QTEBS Chapter 38

The sea breeze carried a scent of blood drifting along the shore.

These sizable marine creatures had been cleanly severed, fresh blood still bubbling out from the cut surfaces.

The blood flowed with the waves, splashing at the feet of a lady who reflexively stepped back two paces, then screamed in shock, “Ah, ah, ah!!!”

Zong Yuan walked in with a cold expression, kicking one of the large crabs at the edge back into the sea. “Get the hell out of here, you damn gift!”

A few of his companions stepped back, looking at him with admiration—so fearless, truly impressive!

Three seconds later, the crab he had kicked back into the sea returned to its original spot, perfectly aligned.

Zong Yuan was furious. “What the hell!”

He turned and walked toward the higher ground of the island. A frail man next to him asked, “Where are you going?”

Zong Yuan didn’t look back. “I’m going to find a weapon.”

It better be sharp enough to kill that fish with a single strike.

He spat out bloodied saliva, the taste of that thing still lingering in his mouth. Damn it, what a humiliation.

The few people left on the beach exchanged glances. “What about these things…”

The creatures killed by the mermaid were still fresh and there were many seafood types that humans liked among them. However, none of them dared to touch the pile of bodies.

Those items sent by such creatures… who knew if touching them would lead to death? They were reluctant to try.

The mermaid hid beneath the waves, its dark pupils fixated on Zong Yuan through the water’s surface. Its tail swayed and its hair scattered in the water; no living creature dared to approach or infringe upon it.

Such bold humans.

Zong Yuan wandered the small island all day. As time passed, he grew increasingly irritable, feeling certain that the damned mermaid would appear again when night fell.

He asked 0046, “So, the biggest obstacle to our survival is that thing?”

His fierce gaze made 0046 stutter for several words. “Y-yes, I suppose.”

“You guys didn’t even provide any information,” Zong Yuan frowned. “It can clearly manipulate people’s hearts.”

0046 joined him in condemning headquarters. “Exactly.”

He couldn’t find any sharp weapons aside from branches, so Zong Yuan had to pull a tall one from the underbrush. He found one suitable for his needs and strode back toward the beach with an imposing demeanor.

0046 looked worried. “But Zong Yuan, you fainted yesterday—”

Zong Yuan cut him off. “Shut up!”

Could he not mention such an embarrassing incident again?

Why couldn’t it just be a secret between him and 0046?

0046 understood. “Got it.”

Zong Yuan walked onto the beach with a grim face, lighting a fire. “You all can go.”

His demeanor suggested that the mermaid would come again.

Those things were still lying on the shore.

No one dared to stay; the mermaid might not kill Zong Yuan, but it might not hesitate to kill them. They offered a few encouraging words, feeling guilty, and hurried toward the cave.

Fearing that any delay would turn them into mere sacrificial lambs.

Zong Yuan chewed on a blade of grass, calmly waiting for the night to descend. 0046 cautiously asked, “Zong Yuan, are you less afraid of the fish now?”

Zong Yuan grasped his slightly trembling hand. “What do you think?”

This instinctive fear couldn’t be easily overcome.

However, for someone like Zong Yuan, humiliation was even more terrifying than instinct.

He genuinely wanted to overcome his fear and kill it.

With this stick in hand.

Stick: …I’m not ready. I can’t do this.

The sun slowly descended. Zong Yuan took a deep breath, dragging the stick to the seaside. “Hey, mermaid?”

No response.

Zong Yuan raised an eyebrow. “Not here?”

He had no idea what that thing had done, but there wasn’t a single fish or shrimp to be seen in the nearby waters. He took a deep breath and stepped further into the sea.

The water reached his thighs. Zong Yuan stopped, elongating his words. “Little, stupid, b—”

The sound carried on the wind, drifting far away.

Zong Yuan concentrated, feeling all the movements around him.

The mermaid silently swam up behind him, extending a pale, powerful hand that resembled a ghost’s, and suddenly grabbed Zong Yuan’s ankle.

Zong Yuan reacted quickly, raising the stick and thrusting it down hard… Did he hit something?!

The stick punctured something and sank in deeply.

Zong Yuan tentatively let go of the stick, which stood upright on the surface of the water.

He asked, “Did I hit it?”

0046 replied, “I don’t know…”

Zong Yuan, feeling bold, took a deep breath and dove to the seabed.

As soon as he opened his eyes underwater, he found himself staring directly into a pair of deep, dark eyes.

Inside those eyes hid the joy of a successful hunt.

“!!!”

Zong Yuan looked at it, realizing that the stick had been casually secured by its tail. Damn it, he had been tricked.

He surged toward the surface, but the mermaid abruptly grabbed his foot and swiftly swam deeper into the ocean.

Here we go again…

0046 couldn’t help but predict, “Next, it’ll hug and kiss you, you’ll faint, and it’ll bring you back.”

“…Are you seriously cueing me into the process again?”

Faint? No way, he wouldn’t faint even if he died.

The mermaid’s tail brushed against him lightly. Zong Yuan gritted his teeth, forcing himself to ignore the sensation.

Was it just his illusion or did it seem like he was underwater for… longer?

The mermaid lowered its head, its cold lips pressing against Zong Yuan’s. He turned his face away, but the next moment, he was forcefully held in place.

The mermaid aggressively invaded his mouth, perfectly aligning with 0046’s prediction.

