Picking Up Special Marine Creatures While Going to the Sea [Apocalypse] - Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – “Can You Take Me In, Human?”

Crash, crash.

The sound of waves echoed as the waves came in and then went away along with the waves.

Su Ran was stunned for a while.

The mermaid lay face down, motionless, her long black hair spread across her cold white back, wet by the sea water and formed into clumps, winding downwards like some mysterious and evil totem.

The fish’s tail is long and dark in color, and its scales reflect the moonlight.

Su Ran came back to his senses with a bang—Girl?!

His face flushed, and he immediately shifted his gaze away from the mermaid’s upper body, but the next second he was stunned with fear – this mermaid looked so strong and tall, could it really be a girl… ?

After hesitating for a moment, he took out the headlamp that he had put in the plastic bucket before going out, put it on his forehead and pressed the switch. A beam of light immediately hit the mermaid.

Su Ran was stunned again.

What was before him was clearly a male merman.

The naked back muscles were winding and undulating, and the sticky black hair outlined every graceful curve on it.

Broad shoulders, narrow waist, starting from the hips, the cold white skin transitions into a dark blue fishtail.

Su Ran couldn’t see the mermaid’s face, but he could see that the mermaid’s back was rising and falling evenly. The mermaid was obviously still alive. He must have fallen asleep, or… fainted?

…………Of course, he couldn’t call 110 or the wildlife rescue center now.

Su Ran’s heart was beating fast and he felt conflicted.

On the one hand, he thought it was best to stay away from such a strange creature when encountering it at the beach late at night. Who knows if it’s dangerous? On the other hand, he felt that “merman” at least has the word “human” in it. Since he had encountered it and it’s unconscious, it would be a bit inappropriate to pretend not to see it and walk away… ?

Moreover, this is a rare living person seen after the apocalypse… It shouldn’t be a zombie, right…?

After a few breaths, Su Ran approached cautiously and put his hand on the mermaid’s shoulder.

“Hello……”

The mermaid moved.

The face that was originally facing downwards seemed to turn sideways on its own at this moment, with its outline faintly visible from under the black hair.

Su Ran felt as if he saw the eyes of a mermaid.

“You’re okay—ngh!”

A feeling of suffocation suddenly came over him!

Su Ran’s neck was grabbed by cold sharp claws, and he was thrown over and pressed heavily to the ground, with his back hitting the beach. He opened his eyes wide and grabbed the mermaid’s wrist tightly!

In an instant, the situation turned around.

Crash, crash.

The waves still gently and calmly hit the beach, then dissipate.

The moon hung silently high in the sky, and the stars seemed dim under its light.

On the boundless coastline, the circle of light diffused by the headlights is the only lively corner, and in this circle of light, a handsome figure is reflected in Su Ran’s pupils.

Boom, boom, boom, his heart pounded against his chest.

His breathing almost stopped.

At this moment, Su Ran felt that what he should be thinking was: ‘Ah, it turns out that I shouldn’t have touched strange marine creatures. Now that this is the outcome, he and Xue Tuan have to guard the house alone.’

But in reality, his mind was blank.

A strand of black hair suddenly fell from above, gently brushing his cheek, leaving a hint of itch.

The sharp claws, or rather the cold hand, that were gripping his throat loosened their grip slightly after a moment of tightening as if to kill the prey.

The mermaid has a face that is so beautiful that it is hard to describe, the kind of beauty that only an artist can depict on a piece of paper.

He has a pair of eyes that are the same color as the fish’s tail, but that deep blue is put into these eyes, which looks more like the vast and deep universe than the ocean.

Su Ran felt that he should struggle and brandish his weapon.

He still held the iron ring of the plastic bucket tightly in his hand. He only needed to grope to find the shovel, and after holding it, he would hit the beast on the forehead with a bang, knocking it unconscious.

However, he was a mortal after all. When he suddenly saw something so beautiful that it was beyond imagination, he fell into a state of near shock and was completely unable to react.

“…”

The beast’s deep blue eyes flashed coldly for a moment, then blurred like his hands.

