The Lost Atlantis

I purchased a mermaid from an underground trading venue—captivating yet menacing.

But one day, I noticed it studying me through the glass with an invasive gaze.

From then on, every night I fell into a bizarre and eerie dream.

01

To curry my favor, a subordinate led me to the Drifting Clouds Pavilion—the infamous underground auction house in Cold City.

I sat through the night with an air of indifference, utterly bored, a deep weariness seeping through my bones.

Flipping an antique dagger I’d recently acquired between my fingers, I cast a half-smiling, sidelong glance at the subordinate who’d invited me.

When my gaze made his legs tremble, the final item finally appeared on the stage below.

The Drifting Clouds Pavilion was built in an antique style, with amber lamps illuminating the interior to create an elegant atmosphere.

The auctioneer below made a mysterious shushing gesture, then lowered his voice, whipping up the crowd: “Next up, I guarantee this item will drive everyone here wild.”

“It comes from the Gamma Lab—a failed experiment, yet a masterpiece of creation…”

As he spoke, workers wheeled a massive crate onto the auction stage.

It seemed incredibly tall, with only a few feet of space between the draped object and the ceiling.

All eyes were drawn to it. I sat up with interest, a sarcastic smile curling my lips.

So-called failed experiments were nothing more than toys for the wealthy.

In recent years, human genetic experiments had run rampant in the underground world, springing up from who knows where.

Half-human, half-snake monsters. Cat-faced children. Fully feral werewolves…

All were so-called “failures.”

But this item caught me off guard.

The red curtain fell, revealing the crate under the dim light—a tank filled with pale blue liquid.

Gasps rippled through the audience, all stunned by the sight. I froze too.

Because floating quietly in the tank was a mermaid—one with no trace of genetic fusion.

Its features were rich and stunning, with an androgynous beauty.

But its bare upper body made it easy to tell it was male.

His frame was long and lean, his muscles well-proportioned yet brimming with undeniable strength.

His lower half was a dark silver tail, about two meters long, covered in tiny translucent scales that shimmered like flowing light as the water moved.

He seemed to be asleep, his cold blue hair floating in the liquid amidst rising bubbles, like the boundless deep sea.

As the water shifted, the translucent fins hidden in his hair flickered in and out of view.

His face was exquisitely delicate, with sharp, defined features. His lashes were silver-white, as if dusted with frost, casting shadows on his cold, almost inorganic pale skin.

He looked like a god ruling the universe, yet fallen to earth after his divine throne crumbled.

This wasn’t a product of creation—it was the creator itself.

“I wonder what he’ll look like with his eyes open,” I murmured, almost in a daze.

But the next moment, as I blinked, I met a pair of deep blue eyes.

His gaze was calm, yet it felt like being dragged into the depths of the ocean, suffocating.

Like plucking a full wall of blooming roses by hand.

Captivating and dangerous.

The mermaid and I locked eyes from across the sea of people on the first floor and the one-way glass on the second.

I knew no one could see inside from the outside.

But I was sure—he was looking at me.

His gaze carried no meaning, yet it pierced through the space, sending a chill down my spine, making me wary and uneasy.

And… stirring a subtle excitement in me.

I licked my lips, feeling parched.

I loved the thrill of being challenged, then conquering.

Raising an eyebrow, I met his gaze without flinching.

Then, as the auction below raged on and people nearly came to blows like madmen—I lit the lantern.

I stood up, walked to the glass window, raised a hand, and traced his silhouette on the pane. A smile played on my lips as I mouthed silently to him: “You’re mine.”

Whether it was my imagination, I couldn’t say, but as I glanced back at him before leaving, the corners of his seemingly unchanged mouth seemed to curl into a sinister, contemptuous smirk.

02

Mermaids—mysterious, gloomy, and powerful creatures.

Sharp and wild,

With calm, cruel intelligence.

They come from the deep sea, profound and enigmatic.

Their bodies are covered in tiny, translucent scales.

They have eyes that see clearly in the dark, keen senses of smell, and can emit hypnotic sounds.

These were all rumors I’d heard, but no one had ever seen a real mermaid.

Yet now, I was the one to own one.

Though it was a genetically fused species, its perfect form made the one flaw almost negligible.

I brought the mermaid back and placed it in the pool where I kept my sharks.

