Wen Yu and Carl rowed together for a full day before finally spotting an island in the distance.
Carl was so moved at the sight that he nearly cried.
"We finally made it. No more rowing. Woo woo woo..."
Rose, tied up with both arms secured behind her, lay inside the cabin. She lifted her body slightly and gasped in surprise when she caught sight of the small island ahead.
Only now did she realize that Wen Yu had been right all along. The mermaid truly had been guiding them.
She bit her lip, the image of the white mermaid surfacing in her mind, a faint sense of guilt stirring in her heart.
As they neared the island, Wen Yu set the oars inside the cabin and removed his coat. He then turned to Carl.
"Come down with me. Let's pull the boat over from there."
The shoreline was cluttered with rocks, and the tide was strong. Using oars alone would take too much effort and might even be useless.
Carl didn't object. As he stepped out of the boat, he patted Rose on the shoulder, half-warning, half-threatening her.
"Don't try anything. We're in survival mode here. If you cause trouble, we'll just leave you behind."
Rose sneered but said nothing.
Wen Yu and Carl jumped into the seawater. After tying a rope to the bow, they began working together to pull the boat.
But neither of them had any real experience, and the tides were uncooperative. The boat swayed with the waves, refusing to stay on course.
Carl, especially, struggled. A complete rookie, he stumbled several times and swallowed mouthfuls of seawater.
Wen Yu frowned. He stopped to haul Carl upright and asked if he was alright.
"Shit," Carl muttered, coughing and spitting saltwater. "I stepped on something."
Blood began to spread beneath Carl's feet, coloring the water red.
Wen Yu's expression changed at once. He urged him quickly.
"Get back in the boat. That blood could attract sharks."
Ever since the sea creatures mutated, their senses had become even more acute. Even juvenile sharks now patrolled the shores.
Carl didn't need to be told twice. He climbed back aboard, nervous.
He glanced at Rose and muttered, "Can we throw this woman overboard instead?"
Rose's eyes widened. She instinctively shrank back.
She knew Carl wasn't joking. He really would do it.
Before joining Wen Yu's group, Rose had been warned to be careful of Carl. People said he was a mad dog, loyal only to Wen Yu.
At first, she didn't believe it. Carl had seemed like a carefree fool who even treated her decently.
Now, she finally understood what "mad dog" meant.
He could flip in an instant, showing no concern for anyone's life.
Wen Yu turned and gave Rose a cold glance. He didn't say yes or no.
Years of unspoken understanding passed between the two men. Carl sighed and backed off.
"Alright, fine. Don't touch her... Maybe she'll be useful later. Emergency rations."
Rose's expression darkened.
Just then, Carl's eyes widened. He spotted a blur of blue speeding toward them beneath the surface. His face went pale as he snatched a harpoon gun and tossed it to Wen Yu.
"Boss, mako shark!"
Wen Yu caught the harpoon, his face tightening.
So it really came.
Mako sharks were naturally fierce and fast, possibly the fastest swimmers among all sharks. They typically stayed offshore but could be found near island shelves and followed warm currents in summer.
After the mutation, juvenile makos had started patrolling the shorelines, and they were aggressive. It was clear Carl's blood had attracted one.
Wen Yu's head ached.
Even with his sea monster genes and healing abilities, a bite wound in the sea would be dangerous. More blood could invite more sharks.
He only hoped there wasn't a whole school nearby, or worse, a mother shark with young.
Wen Yu gripped the harpoon and watched the blue shape darting closer beneath the water.
"Ya—!"
Just as the shark neared, a sudden shockwave struck from the side.
The little mako didn't even have time to react. It was blasted sideways by the impact and soared in a high arc before crashing back into the sea.
Moments later, it floated belly-up, clearly dead.
Wen Yu stared, stunned. His eyes widened, and he turned toward the source of the sound.
"Little Fish?"
Sure enough, on a nearby reef, the white mermaid lay sprawled lazily.
When the mermaid saw Wen Yu looking, it wagged its tail, raised one webbed claw... and flipped them off.
All three stared in silence.
Did he just do that?
Seeing their blank faces, the mermaid looked very pleased with himself. It let out a sharp bark, then vanished into the sea with a splash.
Wen Yu was still recovering from the shock, but Carl and Rose were equally speechless.
Carl was amazed by the mermaid's strength, while Rose was stunned that it had saved them.