The hand was still clasped on Su Ran’s neck, but it was now gently covering his neck.

The mermaid was on top, Su Ran was below, and the two looked at each other in deathly silence.

A moment.

As if subconsciously, the cold fingers suddenly stroked Su Ran’s skin gently.

His fingertips accidentally rubbed his Adam’s apple.

“Warm…”

A low, hoarse murmur descended from above.

Su Ran swallowed uncontrollably, and goose bumps appeared on his arms and back.

… He could finally breathe.

‘Wake up, wake up.’

The mermaid seemed very weak, and the attack just now was probably instinctive.

‘Move quickly, create distance, quickly.’

Su Ran finally moved.

He moved back a little, and the mermaid’s scattered gaze immediately focused and stared at him straight.

Su Ran suddenly froze.

•|•

The sea breeze was blowing, giving people goose bumps.

“I can’t stand up.”

The mermaid seemed to wake up from his daze as well, staring at Su Ran and speaking.

The hazy hoarseness faded away, and the low voice was still very pleasant to hear.

But…

“…So?” Su Ran asked calmly and cautiously.

He had also come to his senses, very clear-headed, and was no longer going to be tempted by beauty.

The mermaid pondered for a second, maintaining the posture of one hand supporting Su Ran’s collarbone, raised the other hand, palm facing up, and requested gently and weakly:

“Can you help me up?”

“…”

Su Ran looked at the hand dryly.

He hadn’t looked closely just now, but each finger of this hand has very sharp nails, as if a gentle poke could poke a cute little hole in the human body.

The next second, the hand suddenly turned over and pressed down on his shoulder, holding him down very hard.

Su Ran: “…”

The mermaid smiled. “You seem like a good person. You’ll help me, right?”

Su Ran took off with a sprint and retreated!

Losing the support, the mermaid immediately fell to the ground with a thud.

Su Ran retreated repeatedly, still feeling frightened.

‘…This is terrifying! What do those online novels say? Mermaids are creatures that use their beauty and singing voices to seduce humans, tricking them into killing themselves! This is actually true!’

Why had he been so foolish as to get so close just now? Even if he wanted to wake him up, a poke with a shovel would have been enough!

The mermaid looked very embarrassed when he fell down, but he stood up again with an elegant posture.

But when he raised his head, his handsome face was finally covered with sand.

He spoke quietly, “There’s a beautiful legend circulating among marine life: if you encounter difficulties, you can seek help from humans, and they will help you at all costs…”

Su Ran shuddered. What the hell?

He turned and walked away: “No, no, no, you must have heard it wrong!”

There was a strange rustling sound behind him. Su Ran turned around and his scalp suddenly exploded!

The mermaid actually crawled over with the strength of his arms!

‘He actually crawled over!’

‘Ahhh why did he follow me?!’

‘I really shouldn’t have meddled in other people’s business just now!!’

Su Ran immediately turned around and ran instead of walking.

The mermaid was able to keep up, rustling rapidly, his deep voice haunting the ears: “You must have heard it right. From childhood to adulthood, the elders loved to tell stories. They said that humans are creatures that sacrifice themselves without regard for the cost…”

“Stop emphasizing ‘regardless of the cost’. Who spread this rumor? It’s too outrageous!” Su Ran collapsed and ran away.

“You’ve helped whales untangle ropes and turtles untangle fishing nets. The deep sea is dangerous, but you’ll do whatever it takes to help them.”

“You might not know this, but ropes and fishing nets are all things thrown into the sea by humans! Humans are evil! Don’t follow me!”

Su Ran ran wildly and the mermaid crawled wildly.

The man and the fish left a strange winding trail on the beach, forming a unique landscape.

“Hey, I seem to be entangled with something. It might be something you humans threw into the sea. Can you come over and help me take a look?”

The mermaid sounded doubtful.

Su Ran paused.

But it just happened for a moment, without stopping.

“If you lift your hair, nothing will get tangled up on you, right?!”

Su Ran’s heart was pounding and he shouted loudly.

