unnerved by Jelf's behavior, forced a laugh. "Jelf, how can you be so sure you weren't just seeing things? The mermaid statue doesn't even have pupils—how do you know it was looking at you?"
It was a milky-white mermaid statue, sculpted from cold wax, with a peculiar, semi-translucent sheen. Droplets of half-melted wax clung to its face. Though the eyes were carved, they were featureless and white, like the gaze of a soulless, lifeless being standing sentinel at the hotel entrance.
"Didn't you notice?" Jelf's voice dropped to a trembling whisper. "No matter where our car went, that statue was always staring straight at us. Its eyes must be moving…"
"Oh, is that all…" Lucy visibly relaxed, finally letting out a genuine laugh. "It's just like the Mona Lisa, right? No matter where you stand, it feels like she's looking at you."
"No, that effect only happens with two-dimensional paintings," Bai Liu replied coolly. "It's impossible for a three-dimensional statue. Jelf is right—the statue's eyes really have been following us."
Just like the townsfolk, who had stared at them the moment they arrived, as if watching prey enter their hunting grounds.
This thing must be some kind of monster.
As the thought crossed his mind, the coin at Bai Liu's chest vibrated sharply, and a new panel appeared. The game interface transformed into the image of a thick, ancient medieval tome, which slowly opened before him.
[Congratulations, player, on discovering the first game monster. Monster Compendium unlocked—"Siren Town" Special Edition (1/4).]
A photograph appeared on the page: the mermaid statue's pale face submerged in deep water, half her visage visible, eyeless sockets fixed silently on Bai Liu, as if she might crawl out of the image at any moment.
[Monster Name: Mermaid Wax Statue (Chrysalis State)]
[Attack Value: ??? (Unknown, unlock after combat)]
[Attack Method: ??? (Unexplored)]
[Weakness: ??? (Unexplored)]
All the question marks were blurred, as if smeared by damp ink and stains, with glowing text floating nearby.
Below "Weakness" was a note:
[Note: Completing the information on this monster's page will earn you corresponding points and special rewards. Collect all monster pages in a game instance to claim the most precious item from that instance's monsters.]
The "Siren Town" compendium had four pages; the rest were locked, presumably for other monsters in the game.
It was a bit like defeating monsters for loot—the more dangerous the creature, the greater the reward.
But judging by the requirements, and the mention of combat, the game was clearly encouraging players to risk their lives provoking monsters…
With the fighting prowess of a high school girl swinging a backpack, Bai Liu stroked his chin in deep thought.
Lucy clung to his arm, her voice trembling. "…Is it really moving?"
"How could it?!" Andre, though clearly rattled by Bai Liu's calm logic, forced a sneer. "Bai Liu, you coward! If you're so scared you have to make up stories to run away, just go! If you leave, you forfeit Lucy and can grovel at my feet when we get home!"
That must have been the wager between Bai Liu and Andre.
The driver shifted uncomfortably, but finally forced a laugh. "It's late, you're seeing things. There's no such thing as a moving statue! If there were, we'd have made it a tourist attraction by now—think of the money! Our town makes wax, and mermaid statues are just our specialty. They're everywhere, nothing special."
"We're here! Out you go! Rest well tonight, and enjoy your visit tomorrow!" The driver opened the doors and ushered them out.
Bai Liu glanced back at the fountain's mermaid statue. From a distance, it still faced them, head bowed, gazing at the water, seemingly oblivious to their presence.
But Bai Liu distinctly remembered: when they first arrived, the statue had faced the entrance, not the hotel doors.
There were also two mermaid statues flanking the hotel entrance, each holding a scepter, their lips twisted in strange, forced smiles, as if welcoming guests—yet their expressions seemed more like prisoners forced to stand guard.
Inside, they found mermaid statues everywhere—even behind the reception desk stood a life-sized mermaid, clutching a handful of coins as if collecting payment.
Just as the driver had said, mermaid statues were the town's hallmark, but this was excessive. From lampstands to pen holders, every detail was mermaid-themed—less a motif, more an obsession.
