MASG chapter 30

 

The sound of self-detonation was muffled.

Xia Yu didn’t even notice — everything happened so quickly. Screams rose all around. People started to run in panic. The air was thick with the smell of blood. Yet, none of it seemed to have anything to do with him. It was as though a barrier separated him from the chaos.

All that blood landed on Mo An’s body. His long hair was dyed in red and white patches, looking strange and unsettling. It wasn’t just blood; there were blurred clumps of flesh, too.

Dark red blood mixed with black clots hung sparsely from the ends of his hair, giving off a foul stench. Xia Yu himself was completely clean—even the meal box in his hand was perfectly protected.

What a fast reaction speed! How did Mo An do it?

That was Xia Yu’s first thought.

Someone self-detonated! Someone died! Was it the parasite host’s doing?

That was his second thought after he came to his senses.

“The parasite has appeared! Everyone, be careful!” Lao Gui reacted half a beat slower than Mo An, but immediately alerted the guards through his wristband. There had never been a parasite on the middle level before — why now? Lao Gui was shaken, but his experience made him the quickest to recover. He kicked Mo An and Xia Yu into a corner at once.

The two rolled twice and pressed themselves against the wall.

“What’s going on? Didn’t they say there were none here?” Xia Yu finally asked. “Wasn’t Nüwa supposed to control everything?”

“No idea. Let’s just watch for now.” Mo An seemed unnervingly indifferent to everything around him. “But Mi Dou’s mother went over. She’s fast.”

Mi Lian now belonged to the Guard Division and charged straight into danger. She barely had time to enjoy the reunion with her son before throwing away the honey cake he was eating. Her hands reached for her holsters and drew weapons that looked half like energy blades and half like guns.

“Everyone, fall back! Class A alert! Class A alert!” Mi Lian’s left ear had been completely mechanized. The moment she issued the alert, every guard in the division rushed over. The woman who had self-detonated was gone, and the blood she had left behind marked the beginning of danger.

Something was writhing inside those indistinct organs.

No one could tell what they were. There were many of them, lurking within the blood. Mi Lian took an anti-explosive shield from a comrade but didn’t move forward to investigate. No one was allowed to act rashly until they understood the nature of the parasite.

“What is that?” Mo An’s face, covered in blood, stared intently.

“Don’t go there!” Xia Yu grabbed Mo An’s hand, genuinely worried that he would try to play hero. He realized that sirens had an overwhelming sense of bravery. Mo An feared nothing, not even death on land. Though only a few years old, he already had the makings of an ocean predator.

Xia Yu wasn’t the only one holding him back; everyone else was too. To Mi Dou, this was like thunder from a clear sky. One moment, he was happily sharing cake with his mom; the next, she was in danger. He tried to rush through the crowd, but Xia Yu noticed and ran over to pull him back into the corner.

“Shh, don’t move,” Xia Yu ordered.

His two younger brothers nodded in agreement.

The surroundings were eerily quiet. The quieter it was, the more wrong it felt. Fear tightened everyone’s nerves, coiling deep in their chests and ready to snap at any moment.

The pile of flesh and blood seemed to boil, bubbling constantly. The surface tension of the blood was like a dense net, trapping the unknown organisms within. The smooth metal floor became its carrier, and it began to move. It wasn’t attacking yet, but rather probing.

“It’s gained intelligence,” Mo An suddenly said.

Lao Gui looked down at him, startled. If the parasites were evolving toward intelligence, then humanity’s living environment was in greater danger than ever before.

“They weren’t this smart before,” Mo An said. He could feel it. Perhaps it was because neither of them were human. These things weren’t much different from artificial intelligence — once they found their evolutionary path, they’d sprint forward at a terrifying speed.

Humans were not the masters of the surface.

Just then, an AI warning echoed from the ceiling.

Nuwa: [Parasite level confirmed — low-level, leech-type parasite. Execute immediate termination. Use of weapons authorized.]

Was that Nuwa? Nuwa’s voice! Xia Yu’s mind went blank for a second, and he lost his sense of reality. The last time he’d spoken to her, he’d still been inside the sleep pod. After that, the world had turned upside down. Her voice hadn’t changed at all — still gentle yet crisp and decisive when giving orders and filling people with a sense of safety.

What brought even more reassurance were the weapons. The moment the flamethrowers activated, the ceiling’s fire-control system engaged, and water and fire tangled together, obscuring everything. Flesh was scorched, and screams filled the entire floor. The voice wasn’t human — it was more like some kind of beast.