Then the merman paused delicately.

Su Ran’s scalp suddenly felt numb and he ran faster.

‘Ahhhh this mermaid! He must have lied to him!’

The next second, the mermaid spoke again, and this weird and false topic returned to the starting point.

“In the eyes of marine life, humans have always been a symbol of friendliness and kindness. This friendly and kind human friend…”

Su Ran interrupted harshly, “Are you sure there weren’t any miscommunications when your marine biosphere used different languages to communicate? Are you sure humans are not selfish and hypocritical human friends?! Phew… The person who spread this rumor and the previous one is so laden with ulterior motives. Could it be that the marine life spread it? Could it be that you spread it?”

“Ah.”

“!!” Su Ran, “I can hear you thinking, ‘Damn it, how did this human see through me?'”

“Ah.”

“I hear you thinking, ‘Tsk, we can’t hold this human to account!'”

“Um……”

“I hear you again, thinking, ‘What should I say next to trick this human?'”

“Hmm…”

“Don’t even think about it. I won’t be fooled! Phew… And now that you’re awake, why do you want to stand up? Why not go back to the sea? There are zombies everywhere on land. Isn’t the sea safer?”

“We have no home anymore.”

Su Ran suddenly stopped.

The rustling sound that had been following them all the way finally stopped.

The mermaid’s voice came from behind, calm and even.

“It’s hard to explain to you where we live, but that place has been filled with magma and there’s no chance of going back.”

Su Ran was panting and speechless. After a while, he turned sideways.

The mermaid supported his upper body, his muscles were beautifully drawn, but his dark blue tail lay limp and motionless.

He looked up at Su Ran calmly.

“Although we look like marine creatures and come from the sea, we are different from real marine creatures and do not usually live in seawater. The sea is not a good place for us.”

Su Ran’s expression relaxed a little.

The merman’s eyes flickered and he held out his hand.

The cold, slender hand reached out to Su Ran, and its target seemed to be the arm hanging by his side.

The voice coming out of the mermaid’s throat became deeper and gentler, as if bewitching.

“Help me. I’m sick and need a place to rest quietly for a few days… Can you take me in, human?”

He leaned forward slowly.

Su Ran retreated again.

The mermaid didn’t hold his hand and didn’t maintain his balance, so he fell down for the second time.

“…” This time he lay there for a full three seconds before calmly lifting his face from the sand. His entire handsome face was covered with sand, and Su Ran was staring down at him.

“Just now you were talking about the marine biosphere, and now you’re saying you don’t live in the ocean. You… are full of lies!”

“…”

“I won’t believe your words so easily!”

The mermaid showed a subtle expression and moved his lips.

“…I wouldn’t bring strangers home casually, not just at a time like this, but even before.”

Su Ran calmed his breath, but his expression was still hesitant.

After thinking for a moment, he took out a nine-toothed rake from a plastic bucket, bent down and handed it to the merman: “Here.”

“…” The mermaid looked at this ferocious thing with a hint of confusion in his eyes.

“Here, I’ll give you this. You can use it for self-defense, or you can use it to… dig for clams and razor clams,” Su Ran said uncomfortably. “Don’t look at me with disdain. Do you know how valuable this tool is at a time like this? Once you can stand up… find a place for yourself to live.”

“I can’t help you, but now many humans have turned into zombies and all the houses are empty. If you work hard, it won’t be difficult to find a place to live.”

The mermaid was silent.

Su Ran stuffed the thing directly into his hand and he held it loosely.

Then he looked up at Su Ran again.

Su Ran felt as if Xue Tuan was staring at him eagerly.

But he still hardened his heart and turned away.

•|•

At around 8:30 in the evening, the tide finally receded a noticeable distance.

Su Ran walked absentmindedly in the mudflat, with his ears pricked up, listening carefully to the movements behind him.

There seems to be no sound.

‘He shouldn’t have followed me again, right?’

… He felt a little relieved, but there was also a feeling he couldn’t describe.

…There actually are mermaids in this world, and they’re as beautiful as in comics… and as ferocious as in horror movies.

