Love of the Merman

Ch. Love of the merman 8 Love of the merman 8

In the dark corridor, only my footsteps echoed. The deeper I went, the damper the air grew, laced with a faint… coppery tang of blood. My heart hammered, threateni- ng to burst from my chest. Rounding the final corner, the sight before me made my blood run cold. In a colossal aquarium tank, Rhys was chained in the center. His half–human, half–fish form was fully exposed, his once vibrant blue tail now dull and lifeless, his face terribly pale. What horrified me more were the blood trails on his wrists and tail, scars from his struggle. Selena was bound to a nearby pillar, sobbing and pleading. “I’m not the one Rhys cares about most! Please, let me go!” Victor sneered. “He chopped off one of my brother’s hands for you, just because my brother kidnapped your dad. Do you think I’m stupid?” Selena retorted, “But I already have a boyfriend, Noah Vance. Rhys has a wife too. Why didn’t you grab her?” Good point, I thought. Why didn’t they grab me?‘ “I’m not an idiot,” Victor scof- fed. “That woman’s got looks but no brains. Why would Rhys like someone like that?” The moment Victor’s words faded, an eerie silence fell over the abandoned aquarium. Selena’s sobs hitched in her throat; she even forgot to struggle. And I slowly narrowed my eyes. “System,” I said, my voice dangerously low in my mind. Was that an insult or a compliment?” The System’s electronic voice trembled, trying to suppress laughter. [Uh… logically speaking, he acknowledged your beauty while questioning your intelligence. So that would be… a mixed review?] I let out a cold laugh, my fingers unconsciously stroking the gun’s grip.

Inside the tank, Rhys suddenly awoke, his violent struggles making the chains clang wildly. Several scales on his tail burst from the exertion, blood beads seeping into the water, staining it a faint pink. “Victor Stone,” Rhys’s voice was terrifyingly low. “Try to touch her. I dare you.” I pouted, a sour taste in my mouth. His words were so cold, so brutal, yet… they weren’t protecting me. They were for Selena. “System,” I suddenly thought. “Can you stun them with an electric shock?” [Rules prev- ent me from directly interfering with plot characters…] the System said, sounding troubled. [However, Host, your marksmanship is quite good, isn’t it?] I sighed. “Pre-

gnant women aren’t supposed to get too much strenuous exercise.” “Then… do you have any shield–type items I can redeem?” The System searched for a long time.

remember having one, but you’re so fierce, Host, you’ve never redeemed it. I probably put it in storage. I’ll have to find it.]

Just then, a figure emerged from behind a door. It was Noah Vance. He urgently asked Victor, “Wasn’t the deal that Selena was just bait? Why haven’t you let her go?”

Selena gasped in shock. “Noah, what are you doing here?” Victor smirked. “He’s my partner. Thanks to Mr. Vance, I learned that the head of our Abyssal Collective is

actually a half–man, half–fish monster! And thanks to his covert sponsorship, I developed the merman inhibitor.” Selena’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Noah, you prom-

ised me you wouldn’t reveal Rhys’s identity! Why…” “Selena,” Noah quickly explained, flustered. “Grandpa is sick. Only merman flesh can alleviate his suffering. And

besides, aren’t you afraid of Rhys?” “Noah Vance! You’re insane! It only alleviates, it doesn’t cure!” Selena dared not meet Rhys’s eyes. My mind cursed him in ways

the System wouldn’t even register. The System chirped, confused: [Host, what did you say? What do those asterisks mean?] I coldly replied, “It means I’m sending

my warmest regards to Noah Vance’s entire family.” “There is hope for a cure!” Noah’s eyes gleamed with a desperate, frantic hope. “As long as a merman cries a

black pearl, it can completely cure Grandpa’s illness!”

料

Just shy of.. Just shy of what? Noah’s words made my heart leap into my throat. Rhys’s face was terrifyingly pale, his eyes swirling with an ocean of hatred. “So… it

was your family, the Vances.” His voice was hoarse, almost unrecognizable. The scales on his tail flared slightly with emotion, gleaming with a cold, deadly light.

You’re the ones who captured my parents!” Noah was silent for a moment, then nodded. “The black pearl is a treasure a merman can cry only once in their lifetime, capable of curing terminal illnesses… My father happened to discover merfolk deep in the South Sea. He moved many forces to capture them. But no matter what he did, they’d rather die than cry.” “So my father, out of necessity, rendered their bodies into a macabre remedy to alleviate my grandfather’s illness.” Even the System couldn’t help but scoff: [Once a merman cries a black pearl, they can never return to the ocean. And at the time, Rhys was still underwater. If they’d cried, they would never have seen their son again.] “Rhys, I know you hate the Vance family, but only you can save my grandfather now…” “If you cry a black pearl, I’ll let you go.” My stomach churned, and I felt bile rise in my throat. Rhys’s parents… they were tortured to death. Sliced into flesh, made into medicine, their very bones turned into spe cimens, displayed in a museum for years… And now they wanted Rhys to sacrifice his home, his very nature, to save their grandfather.

