MASG chapter 28

 

One sentence drained all of Xia Yu’s strength.

He had never felt such despair, as if all his hard work had been in vain—and terribly so. Not only could he not raise Mo An, but he was also a poison to him?

Mi Dou and Talos were both speechless. Had their relationship turned out to be that of natural enemies?

“I don’t believe it.” Mo An immediately spoke up. “Impossible. He’s just a little jellyfish, and he can sing, too.”

“You don’t understand the Blue Jellyfish. You don’t know how terrifying it is.” Meng Qingqing had seen them before—more than once. “When the Blue Jellyfish appears, it’s like a blue underworld. They come in swarms—hundreds of thousands, even millions. The sea turns a beautiful shade of blue, luring mermaids closer. Once they get near, they hallucinate.”

“I don’t believe it.” Mo An insisted. “He’s just a tiny jellyfish. Look at his little hands—they’re so cute.”

“He’s small now, but that doesn’t mean he’ll stay that way.” Meng Qingqing didn’t know how to convince Mo An. “As long as the Blue Jellyfish doesn’t die, it keeps growing. I’ve seen one over ten meters long with a transparent stomach that held a whole mermaid corpse. Their toxins can make mermaids lose their sense of direction and go insane gradually. Even if they’re rescued, they’re covered in wounds from the stings, and their bodies are ruined. Countless mermaids have died in their bellies, smiling as they suffocated from hallucinations. Aren’t you afraid of that?”

So that’s what it was! Before Mo An could react, Xia Yu was terrified.

He had never had the opportunity to learn about his own genetic composition because it was a secret within the research institute. Even as part of the X-series, no one could access his files without Professor Wang Qin’s approval.

Recently, he had finally learned from a robot what his genetic composition was—only to find it deadly to mermaids. Life was playing a cruel joke on him. His emotions rose and crashed. Every time he found hope, it was crushed.

“I’m not afraid!” But Mo An’s voice was firm and steady.

Xia Yu’s tiny heart trembled, but he didn’t dare hold onto Mo An too tightly.

“You really aren’t afraid?” Meng Qingqing’s expression fell somewhere between doubtful and encouraging. “Little one, think carefully—this is a matter of life and death.”

“I know, but I’m not afraid.” Mo An had already made up his mind. There was no way he would abandon his companion, who had been with him for so many years. Xia Yu had carried him out of the lab. He’d already lost too much. If he went back to the sea, he’d spend every day and night worrying about Xia Yu’s safety.

Talos was at a loss for words. “Did you not understand what she said? He’s poisonous!”

“But he’s not poisonous to me now. I don’t want to leave him. I’ve bitten him before; there’s no poison. His little hands are really cute.” Mo An’s voice was soft and childish. However, perhaps because mermaids mature early, there was a hint of firmness in it. “He can’t leave me either. When we grow up, we’re going to get married.”

“Huh?” Talos and Mi Dou were both dumbfounded.

“Huh?” Xia Yu was also stunned. Why marriage all of a sudden? Wait—what even is marriage?

“Feeding a mermaid is how you express your feelings. It’s a proposal. He’s fed me so many times. He’s already proposed to me.” Mo An was so serious that he was almost funny. He didn’t know what marriage meant, yet he was certain that this was their destiny.

Xia Yu whispered, “Mo An, what is marriage?”

“I don’t know either…” Mo An whispered back. “I heard adult mermaids talk about it before I hatched. Marriage means two people live together and eat delicious food.”

“Oh, that’s fine then.” Xia Yu felt relieved. “I’m willing to marry you. We’ll eat fish every day.”

“Yes, fish. Then we should get married soon. I want to see your little hands every day.” Mo An nodded seriously.

Talos covered his face, laughing until tears came out. People said mermaids were romantic and artistic, but he’d never seen one propose right after hatching.

“Did you two… even understand the situation?” Meng Qingqing was speechless. How did this one hatch into such a lovesick fish?

Among mermaids of the same level, aside from sirens, there were white sirens, black sirens, twin-tails, deep ghosts, hybrids, and abyssal beasts. Sirens were famous for maturing early—the females developed elbow fins around age fifteen, while the others branched off at eighteen. So this little fish was ahead of the curve, already learning to charm hearts. He wasn’t good at catching fish, but he had excellent “marriage skills.”