‘He should be able to stand up, right? Can the fish tail transform into legs like in fairy tales?’

Su Ran wanted to look back, but held back.

‘…Forget it, don’t think about it.’

‘Don’t make trouble for yourself.’

He shook his head, took a step forward, and stepped on something.

He moved his feet away and looked down…it was actually a cat’s eye snail.

Su Ran’s eyes lit up, he squatted down and picked up the cat’s eye snail. The snail was stimulated and the snail meat automatically contracted, gushing out several small streams of water.

It opened!

•|•

After the seafood appeared, Su Ran completely forgot about the mermaid.

In the vast mudflats, his headlamp was the only star.

He walked a few steps, squatted down, walked a few more steps, and squatted down again.

In addition to the cat’s-eye snails, there are also palm-sized hairy clams hidden in the mud and sand under the shallow layer of sea water. Occasionally, a dark gray shadow flashes by, which is the shrimp swimming in a catapulting manner.

Su Ran dug out a lot of hairy clams, caught a few shrimps and a few small fish, walked all the way to the place where there were dense reefs, carefully crawled in between two reefs, bent down and looked into the cracks.

In the cracks of the rocks, mud and sand formed a deep cavity filled with sea water. It was so dark that one couldn’t see anything. One had to explore it to find out if there was anything hidden inside.

Memories suddenly came flooding back.

His grandfather is very skilled and brave. Whenever he encounters a water hole like this, he just reaches in and digs.

But although he did this himself, he would remind Su Ran not to use his hands but to use a hook.

“Just reach out your hand or you’ll get bitten.” Grandpa always scared him like this.

After all, there might be sea snakes and moray eels hiding in these holes.

At this moment, Su Ran obediently put on work gloves, took out a long metal hook from the plastic bucket, and pushed it into the crevice.

The memories in his mind continued to churn as he pounded and pounded.

“Then why are you using your hands, Grandpa?” Young Su Ran was very unconvinced.

“Because I have experience, I can tell at a glance that there’s something hidden inside—”

… He caught something!

Su Ran noticed with his sharp eyes a crab claw sticking out from the crevice of the rock – it was a huge orchid crab!

The orchid crab was about to retreat back into the hole when it felt the light from the headlamp, but Su Ran was quick-witted and immediately hooked it hard, blocking its retreat and hooking it out completely. Then he reached out his hand and accurately pinched its back and buttocks, lifting it high up.

Just as the three excited words “I caught it” were about to burst out of his mouth as usual, he stood up and found that there was no one beside him.

The memory disappeared, and so did the voice.

All around him was a dead darkness, a dark sky, and dark water.

There is also a mermaid lying on the beach in the distance, seriously digging the sand with a nine-toothed rake, as if he is studying how to dig clams.

Su Ran’s excited eyes blurred and his racing heart calmed down.

He stood in the darkness for a moment.

After a while, he walked around the reef and headed towards the shore.

The mermaid was digging at the sand with great effort, his brows slightly furrowed, a look of confusion on his face, as if she was trying to solve some century-old problem.

Noticing Su Ran approaching, he stopped and looked up.

Su Ran squatted in front of him.

“What are you digging for? It’s not like there’s something under every piece of sand. You should look for bulges and breathing holes.”

“What’s a breathing hole?”

The mermaid asked a soul question.

Su Ran wanted to explain, but found it difficult.

“Forget it, I’ll give you this crab. I’ll also leave you some hairy clams and cat’s-eye snails. … You should be able to find food on your own, right? You won’t starve to death here, right?”

The mermaid looked at the food Su Ran put down and fell into deep thought.

The orchid crab quietly spread out its eight legs, as if silently saying “No one can see me”, trying to slip away from under their noses.

The mermaid stared at it with his deep blue eyes, then raised his eyelashes and stared at Su Ran.

“Raw?”

“?” Su Ran was bewildered. “Ah, you guys eat it cooked too?”

The mermaid stared at him. “You are so interesting.”

Su Ran: “………………”