The so-called pool was actually built beneath my villa, sealed with tempered glass, more like a private aquarium.

When I had nothing better to do, I fed my shark babies with disobedient people.

I wanted to see which was fiercer—the mermaid or the shark.

Though it was a genetic hybrid, if the legends of mermaids’ savage nature held true, the outcome was uncertain.

But after three days of keeping them together, none of the scenes I’d anticipated occurred.

Instead, several of my subordinates who went to feed them were bitten by the狂暴 sharks.

I stood before the glass wall for a long time, watching the blue light from the arched ceiling refract through the water, creating an eerie stillness.

Not only had the sharks that usually patrolled disappeared, but there was no sign of the mermaid either.

Frowning slightly, I pressed closer to the glass, trying to peer deeper, when a chill crept up my neck.

I looked up sharply. On the bridge above, the mermaid stood upright in the water, looking down at me from above like a sea god judging his subjects.

His silver-white lashes hung low, hiding the look in his eyes, making me uneasy yet sending my blood racing.

Tilting my head back, I lazily waved at him and called out, whether he could hear or understand, “Come down. I don’t like talking to… fish from this angle.”

He seemed to understand, flipping his silver tail and descending to my level in an instant.

I pressed closer to the glass, tracing his stunning face with my finger, and said bluntly, “You’re incredibly beautiful.”

This time, I was sure—he could hear and understand.

Because under his intense gaze, he suddenly curved his lips into an enigmatic smile, then opened his mouth to say something I couldn’t hear.

Later, I asked him more questions, but he just stared at me with the same look from the auction, making no further moves. I was disappointed.

But thinking about it, as a genetic “failure,” he might have been human or fish before.

If he’d been modified from a human template, having such a face in life would have been quite a remarkable thing.

03

Over the next few days, I visited him a few more times. He either stared at me motionlessly or disappeared, which dampened my spirits.

I’d thought he’d be a tough beast to tame, but he seemed subdued too quickly, making him boring. I gradually lost interest and stopped visiting.

Until Mid-Autumn Festival, when the full moon hung high. I was drinking alone when a subordinate reported that the mermaid had vanished. Drunk and dizzy, I stumbled down the stairs to the glass wall.

As soon as I entered the bridge, I saw the mermaid facing me through the glass.

Anger flared: “Maybe I haven’t fed enough people to the sharks lately, and these bastards dare to lie to me.”

“And you—what are you looking at? Are you a mute fish?” I pointed at him angrily, striding forward.

The strong liquor hit me hard, and I didn’t notice the threshold. My legs gave way, and I fell straight to the ground.

I closed my eyes reflexively, but after a long wait, the expected pain didn’t come.

I opened my eyes in confusion, only to break out in a cold sweat, my drunkenness gone.

—Because I was floating in the water.

Directly in front of me was the staircase I’d just descended, now separated from me by seamless tempered glass.

The next second, a pale hand reached from behind, gripping my waist tightly.

04

Every nerve in my body tensed.

The danger of being in a perilous situation flooded my mind, sharpening my senses.

Since I’d been drinking at home, I was only wearing a thin robe over a silk nightgown.

Now soaked, the robe clung to the nightgown’s deliberately bare back, and I could feel the icy touch of something unlike human skin behind me.

Before I could ponder why I could breathe underwater despite not knowing how to swim, the owner of that hand leaned in from behind, resting his head near my right shoulder.

His breath, carrying the moisture of water, bypassed the currents and brushed against my ear.

The sensation was indescribable—dangerous yet thrilling, making the veins in my forehead pulse.

I was excited but dared not turn around, facing the legendary, seductive yet deadly mermaid.

Though just a genetic hybrid, I had to take him seriously.

Suppressing my instinctive shiver in danger, I looked around and found a suitable angle through the dim light reflecting off the glass, cautiously observing my situation.

In the reflection, I looked like a puppet, floating still in the water.

My thick black hair drifted like seaweed, and the white silk nightgown defied science by floating around me.

The mermaid, who’d somehow dragged me in, loomed behind me.

With his tail, he was nearly three meters tall, a massive presence trapping me in a small space.

One hand held me captive, his cold blue hair mingling with mine as it drifted over my shoulders, almost tenderly.