So she turned to Xia Yu. “You tell me. If you really can’t leave him, I won’t separate you two by force. But if you can, I’ll take him away. You’re too dangerous for him.”

“I’m not leaving.” Mo An mumbled, “You can’t bully a fish just because you’re older.”

“That’s right. I’m bullying you because I’m older. What about it?” Meng Qingqing didn’t even hide it.

Before she could finish, her eyes fell back on Xia Yu, waiting for an answer. Talos and Mi Dou looked at Xia Yu, too—one curious, the other deeply worried. Mi Dou knew his companions best. He knew how important Mo An was to Xia Yu—a trust given by Professor Wang Qin. But in the current situation, there was no way out. He was extremely anxious.

Finally, Mo An turned to Xia Yu, too, though his heart was pounding.

Back on the reef, Xia Yu had already shown signs of wanting to leave—he’d wanted to throw Mo An back into the sea. Now what? What would he say now that he knew they were natural enemies? Would the little jellyfish give up custody?

Everyone’s gaze felt heavy on Xia Yu’s thin shoulders.

He was frail and underfed ever since he escaped. His shoulders were narrow and pitiful. As he stretched out his hand, he stared carefully at the fingerprints and veins. How could such a fragile being be a mermaid’s natural enemy and the cause of countless deaths?

Should he give up on Mo An?

But if he didn’t, then what?

“You decide,” Meng Qingqing urged. “My sisters are waiting.”

Xia Yu looked at his hand again. “Then… can I… raise him for now?”

“What?” That caught Meng Qingqing off guard.

“He bit me, and I’m not poisoned.” Xia Yu gathered his courage, unable to hide his sadness. “Let me raise him first. I’ll protect him and never let anyone hurt him. When I become poisonous, then you can take him away, okay?”

“I won’t leave even then,” Mo An added.

“Don’t say that—you might die if I poison you.” Xia Yu quickly covered his mouth, then panicked at the thought of his own toxins. “Oh no, I touched your mouth! Go wash it off!”

“Enough. Even if you’re poisonous, washing won’t help now.” Meng Qingqing grabbed Xia Yu’s hand, slicing a small wound with her nails.

A drop of red blood welled up—it looked harmless. She dipped a finger in the blood, tasted it, and said, “No poison yet.”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

“But you’ll become poisonous eventually. Just wait.” She let go of his hand. “Fine, if you insist on being together, then grow up together.”

Talos nearly dropped his pipe. “So all that talk was just to scare them?”

“I thought you’d take Mo An away. How can they stay together?” he asked.

“This is Mo An’s choice—and a mermaid’s choice. In our world, mermaids never share food unless they’re lovers. Every mermaid must take responsibility for their own choices. We can’t alter their fate, nor do we want to. Survival of the fittest includes willpower, too—you wouldn’t understand.” Meng Qingqing said calmly.

The long speech was too complicated for Xia Yu. The only part he really understood was “no poison for now.”

“Then… what about Leviathan?” Talos didn’t want to deal with that creature again.

“We can offer protection, but in real danger, he’ll have to rely on himself. That’s his destiny.” Meng Qingqing patted Mo An on the head. “I hope you won’t regret this later.”

“I won’t.” Mo An didn’t care about any of that. If no mermaid had ever grown up on land before, he would be the first.

After saying that, Meng Qingqing disappeared. When she returned, she held a strange bracelet, which she tied to Mo An’s left wrist. “This is the ‘Siren’s Protection.’ Each of my sisters contributed a scale to make it. Wear it—it’ll represent us by your side.”

“This is… protection?” Mo An looked at the obsidian-like shine.

“Our aura will surround you, making it harder for enemies to find you. But if they do, escaping will depend on you.” Meng Qingqing could only do so much. “Learn to blend in with humans. Their scent can confuse the Leviathan and other predators.”

“Okay, I’ll remember.” Mo An nodded.

“On the last day of each month, we’ll wait for you at the lighthouse to train you and bring you gifts from the sea. If you don’t come, we’ll assume you’re gone.” Meng Qingqing said.

“I won’t let him die,” said Xia Yu bravely.

“That’s not up to you. You can stay together now, but one day you’ll be separated.” Meng Qingqing seemed to already see that day. “Mo An, remember—if you get hurt in the sea, no sisters will come save you. Not all sirens will accept you. Before you reach adulthood, enemies will still hunt you. Your path will be hard.”

