MASG chapter 27

 

Electronic Corruption? Xia Yu lifted his face and looked toward the large ship.

It didn’t look much different from an ordinary ship, only bigger. Xia Yu was familiar with the term “Electronic Corruption”; Jingwei had mentioned it before but never explained it clearly. Jingwei had gone offline again these past few days, disappearing for so long that Xia Yu started to doubt his suspicions were true.

Jingwei’s artificial intelligence must be hiding from something.

Just like himself, it was also struggling to survive in the apocalypse—only that its side was another world, another kind of battle.

What was all this for? Xia Yu looked at his wristband. Who sent Jingwei to him, and who set the route to guide them to restart Power Plant No. 3?

What exactly was inside the power plant? How do they restart it? How could they save the world?

Would Mo An come back?

A series of questions gave Xia Yu a headache. He longed for the life he used to have, when all he had to do was lie quietly, follow the rules, and wait to be dismantled piece by piece. But he could no longer go back—no one can return to the past.

Save the world, raise Mo An, and see the sea. I’ve already completed one of these three tasks, Professor Wang Qin. Can you see it from up there? Xia Yu looked up at the clouds again. But I definitely can’t do the other two. Mo An has to follow the sirens back into the deep sea, and saving the world is too difficult. I’m just a useless little jellyfish.”

Before their eyes, the sea surface was smooth as a mirror, though hidden turbulence lurked underneath.

Once again, Mo An was pulled away by an underwater whirlpool, forcing him to change his swimming direction. He didn’t even know how many times it had happened. The school of fish was right in front of him, but he couldn’t catch up. Each time, he was just a hairbreadth away, but that hairbreadth became a gaping hole.

Sunlight pierced his eyes through the sea surface.

All the other mermaids had tear membranes, but Mo An didn’t. His hair and scales were also a different color, making him stand out. But Mo An didn’t want to give up this chance. His instincts were slowly awakening. He had to find companions quickly, seek protection, and then grow fast.

He wanted to grow to be as big as Meng Qingqing—no, even bigger! Once he had grown, he would learn selfishness and predatory behavior. That way, no one would be able to bully him again. Mo An’s body flipped over once more. This time, he didn’t need the waves to push him along—he simply flipped onto his stomach.

Is this the end? Would he never be able to swim properly again?

Unknowingly, Mo An floated flat on his back. Compared to adults, his tail fin was too small and fragile. Moreover, he had realized that once the tail was injured, it couldn’t regrow unless he was still inside an egg.

But if he hadn’t hatched early, the little jellyfish and the noisy little bear would have died. So Mo An didn’t regret it. He’d rather lose part of his tail fin.

“Laite chu, latie yer…” Mo An murmured softly underwater.

Transparent bubbles rose with his body. As he neared the surface, Mo An refused to give in again—he flipped himself over! He wouldn’t accept defeat, slapping hard at the boundary between sea and air. From the shore, his tail could be spotted as it flashed, then disappeared again as he dove back into the water.

The fast-swimming school of fish ahead kept shifting shape like a net. All living beings have an instinct to avoid predators—they seem to be able to predict the hunter’s next move and adjust in the opposite direction.

Mo An, who was already slow, kept getting tricked and lunging into nothing.

But after a while, he began to understand the flow of the water. When the current flipped him again and again, he stopped fighting it and used its power to propel himself forward. His pelvic fins helped him stay horizontal. He was the clumsiest in the sea, but he also refused to give up.

Light gleamed on his dazzling scales.

Meng Qingqing chose to watch silently, wondering how this siren had been born. The sea had given him life, so even when it ended, he should rest within the ocean. She remembered that the first fish she ate after hatching was a swordfish. Why couldn’t Mo An catch even a few tiny coral fish?

It seemed his fate could only go so far.

Meng Qingqing shook her head and was about to turn away. She wasn’t a double-tail and had no duty to care for the young, nor did her sisters. If Mo An could prove his ability, they would accept him as a “siren.” But clearly…

Clearly, Mo An believed he could.

Silver scales stirred the waves into thin streams. Once again, Mo An darted into the school of fish. The currents were as chaotic as ever, and the dazzling light before his eyes disoriented him, almost shattering his will. He closed his eyes and gradually regained his bearings in the darkness, trying to hunt with the acuity of a fish rather than relying on his sight.

After all, mermaids didn’t need vision in the deep sea.

Following his instincts, Mo An dodged strange, overlapping currents. He seemed to see fish surging upward, each one shimmering like the shallow waters above. He began to rise, too, struggling to stay balanced while accelerating. Finally, with one powerful flick of his tail…

—he leapt out of the sea!