In the reflection, he looked lazy and content, his dark silver tail swaying with his breath.

He lowered his head to sniff my neck, his sharp teeth grazing my artery, sending chills.

What was he planning?

To eat me?

Countless thoughts flashed through my mind, but none fit the situation.

Because the mermaid had somehow used his webbed, sharp fingers to cut through my robe from behind, touching my back, tracing back and forth.

I grew alert, watching his movements in the reflection, ready to strike first if he made a move.

But he didn’t proceed. Instead, he slowly raised his head and met my eyes in the mirror.

My heart skipped—he knew I was watching!

His expression didn’t change, but I felt something shift in the water.

My sixth sense made the hairs on my neck stand on end.

I blurted out, “What are you doing?”

But the words didn’t leave my mouth. I couldn’t even think about why I could speak underwater.

Because his other hand forcibly tilted my chin, exposing my vulnerable neck to his gaze, forcing me to endure his sudden kiss.

I raised my hand to resist, but suddenly, a weightlessness hit me.

The protection that let me breathe and float underwater vanished instantly.

Water pressure surged in, suffocation followed…

My consciousness blurred, thoughts scattered.

I thought, *Is this interspecies harassment?*

Then, in a daze, I seemed to hear the legendary mermaid’s voice.

A deep, ethereal hum from the ocean, like an ancient call.

Though I didn’t understand the language, I felt he was calling my name—Lin Wanyi.

Air was stolen, the breathable oxygen thinning, the feeling of dying intensifying.

Until darkness closed in, I heard my subordinates shouting my name, then everything went silent.

05

When I opened my eyes, I was lying on the bridge’s walkway—where I’d tripped.

A few subordinates surrounded me, fussing over me.

I pushed them away, looking at the empty glass wall, and asked, “When you came in, where did you see me?”

“Right… right here on the floor,” one stammered.

I asked again, “Didn’t you see the mermaid?”

They exchanged glances. “No.”

I gave the seemingly calm water a long look, licked my slightly sore lips, said nothing, and walked away.

I summoned a genetic fusion expert. The old man trembled at the sight of my bloodied knife, hurriedly explaining the mermaid’s genetic process.

I cut him off impatiently: “Spare me the jargon. Just tell me—why could he pull me into the water? What ability is that?”

“I… I don’t know, Miss Lin,” the old man faltered, then ventured, “Could it be you drank too much and dreamed it?”

I glanced at him and had him “politely” escorted out.

Sitting on the sofa, I pondered for a moment, then ordered everyone in the house to come.

—Every last one of them was to fish for me.

I stood before the glass wall, watching divers search back and forth.

Half an hour later, aside from shark teeth shed from the season, they found nothing.

Fuming, I stood before the glass, almost laughing in anger.

I was sure the mermaid was in the pool, but he was deliberately hiding.

What a silver-tailed mermaid. I wanted to tame him, but he’d started taming me instead.

If not for being in the water, his territory, I’d show him what human cunning meant.

I cut off the food supply to the pool and, after installing underwater cameras, ordered everyone away from the area.

I watched the footage for days, but the mermaid didn’t reappear.

Just as I was losing interest, he suddenly appeared in the frame.

As if sensing me behind the camera, he met my gaze through the lens.

A faint, mocking smile played on his lips—wild, predatory, evil as a dark god.

I paused, then had to admit one thing.

He was definitely provoking me!

It had been a long time since anyone in Cold City had treated me like this.

I immediately ordered a capture team into the water.

But by the time they reached the edge, he was gone.

Looking at the empty screen, I smiled knowingly: “Alright, let’s see who tames who in the end.”

06

That night, for the first time in my sound-sleeping life, I had a bizarre and eerie dream.

In the dream, I was a female general, ordered to sail the Maritime Silk Road.

Near Europe, a storm raged, blowing the ship off course.

When it calmed, we found ourselves near the Atlantic islands by the Strait of Gibraltar.

“General, we fished something up below… You should take a look,” my deputy said hesitantly.

His expression piqued my curiosity, so I followed him below deck.

The crew gathered around scattered as I entered, revealing the indescribable thing.

I was startled—it was the mermaid from the black market!

But in this dream, he looked pitiful, covered in jagged wounds.

