Godmode: The Dead Game Odyssey

Chapter 2: The Whispering Shadows of Eclipse Port

Chapter 2: The Whispering Shadows of Eclipse Port

Liam Watson lay on his side in the last row of a cramped minivan, the seats too narrow for comfort. Even turning over was a challenge. Every movement sent a necklace tumbling out from his shirt. 

His clothes were the same as before entering the game—a white shirt and black pants, the typical attire of a weary office worker. The only different thing was the necklace. The pendant was a coin with a hole punched through it. When Liam touched it, the game panel popped up again, the same as before, with no additional information. This was likely some sort of game manager.

Liam carefully tucked the necklace back into his shirt, not liking to see the coin, once whole, now marred. 

He peeked out from the back of the van. It was a seven-seater minivan, and aside from Liam, there were four other people up front. When he poked his head out, someone looked back with a bright smile. "Liam, hey, my sweetie! You finally woke up!" 

The voice belonged to a girl with brown curly hair styled in waves, red lips, and brown eyes, wearing hot pants and a tank top. The moment Liam saw her, the coin triggered the game panel again, showing the following details:

[NPC Name: Lucy]

[Character Bio: Your classmate. She likes your type of guy, but you are too shy around her, especially since she is ten centimeters taller and so forward.]

Liam's gaze lingered on the words "too shy" momentarily before quickly turning away, deep in thought. 

It seemed the game triggered NPC information when the player made eye contact, just like an online game might display information when you hover your mouse over a character. In this game, his eyes were like a mouse or controller.

He momentarily mused—this game required the player to keep their vision sharp.

Lucy playfully winked at Liam, teasing, "Hey, baby, did I tire you out? You've been sleeping since we got in the car." 

Liam, who had always been single, felt conflicted. "..."

He could not help but feel like his single life had ended without any pain.

He quickly changed the subject. Liam looked out the window, where the increasingly desolate landscape seemed increasingly isolated, and asked, "Where are we headed? It seems pretty remote."

A deep, mocking male voice from the front of the van interrupted him. "Looks like someone's thinking about backing out," said a tall man dressed in tight jeans and a sports tee, his muscular frame almost tearing through his shirt. He crossed his arms in disdain, sizing Liam up. The man looked like a linebacker, his body built like a tank. 

He stared down at Liam with a sneer. "Too late, Liam. Even if you're too much of a coward to go through with it, we're already on our way to Eclipse Port."

The game panel flashed:

[NPC Name: Andrew]

[Character Bio: Your rival. He likes Lucy, but she rejects him. He holds a grudge against you. You both bet to prove your love by guarding Lucy in the most dangerous place in the world. So, here you are, driving to Eclipse Port. You regretted it before getting on the van and cried, but Andrew dragged you along.]

Liam had already seen the name Eclipse Port twice. He ignored Andrew's mockery and asked, "What exactly is Eclipse Port?"

Andrew snorted, ready to keep mocking him, but was interrupted by a low, continuous voice from the back. 

"Eclipse Port, the only seaside town where the remains of a sea monster were discovered. Over the years, many people have claimed to see the shadow of the sea monster during an eclipse, or heard the beautiful songs of the mermaid monsters in the waves. Some even say these monstrous mermaids feasted on human corpses on the dark rocks..." 

"Gerald!" Andrew snapped, cutting him off. Though his voice was impatient, a flicker of fear flashed across his face. 

A short guy with thick beer-bottle glasses clutched a book to his chest, shrinking back slightly as though intimidated by Andrew, but still gathered the courage to retort, "Then how do you explain the mysterious disappearances of tourists in Eclipse Port? Last month, twelve tourists vanished completely! The police searched everywhere, and no one saw them leave..."

Liam glanced at the panel:

[NPC Name: Gerald]

[Character Bio: A strong enthusiast for supernatural creatures like mermaids and sea monsters. After learning that Lucy's group was headed to Eclipse Port, he insisted on coming along. He knows a lot about the town's legends.]