More than that, the mermaid had acted just like a human—sarcastic, smug, and oddly endearing.
...
Lansi sighed to himself.
Not only had he helped guide these people to the island, he'd also taken out a shark for them.
Thinking about it, he couldn't help feeling a bit proud.
He was strong, after all.
Still, he had no intention of getting too close, especially while that woman was around. If he got injured, it wouldn't be worth it.
After finishing off the shark, Lansi dove beneath the surface to hunt fish for himself.
Ever since becoming a mermaid, life had been painfully dull.
As he swam in the clear water, he missed the days when he could still use a phone. Now, if he wanted to check a forum, he had to log into the Sea Monster chat group.
The problem was, most of what sea monsters talked about didn't make sense to him.
Private chatting was distance-limited, and there weren't any sea monsters nearby.
Lansi dove into a school of fish and started gulping them down.
Once full, he found a sunken cave among the rocks, made a quick nest, and curled up inside to sleep.
Mermaids, it turned out, needed much more sleep than Lansi had expected. He now slept at least ten hours a day.
Since he'd stayed up last night to check on Wen Yu's group, he had to catch up during the day.
He coiled up in the cave, tail wrapped over his upper body, and soon drifted off.
When Lansi awoke, it was already night.
By now, the others should've reached the island.
He emerged quietly from the sea and spotted a bonfire glowing brightly in the dark.
Seeing the fire, he exhaled in relief.
But just as he was about to leave, a scent in the air made him freeze. He took a deep breath... then another.
Grilled fish.
The beef jerky Wen Yu had given him had awakened something in him. Now, he craved cooked food more and more.
The smell was torturous.
Crispy, hot grilled fish.
Lansi debated for a long time, finally weighing his strength against theirs.
He figured he could probably kill all three of them if he needed to.
With that assurance, he approached the shore cautiously.
Sure enough, Wen Yu's group had made camp nearby. The boat had been pulled ashore, and a makeshift grill sat over the fire. A fish the length of his arm sizzled on top.
Lansi stared at it for a long while.
Imagining the juicy bite, the warmth spreading through his stomach... he couldn't resist.
He checked that no one was nearby, then dragged himself out of the sea.
Without the water's buoyancy, his tail was heavy. But the mermaid body was strong. He slithered forward like a snake, webbed hands bracing him on the sand.
His caudal fin folded back to prevent injury, and his tail muscles contracted, allowing him to move over the rough ground.
To his surprise, he adapted quickly. He slithered toward the bonfire, leaving a winding trail behind him.
But before he even reached the fire, the heat began to bother him. His skin felt dry and tight.
Ignoring the discomfort, he grabbed the grilled fish and quickly slithered away before nibbling into it.
Then he screamed.
"Fa—!"
His eyes filled with tears, which turned into little pearls that bounced on the sand.
The fish was scorching hot.
Just then, someone leaped from the boat.
"Little Fish?" Wen Yu rushed toward him.
Lansi froze, clutching the grilled fish.
Wen Yu? Why were they hiding on the boat?
Lansi panicked. He dropped the fish and tried to flee, but Wen Yu blocked his path.
Wen Yu raised his hands in peace and smiled weakly.
"Little Fish, I know you can understand me. That grilled fish was for you. You don't have to be scared."
Rose and Carl followed out of the boat. Carl waved a plastic bag and tried to coax him.
"Yeah, no harm meant. You like jerky, right? We've still got some."
Lansi backed up, his ear fins raised, ready to release a sound wave if needed.
Rose stood behind the men, one hand chained and the other end held by Carl. Her expression was more complex.
Unlike the others, she noticed something different.
"He looks... burned."
Carl and Wen Yu turned to look at her, puzzled.
Lansi froze for a moment, then barked awkwardly at Rose.
"Wa—ka—!"
Rose blinked, then nodded with certainty.
"That's exactly what my brother does when he tries to deny something."
The image of her brother grew clearer in her mind. She looked at Lansi and smiled gently.
Carl looked at Wen Yu, confused.
"Her brother isn't dead...?"
Wen Yu just shook his head and raised a finger to his lips.
Meanwhile, Lansi was fuming.
How could anyone blame him for this?
Sure, his mermaid body had better strength and healing—but apparently not heat resistance.
So what if his tongue was a bit more sensitive?
So what if he got scalded?
It was just an accident.
Just a stupid, painful accident.