Selena’s face was ashen, tears silently streaming down. She stared at Noah, her voice trembling. “You’re crazy…” Noah gently wiped away her tears, his thumb lightly stroking her cheek, as if comforting a startled animal. “Selena, I would never hurt you.” His voice was low and tender, yet it sent shivers down my spine. “You just need to help me…. make him cry.” Selena’s pupils constricted. “What do you mean?” Noah offered a slight smile, then leaned in, whispering in her ear, “You’re the one he cares about most, aren’t you?” After that, he straightened up, his gaze disturbingly gentle, almost cruel. “Don’t worry, you won’t remember any of this. Afterward, I’ll arrange for someone to hypnotize you. Once my grandfather recovers, we’ll get married.” He turned away without a backward glance. Victor understood, and, electric prod in hand, began walking towards Selena

Selena struggled violently, her voice almost tearing. “Noah Vance! You bastard!” Noah didn’t look back, merely stating flatly, “Do it.” ZZZZT! The electric prod slamm- ed against Selena’s skin. Her body convulsed, and a piercing scream echoed through the enclosed space. “It’s no use, Noah,” Rhys slowly shook his head “I can’t cry. The person most important to me isn’t Selena anymore.” I couldn’t take it anymore. Selena’s screams tore at my nerves like knives, while Noah stood by, his gaze terrifyingly calm, as if watching a mere, inconsequential experiment. “Increase the voltage,” he said casually. “Rhys isn’t heartless. He’ll cry.” Victor grinned, cranking up the dial on the prod Selena’s body stiffened abruptly, and an inhuman shriek ripped from her throat. “System!” I roared in my mind. “Haven’t you found it yet?!* The System frantically scoured its database [Found it! Temporary shield. A bit small, only lasts three minutes! “Enough!” I slammed the shield onto my belly and burst out, simultaneously alerting the bodyguards at the entrance to begin the assault.

“Bang!” A shot hit Victor’s wrist. The electric prod clattered to the ground. Victor shrieked, clutching his bleeding hand, staggering back two steps, staring at me in disbelief “You 71 Noah’s face instantly twisted “Darling?” Rhys snapped his head up. The moment he saw me, his pupils contracted. Darling?! His voice was almost a tremor, his eyes swirling with shock, terror, and pure fury. I gripped my gun, coldly facing Noah ‘Mr Vance, bullying a woman isn’t exactly classy, is it?” Noah’s gaze turned dark Victor looked at me, then at Rhys, then suddenly shouted excitedly, “Mr Vancel Rhys cares about her! Grab her! Rhys will definitely cry a black peart Inside the glass tank, Rhys violently slammed against the tempered glass, his voice hoarse, almost breaking “Darling‘ Run!‘ I sidestepped Victor’s swi- nging club, then, with a flick of my wrist, shot out the overhead security camera, yelling back without turning. If I run, I’m releasing all the babies!” Rhys’s collision with the glass suddenly froze. His entire merman form went rigid in the water System: [Host, kick him in the groin Victor seized the chance and lunged Supporting my pregnant belly, I executed a swift side roll, scooped up the fallen electric prod, and jammed it right in his crotch ZZZZZT! He let out an ‘00W!” and curled up on the ground like a boiled shrimp Systern said kick not… never mind that works too] “You Noah stared at my agile moves in disbelief. “Aren’t you just a tarless socialite who only knows how to spend money? I flexed my tingling wrist, sneering “You’re the bramless one! Your whole family’s brainless!” Brainless

Chapter 2

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on the ground like a polled snnmp System: [I said KICK….. not… never mina… that works too.] You… Noan stared at my agile moves in disdelier Arent you just a brainless socialite who only knows how to spend money?” I flexed my tingling wrist, sneering. “You’re the brainless one! Your whole family’s brainless!” Brainless hero! Pfft! Thank goodness my last mission had me as an assassin; my agility was still intact, though my strength had waned.

Before I could utter another word, the entire tempered glass wall suddenly cracked like a spiderweb. Rhys’s full–force impact in his merman form had finally paid off. Seawater, mixed with shattered glass, gushed out. His tail, still dripping blood, carved a lethal arc through the chaotic mess, sending two rushing henchmen flying Darling He snatched my wrist, his tail still dripping blood. “Are you okay?” I was about to answer when, suddenly! CRASH! The main doors burst open. A group of….

strangely shaped seafood charged in, bristling with menace. Me: “???”

