MASG chapter 56

 

A single “A Ni” brought back all of Mo An’s memories of their past experiences.

They escaped from the research institute and were relentlessly pursued by robots, leech parasites, fungus people, leviathans… Xia Yu carried Mo An on his back, running from place to place. He never once considered giving up on Mo An, even during the most difficult times. “Ani-shida” was a name used only by his parents and then by Xia Yu and Mi Dou.

In a few years, Ani-shida will become Ni-shida.

Xia Yu was also searching for a way to start the conversation. He was worried that his younger brother was still angry and afraid that he wouldn’t want to see him. Someone had to speak first, though, because they couldn’t let the cold war continue, no matter the outcome. Behind them, Talos shouted, and the large ship began to accelerate, preparing to leave the Black Sea according to its original trajectory. The kidnapping ship was getting further and further away; it and its crew would be left behind forever.

When the next group of wealthy businessmen arrived, they would see this wrecked ship as a new spectacle. Perhaps someone would pay a high price to go aboard for a “monster adventure.” The rich are capable of anything in their quest for thrills.

But none of that concerned Xia Yu now. What was in front of him was stimulating enough.

“You…you…” He didn’t know how to begin. Mo An was only three or four meters away. “Are you injured?”

Mo An looked at his hands. “Anyway… if you’re looking at it this way, then I’m definitely not injured.”

“You don’t look injured on the surface, but other parts of my body might be. If you come over and check, you’ll know…” Mo An silently lowered his hands. Come here, come here.

“I…I’m worried about you.” Xia Yu really wanted to go over. He swore and started to move, but after taking one step, he took two steps back. “I…”

“What do you want to tell me?” Mo An sniffed, looking dejected.

“I… I… I…” Xia Yu stammered, his mind racing as he tried to figure out how to start. His gaze lingered on Mo An’s face, afraid he would spot any injuries. After all, his younger brother was only thirteen. He was far too young to face life-or-death situations. But Xia Yu also recalled their argument and the harsh words he had said.

The fact that they survived today was pure luck—fate giving him a green light and Ling Shi and Jingwei taking the risk of being discovered by Nuwa to help. Without so many strokes of luck, the harsh words he had spoken that day would have been his last.

“I want to say…” Xia Yu suddenly mustered his courage and said, “I want to say… I was wrong. I shouldn’t have said those things. I apologize. In my haste, I spoke without thinking. I shouldn’t have… hurt you like that.”

As he spoke, he looked straight ahead, waiting for Mo An’s reaction.

Seeing that Mo An was just standing there, Xia Yu knew his apology wasn’t enough. “I shouldn’t have said that to you… I’m sorry. Let’s never fight again, okay? We… can talk things out calmly. If one of us gets angry, the other has to stop it. If you’re still worried, we can pinky-promise. We can swear to each other never to—”

He had so much more to say, but before he could finish, Mo An pounced on him, knocking him onto the deck.

A tight hug can say a thousand words. Just a second ago, they were tense, and their mouths were harder to open than mechanical doors. Now, like a melting glacier, their hearts softened as they found each other’s weight. Xia Yu lay back, bewildered, feeling as if he were holding a constantly thrashing fish. Mo An’s long hair spread out and dangled against Xia Yu’s neck, tickling him.

Mo An had been holding a grudge, but it had suddenly vanished. Now, he just wanted to laugh. Xla wasn’t angry with him after all. He was willing to talk to Mo An, even pinky-promised with him, and said, “I’m sorry.” His heart was completely satisfied, and the tension, discomfort, anxiety, and pain of the past day and night seemed insignificant.

“Really? You were serious just now?” He pretended not to believe it, but he already did. Xia Yu never lied to him.

“It’s true. I apologize.” Xia Yu stroked Mo An’s head. He had planned everything, but he never expected to be kidnapped. “Thank you for risking your life to save me. I’m such a terrible brother. I actually argued with you over a crystal. Please don’t be angry with me, okay?”

“Mmm.” Mo An buried his face in Xia Yu’s chest. Those few words were more than enough. He could endure any hardship.

“We will never argue again, okay?” Xia Yu wasn’t sure if Mo An was crying, but children his age were prone to tears.