Yet the burning didn’t repel it; it only enraged it further. The mass of flesh exploded, and the leeches wrapped inside it screamed and scattered in all directions.

“Hold the line! Don’t let them through!” Mi Lian aimed her flamethrower forward.

The fleeing leeches were as thick as fingers. Hearing her, they stopped immediately — as if considering what she said. Then, arching inward from both ends, their bodies coiled tightly before springing upward—they actually jumped!

Once one leech learned to jump, they all did. Their intelligence was shared.

Mi Lian had noticed it, too—their rate of evolution was far more terrifying than their physical growth. Soon, they would figure out how to kill humans. Clearly, they weren’t afraid of fire; the flames only scorched their surface. Even after sizzling with smoke, they were still alive!

“They’re not afraid of heat anymore.” Mo An stepped forward, oddly approving of their evolution. At the same time, faint electric sparks flickered at his fingertips, unnoticed amid the chaos.

But Xia Yu noticed.

“They’re afraid of electricity.” Mo An took another step, and the blue current around his fingers became more visible. Before he could take another step, however, someone snuffed it out.

“Don’t speak.” Xia Yu cut off the current and covered Mo An’s mouth. The electricity was stronger than expected, numbing his right hand and locking his fingers around Mo An’s tightly.

“They’re afraid of electricity! They’re afraid of electricity! I’ve seen it before!” he shouted, but his hand stayed in place, forbidding Mo An from saying anything.

He’d learned his lesson—in the apocalypse, one must be selfish and protect oneself. He wouldn’t let the same thing happen to Mo An. If others discovered that Mo An could generate electricity, they might take him away for research.

Even if they didn’t, Mo An would lose his trump card, which would lead to a different kind of exploitation. So Xia Yu wouldn’t let Mo An take a single step forward; he guarded him fiercely.

Afraid of electricity? Mi Lian immediately switched weapons after hearing the warning. She didn’t have time to question whether a child’s words were credible. Life and death flipped in an instant — everyone adapted. For her son and her comrades, she had to take a risk!

When she activated her electric cutter, the leeches’ obvious retreat proved she was right.

“Attention, everyone! They fear electricity!” She quickly relayed the message. Electric weapons were among the most common now. The triangular-headed sheriff arrived just then. It was a cleansing operation with a predetermined outcome.

In the apocalypse, once a weakness was exposed, death followed easily. Xia Yu watched everything unfold and silently recited the rule in his heart.

“All right, this should be fine now.” When things settled, Lao Gui was still shaken. “I really jinxed it… Come on, I’ll take you back. The machines can handle the cleanup.”

Only then did Xia Yu release Mo An. After comforting Mi Dou, they followed Lao Gui out first.

Back in the elevator, Xia Yu recalled the night he fled with Mo An.

“Strange. How did you know those things were afraid of electricity?” Lao Gui asked casually.

“I ran into one before—a man who self-detonated and turned into leeches, too. But those ones weren’t this smart yet. They could swim, but they couldn’t jump. That day, we hid in an underground waterway where electricity leaked. We discovered their weakness by accident. Later, I encountered a fungus host who almost ate me. Mi Dou saved me. He scared it off with a weapon.” Xia Yu explained.

“Mi Dou? He’s so small. How could he have scared off a fungus host? Impossible.” Lao Gui was doubtful. Fungus hosts were different from animal or plant parasites. They were fungi, and their method of devouring was infection, which was much harder to prevent. How had Xia Yu escaped one alive?

Crap. Xia Yu’s heart skipped a beat. They hadn’t had time to compare stories with Mi Dou. What if Mi Dou mentioned the power plant incident?

Their stories were full of holes now — one slip could expose them. Nuwa’s “eyes” were everywhere. Every camera, every robot, and even people’s wristbands were part of it.

Ding!—the elevator stopped at the 135th floor.

Lao Gui led them out. This level was the residential area. They passed many gleaming metal doors, each of which had a display showing how many people lived inside and their identities. Every detail was listed. Xia Yu and Mo An behaved like real orphans, obediently following every instruction.

But Xia Yu had doubts. Nuwa definitely knew him. It was as if he’d forged a fake identity right under its nose. So why didn’t it act?

Or was this all part of its plan? Did it allow him and Mo An to enter? Did it allow parasites to infiltrate, too? But why?

