CATSR Chapter 110

“The secret realm has disappeared,” reported the first group of officers to emerge from the sea.

 

The Enforcement Division secured the coastline of the inner sea. Except for a few who managed to escape using specialized abilities, all foreign ability users were apprehended.

 

All present officers were questioned about their enforcement actions that day. Afterward, the case was handed over to the Ability Crimes Unit, which took over the investigation into the secret realm incident.

 

Jun Ye and his team used spatial teleportation to return to C City, assisting the investigation remotely.

 

Throughout the journey, Pythius, in his handgun form at Jun Ye’s waist, remained unusually quiet.

 

Had the secret realm’s legacy transferred to him? Was it harmful? Why was he so silent?

 

Jun Ye rested his hand on the gun several times but ultimately said nothing.

 

It wasn’t until they returned to his apartment that Jun Ye swiftly removed his coat, took the gun in hand, and asked, “What’s wrong with you?”

 

After a pause, Pythius’s weak voice echoed in his mind, “I… I’m dying of thirst.”

 

“Thirst?” Though his partner hadn’t touched water since their trip to the coast, how could an all-element ability user be parched?

 

Jun Ye placed the gun on the couch and went to the kitchen to fetch water.

 

The water dispenser was empty. Opening the fridge, Jun Ye grabbed a bottle of mineral water, only to hear a rustling sound behind him.

 

Turning around, he found Pythius in his human form, sprawled naked on the couch, squirming uncomfortably. His expression was anything but pleasant.

 

That bad?

 

Jun Ye frowned, quickly returning with the water bottle. His intuition told him this was connected to the system.

 

The missing secret realm legacy…

 

As Jun Ye knelt beside the couch and twisted the bottle cap open, Pythius lunged for the bottle, snatching it hastily. Instead of drinking, he poured the water directly onto his exposed chest.

 

The icy water cascaded down his flushed skin.

 

“Ahh…” Pythius exhaled deeply, his chest heaving with labored breaths.

 

Jun Ye caught a glimpse of translucent scales shimmering on Pythius’s chest where the water touched—scales that vanished the moment the water dried.

 

An entire bottle of water was absorbed within seconds.

 

“More… water,” Pythius groaned, discarding the empty bottle. His legs pressed together as he writhed restlessly.

 

Jun Ye didn’t waste any more time. He scooped Pythius up in one motion, kicked open the bathroom door, and carried him inside.

 

Since drinking wasn’t the issue, a change in water supply was in order.

 

Jun Ye adjusted the water temperature and gently set Pythius into the bathtub.

 

“Hot!”

 

The moment Pythius felt the water, he clung tightly to Jun Ye, refusing to let go.

 

Jun Ye was certain the water was set to a temperature suitable for human bathing. Dipping his hand into the half-filled tub, he confirmed it was comfortably warm.

 

Recalling the brief appearance of translucent scales on Pythius’s chest, Jun Ye turned the faucet handle toward the cold side.

 

When the tub was filled with cool water, Jun Ye motioned for Pythius to test it. This time, Pythius slid right off him and into the tub.

 

Splash!

 

Water splattered everywhere.

 

Jun Ye glanced down at his shirt, now soaked from the splashing water, before returning his gaze to Pythius, who lay sprawled in the tub, caught between expressions of pain and pleasure.

 

Jun Ye stood silently by, his eyes fixed on Pythius’s legs, which were pressed tightly together. His hand, resting at his side, clenched and unclenched in turn.

 

If this legacy truly had something to do with the system, then it would likely be focused on achieving its goal: pushing him and Pythius together. It wouldn’t be life-threatening… at least, not based on the system’s previous actions.

 

After a long pause, Pythius blinked blankly and murmured, “My legs… they seem to be sticking together?”

 

“Mm.” Jun Ye’s lips pressed into a thin line, his expression hard and cold.

 

Sensing something amiss, Pythius looked up at Jun Ye.

 

The cold expression on Jun Ye’s face made Pythius’s heart sink. Coupled with the strange changes he’d experienced since leaving the coast—his unquenchable thirst and now his legs merging—an alarming thought struck him, draining the color from his face.

 

“Did I… take the legacy meant for you?” Pythius stammered. He’d never intended to claim any legacy, much less one that rightfully belonged to his boyfriend.

 

Was Jun Ye mad? Did he think Pythius had stayed close to him deliberately, waiting for the right moment to snatch it?

 

Tears welled in Pythius’s eyes as his thoughts spiraled. Why was he always favored by such maddening circumstances? It wasn’t the first time an ability or legacy had decided to attach itself to him without his consent.

 

“The legacy is indeed on you,” Jun Ye said, his tone neutral as he reached out to ruffle Pythius’s hair.

 

This shouldn’t have been something Pythius had to bear.

 

“I… I’ll compensate you with myself!” Pythius blurted out nervously, grabbing at Jun Ye’s sleeve. Even though the dryness on his arm felt like it was scorching his skin, he stubbornly refused to let go.

 

In Pythius’s mind, the only thing he possessed that might rival a legacy was himself. But hadn’t he already given himself to Jun Ye the moment they’d gotten together? This offer was practically meaningless.