The dream-me seemed “worldly,” because I calmly walked over, crouched before the dying mermaid, lifted his chin—ignoring his vicious glare—and studied his face. Then I whistled and said, “A foreign mermaid? Not bad, my type.”

…

Embarrassing in public, but it was something I’d do and say.

The mermaid was cunning too. Unlike the one in my pool, this dream version, knowing he was weak and injured, lazily let me handle him.

I seemed to know how to keep mermaids in check. I ordered a set of iron chains—said to be made of mystic iron—and instead of keeping him in water, I chained him to my bedside.

I cheered for dream-me. On land, it was my turf—taming a beast was no problem.

I didn’t disappoint myself. Sitting on the bed, I held specially made mermaid food, trying to coax him.

“Want some? Tell me your name, and I’ll give it to you. I know you mermaids can talk.”

The mermaid lay half-propped on the ground, his eyes sharp as stars, murderous.

I didn’t care. Under his dangerous gaze, I touched his bare chest and said, “Since you won’t talk, I’ll name you. My surname is Lin, Lin Wanyi. You’ll take my surname—Lin… Lin Yu? Hmm, Lin Yu it is.”

Then I mused, “What a learned general I am—such a poetic name!”

Chained by hands and tail, the mermaid glared at me, his murderous intent palpable.

After I’d had my fill of touching, I comforted him: “Don’t struggle. It’s your fortune to catch my eye. Otherwise, with those wounds, thrown back in the sea, you’d be shark bait.”

Thinking further, I shamelessly added, “So I’m your savior. Since you’re silent, repay me with your fishy self.”

I didn’t know if he understood, but I was amused.

Looking at his outrageously beautiful face, I grew restless, more intrigued. I pinched his chin and kissed his thin lips, hiding sharp teeth.

“Ow—bitten.”

“Shy, huh?” I licked the blood from my lip, glanced at his sneering face, and raised my hand for another go.

But as my hand moved, daylight broke—

—the dream ended.

07

“Damn it—” I cursed as I woke, interrupted mid-action.

But when my eyes caught the scene beside me, I froze.

I was in the same position as the dream—sprawled over the mermaid.

His stunning face was inches from mine, our breaths mingling.

But this time, I was in the water, in his territory, trapped in his arms.

Discretion is the better part of valor.

Meeting his mocking gaze, I glanced at my empty hands and greeted him sheepishly, “Long time no see.”

His brow twitched. He tightened his grip, pulling me closer. The sudden weightlessness made me instinctively wrap my arms around his neck.

A low, husky laugh echoed in the still space.

I looked up, meeting his eyes, and saw the smirk on his lips. I understood instantly.

He was amusing himself with my tension and nervous reactions.

I forgot I couldn’t swim and was underwater.

Lin Wanyi always repaid slights.

Still holding him, I reached for the translucent fins in his hair and said fairly, “You ruined my clothes. Touching you is fair, right?”

I rubbed the fins and gave him a subtle smile, sincerely commenting, “Nice texture.”

Seeing no reaction or aggressive behavior from him, my reckless urge to court danger resurfaced.

So I grew bolder, greedily stroking his face, then his lips. He caught my finger with his teeth.

Under his predatory gaze, I laughed lightly: “Why not bite harder? Haven’t eaten? Or does the mermaid brother know how to be gentle?”

As I spoke, my other hand roamed over his defined chest.

But I might have overdone it, overestimating my combat skills in water.

I didn’t realize how reckless I was being.

Because the mermaid was in heat, and I nearly paid for it.

Lost in the pleasant sensation, I didn’t notice his deep blue eyes growing darker.

When I sensed something wrong, his silver tail had already curled around my waist.

“What are you doing?”

“Hey, where are you touching?”

“Hey, hey, hey, brother! Mermaid brother! Don’t tear my clothes—let’s talk!”

“Lin Yu! I won’t touch, I’m sorry!”

“I really am sorry this time!”

…

08

On a luxury cruise near the Strait of Gibraltar, my subordinates tiptoed around me, afraid to provoke my icy mood.

Since I started taming beasts—whether falcons I’d broken over three months or man-eating crocodiles—I’d never been so humiliated. This time, I’d capsized in a ditch, and in the most embarrassing way, dragged into the water repeatedly.

But each time I woke up safely in bed, as if it were all a wild, erotic dream.