Andrew scoffed, "Most of them probably drowned. It's normal for people to drown near the sea."

However, Gerald was not convinced. "The police have been searching for a month without finding any bodies. Even if they did drown, that's not normal..." His voice dropped into a darker, almost excited tone. "Unless their bodies were eaten by the eclipse... that's why the police can't find them..." 

Andrew was now thoroughly irritated. He slammed his fist into Gerald's head. "Shut up! You damn four-eyes! Always talking about mermaids!" 

Liam could see Gerald's head hit the edge of the seat and then dazedly crash into Andrew. This made Andrew even angrier, and he slapped Gerald across the face with such force that a tooth flew out.

Gerald silently bent down to pick up his tooth, then looked up at Andrew with a look of subtle hatred. He mouthed something quietly.

Others did not hear it, but Liam's hearing was sharp, and he caught the words: "The mermaids will tear you apart and swallow you whole, Andrew."

Liam raised an eyebrow but said nothing. The NPC relationships seemed more complicated than expected. It seemed Andrew had been treating Gerald this way for a while, and now Gerald seemed to have devised some kind of revenge plot involving "mermaids."

The driver, an Eclipse Port local whom Liam had paid handsomely, was someone Liam had hired. Through conversation, Liam realized he was from a wealthy family. He covered the entire group's lodging and food expenses and hired a driver to help find a local inn.

The ride continued late into the night until they finally reached the mysterious Eclipse Port. According to the driver, Eclipse Port had always been a small, remote town that made a living by fishing and salvaging sunken ships. It had been relatively poor and rundown until the new town mayor used the mermaid legends to attract tourists, and the town started thriving through tourism.

But since last month, tourists have started disappearing. These were not just random drownings, as Andrew suggested—some people had not even made it to the beach before vanishing without a trace. For example, one tourist checked into a hotel, but by morning, he was gone. The door was locked, no one saw him leave, and the bed was still warm when the staff checked, but the man had simply vanished.

Because of these disappearances, Eclipse Port was eerily desolate during the tourist season, with several hotels and inns closing due to a lack of business.

When Liam and his group finally arrived, it was already deep into the night, but still, people were on the streets.

These townspeople had originally been heading toward the sea, but they all stopped when Liam's car arrived. They turned their heads and stared intently at the vehicle, their gazes fixed and unblinking.

Shivering under the weight of so many eyes, Lucy shrieked softly and clung to Liam. However, she was much taller than him, so from a distance, it appeared Liam had shrunk into her arms.

Liam turned to the driver and asked, "It's already midnight, why are these people going to the sea?"

The driver shook his head. "Tourism is down, so they have to go back to fishing to survive. If you've never fished, you wouldn't know, but many valuable fish avoid bright lights, so the fishermen only go out at night."

The townspeople kept their eerie, predatory gaze on the car, their eyes gleaming like a cat in the dark. Some held fishing nets or hooks, while others carried lanterns with flickering lights. Their expressions were strange—smiles that didn't quite reach their lips, leaving a creepy, twisted impression.

"You should be careful with these guys," the driver warned. "They're broke, and you all have money."

Because of Liam's wealthy background, the driver arranged for them to stay in the best hotel in town.

The hotel was a stark contrast to the rest of the town—luxurious and modern, almost out of place. It even had a fountain at the entrance.

In the center of the fountain stood a lifelike mermaid statue made of limestone with a white wax coating. The mermaid's skin shimmered in the dim moonlight, almost human-like, her long hair cascading down to cover her chest, her fish tail standing tall in the water. Her expression was sorrowful, and she held a pitcher in her hands, from which water poured in a cascade of pearls, creating a sound like waves crashing on the shore.

The driver steered the car around the fountain and stopped in front of the hotel. 

Gerald suddenly shouted, pointing at the mermaid statue. "She was looking at me! She moved just now!"