SMA Chapter 77- Right Now

Chapter 77

 

It was quite a coincidence. 

 

Marine biologists had once warned that the magnificent beauty of the Great Barrier Reef was soon to be completely destroyed. 

 

Coral reefs, created by coral polyps, were most susceptible to environmental degradation. The increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere continually raised the acidity of seawater, gradually dissolving even the most beautiful coral reefs. 

 

On the other hand, excessive carbon dioxide lead to rising temperatures, causing the vibrant colors of coral to fade. Unfortunately, environmental degradation has become more severe since the 21st century. The melting speed of polar glaciers was deeply worrying. 

 

The Great Barrier Reef must also welcome large groups of tourists every year, which was considered a detrimental cycle to the ecological balance before the apocalypse.

 

Once coral reefs disappear in large numbers, countless marine organisms that depend on them will face catastrophic consequences.

 

This call to action had not yet become widely known before the apocalypse arrived.

 

What emits greenhouse gases? 

 

Car exhaust? 

 

All cars are scrap metal now! 

 

After experiencing disasters such as plane crashes, tsunamis, and plagues, the world’s population has drastically decreased. This was unfortunate for humanity, but the gray-white coral edges even sprouted a segment or circle of bright colors. 

 

They will create even more spectacular sights in the future. Nature does not need humans to appreciate it. The Earth would be better off without humans; this was a terrifying and cruel reality.

 

A sea turtle leisurely swam past Xia Yi. Xia Yi couldn’t help but reach out and pat its sleek shell. Apart from Thomas, no sea turtle would turn its back into a buffet table filled with seaweed and shells. 

 

This truly resembled a lightly equipped traveler—sea turtles choose to rest here to avoid tiger sharks in the open sea. Xia Yi swam with a group of small fish with dazzling reflections of patterns under the moonlight, floating to the surface.

 

There was a clear boundary. Beyond the circular coral reef, the waves surged, while within the area surrounded by coral reefs, just five meters away, it was calm and unruffled.

 

Siren lay on the high coral reef exposed above the sea surface, its pale silver fish tail slightly hanging down in the water, gently lapping the sea surface with every light movement. Behind him, the waves surged continuously, splashing water over his hair and chest, shimmering beautifully under the moonlight.

 

Siren opened his eyes and looked at Xia Yi approaching.

 

There was still a long way to dawn. In fact, sea monsters have no reliable habits of waking up or sleeping. When hungry, they eat; when tired, they sleep.

 

 And don’t forget the greatest benefit of traveling in the ocean: sleeping and traveling effortlessly along the ocean currents. Of course, for deep-sea creatures, is there a difference between day and night? The ribbon fish said it was pitch black there all the time.

 

After encountering Xia Yi, Siren found that humans had a regular pattern of being awake during the day and resting at night. Although he couldn’t understand it, he could adapt.

 

But lobsters and sea urchins, which are delicious, can only be caught at night.

 

The area surrounded by this coral reef was not large, roughly less than fifty meters in diameter, but it was extremely beautiful. Occasionally, you can see schools of colorful fish in the clear seawater. It was almost completely closed, with only a gap in the coral reef on the east side wide enough for small fish to enter. Other sea turtles, including Siren and Xia Yi, crawled onto the coral reef and moved here. So this is a shelter and paradise for small fish.

 

There were no fierce predators here, and shells and seaweed grow vigorously.

 

This terrain was called a lagoon.

 

If a person can’t drown, after a long time, of course, they will swim in the most suitable way along their body.

 

To someone who understands swimming, Xia Yi’s movements may not seem regular, but they were very comfortable, turning direction as he pleases, without any resistance. Sometimes, the seawater even turns with his movements.

 

The mermaid looked at Xia Yi with a strange look in his eyes.

 

Xia Yi liked it here. 

 

This emotion was so easy to feel.

 

But this lagoon surrounded by coral reefs was too small, so small that it’s almost like a cage, which made Siren unable to help but imagine a beautiful future like this, with beautiful schools of fish and coral. 

 

There were at least hundreds of various pearl oysters near the rocks. If you talk about careful arrangement, nature has never created a more exquisite and wonderful place for this lagoon. Staying here, Xia Yi would not be attacked by sharks or other large marine creatures. Siren felt that he could safely go to the deep sea to find food or bring back some novel little things every day.

 

Such as bizarre conch shells.

 

Or colorful small fish.

 

You can even catch a group of parrotfish hiding in the crevices of coral reefs and leave them here as gifts and collections. One day, this place will become the most beautiful and delicious place.

 

Want to eat lobsters? 

 

Just grab a few and throw them in. 