The leading doctor, Dr. Finnegan, the clownfish merman who’d done my prenatal check–ups, was now brandishing a surgical knife. “Grab these two humans! Drag them to the deep!” I rubbed my eyes, wondering if I was hallucinating. “Rhys….” I stiffly turned my head. “Do you guys have… interspecies mercenaries under the sea?” Rhys’s mouth twitched. Before he could speak, Dr. Finnegan huffed over. “Madam! These are the guards left to Sir by his father and mother!” I took a closer look. At the front were two colossal king crabs waving their claws, flanked by several snarling moray eels, and even a few massive lobsters in the back, carrying coral as shields. Me: The System was laughing hysterically in my head. [Host! Is this the aquatic Avengers?!] Dr. Finnegan continued explaining, “They can’t normally transform legs, so they have to stay underwater. They only surface forcibly when Sir’s life is in danger!” I silently looked at Rhys. “… Your parents left you some pret- ty_unique bodyguards, didn’t they?” Rhys rubbed his forehead, his ear tips turning crimson. “… They’re quite normal when they’re underwater.”

Before he finished, the lead king crab had already clamped a claw onto Victor’s pant leg, dangling him upside down. Victor shrieked, “Let me down! You low–level creatures!” WHAP! A moray eel whipped its tail across his face, leaving an instant red welt. Me: “…” System: [Legendary.] Noah’s face turned white as he backed away, only to find his path blocked by several lobsters. A coral shield clanged against his feet, startling him into kneeling. Dr. Finnegan bowed respectfully. “Sir, how shall we deal with them?” Rhys cast a cold glance at Noah and Victor, his voice like chipped ice. “Toss them back to the sea. Feed them to the sharks.” I quickly tug- ged his sleeve. “Wait! Will sharks get an upset stomach from eating people like that?” Rhys: “…” Dr. Finnegan thoughtfully considered. “Madam has a point. Perhaps tying them to stones and sinking them would be more… eco–friendly.” Noah, Victor: “???” As the two were dragged away, they were still screaming threats about killi- ng all the “seafood!” Dr. Finnegan was the last to leave, carefully carrying the unconscious Selena with him. He patted Rhys’s shoulder, remarking, “Sir, your father and mother would be so pleased to know you’ve found such a wonderful mate.” Rhys’s eyes softened, and he quietly “hmm“ed. Once everyone was gone, I poked Rhys’s abs. “So your childhood playmates… were seafood?” Rhys scooped me up effortlessly. His fish tail, unnoticed by me, had already transformed back into long legs. “Now…” He leaned down, nibbling my earlobe, his voice husky. “Time to go home and discuss… your threats to release our children.” “…Wait!” I said. “I still have five babies in my belly!” Rhys chuckled softly. “Don’t worry. Merman pregnancy… is very… safe.” System swiftly logged off: [Host, take care!]

…The day I gave birth, Rhys was so anxious he nearly tore down the delivery room. One moment he was grabbing the doctor’s collar, roaring to save me, the next he was huddled in a corner, mumbling to himself, “If anything happens to my darling, I’ll drown myself in the ocean!” The poor merman was in a complete state of men- tal disarray. When the five wrinkled little merman babies were brought out, he took one look, then turned away in disgust. “They’re too ugly. Take them away and

release them.“13

I, having just given birth, grabbed a pillow and smacked him right in the face. “Rhys Blackwood! Say that again?!” Rhys: “…” System: [Host is mighty!]

As it turned out, perhaps because their mother was human, these five little merfolk learned to freely transform their legs much earlier than Rhys had, and they put this talent to excellent use in causing trouble. It was during their first–grade parent–teacher conference that Rhys and I were first called into school. The homeroom

teacher pushed up her glasses, five report cards fanned out before her. “Mrs. Blackwood, your children… are certainly unique.” “The eldest, failed swimming class! A merman, afraid of water?!” The teacher’s mouth twitched. “He cried with a kickboard for an entire lesson!” Rhys immediately shot up, slamming his hand on the table. You’re a merman! How can you be afraid of water?!” The eldest’s lip trembled, on the verge of tears. “But the pool smells like chlorine…” “The second child, unnated in the pool! He turned the whole pool a pale yellow.” The teacher’s glasses glinted. “And he brazenly claimed that’s how merfolk pee.” Rhys’s forehead puls- ed with a vein. “When did I ever teach you….” The second child blinked his blue eyes. “Daddy and Mommy were in the bathtub last time…” I clapped a hand over the

child’s mouth. “Alright, no need for details there!”