Out of the water, his gill slits closed to form a smooth, intact neck. A small fish dangled from his mouth, his first meal. He plunged back into the ocean and slowly opened his eyes. Meng Qingqing was already swimming over, followed closely by others of his kind.

A group of sirens accepted him. For the first time, they touched him—their hands were cold and sharp yet careful as they caressed the youngling.

“So small! Even a sunfish could knock him out.”

“Oh my, oh my, what a little male fish! So strange. But look how pretty his little face is.”

“Mo An, right? All right, from now on, we’re your aunties.”

“Call me sister, not auntie! I only transformed last year. This is my first time seeing such a tiny mermaid. It feels like I could eat him in one bite.”

“Hello, sister. Hello, auntie. Sister is pretty. Auntie is pretty.” Mo An ate while surrounded by his kind. The warmth of being accepted filled him with peace. They held no barriers toward him and accepted who he was. They chatted about how to raise him and how to dress him as a cute little girl.

Having so many female elders suddenly was a little overwhelming for Mo An. At first, they only petted him, but soon, they began hugging and kissing him. Their voices were full of affection.

“What a pity, such a beautiful tail got hurt. Will it affect his speed later?”

“It’d look so perfect if it were symmetrical. What should we do about that side now?”

“Will he change color when he grows up?” Does anyone have an extra skirt? Remember to share it with him.”

“Growing up around females, will he think he’s one too? Who’s going to teach him about puberty? Will he even find a mate?”

As they talked, they lifted Mo An out of the water. As a welcoming ritual, Meng Qingqing led them in a soft chant in merfolk tongue. “Xtellar!”

The beautiful, black-haired sea demons echoed tightly after her: “Xtellar!”

“Xtellar!” Mo An shouted along with them, finishing off the rest of his prey in a few bites—their sharp white fangs all glinting alike.

This beautiful and heartwarming scene caught the attention of Xia Yu and Mi Dou. Having been through so much together, they were both happy to see Mo An return to his family. Yet, Xia Yu felt a pang of sadness—he knew he was facing another goodbye.

Professor Wang Qin was gone. Now, Mo An was leaving, too. Ultimately, only he would remain. With a faint smile, Xia Yu held back tears and hid the sob in his throat. “That’s great, really great. Mo An’s been accepted by the sirens. He has a home now.”

“Yes, he can finally go home.” Mi Dou was happy for him, too. But why did his heart ache?

“We…we can make a promise,” said Xia Yu, still forcing a smile. “Every year, on the first or last day, we’ll meet here at the lighthouse. Just once a year. That way, he’ll know how I’m doing, and I’ll know how he’s doing.”

“But I’m so sad.” Mi Dou said honestly. “Even though I haven’t known him long…”

Afraid of being hit right where it hurt, Xia Yu hurriedly cut him off. “No, no, we shouldn’t be sad! It’s safest for Mo An to leave with the mermaid. If he stayed with us, he’d starve, sleep poorly, and always have predators chasing him. Honestly, I’m tired, too. Taking care of him has been so exhausting.”

Mi Dou looked at Xia Yu in disbelief.

Tears streamed down Xia Yu’s face without his realizing it. He didn’t even know he was crying as the weight of sorrow pressed on his heart once more. “Really, I’m not lying. I’m so tired of taking care of Mo An. I can’t keep him alive. It’s better this way. He’ll be fine. I can finally live for myself and not worry anymore.”

“Xia Yu…” Mi Dou wanted to comfort him, but he didn’t know where to begin.

“It’ll be fine. I want to go back with you to the middle layer, find a job, and collect electronic parts. I still have to find a way to restart Power Plant No. 3. I have to save the world. There’s so much to do. I can’t spend every day with a mermaid watching him grow up.” Xia Yu had never cried this much before. “Let’s…let’s go.”

He didn’t dare look at the mermaids on the surface. Their joy was his parting gift—but an inevitable one. He forced himself not to look back and turned away. After a long silence, his wristband finally lit up again.

Jingwei: [Hello Xia Yu, long time no see.]

“Why did you take so long this time? Where did you go?” Xia Yu wiped his tears.

Jingwei: [You’re crying. What happened? Did something happen to Mo An? Did he die?]

“No, he didn’t die. He hatched. He’s a very beautiful little fish. He even found his tribe. Soon, he’ll return to the sea. He won’t be coming back. He…” Xia Yu couldn’t continue. Every word was hard to get out. He’d thought of Mo An as family even back in the research lab.

That’s why he visited the fish egg every day and told it about the surgeries he performed. But now, this little fish was leaving. He should go to the vast ocean—not…

Splashing sounds reached Xia Yu’s ears, and cold seawater brushed his lashes.

He was about to turn back when a merman floated before him, belly up, tail flipping weakly.