 

Anyway, judging by their size, they won’t crawl out. It’s not for eating them; it’s for letting them settle and reproduce at the bottom of the coral reef. Then watch them come out in line every night to forage. Of course, you have to change your taste. Whatever is best to eat in the Great Barrier Reef, raise it in the bay.

 

Xia Yi would prefer it here. Just go out and find good things every day, climb onto the coral reef at night, and you’ll definitely find Xia Yi when you return to the lagoon.

 

What a beautiful life.

 

Siren was completely immersed in his fantasy.

 

Unfortunately, his purple eyes looked very blurry under the moonlight, and he didn’t seem to be daydreaming at all. Xia Yi occasionally turned his head and didn’t think much of it. He just happened to see a small fish with a lead-gray body leaping on the exposed coral reef above the sea surface.

 

Xia Yi reached out and waved it into the water, but the small fish turned around and bit him with its blunt teeth. 

 

Uh, is this probably what they mean by showing aggression, while I only thought I was scratching an itch?

 

Immediately, Xia Yi realized that it was indeed his mistake. These small fish were not stranded; they were deliberately jumping up with the seawater to nibble on algae in the crevices of coral reefs. 

 

It seems that this was their favorite food.

 

No wonder their colors are like this.

 

You know, living near coral reefs, black and gray are the most conspicuous. Coral and seaweed are so vibrant that tropical fish don’t seem out of place. Exposed coral reefs will quickly fade or be covered with fine white sand. If they are brightly colored, they will be picked up by seabirds one by one for dinner.

 

There are no tranquil moonlit sea stories above the ocean.

 

The waves are only big or small, never still. The seawater on the entire planet is in constant motion without rest.

 

So the sound of the waves has become a kind of eternal rhythm. It’s distant yet close. If you’re used to it, you just ignore it. However, late at night, you often listen to it and feel sleepy.

 

Xia Yi swam to Siren’s side, chose a piece of coral reef without large protrusions, lay down, and looked up at the twinkling stars, then closed his eyes, feeling drowsy.

 

Where else could be more beautiful than the Great Barrier Reef, and where else could life be more comfortable?

 

Hawaii? 

 

Maldives? 

 

They all seem so far away.

 

Maybe stay here forever—

 

A sharp wind, Siren reacted extremely quickly. He suddenly sat up, and a brightly shining rock cone was stuck where he had just been lying. Xia Yi was also awakened by the noise, staring at the weapon that could never have formed naturally. He was about to stand up and see what was going on on the coral reef when Siren held him down.

 

Siren half-turned and looked back, his back slightly tilted towards the direction of the sea, allowing him to return to the sea in an instant.

 

Not letting Xia Yi stand up was also because this made him a bigger target and more susceptible to attack.

 

But when Siren and Xia Yi looked over there, their pupils shrank in shock.

 

It was a boat, a human boat.

 

Painted in snow white and azure blue, these boats were probably meant for couples renting them for vacation. There were at least a dozen drifting along the current, spaced at least ten meters apart. Xia Yi couldn’t see them, but Siren was fixated on the curly-haired man on the first boat.

 

These people were very disciplined, their rowing movements uniform, and surprisingly unobtrusive amidst the sound of the waves. 

 

Siren had just been daydreaming, and Xia Yi was almost asleep, so neither of them had noticed their approach.

 

Normally, it would be difficult for human eyes to see Xia Yi from such a distance, but Siren’s hair reflected silver light under the moon, making him especially conspicuous!

 

His movement immediately confirmed that he was alive.

 

In the Great Barrier Reef, even deadly jellyfish shimmered silver on the surface of the sea.

 

The closer they got, the clearer they could see. Under the moonlight, on the coral reef, was a young man with silver hair bare-chested… um, should be a young man, with a flat chest. 

 

Although he had waist-length hair that was backlit and made his features unclear, it was obvious that his hand was still pressing against someone else, making it blurry. Only black hair was visible, blocked below the shoulders by the coral reef.

 

It might be two couples who came here for a vacation before the apocalypse and ended up in a sorry state, luckily not yet eaten by sharks!

 

Clearly, they didn’t even have clothes and were soaking in the seawater, which was quite miserable.

 

Among these people were those with abilities, and their skills were not low. They completely ignored Siren and Xia Yi. The lagoon surrounded by the circular coral reef was too small in their eyes. 

 

The coral reef was only five meters wide. What could such a place be used for? A natural playground for running circles every day?

 

But ignoring them did not mean they were friendly.

 

Three or four people were staring at Siren with malicious intent.

 

Not to mention, that silver long hair was particularly rare. Before the apocalypse, it was uncommon for men to have hair this long. They were either actors or models, heirs of wealthy families, or artists. Regardless of the type, they were all good-looking.

 

In today’s world, reputation, beauty, and wealth are all ephemeral. Power is the most real.