I tried moving out of the villa,

But seawater still flooded my nose and mouth at night.

I tried shooting him,

But no one told me mermaids were bulletproof.

I was afraid to sleep.

Because every time I fell asleep, I’d first dream of being the female general.

She was lucky—her mystic iron chains worked perfectly, suppressing the mermaid’s ability to drag people into water.

She spent her days either teasing the mermaid or on her way to tease him.

But I suffered. Halfway through the dream, I’d open my eyes to the mermaid’s mocking gaze.

Until the dream general’s crew returned to court. The mermaid, now used to her wandering hands, finally spoke in a low, clear voice: “A—lan—s”

“What are you saying?” The general didn’t understand.

But I’d read enough about mermaids to guess—he was saying Atlantis, the mermaid kingdom!

That voice echoed in my ears for days.

When I came to, I was already on a cruise heading to the Atlantic islands near Gibraltar.

09

The voyage eerily mirrored my dream’s route.

As I traveled, the dream grew more complete.

In it, I played with the mermaid’s hair and asked, calling him by my name, “Lin Yu, will you come with me?”

Lin Yu gave me a haughty glance, lying on my bed with an air of nobility.

I wasn’t angry, my hands still wandering: “Silence means yes.”

He ignored me, but I was just asking for form’s sake.

Once something was in my hands, I never let go.

I brought him back to court and kept him in my garden pond.

Seeing this, I shook my head—mistake, mistake. Putting him back in water was like releasing a tiger to the mountains.

But then I realized the mystic iron chains worked perfectly, even in water, suppressing his abilities.

Lin Yu seemed to notice, his already sour expression worsening.

Anyone who approached him—except me, who’d locked him—ended up injured.

The ancients really knew how to handle such creatures.

Curious, the next scene in the dream explained everything.

After the sea voyage, the emperor held a banquet for us in the palace.

Passing the imperial garden, I saw countless mermaids flipping their tails in the pool…

Even the palace lanterns were lit with mermaid oil.

A subordinate asked, “General, since we’ve captured this foreign mermaid, why not offer him to His Majesty?”

I glanced at him lazily, and he immediately bowed and retreated.

But I didn’t notice the fists he clenched behind his back.

10

That night, I drank heavily at the banquet.

Returning to the general’s mansion in the dead of night, I staggered to the pond, calling Lin Yu’s name like a rogue.

The water parted, revealing his blue hair and cold face.

I grinned, leaning in to take advantage of him, relying on the mystic chains.

Lin Yu pursed his lips and dodged.

That set me off, fueled by alcohol.

I jumped into the pond with a splash, soaking him.

Emerging, I clung to him, floating in the water.

He frowned, trying to wipe the water from his face, but I stopped him.

Staring into his eyes, watching droplets fall from his silver lashes into his deep blue pupils, I asked, “Has anyone told you your eyes hold the entire ocean, making people want to drown in them?”

He looked at me for a long moment, then spoke.

The deep-sea voice made me feel like I was in the vast ocean, even in this shallow pond.

But unfortunately… I didn’t understand.

Drunk and mesmerized, I stared into his eyes until I was enchanted.

What happened next made me cover my face in anguish.

No wonder this mermaid was so vengeful—I’d done something so brazen in my past life.

…

Alright, I admit—it was shameless.

11

After the banquet, Lin Yu’s cold shoulder grew worse.

At first, I felt a bit ashamed, but my thick skin won out. I visited the pond daily, offering him treats to win his favor.

But news of my foreign mermaid reached the emperor.

Emperors always dreamed of immortality.

Mermaids were said to be treasure troves, with life-extending properties.

The emperor’s youthful, gentle face was stained with mermaid blood.

How could he let go of a stronger, more useful one like Lin Yu?

When I returned from a patrol in the northwest, my household staff hung their heads, barely breathing.

I smirked, then galloped to the palace, kneeling in the snow for three days and nights.

When I saw Lin Yu, he was chained to a pillar in a misty pool.

His blue hair was stained with blood, hanging by his cheeks. Around him lay the shredded remains of guards.

Seeing me, he glanced up briefly, then looked away.

