Chapter Twenty-Three: The Ocean Cruise 22

Chapter 23

Li Xiaoming was moved to tears. "Wuwuwu, Brother Qin, you're amazing! What kind of ability is this?"

Qin Chuan replied, "Once you complete this instance and make it out alive, the system will awaken your talent. My talent is healing."

He kept it vague, offering no further explanation.

His movements were swift; he finished the stitches in five minutes.

"There," he said. "Now that you know where the molds are, go finish the mission."

Li Xiaoming nodded.

One hour and twenty minutes later.
[Ding, Mermaid Mold x2]

One hour and forty minutes later.
[Ding, Mermaid Mold x3]

Li Juanjuan lost an arm.

One hour and fifty minutes later.
[Ding, Mermaid Mold x4]

Mission complete.

Zhao Jinchu and Qi Yan had remained in the broadcast room, never venturing out. When she heard the final system announcement, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Is the mission over now?

She stood at the door, ready to leave, but waited for a long time. The system made no mention of the mission concluding.

Her hand rested on the doorknob, but her gaze drifted to her transparent interface. She reviewed the mission prompt once more.

Tick, tick.

The broadcast room was not very large. The lighting in the room was dim and yellow.

Qi Yan stood behind Zhao Jinchu, his eyes fixed on the corner.

Then, a human and a mermaid locked eyes.

Drip. The mermaid’s saliva hit the floor.

The silence was broken by Qi Yan. "Jinjin, there is an ugly, short mermaid in the corner on the right."

Goosebumps erupted all over Zhao Jinchu.

Her electronic watch flashed red for the first time: [Warning: Your mental stability is dropping. Current value: 87.]

There was a fifth mermaid, one that had been hiding in the broadcast room, staying perfectly still alongside them for an hour.

The mermaid lunged forward.

Its speed was extreme, but Zhao Jinchu managed to dodge.

From that brief contact, she knew they couldn't get away. This mermaid was on a completely different level from the others.

Her mind raced. She opened the door, intending to push Qi Yan out.

Qi Yan suddenly grabbed her. The man who was always sickly now possessed immense strength, gripping her so hard it hurt.

He stared at her intently. "You cannot throw me away at a time like this."

Zhao Jinchu let go.

She tossed him a dagger.

Qi Yan glanced at it, then slowly tucked the blade into his pocket.

The mermaid moved sluggishly. It had been crouching on the ground, but now it used its tail to prop itself up, standing fully erect.

While the other mermaids had exceptionally long tails—nearly two meters—this one had a short tail but thick, powerful upper limbs. Its eyes were golden, resembling those of a serpent.

A faint scent of roses permeated the room.

The mermaid shifted its gaze from Zhao Jinchu to Qi Yan.

Days ago, it had heard reports from its subordinates that a human with a very sweet scent had come aboard the cruise ship. It had decided to come up and taste that flavor.

It flicked out a long tongue and licked its lips. Yes, indeed—a very fragrant, sweet human.

It was a bit dangerous.

Pfft. What kind of tonic wasn't dangerous?

It feigned an attack on Zhao Jinchu, but the moment it lunged, it pivoted toward Qi Yan.

*Squelch.*

The man moved with agonizing slowness, deflecting the mermaid's claws before driving a hand straight through its abdomen.

The mermaid's pupils contracted violently.

It was no mere low-level creature; its skin density was nearly equivalent to a Level 3 bulletproof vest in the human world.

Yet this human had pierced right through it.

Qi Yan’s cheeks, his hair, and his white shirt were splattered with blood. His eyes were pitch-black and silent. Even though the two were of similar height, the mermaid felt a sense of condescending contempt radiating from him.