All the statues shared one trait: wherever Bai Liu went, he felt their eyeless faces fixed on him.
Statues without pupils shouldn't be able to "stare," but Bai Liu couldn't shake the sensation.
So many marble mermaids, so densely arrayed, all watching—it was deeply unsettling. Even Andre, who had mocked Bai Liu as a coward, shivered and rubbed his arms; Jelf cowered behind him, too frightened even to fear Andre's blows.
Lucy clung to Bai Liu's arm, her rose-petal face gone pale, clearly unnerved by the hotel's decor.
Bai Liu, unruffled, approached the front desk. "Hello, my surname is Bai. I have a reservation."
The receptionist was a young man, his skin as pale as marble, dressed in a floor-length tartan skirt, moving with a stiff, halting gait. When he stood still, it was hard to tell if he was a statue or a person.
As the group approached, he suddenly moved, startling Lucy, who gasped, "Oh my God! You're as pale as a wax statue!"
"Apologies," the receptionist said, his tone full of regret. "I have albinism. Sorry to have frightened you. Mr. Bai, correct? You reserved four rooms for a week, all paid in advance. Here are your keys. Enjoy your stay."
Bai Liu accepted the keys, quietly relieved to hear there were four rooms—he had no desire to share with Lucy.
Lucy seemed to understand, shooting him a teasing look that said, "Oh, darling, you're so shy!" Bai Liu ignored her.
"I have a question—why are there so many mermaid statues in your hotel?"
The receptionist replied evenly, "Sir, the mermaids gave us everything. Siren Town once had nothing, but after we dredged up a mermaid's corpse, tourists flocked here. We gained wealth, we gained everything, so we are grateful to the mermaids. Every household keeps many mermaid statues—they are our talismans."
Bai Liu pointed to the statue behind the desk. "You have a wide variety of mermaid statues. That one behind you looks just like you, and its material seems different from the others."
It was no wonder Lucy had been confused—the statue behind the desk was the spitting image of the receptionist, its expression even more vivid, almost grotesque.
The statue's eyes glared straight at the receptionist, never wavering, as if it might leap out and devour its living double at any moment.
Unlike the others, this statue was newer, more translucent, less dusty.
"Yes, sir." The receptionist met Bai Liu's gaze. "That mermaid statue is my talisman. We mold them in our own likeness. When disaster comes, the talisman is mistaken for us by the devil, and melts in our place, sparing us."
Intriguing. This "talisman statue" was clearly different from the rest.
[Player has gained new knowledge—"Siren Town Monster Compendium" Mermaid Wax Statue panel updated.]
[Monster Name: Mermaid Wax Statue (Chrysalis State), Talisman Statue (Cocoon State)]
Chrysalis and cocoon? So this monster had at least two forms.
Bai Liu pondered: a chrysalis is the unhatched form, a cocoon the shell left after emergence. A protective shell, just as the receptionist described.
He suspected there were also "insect" and "butterfly" forms—likely far more dangerous.
For now, the chrysalis and cocoon forms seemed non-aggressive, though their "attack" might be something less obvious, like psychological contamination.
He already felt the statues' stares were a form of mental assault.
Bai Liu distributed the room keys. Lucy tried to insist on sharing a room, but he fended her off with, "I haven't yet proven my courage for you—I'm not worthy to have you!"
Lucy, deeply moved, left—pausing only to attempt a passionate farewell kiss, which Andre angrily blocked.
Thank you, Andre! Please, don't die tonight.
Bai Liu sincerely hoped Andre would survive a little longer.
Lucy was warm and enthusiastic—entirely the type Bai Liu was ill-equipped to handle.
He swiped his key and entered his room, only to freeze on the threshold.
His character was wealthy, so the room was lavishly appointed, but every lamp, every ornament, every bedside statue was a mermaid, their waxy white forms gleaming in the dim light.
As he entered, the eyes of the mermaid statues seemed to shift, ever so slightly, to fix on him.
A panel appeared:
[Main Quest Activated: Player Bai Liu must survive the night in this room, remaining safe until morning and avoiding hatching—Reward: 20 points.]