Each hardship sounded like an immovable boulder, but Mo An didn’t care. “I know. I’ll grow up and become a true siren.”

“Good. When you come of age, I’ll take you to find Haisiruola.” Meng Qingqing extended her right hand.

Mo An extended his right hand, too. Their webbed palms touched softly, completing a kin’s vow. Meng Qingqing wasn’t too worried—every mermaid fought to survive. That was the only law of the sea.

The waves calmed and the sea fell silent once more. The corroded cargo ship drifted in place, waiting for the repair crew to rescue any survivors. Meng Qingqing finished giving instructions and said to Talos, “You still owe me a favor, so I’m leaving them to you.”

“That’s too big of a favor,” Talos groaned, unwilling to take this hot potato.

“It’s your atonement,” Meng Qingqing replied.

Talos fell silent, then raised both hands. “Alright, alright. But I can only provide for their basic needs. Don’t expect me to feed them three meals a day.”

“We don’t need you to feed us. We want to go to the middle level,” said Xia Yu, explaining his plan. Having three kids would be a huge burden, and Talos didn’t seem to have a fixed home. “Please take us there. We can join the repair team and earn money.”

“That could work.” Talos felt relieved; he’d feared the kids would cling to him.

“Yes, there must be people from the yellow crystal mines there—maybe my mom too,” Mi Dou added. “We’ll take care of ourselves. We listen to Nuwa. As long as we obey, we won’t die.”

“All right, I’ll take you tomorrow. I’ll find someone to look after you, too,” Talos agreed quickly. After all, they weren’t safe with him.

Once everything was settled, Meng Qingqing prepared to leave. Before she did, she looked at Mo An again, reluctantly and helplessly.

“May Haisiruola bless you,” she said, patting Mo An’s head once more. One day, he’d understand the Mermaid World and all that he’d missed.

“Where is Haisiruola?” Mo An asked. He felt he’d heard the name before.

“She’s our god. May you meet her one day.” Meng Qingqing blessed him.

It truly was a blessing. Hearing the name alone filled Mo An’s heart with warmth, as if he’d known her forever. That night, they stayed at the lighthouse again. Though only a few days had passed, Xia Yu felt as if years had gone by, a strange sense of calm settling in his chest.

It was late, and Mi Dou was already asleep. Xia Yu lay between them and turned toward Mo An, gently touching his ear fin.

It was so ticklish. Mo An woke up instantly.

“Sorry!” Xia Yu whispered. “I didn’t know…”

“Mermaid ears are very sensitive.” Mo An rubbed his ear fin. “Why did you wake me up? Are you scared? Don’t be. I’m a siren, and you’re my xla—I’ll protect you.”

“Huh? What exactly is xla?” Xia Yu whispered. “Is that your language?”

“Xla means treasure.” Mo An was just as curious about Xia Yu as he was about him. “When we go to the middle level, xla has to stay with me.”

“Okay… sure.” Xia Yu didn’t understand the mermaid’s language, but he grabbed Mo An’s wrist anyway. “We’ll see the sea, raise you, and save the world. I’ve already completed the first mission. Now comes the second.”

Jingwei: [I know it’s not the best time to say this, but you two should sleep.]

“Jingwei!” Xia Yu’s eyes lit up. “You’re back online! Are you okay?”

Jingwei: [Why do you ask that?]

“Because I feel like you’ve been hiding something. I was worried.” Xia Yu spoke from the heart without realizing it. “We’re going to the middle leveltomorrow. Talos said he’ll arrange everything. We’ll find a place to stay and blend in with the humans so that the Leviathan gets confused. Oh, did you collect data on the electronic corruption?

Jingwei: [Collected a lot.]

Xia Yu blinked. “You didn’t answer whether you were hiding, so I guessed right?”

Jingwei: [There are things you shouldn’t know yet. I’m organizing the electronic corruption data. Once you join the repair team, I’ll help you. Congratulations to Mo An—welcome to the dangerous real world.]

It’s Mo An’s first time speaking to Jingwei. “Can you go to the deep sea?”

Jingwei: [The bracelet should be waterproof with a diving depth of around 3,000 meters. Beyond that, the connection will break. I suggest not trying. Now, go to sleep. Sweet dreams, little ones. Xia Yu, take care of yourself.]

“I will.” Xia Yu nodded.

