LSDWTWHA chapter 6

Chapter 6

The fortress of the Mermaid Kingdom resembled a giant bowl made of stacked stones, turned upside down at the bottom of the sea.

Inside the giant bowl, there were concentric circular structures, nested one above the other in layers. The passages of the Mermaid Kingdom were connected by pipes, and within the pipes, shuttles constantly traveled along fixed tracks, swiftly transporting mermaids to their desired destinations.

These shuttles also connected to waterways outside the fortress, facilitating trade and communication with the human world.

Su Su boarded a small private shuttle of sea blue color with a little mermaid. This type of shuttle could accommodate four people and operated along fixed tracks without needing a driver.

“This was built imitating the subway technology of ancient humans. It has been in operation for nearly a hundred years. I have to say, humans really can invent some convenient things,” the little mermaid said as she pulled the adjacent safety belt across Su Su’s body and secured it. “The location where the High Priest lives is quite remote; swimming there would take at least three or four hours, but with the shuttle, it only takes twenty minutes.”

The shuttle closed, separating the sea water inside from the outside, and the machine started up, rapidly moving along the transparent pipeline. Outside the window, landscapes whizzed by, forming a surreal picture.

Is this the civilization of the human world? Su Su felt enchanted by the speed of the shuttle; this was just underwater. He had heard that on land and in space, they had developed even faster and more advanced means of transport. What would it feel like to be in such a machine?

The High Priest lived in an underwater cave, guarded by mermaid sentinels at the entrance. However, the decor inside was completely different from what one would find underwater. Su Su had never seen such things in the sea but had seen some in the chip study material. For example, in the corner was what should be called a medical pod, used for treating humans.

There was also something on the High Priest’s desk called a light brain, seemingly connected to the networks of the human world. It displayed a virtual world.

On the wall behind her, there was a large projection screen showing the public areas of the mermaid fortress.

“Grandma Priest used to live in the human world for some time, and she has always encouraged us to learn about human lifestyles,” Yi Qing introduced. “Her own residence was built based on where she lived in the human world.”

Is this what a human home looks like? Su Su curiously glanced around; the sofa, cabinets, and decorations all felt novel to him.

Hearing two people approaching, the High Priest turned and looked at them.

The High Priest was a beautiful and mature female mermaid. According to Yi Qing, she was the oldest mermaid in the clan, over three hundred years old.

She showed no signs of age on her face, her hair was silver like moonlight, and her tail exuded a sense of sacred beauty. However, at her shoulder blade, there was a deep wound, and a large portion of her tail was missing, exposing an unhealable, jagged scar.

Mermaids were a race that loved beauty, yet she was unconcerned about these deforming scars, displaying them openly for all to see.

Her eyes were as blue as the ocean, flecked with golden glimmers, as if sunlight were reflecting off the water’s surface. When her gaze fell upon them, it felt as though sunlight was showering down, radiating warmth and brightness.

“Grandma Priest, I want to ask you for something,” Yi Qing stated straightforwardly.

“If it’s concerning your marriage, that’s your father’s decision. I’m afraid I can’t help much with that,” the High Priest said, shaking her head with a faint smile.

Yi Qing’s eyes showed disappointment; clearly, she had hoped for such help.

“But don’t be too quick to feel sad; life’s encounters are filled with coincidences, and things may not develop as you imagine. Why not talk about something else first? Perhaps I can help with that, for example, regarding your friend you brought,” the High Priest said, looking kindly at the hybrid shark before her.

Su Su exchanged glances with the High Priest, seeing a radiant light in those eyes that seemed to peer deep into his heart. In that moment, Su Su felt as if he was being seen through, his current wishes, past experiences, and even future aspirations laid bare before her.

“You want to become a mermaid and live in the human world?”

Su Su was momentarily taken aback. How did the High Priest know what he desired before he even spoke? Was this a divine ability?

The High Priest’s smile became genuine. “Don’t overthink it; this isn’t hard to guess. Most mermaid hybrids who come here have this singular purpose. Plus, your mental force fluctuations are quite… lively. I’m more sensitive to mental force than ordinary mermaids, so I can perceive some of your emotions.”

Indeed, it was a divine ability, Su Su thought emphatically.

However, the more powerful the High Priest was, the happier he felt, as it indicated a greater possibility of his wishes being realized.

[Can you really help me?] Su Su looked eagerly at the High Priest, his gaze full of anticipation and determination.

“I can indeed provide you with some assistance, but whether this matter succeeds depends on you,” the High Priest said, retrieving a palm-sized metal box.

She opened the box, revealing its contents to Su Su.

Swimming closer, Su Su leaned forward to peek inside the box, which contained seven capsules lined up side by side.

“This is the medicine that can allow mermaid hybrids to become mermaids. Simply crush one and swallow it to activate the mermaid bloodline within, transforming into a mermaid’s form.”

[There really is such medicine?] Su Su was overjoyed, almost greedily reaching for the box, looking as though he wished to crush and consume it all immediately.

“Don’t rush; I still have a few questions to ask you,” the High Priest said, closing the box and nudging Su Su back with her fingertip as he almost lunged toward her.

“What you meant earlier is that you yearn to live in the human world and thus wish to become a mermaid, correct?”

[Yes.] Su Su flicked his tail affirmatively. In his heart, he added: I long for a life with enough to eat.

The High Priest asked again, “So, do you actually want to become a mermaid, or become human?”

Su Su was a bit confused. Yes or no questions were easy, but choices were harder. What if he answered incorrectly, and the High Priest decided not to give him the medicine? Thus, Su Su cautiously replied, “Is there a difference? After all, don’t mermaids become human in appearance after marrying humans?”

“Of course, there is a difference.” The High Priest replied without elaborating further.