“Here we are.” Lao Gui stopped at the end of the corridor and opened a metal door.

The door revealed a tiny corner. It was so small that Xia Yu didn’t even consider it a room. Inside was a single capsule bed built into the wall with an embedded wardrobe, nightstand, and mini-fridge. Nothing else.

“I told you this place wasn’t good. Should we change rooms?” Lao Gui suggested.

“No need. This suits me and my xla. We’ll live here together.” Mo An stepped inside first. “I want to take a bath. After we’re clean, we can get married.”

“Yes, we’ll get married and eat fish fillets together.” To Xia Yu, marriage clearly meant eating together.

“Married? You two are really something. Does Talos not mind?” Lao Gui chuckled. “The bath is public. It’s at the other end of the hall. Just scan your faces; it’s free.”

“Okay, thank you!” Xia Yu bowed and personally escorted Lao Gui to the elevator. They both couldn’t wait to bathe when he came back. They left the meal box and went out.

It wasn’t bedtime yet, and the bathtub was empty. Xia Yu helped Mo An undress, wincing at his injured left foot.

They shared a stall as warm water cascaded over them both.

“I love bathing. I love water.” Xia Yu poured shampoo and carefully washed Mo An’s hair. “Don’t protect me next time. I’m older. You’re the kid, I’m the big kid. I’ll protect you.”

“No way! I’ll never back down.” Mo An said seriously. The contrast between his solemn vow and his childish face was almost funny.

“You talk so seriously.” Xia Yu washed his face. “Oh, by the way, does your skin get itchy when you don’t touch water for a while?”

“It gets very itchy,” Mo An replied.

“I see. Then we’ll shower every night so it won’t itch.” Xia Yu sighed. If they had better living conditions, a bathtub would be great. Even better, he’d get Mo An a pool.

But none of that mattered — survival came first. After bathing, they returned to their small room. A package and a note from Lao Gui were waiting by the door — new clothes.

They changed out of their bloody old clothes, saving them to wash the next day, and put on the fresh ones. This marked the first day of their new struggle for survival.

When the door closed, only the two of them remained. They smiled at each other and crawled into the capsule bed together.

It was narrow and small, only wide enough for one person, but just right for two kids. The capsule reminded Xia Yu of his old sleep pod; it felt safe.

“So nice. Finally settled down.” Xia Yu opened the meal box. The fish fillet had gone cold. “It’s cold, but that’s okay. Let’s eat anyway.”

“No settling. Give it to me.” Mo An took the box with both hands. Soon, the warmth from his palms reheated the fillet. “Here, now you can eat.”

“Don’t waste your energy on that. You’re not an oven.” Xia Yu touched his hand; it was hot.

Unexpectedly, Mo An said seriously, “My xla is not allowed to eat cold food.”

“You talk like a little grown-up. You’re funny.” Xia Yu laughed and took a bite of the fish fillet. It was so good that he didn’t want to eat it himself, so he stuffed a big piece into Mo An’s mouth. “Today was so dangerous. You almost gave yourself away.”

Mo An’s delicate features puffed up with the food. “Why?”

“We all have to learn to be selfish. That’s what Jingwei taught us. You can’t show your cards so quickly. Besides Mi Dou and me, it’s best if no one else knows,” Xia Yu said seriously. “Otherwise, we might get robbed.”

“Okay, I get it.” Mo An nodded and grabbed the fish fillet to feed it to him. “Eat more.”

“You eat too. I’m older than you.” Xia Yu was reluctant.

“Once the heart of protecting xla awakens, it will never die,” Mo An said. Xia Yu laughed again. When would the little fish ever learn to speak properly? Now, he was quibbling over words. Was that typical of all mermaids?

Mo An didn’t know what Xia Yu was laughing at, but he enjoyed seeing him laugh. But his mind was busy, too. In just a few short days, he had tried to accept and understand the entire world, including “Nuwa.”

With Nuwa’s arrival, why would a parasite be here? Perhaps the host was nearby.

Why? Mo An couldn’t figure it out.

Just as they finished their fish fillet, there was a knock at the door. “Xia Yu! Mo An! Are you guys staying here? I’m here to play with you!”

“It’s Mi Dou!” Xia Yu jumped off the bed and opened the door for him. Mi Dou stumbled and almost fell on top of Xia Yu. Even though he had been prepared, he still hadn’t expected the room to be so small.