 

Encountering a potential beauty was rare. 

 

Whether he is a man or a woman, who cares!

 

Several people were restless, starting to lick their lips in an ugly manner, their eyes very greedy. The closer they looked, the more carefully they examined him. Hmm, the posture with his back facing the sea, turning sideways to look, showing a good figure… and his eyes were actually purple? 

 

Jackpot!

 

It’s not easy to encounter people who might still be alive at sea. Regardless of their thoughts, everyone stared at Siren, and due to the backlight and reflection from the sea, they couldn’t see his appearance clearly, but the feeling of those gazes was almost like tangible anger.

 

In a blink of an eye, the person hiding behind the coral reef next to them disappeared. Upon closer inspection, one could see hands desperately pulling, as if trying to get the silver-haired, purple-eyed person to hide in the sea.

 

How foolish. 

 

Did they think the sea was safe?

 

Everyone revealed malicious smiles. Perhaps taking a break halfway through on the coral reef for some entertainment wouldn’t be bad.

 

This was definitely a pleasure that couldn’t be enjoyed before the apocalypse. Like various forms of torture, like using a knife to cut open the wrist arteries of someone tied tightly, watching them struggle desperately. 

 

Those bastards who used to drive sports cars arrogantly, date models, drink French wine, and smoke Cuban cigars are most suitable for crying and screaming in agony!

 

Recalling those scenes filled with pleasure, while these people smiled maliciously, they suddenly trembled with a faint shudder.

 

-Such a tempting and beautiful taste of pure darkness.

 

Siren was struggling with conflicting emotions. Xia Yi was right beside him. 

 

Seeing humans as food? 

 

That would be unwise!

 

Thankfully, the moonlight tonight was good.

 

The first thing noticed wasn’t the fin on Siren’s elbow, which wasn’t visible when held close to his hair. The same was true for his ear fins. But the small scales on his waist and abdomen wouldn’t be mistaken as hair from a distance. That wasn’t hair!

 

“Siren!”

 

Xia Yi shouted anxiously.

 

The team’s esper was suddenly startled, his expression changing.

 

But everything happened too quickly. For no apparent reason, everyone began to feel their heartbeats quicken, sweat covering their bodies. It felt like something was wrong everywhere, but they couldn’t pinpoint it. 

 

Only the esper heard the rhythmic and eerie infrasound, and the fear that this sound was causing their heart rates to match its frequency. 

 

What kind of strange control would result from this near-mystical control? He didn’t dare think about it and screamed in terror. Suddenly, countless sharp rock spikes exploded in all directions.

 

People nearby were caught off guard. Some were hit directly in the head, while others were punctured all over their bodies, their blood mingling with the sea spray caused by falling waves.

 

When the terrified ones wiped the blood and seawater off their faces, they looked around in horror. The coral reef was already empty.

 

Although they had escaped that eerie discomfort, they didn’t understand why their most powerful companion suddenly went crazy and slaughtered like a madman. The smell of blood would attract sharks!

 

“That person… No, he’s not a person. I saw scales on his body!”

 

“Shit, Gerry, have you gone mad? Why did you kill them?”

 

The esper heard the infrasound. Even though he had only heard it for less than five seconds, which could lead to death within a minute, his mind was already in chaos. Terrified, he held his head and shouted hoarsely:

 

“It’s a sea monster, there’s really a sea monster!!”

 

Of course, “Siren” means sea monster. This was in English, and Xia Yi understood. Anxiously, he grabbed onto the coral reef, but dared not peek to see what was happening over there.

 

“Siren?”

 

Through the circular coral reef, Xia Yi couldn’t understand why Siren hadn’t returned just now. Was it because hiding here was akin to being in a trap? 

 

That made sense; it was even more dangerous! 

 

But when Siren left, he didn’t even reach out to pull him back, and there has been no response at all until now.

 

Xia Yi was at a loss. He couldn’t quite describe the feeling – it was a mix of sourness, sweetness, bitterness, and everything in between.

 

Sharks are executioners drawn to the scent of blood. They were already lingering outside the Great Barrier Reef, seeking prey. Now, excitedly, they gathered closer. 

 

The people on the boat were too preoccupied to blame each other, desperately paddling away or attempting to climb onto the circular coral reef for shelter. It was at this moment that suddenly one boat overturned, followed by screams.

 

Then another, with the triangular dorsal fins of sharks already visible in the moonlight.

 

The waves weren’t large, but the boats continued to capsize one after another, which was clearly abnormal. People either aimed harpoons into the sea or paddled desperately, but still felt a powerful force directly overturning the small boats, causing them to plunge despairingly into the sea.

 

In the spray of waves, silver fish tails intermittently appeared.