Mo An just sniffled. He didn’t dare let Xia Yu see any tears. There couldn’t be anything better: the two had apologized to each other and promised never to argue again. Arguing is terrifying; one experience is enough. There can’t be a second.

However, when he finally spoke, his voice betrayed his choked sobs.

“You can’t say that to me anymore. You can’t reject my feelings like that again. You can talk to me properly, and I’ll listen,” Mo An said, each word distinct. Strangely, even though he wasn’t angry anymore, he still wanted Xia Yu to coax him.

“I know. I definitely won’t do that again.” Xia Yu patted his back. “But you have to understand me… Before you hatched, I went through a period of having no money or sense of propriety. Dou Dou and I stole things and picked up what others had left behind. Later, because we had no money, we…”

He didn’t finish, but Mo An suddenly became alert. “What did you do?”

“Nothing.” Xia Yu stopped talking. There was no need for his younger brother to know about those bad experiences. “You…you get up first. Don’t press down on me like that. I’m a poisonous jellyfish now. You shouldn’t get too close to me in the future, you’ll die.”

“Die? I don’t believe it. You look the same as before.” Mo An had finally broken the ice with Xia Yu. How could he let go immediately? Talos finally couldn’t stand it anymore and grabbed Mo An, lifting him up. “Give your brother a break. Don’t pressure him.”

Mo An immediately gave him a displeased look when he was lifted up.

“Besides, he’s poisonous now. Didn’t you see how Meng Qingqing and the others avoided it? Do you want to faint again?” Talos put him back on the ground. “Until Xia Yu has a full checkup, all the mermaids must keep their distance from him.”

“I don’t want to. I won’t be poisoned. I’m immune.” Mo An steadied himself and turned to Xia Yu. “Right?”

“Well, it’s hard to say. For everyone’s safety, I’ll still get checked out. At least I need to know where my poison glands are and how toxic they are.” “What other way can it spread besides through the blood? I don’t want you to die from a hug.” Xia Yu’s concerns were always more practical than Mo An’s. “I wonder if my toxins could be used for research. If a lab is willing to study them, I could sell them for money.”

“No. No one is allowed to research you. I won’t let them take your blood.” Mo An followed Xia Yu for two steps, then suddenly looked toward the empty air on the right. “Right? You think so too, right?”

Xia Yu and Talos stopped simultaneously.

Mo An looked at them naturally.

Then, Xia Yu screamed. Talos grabbed Mo An and rushed to the bathroom, throwing him into clean, fresh water. This child’s been poisoned again! He’s hallucinating!

Was even the lightest touch already too much? Xia Yu looked at his hands. Could his sweat or skin be deadly to a mermaid? Mo An lay in the water, unaware of what had happened, and soon drifted into a drowsy sleep.

Meng Qingqing was speechless. “First time I’ve ever seen… such a stupid mermaid. Is he really a siren?”

“Mo An isn’t stupid—just careless. I’ll be more careful in the future,” said Xia Yu, taking full responsibility.

“Let him soak in the water first. After he wakes up, you two must absolutely avoid any physical contact,” said Xi Ban, keeping his distance from Xia Yu. “Xiang Xing’s wounds have been bandaged. Do you want to go see him?”

“I will,” replied Xia Yu, his mind preoccupied with both sides. He thought he had finally found his people, but it turned out to be all for naught.

Lao Gui had told him everything: Xiang Xing was the mushroom in the building. The next time Xia Yu saw Xiang Xing, his abdominal wound was covered in fungal hyphae, indicating that their wounds healed differently.

When he saw Xia Yu again, Xiang Xing guiltily covered his face. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t say that. Lao Gui said you didn’t do it on purpose,” said Xia Yu, who didn’t discriminate against the strange species. “How are you feeling now?”

Xiang Xing still couldn’t bring himself to put his hand down. No longer hiding it, he revealed that the palms and backs of his hands were covered in fungal hyphae. “It doesn’t hurt. I’m not very sensitive to pain, and I have self-healing abilities. It’s just that I’m not as strong as you. After all, I’m not a real jellyfish.”

“Don’t be like that. No one blames you,” Xi Ban gently advised from the side. “You’re a victim too.”