Damn…

Zong Yuan, with the mindset that he had nothing to lose, bit down hard on the mermaid’s tongue.

Bright red blood splattered between their lips.

The dark emotions in the mermaid’s eyes churned as it slowly licked the blood from the corner of Zong Yuan’s mouth, then fiercely sank its teeth into his shoulder.

“Hiss,” the mermaid’s teeth were no joke, even though it had intentionally retracted the sharp teeth it used for hunting.

Having completed its childish act of revenge, the mermaid reignited its curiosity about the human before it.

Its tongue ached subtly and it instinctively looked elsewhere.

Zong Yuan frowned tightly, the brutal aura growing heavier.

He would kill it sooner or later.

The mermaid restrained Zong Yuan’s hands and coiled its tail around his legs, slowly probing downward.

What was this?

Zong Yuan’s face turned pale. Damn it! What the hell! This was dangerous. His hair stood on end; no man could remain calm with a fierce mermaid focused on that spot.

If you’re capable, confront him directly! Don’t go after his brother’s business!

The mermaid’s thick, curly hair billowed under the waves, and its beautifully sculpted face was full of confusion. It reached out and gently touched that spot.

Zong Yuan closed his eyes, gathering strength to struggle.

He thrust hard, causing the mermaid’s tail to slip away. Zong Yuan smirked, throwing it a disdainful glance as he shot up toward the surface.

Whether he could escape or not, he had to pretend to act the part first.

However, less than a second later, the mermaid restrained his limbs again.

His actions clearly infuriated it.

The sea churned violently; the mermaid’s face turned cold as it beckoned with its fingers, and several sturdy strands of seaweed floated toward Zong Yuan.

Zong Yuan: “…”

I beg you to be kind.

What the hell?!

The mermaid imitated Zong Yuan’s smirk, once again blowing a breath into him, and forcibly bound his hands and feet with seaweed.

It gazed at its possession with satisfaction, reveling in the joy of having completely controlled him.

It remembered the strange attraction he had to it earlier. Turning its head, it swung its tail in front of Zong Yuan, redirecting its attention to that spot.

Zong Yuan stared blankly at the tail swaying in the water before him.

He had never been so close to a fish before.

Let alone a fish with such a large tail.

He felt dazed, his heart beating slowly. 0046 said softly, “You’re not going to faint again, are you?”

Zong Yuan jolted awake. What do you mean ‘again’?!

He struggled against the restraints; the seaweed dug into his wrists, leaving red lines. How could this stuff be so strong?!

The curiosity within the mermaid deepened, a voice inside its heart telling it that this thing was its favorite treasure.

Favorite treasure… could it be eaten?

Suddenly, Zong Yuan let out a pained sound. The mermaid hurriedly turned back, only to see his face pale. It leaned close to his lips to give him air.

What a fragile human.

The others obediently hid in the cave. While they had slept soundly last night without knowing anything, today, having learned about such a creature, they no longer dared to sleep.

What fairy tale about mermaids? Bah! It’s all a lie!

One person trembled, “C-Can he kill the mermaid?”

No one spoke.

From today’s experience, it was clear that the mermaid could control people’s hearts. How could anyone possibly kill it?!

The man in the suit had long woken up, and now, silent, he suddenly stood up. “I’m going to sneak a look.”

“Are you crazy?!”

The man in the suit replied, “I’ll hide first! We can’t just wait here forever!”

Suppressing his fear, he walked toward the beach.

The mermaid had placed Zong Yuan on the sand. In a fit of rage, Zong Yuan laughed bitterly, “I really want to kill you.”

The mermaid tilted its head, its long hair cascading onto Zong Yuan’s face. Zong Yuan’s expression is hidden in the darkness, he whispered, “I advise you to kill me or I swear I won’t let you go.”

From what he experienced in the sea… he felt he had let down Fu Xin and Jiang Shengyan. More importantly, he had wronged the lover waiting for him in this world.

The mermaid bent down and licked his face, then moved to lick another spot.

It felt intimate as if the flesh were sprouting from his own body.

Zong Yuan closed his eyes in despair; even though he was forced… he still felt guilty toward his lover.

Damn mermaid!

Zong Yuan tightly shut his eyes, his lips pressed into a straight line.

The mermaid freely left its scent on him, its dark gaze fixed ahead.

The man in the suit stood rigidly in place, trembling uncontrollably as he rolled backward on the ground.

The mermaid shot him a warning, icy glare.

The man in the suit suddenly understood its meaning.

The mermaid was saying, “He is mine.”

No one could approach him.

His legs went weak. As the mermaid shifted its gaze away, it peeled off Zong Yuan’s clothes, licking the wound it had bitten into him.

0046 caught a glimpse and almost jumped up. “What the hell!!!”

Zong Yuan’s head throbbed in a haze. “Speak.”

0046’s voice trembled, “It’s the same, Zong Yuan, it’s the same!!!”

“What’s the same?”

“The wound it bit! The wound the mermaid left on your shoulder!!!” 0046 was frantic, wildly searching for the mermaid’s tail. “It’s identical, damn it!!!”

Zong Yuan’s pupils constricted sharply.

 

Author’s note:

“What is that place? Can it be eaten? So tasty.”

Zong Yuan: Damn it, you’re messing with me!!!

Mermaid: Lick lick lick

Zong Yuan in despair: I’ve cheated.

Mermaid: Lick lick lick

Zong Yuan: At this rate, I must be the submissive…

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