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nCh 264 There’s a Mermaid at Home (10.25)

nThis chapter had a lot of confusing sentences, so I apologize in advance. I did my best! Also, fair warning, this chapter ends in a cliff.

n“This was a sacrificial offering, a sacrifice for the Mother1 of the deep-sea mermaids.”

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n“The human race was panicking. The continuation of our survival was dependent on deep sea mermaids, but the cause of our imminent destruction would also be the deep sea mermaids. To doctor a dead horse as if it were still alive,2 they chose to kill the deep sea mermaids that provided the mermaid cells. Then they took them to experiment on, and began to study more comprehensively natural mermaids born of humans themselves.”

n“It was also at that time that we discovered that deep sea mermaids originally possessed powers beyond the human imagination. If their powers were taken for our own, or were held in an embryo, the resulting child’s strength would certainly be more powerful.”

n“And thus began the unceasing hunting of deep sea mermaids, forcefully seizing their powers. It was also at that time that the humans and the deep sea became irreconcilable enemies. A war started that lasted for thousands of years. The war with the deep sea finally ended when the Emperor of the Sea encountered a plot and humanity won.”3 Andrew’s body was suddenly seized with terror. How could he tell these things to a deep sea mermaid?!

nXunMi’s eyes dimmed. This was truly a ridiculous joke.

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nShe had inherited all the memories of the Emperors of the Sea, and never saw anything about the deep sea mermaids demanding sacrifices. There was only humanity’s insatiable greed, nothing more.

nThey {the humans? the mermaids?} did not first go to clearly investigate why those mermaids would make a false countercharge, and they also didn’t go out to find a viable solution. Unexpectedly, they were just this arbitrary.

nEvidently, it was this kind of thing that brought about the deep sea mermaids’ extinction.

nIf the Female Lead didn’t come, if XunMi didn’t come, would this plane still have these kinds of intelligent life forms?4

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n“First I’d like to apologize. I used suggestion on you.5 But I should first explain that if it’s something you don’t want to say, my compelled suggestion is useless. I think you also feel some regrets inside, regardless of whether you are angry with my actions or whatever. I am very grateful for what you said, but what humans owe to the deep sea mermaids can never be erased.” XunMi stood up and bowed to Andrew, and sincerely apologized.

nOriginally, XunMi was not planning to use suggestion, but just now BaoBao was shouting at her from the space, saying she didn’t have enough time, this old man was crucial, and so let her use suggestion.

nClearly, this already couldn’t be considered as knowing a little, this was knowing a lot.

nHowever, just now when she used her suggestion, she faintly detected that the old man’s heart was not as calm as he appeared to be on the outside, and was a little dark. Was it just her illusion?

nAndrew was shocked. “Your gift is control.”

nHe was at the 2S level. Even if he was old and his ability had declined, he was still somewhere in the S level, otherwise how could he sit as the head of the Mermaid Academy?

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nXunMi lowered her eyes and spoke in an unclear tone, “No, my gift is more than that.” She extended her hand to reveal a crystal ball in the center of her delicate white palm.

nInside the sphere, seven colors of energy were cheerfully swirling about, extraordinarily beautiful.6

n“Dean Andrew, you need not be so amazed. You’ve had doubts since the first time we met, haven’t you? Otherwise, the bookcase on the 17th floor about deep sea mermaids would not have appeared, wouldn’t you say?”

nBefore she thought it was Anson who had done it. After all, he had admitted to taking the information from the military.

nIn that case, after knowing her identity, it was also possible he could’ve gone to the Mermaid Academy to feel her out.

nBut thinking about it later, if he was capable of controlling the library, there was no need for him to go to great pains to steal the deep sea mermaid information from the military.

nIt was just now that she finally understood.

n“Hahaha,” Andrew laughed, his voice was cheerful, not at all giving the impression that he had just experienced great emotional ups and downs.

