Godmode: The Dead Game Odyssey

Chapter 9: The Secret of the Eclipse Wax Museum

Chapter 9: The Secret of the Eclipse Wax Museum

The car fell into silence once again, and the atmosphere grew heavy. Lucy awkwardly laughed while Andrew coldly smirked, clearly skeptical of the driver's earlier words. The driver, on the other hand, burst into laughter. "I was just joking! How could we possibly eat mermaids? This place is known for its seafood!" He casually adjusted the steering wheel and drove steadily toward a building. "We have arrived at the Wax Museum. Get out; it is time for you to take a look."

Once everyone had exited the car, the driver added, "You can tour the museum now, and I'll pick you up later for the mermaid fishing event in the evening." With that, he drove off.

Liam Watson looked around, his gaze frozen for a moment. The building in front of him was so towering that he had to tilt his head back to see its top. Above, in elegant cursive, the words "Eclipse Wax Museum" were displayed.

[System Notification: Scene Unlocked — Eclipse Wax Museum]

The entire museum seemed connected to the depths of the ocean. Massive granite columns supported the ceiling, and a sense of ancient mystery permeated the air. Standing at the entrance, Liam Watson could vaguely make out several blurry mermaid wax figures arranged in a ghostly display around the room.

The museum's interior was newly renovated, but the outer walls appeared weathered and old, built from red bricks. Liam noticed old missing-person notices tacked to the walls. As the sea breeze blew, some papers fluttered and gently stuck to his face. He removed one and found a chilling notice.

[Police Notice: Twelve people have gone missing in Eclipse Port this month. Please report any sightings of the missing persons listed in the following photographs to the police. Tourists are advised to stay safe and avoid playing with large fish, as falling into the water is dangerous.]

Below the notice were twelve black-and-white photos. The people in the photos wore smiles that suggested they had just arrived in Eclipse Port for vacation. However, those smiles looked oddly unnatural. Liam could not shake the unsettling feeling creeping through the yellowing paper.

After carefully reading the notice, Liam was about to tuck it away when he noticed something odd about the texture of the paper. Even though it had been dried out and became brittle from the sea breeze, it should not have felt this stiff. It was as though there was something more than just paper inside.

He held the paper horizontally and saw it was unusually thick, with no sign of layers. The paper seemed to have stuck together tightly due to the wind. Liam wondered if this was a clue. After visiting the museum, he looked for a hot water pool to separate the papers and investigate what was hidden inside.

[Side Quest Triggered — Find the Hot Water Pool in the Wax Museum, Separate the Stuck Papers, Earn 10 Points]

Inside the museum, they were greeted by an elderly curator with cataracts. His eyes were nearly covered with a white, cloudy film, but he did not seem affected by his blindness. He immediately turned his gaze toward Liam and the others. Lucy, witnessing this, could not help but gasp in surprise.

The curator's expression was strange, almost tired. "It's been a long time since anyone visited… Ever since the disappearances started last month, no tourists have come, and we haven't had any new mermaid wax figures for a while." His voice became increasingly agitated as he waved his stiff arms.

Liam Watson was confused and asked, "Why haven't there been new mermaid wax figures? Does this have something to do with the lack of tourists?"

"Of course," the curator replied, his voice becoming more urgent, his arm moving in jerky motions. "Without tourists, we do not do the mermaid fishing activities. Without fishermen, there are no new figures to be made." At this point, he suddenly stopped talking, refusing to answer Liam's question further.

Liam changed his approach and asked, "Does the museum always have new wax figures coming in? The space here must be limited, right?"

The curator smiled, his expression turning strange. "No, the museum can never be filled. Every time a new figure arrives, an old one leaves." His tone grew mysterious. "The Eclipse Wax Museum can never be filled."

Liam raised an eyebrow, pressing on. "Where do the old figures go? They aren't thrown back into the sea, are they?"

The curator suddenly fell silent, as though he had revealed something he should not have. Liam tried to press further, but the curator merely muttered, "You'll have a pleasant holiday in Eclipse Port and then leave."

After asking the curator where the hot water pool was located, Liam decided to stop pressing and led the others into the museum.

The lighting inside was dim, and the first thing Liam noticed was a golden-painted wax figure of a middle-aged man. The figure wore a suit, a hat, and a smiling face, standing on a black stone pedestal, waving toward the visitors. The pedestal featured a plaque extolling the mayor's contributions to Eclipse Port, particularly highlighting how he had led efforts to recover mermaid skeletons and boost tourism, making the town prosperous.

"Mayor Harris loves every villager as though they were his own children," the plaque read.

As Liam was reading the information, Gerald quietly approached and whispered, "Do you believe in mermaids? Do you think what they say about Eclipse Port is true?"

Liam, though uncertain, knew from experience in the game that many things that seemed absurd could be terrifying truths. After a moment's thought, he replied, "I think it is true."

Andrew sneered as if mocking him but said nothing further and followed Gerald deeper into the museum.

Though Liam and Lucy had planned to explore together, Liam decided first to find the hot water pool to deal with the strange paper. He asked Lucy to proceed with the exhibition and told her he would catch up soon. Disappointed, Lucy agreed to wait for him in the exhibit hall and went off alone. Liam, meanwhile, followed the curator's directions toward the hot water pool.