Mo An was anxious. He had called out to Xia Yu many times from afar, but Xia Yu didn’t respond; he only turned away, crying. So now, regardless of danger, he swam up, holding a little crab in his hand.

“Xia Yu,” he said, carefully offering the crab. “Why are you crying?”

“I—I’m not.” Xia Yu quickly wiped his face.

“Did I do something wrong? Are you upset?” Mo An grabbed another crab from the rocks. According to mermaid custom, offering food was a gesture of friendship reserved for close friends. Sharing food meant sharing life itself.

“No, you didn’t do anything wrong. Don’t overthink it.” Xia Yu didn’t take the crab but pointed with teary eyes toward Meng Qingqing in the distance. “They’re looking for you. I’m fine.”

“Are you ignoring me now?” Mo An swam from side to side, trying to keep his balance, but he ended up on his back again. “Why are you ignoring me? Tell me.”

“No, no.” Xia Yu turned away, afraid that if he looked at him one more time, he wouldn’t let him go. “I…”

“Why don’t you want me anymore?” Mo An realized it—Xia Yu was trying to send him away.

“No, it’s not that. I’m not abandoning you. You belong in the sea. You can’t stay with me forever.” Xia Yu didn’t want to hurt Mo An, but he couldn’t pretend to be cheerful, either. He searched for softer words, but Mo An didn’t give him the chance. Before Xia Yu could respond, Mo An flicked his tail.

A drop of seawater flew toward Xia Yu’s face, followed by a small figure.

Mo An leapt from the sea straight onto Xia Yu, pinning him down. Startled, Xia Yu reached forward and caught the merman tightly in his arms. They rolled several times. When they stopped, Mo An was on top of Xia Yu, his tail flapping and his chubby hands gripping Xia Yu’s wrists.

“Why should I go back to the sea? Why can’t I stay with you? Don’t you want me?” Mo An refused to let go of his claw. “I’ll grow up. I’ll learn to be selfish and hunt. I’ll catch fish for you to eat, okay?”

“Hey, you brat! What are you doing? Bullying him again!” Before Xia Yu could respond, Talos grabbed Mo An’s tail. Mo An’s tail stiffened, and he turned his head, baring his teeth in protest. But Talos lifted him straight up, head down.

“Don’t bully him. He’s scared to tears.” Talos said.

“You better let me go, or I’ll kill you.” Mo An said, upside down.

Talos ignored him, swung his tail, and tossed the little one back into the sea. Xia Yu scrambled up and looked anxiously toward the water. “Don’t throw him like that! His tail is hurt…”

“Never pity a mermaid. They’re the most deceitful and cunning…” Talos hadn’t finished when a green-shelled crab flew at him and hit his nose bridge.

Mo An kept grabbing little crabs and attacking Talos, circling angrily in the sea.

Things became chaotic quickly. Soon, Meng Qingqing arrived on shore, representing the siren. They held a meeting in the lighthouse. “So you’ve really decided to grow up with him?”

“Of course. He’s my xla.” Mo An had also regained his legs, sitting in a skirt…

“Of course he’s my xla,” said Mo An, who had regained his legs. He now sat beside Xia Yu, wearing a skirt and clinging tightly to him.

Xia Yu spoke cautiously, afraid the sea nymphs might misunderstand and think he was insisting on taking Mo An away. “Actually…”

“No ‘actually.’ I’ve found my xla. I’ll protect him until I grow up.” Mo An cut him off.

A treasure is every mermaid’s lifelong pursuit, though each mermaid’s xla is different. Meng Qingqing didn’t take Mo An seriously. He was just speaking without reservation, reluctant to part with a new playmate. “But think carefully. Growing up on land means facing greater dangers. You won’t develop your pectoral and dorsal fins until adulthood, at the very least, and your tail fin will never fully regenerate.”

“I don’t care,” Mo An declared flatly.

“This isn’t about what you care about—it’s about whether you can survive.” Meng Qingqing moved beside Xia Yu. “Your eyes are very different. Tell me, what are you?”

Xia Yu didn’t dare lie. “I said I’m a jellyfish… a Blue Jellyfish.”

He wished he hadn’t spoken. After he spoke, he saw Meng Qingqing’s brow furrow. Then, her icy hand touched his forehead. She tapped him lightly. “Little jellyfish, this makes it even more impossible for me to entrust him to you.”

“Why?” Xia Yu suddenly clenched Mo An’s small hand.

“Blue jellyfish are one of our natural enemies. Did you know you’re highly venomous? Your poison is deadly to mermaids,” Meng Qingqing replied. “If Mo An stays with you too long, he’ll die.”

 

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Acargoreng: I realized “electronic corruption” fits better than “electronic erosion,” so I’ll be using that term from now on. Sorry if this caused any confusion! 😊