“Then… I guess I’d prefer to be human,” Su Su considered for a while before voicing his instinctual choice. Although he couldn’t fully distinguish the differences in such transformations, he felt a small surge of anticipation resonating with his long-held curiosity and desire for the human world.

A look of understanding appeared in the High Priest’s eyes as she pushed the box toward Su Su and explained:

“Mermaid hybrids, like mermaids, possess both human and fish genetic samples. However, they differ from mermaids in that a mermaid’s dual genes remain until adulthood. It is only after she determines her lifestyle that these genes begin to evolve, with one becoming dominant while the other remains hidden.”

“But for hybrid mermaids, the human genes are instinctively hidden at the start.”

“The medicine for mermaids was invented to reverse this genetic transformation, but the process isn’t straightforward. The mermaid medicine acts merely as a catalyst; this change requires one’s own strength and a strong mental force.”

“If you wish to become a mermaid and ultimately achieve a stable human form, thoroughly activating the human genes in your body, you must possess a stronger desire than a typical mermaid. Only when you wholeheartedly identify with and strongly desire to become human will this mermaid medicine truly take effect to help you realize your wish.”

[Oh, I definitely have no problem with that! My desire is incredibly strong.] Su Su confidently stated.

Su Su did not heed the High Priest’s warning, swiping his tail to uncover the lid and sucking one capsule into his mouth, biting down and swallowing it whole.

It would take a moment for the medicine to take effect, and Su Su suddenly felt a wave of drowsiness wash over him. While he still maintained his breathing and swimming movements, his consciousness had already entered into slumber.

The High Priest pressed a switch, causing the ceiling to split open, and a transparent net enveloped Su Su, pulling him toward the upper chamber.

As Su Su fell into a blissful dream of transforming into a mermaid, Yi Qing hesitated, glancing at the High Priest.

“What do you wish to ask?” the High Priest gently looked at her.

“High Priest, why did you give him that medicine? Isn’t it known never to have succeeded before?” Yi Qing stuttered hesitantly.

One was her new friend; the other was the respected High Priest, which placed Yi Qing in a difficult position.

While she couldn’t fully understand it, seeing Su Su’s eagerness to become human, she wished for his wish to come true.

However, the mermaid medicine given to Su Su had indeed never successfully worked. When it was first developed, many hybrids had come to seek the medicine, but they all experienced varying degrees of disfigurement after the transformation within a month, reverting to their original biological forms.

Later, this type of mermaid medicine was discontinued, replaced by a new one. The new medicine was praised for its stability and a success rate of up to ninety percent, with no side effects.

Of course, the new medicine was not without its drawbacks. After helping mermaid hybrids transform into mermaids, they remained as mermaids without differentiation, unable to become human or revert to their original biological forms.

However, humans raised mermaids not only to breed but also for companionship and aesthetic purposes; thus, keeping them in mermaid form would be preferable. Consequently, the new medicine quickly replaced the old one once it hit the market.

Su Su was a male shark, and after becoming a mermaid, he wouldn’t be able to have human children, thus reducing any compelling reason to want to transform into a human.

Yi Qing couldn’t understand why the High Priest chose to use the less stable and ineffective old medicine over the newer, more reliable one.

“His mental force talent far exceeds that of ordinary mermaids. What doesn’t work for other mermaids may work for him,” the High Priest stated.

Yi Qing asked in confusion, “But why take the risk? Isn’t there an easier solution?”

The High Priest lifted her head, seemingly looking at Su Su, who was sound asleep upstairs, as if gazing far beyond that: “Did you see the fire burning in his eyes? It’s like he wants to rise from this sea and burn straight to the sky. The water cannot hold him; he is destined to go to places where mermaids cannot swim.”

“With a being like him, once he sees the civilization of the human world, how could he ever be content being a mere mermaid for human observation, forever confined in a tank and fed? Doing that wouldn’t be helping him; it would be harming him.”

Really? Yi Qing recalled Su Su’s previous comments about wanting to be kept as a pet in a tank, thinking he was the type to only care about being fed and nothing else.

Besides, was the human world really that great? Even if it was, it was only beneficial to humans; she knew that in the human world, mermaids were treated little better than pets. Even with legs, they wouldn’t have true freedom of movement in human society.

“I still don’t understand,” Yi Qing said. “You don’t seem like someone who would get involved in such trivial matters.”

The High Priest had secluded herself for three hundred years, remaining distant from everyone outside a few royal descendants, paying no mind to the world. Why was she so concerned about a mermaid hybrid she’d just met, even taking the liberty to change his medicine?

“How do you know this would be a trivial matter?” the High Priest looked at the young princess. “Su Su is special; he is neither a mermaid nor a human, yet he can potentially be both. I see a possibility in him. The hope is slim, but it’s worth a try.”

Her words were somewhat profound, seemingly referring to Su Su’s transformation into a mermaid but also suggesting something else.

Yi Qing wanted to ask more.

But the High Priest had already leaned back in her soft chair, closed her eyes, seeming to have fallen asleep.

“Wow!!” Su Su jerked awake, springing up from his bed.

His silver tail remained as it had always been, instinctively swishing in the water, while his upper body had transformed into that of a human.

He stared at his two palms: Does this mean… I succeeded?

Clumsily, he flapped his hands like fins, wobbling and moving his body away from the bed.

The smooth, polished floor reflected the shadow of a young man with a fish tail.

The person looked very young, possessing a vague aura between youth and adolescence, with silver-blue hair cascading behind him, skin as white as snow, lips a rich crimson, and a delicate face with strikingly beautiful features that exuded an innate allure and temptation.

The temptation was so strong it transcended gender, a type that made anyone’s heart race and mouth go dry upon seeing.

Who is this beauty?

Su Su tilted his head, and the shadow mirrored his movements.

Su Su found himself stunned.

Is this… me?