“As expected of General Lin’s mermaid—same temperament as you,” the emperor said, patting my shoulder with a warm smile. “But Wanyi, you refused my offer to join the harem, and I granted your wish. Now, will you rebel against me for this mere beast?”

I said nothing, my face blank. The atmosphere grew tense, and the emperor’s smile faded.

“What? Do you truly intend to rebel, Lin Wanyi?” he asked darkly.

I bowed respectfully and said, “I wouldn’t dare.”

His expression softened, returning to his usual gentle demeanor.

“Then, Wanyi, would you be willing to train this foreign mermaid for me? Have him willingly offer his heart at the ancestral ceremony in five days.”

I smoothed my robe, knelt on one knee, and replied as he wished: “I am willing.”

12

For the next few days, I stayed in the palace where Lin Yu was imprisoned.

As I applied medicine to his torn webbed hands, he looked away, ignoring me.

I cheekily turned his face back, kissed his pale lips, and asked, “Angry at me?”

I sighed: “You have every right to be. I was careless, bringing you from the sea only to end up like this.”

“But don’t worry,” I said, stroking his misty face, “I brought you here, and I’ll send you back the same way.”

Lin Yu leaned against the wall, listening to my rambling without a word, just watching me with that cool, detached gaze, as if to say, “Obviously.”

But in the dead of night, I heard the deep-sea hum, awkwardly yet accurately calling my name—Lin Wanyi.

A little tender, a little reluctant.

13

Soon, the ancestral ceremony arrived.

Lin Yu and I were escorted to the altar.

He was quiet, not attacking anyone who touched him.

I performed the ritual respectfully, then, under the emperor’s approving gaze, took the only sword that could cut the mystic chains. Amid gasps, I severed Lin Yu’s restraints.

We fought our way out. Looking back, I saw the emperor standing on the steps, his expression unreadable, yet somehow meaningful.

Breaking out of the palace, I rode toward the river leading to the sea.

Once in the water, Lin Yu would be safe.

The escape was suspiciously smooth, telling me it wasn’t over.

What followed was predictable and dramatic.

I’d been raised by the emperor, so when pain exploded in my chest, I wasn’t surprised.

At least I pushed Lin Yu into the water before I fell.

But just before darkness claimed me, I heard the legendary siren’s ethereal, evil song.

14

When I woke, the blazing sun told me it was noon.

After days at sea, we’d reached the legendary lost Atlantis.

The sea was eerily calm, the sky cloudless, even the seagulls gone.

I had the ancestral mermaid brought out.

Since the dream grew clearer, I couldn’t vent my frustration at him.

He, on the other hand, lounged like a king, lazily watching me stew.

Fuming, I ordered him released into the sea.

He entered the water like a shooting star into the galaxy, vanishing instantly.

I waited by the railing, growing inexplicably anxious, but he didn’t reappear.

I called out: “Mermaid brother?”

“Lin Yu?”

“You’re not really gone, are you?”

My voice carried a disappointment I hadn’t noticed.

Just as I turned to leave, the water burst open, and Lin Yu rose like a sea god.

His tail submerged in the waves, his blue hair spreading like a water lily.

I turned back, unable to resist teasing: “Why haven’t you left? Miss me, mermaid brother?”

He shot me a look.

Then, without any visible movement, I was pulled off balance and plunged into the water.

In an instant, I went from graceful beauty to drenched mess. I sighed—*Lin Wanyi, you never learn. You’re not a general anymore. Without the chains, in the water, you’re no match for creatures like Lin Yu, no matter how many lives you’ve lived.*

I surfaced, coughing out water.

Just as I caught my breath, something wrapped around my waist.

—His silver tail.

“Hey, why are you tying me up?”

“Answer me!”

“Ah—slow down, I’m scared of water!”

Lin Yu granted me the ability to breathe underwater, pulling me along as he swam.

But for someone with thalassophobia in both lives, it was terrifying.

The deep water was dark and silent, stirring irrational fear.

And Lin Yu, vengeful as ever, seemed to enjoy my panic, diving deeper.

15

Cursing inwardly, I let him drag me along.

When he stopped, I tentatively opened one eye.

What I saw stunned me.

Can you imagine seeing a civilization at the bottom of the ocean?

Before me, amidst the water and fish, stood a massive architectural ruin.

It was concentric in design, Greco-Roman in style.