 

Jun Ye, however, focused on Pythius’s arm. The water on his skin evaporated rapidly, as if it were being absorbed by the strange, flushed surface. It reminded Jun Ye of his past transformation into a merman in the previous world.

 

Scales, heat, an insatiable thirst for water…

 

The only thing missing from Pythius’s symptoms was the “heat,” which meant they now aligned perfectly with his own experiences of species differentiation.

 

“Are you feeling hot?” Jun Ye ignored Pythius’s silly declaration and shoved his flushed hand back into the water. He understood the unbearable sensation of being both dry and overheated.

 

Pythius blinked in confusion, then shook his head.

 

“I’m not hot, just dry. And my legs feel strange. Besides that moment when the water was too warm earlier, I’ve been soaking in cold water. How could I feel hot?”

 

Jun Ye’s eyes fell on Pythius’s legs, where translucent scales were beginning to form. His brows furrowed. This wasn’t differentiation, was it?

 

It couldn’t be. If this legacy had been orchestrated by the system, it wouldn’t subject Pythius to the same merman transformation process as him.

 

“Ah! My legs!” Pythius suddenly cried out, his face a mask of terror as he stared at the translucent fish tail on the other side of the tub.

 

He hadn’t used his transformation ability. Could this be backlash from when he tried to turn that ability user into a fish? Impossible! A mere third-tier psychic ability user couldn’t possibly retaliate against him.

 

The fear of having stolen Jun Ye’s legacy, combined with the shock of his legs turning into a fish tail, pushed Pythius to his limits.

 

Jun Ye also stared at the tail. The translucent scales created an illusion that he could see the blood vessels beneath the surface.

 

Pythius tried to reverse the transformation using his shapeshifting ability but found it blocked, as though something had jammed the mechanism.

 

Grinding his teeth, Pythius attempted a different approach, reversing the flow of his ability.

 

Whoosh—

 

In the blink of an eye, Jun Ye found the bathtub completely occupied by a massive, translucent fish that was longer than the tub itself.

 

The fish flopped awkwardly, struggling to keep its head above the water.

 

Jun Ye: “…”

 

This legacy is terrifying. Did the system honestly think he’d still… “engage” with his partner in this state?

 

“Should I prepare a tank for you?” Jun Ye asked flatly.

 

No!

 

Thank you, but no!

 

With sheer determination, Pythius poked his head above the water and forcibly reverted to his human form—though his legs remained a fish tail.

 

“Haah…” Pythius collapsed against the edge of the tub, gasping for air, nearly becoming the world’s first fish to drown.

 

“You don’t feel dry anymore?” Jun Ye asked, noting Pythius’s arms resting on the tub’s edge.

 

Pythius paused, concentrating on how he felt. After a moment, he nodded. “Not dry anymore.”

 

“Can I take a look at your tail?” Jun Ye asked again, his voice calm.

 

“Mm…” Pythius hesitated, then nodded.

 

What was so interesting about a fish tail? Pythius couldn’t understand.

 

That was, until his gaze flicked to the mirror on the wall. He suddenly remembered overhearing Jun Ye muttering in the bathroom once, confessing that he was a pure bottom, longing only to…

 

Pythius froze. If he stayed like this, with a fish tail instead of legs, how could he ever let Jun Ye experience the pleasures of being a bottom?

 

Jun Ye’s hands moved over the fish tail, inspecting it. With practiced ease, his fingers found a slightly raised scale.

 

Male… So this legacy is meant for males. But why?

 

“Mm…” Pythius squirmed involuntarily, raising his tail slightly, his expression wavering between desire and panic.

 

Why? Why did he still crave Jun Ye’s touch even when his lower half was a fish tail?

 

The sensation was building inside him, despite Jun Ye doing nothing more than resting his hand there.

 

Pythius shut his eyes, unwilling to meet Jun Ye’s gaze.

 

He must think so little of me.

 

Even in human form, his reactions were shameless enough. But as a fish tail? Reacting like this? How disgraceful…

 

Jun Ye observed Pythius’s response with quiet surprise, though he didn’t move his hand. His expression remained calm, his gaze steady.

 

Interesting, wasn’t it? Pythius had always been the one teasing him, nipping at his tail, prodding and playing. Now, Pythius could taste what it was like to be on the receiving end.

 

Suddenly, Jun Ye’s eyes narrowed.

 

Just below the raised scale, about two inches down the tail, was a patch of scaled skin that seemed to dip inward slightly. What was that?

 

Jun Ye shifted his hand, pressing his fingertips against the area.

 

The scales here were unusually soft. As he pressed gently, his finger sank in.

 

It was as if a supernova exploded in Jun Ye’s mind, leaving his thoughts utterly blank.

 

“Ah!” Pythius threw his head back, his body going limp in an instant. His face twisted into a mix of ecstasy and disbelief.

 

It was just one of many conflicting expressions Pythius had worn that day.

 

He couldn’t think—every ounce of his awareness had been reduced to that unfamiliar, hypersensitive spot.

 

Jun Ye, meanwhile, was frozen. His body stiffened, his hand unmoving, and his thoughts thundered with a revelation that defied reason.

 

Dual… dual gender?!

 

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Pythius, you cute summer child worrying about being a top in your state, it’s unneeded~

 

Thanks for reading!