“Is this a small warehouse?” Mi Dou looked around. “Mom and I share a room. Why don’t you stay with us?”

“No need. This place is great. Very suitable for Mo An and me,” said Xia Yu, pulling him onto the bed. “By the way, you must not tell anyone about the power plant or the mermaids.”

Mi Dou hugged the new quilt and pillow. “Of course, of course. I won’t tell anyone, not even Mom. She asked me to give these to you because she was worried you’d be cold tonight. What are you doing now?”

“We’re getting married.” Mo An licked his lips. “I also have something very important to tell you, and it’s only for the two of you.”

Mi Dou and Xia Yu looked at him, waiting for him to speak.

Mo An coughed solemnly. “Actually, my mermaid clan name is Anixida. It may have been given to me by my mother or father. Every fish in the sea has a name that represents its identity. Now, I’m telling you mine.”

“Ah…Anixida, what a strange name!” Mi Dou rubbed his head. “Mo An is good at remembering it. How did you get your names? Do both of your parents have the surname ‘A’?

Mo An shook his head. “No, ‘A’ means small. It’s added to underage larvae, but disappears when they grow up. I heard the mermaid sisters call me ‘A Ni.'”

“Okay, we can call you that from now on.” Xia Yu quickly decided on Mo An’s nickname. It had a deep meaning, symbolizing their friendship through thick and thin.

“Okay, just for the two of you,” Mo An agreed. Names are crucial for mermaids and brim with emotion.

“Nishida, Nishida? Ani? You have so many names.” Xia Yu cradled Mo An in bed. “Come, Midou. Let’s lie down together. We’ll live a good life and grow up together!”

“Okay!” “I want to grow up big and be as brave as Mommy!” Midou placed his hand on Xia Yu’s. After going through so much, they had become each other’s support. Unconsciously, another small hand reached out, forcefully squeezing Mi Dou’s hand away. Mo An tucked his hand between theirs.

Mi Dou had been lingering at their place because Mi Lian was busy and didn’t have much time for him. He preferred the company of his peers to being alone in an empty room. When it was time for bed, Mi Lian came to find him. He reluctantly followed his mother back home.

Xia Yu and Mo An were the only ones left in the small room, and it was time for them to go to sleep.

“Mo An, A Ni, good night.” Xia Yu gently pulled the blanket over Mo An.

“Good night.” Mo An slept on the inside, against the wall. After years of sleeping in fish eggs, he thought he would hate such a cramped capsule bedroom. But when Xia Yu lay beside him, Mo An realized that it wasn’t the enclosed space he hated, but rather the boredom and loneliness.

With Xia Yu by his side, he could sleep for ten thousand years.

The warm nightlight turned off, and their bedroom and the entire hallway fell silent. A robot patrolled the corridor, and a red-lit camera suddenly… It turned and looked at one of the many cabin doors.

The next day, Xia Yu and Mo An slept until almost noon.

With no need to hide and no natural enemies at the moment, they relaxed. Xia Yu checked the Siren Scale bracelet extra carefully while they washed up in the morning, fearing it might fall off. As long as Mo An didn’t remove the bracelet and didn’t leave the crowd, Leviathan wouldn’t find him so quickly.

“A Ni, let’s go find Midou. After breakfast, we’ll look for work.” Xia Yu took Mo An’s hand.

“What kind of work are we looking for?” Mo An watched the robots moving back and forth.

“I don’t know. Maybe we can ask the leader of the parts team.” Xia Yu thought that if that didn’t work out, he’d go find Lao Gui. Mi Dou and Mi Lian’s room was at the other end of the hallway. As they got closer, the gathering of adults became more noticeable.

“Hello,” said Xia Yu, immediately grabbing one of the adults. “Excuse me, what happened?”

“Don’t go over there! There’s a contagious disease! The adults might be fine, but the children will definitely be infected,” the man said. “Mi Lian’s son might be dying. Sigh.”

“Yes, what a shame! Mi Lian searched for her son day and night for a while and finally found him.

“They’d only been reunited for one day.”

The terrible news hit Xia Yu and Mo An hard. The little friend who held hands with them yesterday and wished to grow up together was going to die today?

 

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Acargoreng: ~In Chapter 18, the author used the Latin ‘anixda,’ but this time it’s written as 阿逆希達 (Ā Nì Xī Dá). I just followed the raw here 😆✨