The third child ate spicy snacks in the water! He stuffed the wrapper into the filter.” The teacher’s PowerPoint showed a maintenance bill. “Now the entire pool is stained with red oil.” The third child puffed out his chest proudly. “I even shared some with the koi!” “The fourth and fifth children skipped class for a BBQ!” The surv-

eillance footage showed two little legs cheerfully scaling a fence, clutching stolen allowance from the third child. The teacher continued, “They even used a lighter to roast their classmates squid jerky in the school grove!” Rhys’s expression was as if he’d been struck by lightning. “… How dare you two use fire?!” The fifth child tilted his head. “But didn’t Mommy say raw food gives you a tummy ache?” The entire office fell into a deathly silence. I slowly turned to Rhys. “… Were you like this as a kid?” Rhys wiped his face. “At most, I’d put salt in the teacher’s teacup. The teacher suddenly began frantically rummaging through her drawers. “Where’s my resignation letter? Where did I put it?”

On the way home, the five little ones were still chirping: “Mommy! My gym teacher said my breaststroke looks like a jellyfish!” “I read my essay ‘My Dad‘ to the whole class, and the teacher said no merman could secretly cry pearls in the middle of the night…” “Next week’s parent–child sports day, Daddy, can you use your tail for the 4×100 meter?” Rhys, holding two of them by the scruff of their necks, gritted his teeth. “Release them! Release all of them!” The System asked me: [Host, the villain’s Darkness Meter is now at zero. Would you like to exit this world? I shook my head “I want to use all my points to exchange for permanent residency in this world On the custom–made king–sized bed, the five little merfolk slept soundly. In the kitchen, Rhys was fumbling to cook seafood porridge. That once brooding, obsessive merman now had scales on his tail that shimmered with a gentle, warm glow.

The system’s notification chimed. Exchange successful Congratulations, Host, you have gained permission to spend the rest of your life with the villain] Before it verwated, it suddenly asked me is it worth it? Trading all your points for one fish?) I smiled at the System “Look, he cries pearls for me” in the small box beside my pillow, the purple pearls were from when he was jealous, the pink ones from when we were intimate, and that one of a kind red pearl. that was the night our five tables were born, cred while he held me. The System grumbled, then faded away. [Beyond saving you lovesick fool

The Vance family’s end was even more grim than imagined. After Noah’s death, his grandfather, unable to acquire a black pearl, began to rot from the inside out His body once sustained by the very essence of metalk, began to betray him, his organs putrefying from within The old man, who had prolonged his life by consumi og meman flesh, ultimately dissolved into a putrid mess on his deathbed, his final screams, rank with decay, echoing the gruesome fate of those he had consumed

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The Vance family’s end was even more grim than imagined. After Noah’s death, his grandfather, unable to acquire a black pearl, began to rot from the inside out. His body, once sustained by the very essence of merfolk, began to betray him, his organs putrefying from within. The old man, who had prolonged his life by consumi- ng merman flesh, ultimately dissolved into a putrid mess on his deathbed, his final screams, rank with decay, echoing the gruesome fate of those he had consumed. As for Noah’s parents One stormy night, Rhys went out alone. He returned soaked, seawater dripping from his hair, fresh blood still clinging to his fingertips. I ask- ed nothing, simply handed him a towel. He silently wiped his hands, then murmured, “I threw them into The Northern Maw.” It was the darkest fissure in the deep ocean, a place even schools of fish avoided. “Hmm,” I murmured, standing on tiptoe to kiss his cool lips. “Fish for dinner?” The dark currents swirling in his eyes suddenly dissipated.

Selena’s mind had broken. She spent her days hallucinating that Noah was still alive, that they were just going through a rough patch. So, she would often sit by our doorstep, tears in her eyes, seeking comfort from Rhys. Rhys had called in Dr. Finnegan, who’d helped erase some of her more painful memories. Including Rhys himself One ordinary afternoon, Rhys and I were at the supermarket with the kids when we accidentally ran into Selena. Her drunken father had her comered in an alley “Go ask Rhys for money! He always listens to you, doesn’t he?! The man yanked her hair, slamming her head against the wall. Selena stared blankly, her eyes wide Thys Who’s that?” She truly remembered nothing She didn’t remember a merman once walking to the rooftop for her. Rhys covered the children’s eyes, then turned towards the ice cream aisle Strawberry or chocolate? The five little ones immediately erupted into excited chatter, not one of them glancing back at the alley

As the morning sun streamed into the bedroom, Rhys was braiding the third child’s hair. The five little mermen’s tails thrashed wildly, soaking the carpet. The elde st, seizing his chance, sneakily squeezed toothpaste into the second child’s seashell hair clip. “Rhys Blackwood!” I called lazily from my pillow “Your son’s fighting again!” He turned, a helpless smile on his face, his eyes brimming with tenderness Coming The deep sea will never dry up. And the merman has found his true