There were palaces and arenas,

And at the center, a temple.

At the entrance stood two five-meter-tall mermaid statues, surrounded by neatly cut stone walls that glowed silver in the dim light.

The palaces within had golden foundations and silver walls, adorned with gold, resplendent.

I gaped, turning to Lin Yu: “Is this… the lost Atlantis?”

He seemed pleased and nodded, confirming my stupid question.

In my awe, he led me to the central temple.

At its edge, the water parted like the Red Sea, revealing a walkable path.

I stepped onto the stone bricks, marveling at the sensation, then felt something off.

Looking at Lin Yu, I realized what it was.

He was walking beside me.

Yes, walking!

His tail had transformed into human legs.

He seemed unaccustomed to walking, moving stiffly.

Under his murderous glare, I circled him, remarking, “Why so formal? And you’re wearing pants—tsk, minus points.”

“But those legs are really long. Hey—why are you dragging me?”

He impatiently carried me into the temple and placed me at the center.

There was a translucent box. Under his gaze, I opened it curiously.

Expecting treasure, I found a female skeleton instead.

I asked him what this was, but he just stared at the bones with a distant look.

Puzzled, I studied it further and noticed something.

Inside, beside the skeleton, was a piece of broken armor—the kind I wore in my dream.

So, this might be… me.

Seeing my own remains was indescribable.

But from what I knew, my body had been stripped of flesh, leaving only bones.

I demanded, “Why did you strip me? Sure, I was a bit forceful, but it was mutual—you didn’t have to go this far!”

Lin Yu finally lost his royal composure and rolled his eyes.

Before I could argue, a loud crack echoed from afar.

My heart sank.

In the deep sea, such a noise meant trouble.

We exchanged glances, alert, and left the temple.

Outside, I saw an unexpected figure.

The genetic fusion expert—the old man I’d “politely” scared.

He was fully geared in a diving suit, leading a crowd of similarly armed people before the temple.

“Professor Wang, here for research?” I greeted.

Wang Haikuo had underwater communication devices. He chuckled, “Though you lack manners, Miss Lin, thanks to you, this mermaid led us here. I’d never have found this underwater kingdom otherwise.”

“Oh? Is that so?” I pulled out my gun—kept dry by Lin Yu’s protection—and smiled sweetly, “You’re welcome.”

Wang Haikuo was unflappable, even with my gun raised and Lin Yu, who’d reverted to his tail, casting a shadow behind him.

He admired me: “Lin Wanyi, you’re my finest work. But you don’t think a genetic hybrid can defeat its creator, do you?”

I frowned: “What do you mean?”

He smiled warmly, in a sickeningly familiar way: “Did you think a woman could rise to the top of Cold City with bare hands?”

“Without my gift of rapid healing and a dolphin-enhanced brain, you’d have died in that turf war years ago.”

“What a pity—I thought you were perfect, but you still fell for this mermaid after a thousand years.”

“So now—” He pulled out a device.

Unease surged. Before I could act, he pressed it.

Pain exploded in my chest, familiar and intense.

My knees buckled, the gun fell, and I collapsed into the mermaid’s arms behind me.

Lin Yu’s scales bristled, his gaze icy, the water pressure around us surging.

The pressure crushed Wang Haikuo’s men, who screamed in agony, blood streaming from their orifices. In seconds, dozens were bleeding out, their blood dispersing in the sea.

Lying in Lin Yu’s arms, I hid the faint smile tugging at my lips.

Lin Yu, face like frost, stared at Wang Haikuo like a predator.

Wang Haikuo clutched the device controlling me, holding his aching head, and threatened through pain: “If you try to kill me with your voice, she dies now!”

Lin Yu glared at him.

Wang Haikuo swallowed nervously.

Silence stretched.

Pain blurred my consciousness. When I looked up, the crowd’s suffering had lessened.

Lin Yu held me tightly, watching me writhe in pain.

After a long moment, he spoke to Wang Haikuo in clear, ethereal mermaid language.

Gasping for breath, Wang Haikuo seemed to understand: “Give me Atlantis’s lost relic, and I’ll spare her life.”

Lin Yu frowned, thinking, then nodded in agreement.

Wang Haikuo smiled warmly again, promising my safety, and led his men onto the temple steps, following Lin Yu as he—