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n“Little XunMi said it well. The name Thetis may not be known to others, and sound rather strange. But as the president of the Mermaid Academy, and former member of the Mermaid Research Institute, naturally I know a little something about deep sea mermaid surnames.”

n“This old man didn’t hold any malice. I merely wanted to see why you’d come ashore.”

nXunMi leaned back against the sofa, lightly stroking her fingers along the armrest, apparently thinking over Andrew’s words. “I was destined to come ashore. It’s just that Grandpa Andrew probably doesn’t want to know my purpose.”

nLet’s just let nature run its course and call him Grandpa Andrew again, indirectly indicating that she’s harmless.

n“It should be said, this old man would also like to tell the two of you… be careful.”

nXunMi was still lost in her thoughts for a long while after Andrew left.

n“August, I’m not convinced by what your grandfather said.” She said with certainty, raising her head and meeting his eyes.

nAugust brushed the long hair on XunMi’s forehead aside, his movement gentle, as though she were a fragile treasure.

n“Just do what you want. I will always be at your back. Even if you overthrow the entire human race and become the enemy of humankind, I will give you my gun and lend you a helping hand.”

nThey are one. Since they first met one hundred years ago, they were fated to belong to each other, to be each other’s most intimate person.

nXunMi leaned on August’s arms. The smile on her face was bright, but the emotion in her eyes was intense.

nShe felt as if she had fallen into a vicious circle, and neither Andrew nor Anson had told the truth.

nNo, it should be said that neither of them was completely honest, but Andrew had brought up a key point.

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nThe deep sea mermaid’s power was used to support embryos, so the resulting child, when grown, would be very formidable.

nNot surprisingly, Anson was definitely born from one of the embryos that had been treated, or perhaps it should be said, he was the first test subject of this experiment.7 And his mother was the one sacrificed.

nThe still and quiet night was destined to be disturbed. Howling winds and torrential rain soon poured down.

nIn the depths of the ocean, a rose-red mermaid was anxiously trying to contact XunMi.

nAfter attempting to connect for a long time, but still unable to reach her, her heart was full of panic and anxiety.

nA large amount of black matter had appeared in the ocean in the early evening. Every infected ocean creature began to foam at the mouth, hanging by a thread on their beds.

nGrandpa Tortoise and the Ocean General dispatched all the troops, trying to isolate the pollutants that kept coming in.

nThey tried their best to keep it out of the palace. Now the people in the palace felt very restless.

nYour Highness, please pick up quickly! If you don’t come back, the Sea People will suffer!

nPerhaps Betti’s prayers worked, as the previously blocked message all of a sudden showed XunMi’s figure.8

nBetti, what’s going on over there?

nAs soon as the communication link connected, XunMi discovered Betti’s anxious face, and the surroundings appeared permeated by black stuff.

nYour Highness, I’ve finally gotten a hold of you. Come back quickly! Something is wrong in the ocean! Betti was almost sobbing. Many people have been corroded by the black stuff!

nAfter speaking of the matter, Betti calmed down, as if she’d found a backbone.

nWhen did this happen? How could there be such a coincidence?

nJust tonight, without any warning, it happened suddenly. It started with the discovery of black water in the ocean. We thought it could be pollution from human emissions, nothing major.

nTranslator’s Notes

n1 Who is this Mother? Why is this the first time she’s being mentioned?

n2 死馬當做活馬醫, a phrase meaning, to make every possible effort, or to not give it up for lost. Perhaps pointlessly.

n3 Tbh, I have no idea what this sentence was trying to say. 上一場戰爭以深海的皇者遭遇暗算人類贏了告終。Help?

n4 Ok, so XunMi just thinks everyone is stupid. Since I don’t understand what’s going on, I’ll take her word for it.

n5 I think she is talking about hypnosis, though that was not the word used.

n6 Ok, but does it do anything other than look pretty?

n7 How old is Anson?! I’m confused about this timeline.

n8 I guess it’s a video call.

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