Outside, a light rain began to fall, unnoticed. Jingwei stood still once more. Xia Yu turned back to properly tuck in Mi Dou, then turned to keep Mo An company. He found himself gently patting Mo An, as if he were still a fish egg.

Beyond the window, the cargo ship remained anchored in the distant sea.

The next day brought continuous drizzle.

The sirens had left Qingyao City’s harbor, and Mo An could no longer sense the heartbeats of his kind. While the others ate breakfast, he dove into the sea and feasted without a hitch. Mermaids require immense energy, and despite his small size, he could devour an entire school of fish.

In return, a mermaid’s body becomes nourishment for the sea. Before passing away, every mermaid strives to return to the depths of the ocean, sinking quietly beneath the waves. Their bodies transform into the richest nutrients, offering the sea their final gift.

Once everyone had eaten their fill, they climbed back into Talos’s vehicle. Their destination was the southeastern corner of Qingyao City.

“I’ve contacted my friend Lao Gui. He said he’ll take care of you.” Talos didn’t touch the steering wheel; the car remained on autopilot.

“Thank you. I’ll find a way to repay you someday,” said Xia Yu. “Is there anything we need to do?”

“Probably just find some work to do, then blend into the crowd. One of you is a third-class citizen and the other two are sixth-class. But since Mo An is a merman and that can’t be revealed, he also counts as a sixth-class citizen. You’ll have to earn points to trade for supplies. Sorry about that.” Talos chuckled.

“Man, what class are you?” Mo An asked sharply.

“Don’t ask what you shouldn’t,” Talos replied. Talos replied.

Two hours later, they arrived at the shelter. Though the name sounded ordinary, the building before them was remarkably advanced.

“The middle level was converted from the old garbage disposal area. I’ll see if Lao Gui
can arrange a room for you,” Talos said.

“Just who do you owe a favor to?” Mo An pressed, digging up old dirt. What could be going on between Talos and Meng Qingqing that would make him act this way?

“I told you—don’t ask about things you shouldn’t!” Talos turned around and tapped Mo An on the head with his pipe. How precocious could this kid be?

“Ouch, that hurt!” Mo An clutched his head and dashed behind Xia Yu, who immediately shielded him, blowing on the spot and rubbing it gently. “There, there. Watch your words from now on. Don’t make grown-ups angry. Little ones like us get hit.”

“Xla can’t get hit,” Mo An mumbled.

“Hey, look! What’s that over there?” Midou pointed toward the 3D projection screen on the left, where a crowd had gathered. While Talos went to find Lao Gui, the group held hands and pushed their way through the crowd. After some effort, they finally reached the front of the screen.

“Looks like a recruitment ad. I recognize this one,” Midou said. “It’s for the Parts Team.”

“What kind of work is it? What can we do?” Xia Yu wasn’t tall enough, so he stood on his tiptoes to peer forward.

“The latest one is…” Midou also stood on tiptoe and said, “The Tide… a ship? A ship docked at the harbor lost contact. After the crew sent a distress signal, there’s been no response. They’re forming a specialized rescue team for the Tide.”

Tidal? Xia Yu recalled the ship in the harbor. Could it be that one?

“Whatever ship it is, we absolutely mustn’t board it. It’s bound to be dangerous.” Midou turned to leave, about to pull Xia Yu and Mo An away, when a familiar figure in the crowd made him cry out instinctively: “Mom!”

A woman with bear ears atop her head instantly whipped around.

Midou let go of Xia Yu’s hand and ran toward her. Before she could embrace her son, she began to cry, sobbing uncontrollably the moment they reunited.

“Thank goodness! Midou’s mom is safe—she’s alive!” Overcome with joy, Xia Yu wept too. After so many days, this was finally good news. “Mo’an, look—this is how human society works. Parents raise their children until they’re old enough to work on their own… Mo’an? Mo’an?”

Mo’an pressed one hand against his right eye socket. A piercing sound echoed from the depths of his mind, causing his right pupil to dilate completely. When he released his hand, his eye had turned blood red.

“Great Lord, grant us all things. And from those who have not, take even what they possess.”

The voice persisted relentlessly. Those clad in sailor uniforms stood on the deck with their backs turned to him, their bodies swaying like seaweed.

 

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Acargoreng; Why does Mo An saying ‘Man’ make me laugh every single time 😭