“But I killed someone,” Xiang Xing said, shaking his head. “There’s someone else who’s killed others, and I’ll find that person sooner or later.” Xia Yu pulled his hand down. “Don’t be afraid. From now on, we’re good friends. Don’t be afraid.”

Xiang Xing’s lowered eyes slowly lifted. “I’m sorry. You must be very disappointed. I’m not one of your kind.”

“Disappointed… a little, but I’ll find my kind sooner or later, so it’s not too sad.” Xia Yu had to admit that he was a bit sad. He transformed back into the lonely blue jellyfish. “What do you look like? Can we see you?”

“Yeah, you can’t always look like Xia Yu, can you?” Talos couldn’t tell them apart either.

However, Xiang Xing’s answer surprised everyone: “I don’t have a face. Since I can remember, I’ve been a mycelium. My consciousness is clear, but my body is capricious. I can replicate anyone I touch. I don’t have a fixed face.”

“Ah, I see.” After thinking for a moment, Xia Yu said decisively, “It’s okay. You can use my appearance to live your life from now on. I don’t mind. But we still need to be a little different so that everyone doesn’t keep mistaking us.”

“Really? I really like your appearance. I want to be like you.” Xiang Xing touched Xia Yu’s hand, and mycelium coiled from his palm onto his fingers. First, the mycelium wrapped around the middle finger. When it reached the index finger, Xiang Xing’s eyes changed color, becoming black like those of Mi Dou, Xi Ban, Talos, and Lao Gui.

“That way, we can be distinguished. I’m Xiang Xing, a red carnivorous mushroom.” Xiang Xing introduced himself again. “Thank you, everyone. I…I feel a sense of belonging I’ve never experienced before. Can I live with you? I don’t want to go back to living in a lab petri dish. I want a bigger place.”

“Then you can live with me. I live next door to Xia Yu and Mo An,” said Xi Ban, pointing to himself. “After we go back, you can tell Silver Fang and Yan Xia about the situation in Yu Kun City. They’re having a lot of trouble with that city.”

“Okay, I’ll do my best to help everyone. I’ll eat whoever you ask me to.” Xiang Xing smiled calmly.

“No, no, no. You don’t need to eat others.” Xia Yu quickly patted his head. Xiang Xing was actually a carnivorous mushroom, which was highly dangerous.

Fortunately, this mission was relatively safe, and they gained an unexpected new friend. A few hours later, Talos’s ship successfully left the Black Sea. Suddenly, the weather changed, and the ocean crashed against the shore.

Jingwei: [That’s great, Xia Yu, welcome back. I was so worried.]

“I was worried about you too.” Hearing Jingwei’s voice again, Xia Yu was overjoyed. “Nuwa hasn’t found you, has she? How are you doing?”

Jingwei: [I don’t think she’s found me yet. Nuwa is far too powerful; she could easily devour me. Ling Shi intercepted my link request and created a barrier. Please thank her for me.]

“Okay, I will. Thanks to you all this time.” Xia Yu kissed the bracelet.

Jingwei was silent for two seconds.

Jingwei: [Aaaaaah, what are you doing!!]

“I’m thanking you.” Xia Yu tapped the screen. “So, you and Ling Shi can communicate with each other from now on, right?”

Jingwei was clearly still not recovered. After a long pause, she said, [It’s like you kissed my entire database. Humans are so scary. Why do they have to make physical contact? Ling Shi has completely taken control of my database. The database will remain encrypted from now on. Shouldn’t you two go back and rest now?]

Xia Yu looked at Mo An, who was still sleeping. “No, we’re going to Power Plant No. 3. We have a new partner this time. His name is Xiang Xing. He brought out a corrupted chip, and Mo An absorbed the eco-electricity from it. I need to find a way to release the eco-electricity…”

“Great, does this unlock the ‘Reclamation Project’?” Lao Gui overheard this as he passed by.

Jingwei: [It seems only Xie Dang is seriously completing this task; the others aren’t interested in the secrets of Power Plant No. 3.]

Lao Gui, who had already left, circled back and warned, “Don’t call me by my full name.”

Jingwei: [Xie Dang Xie Dang Xie Dang Xie Dang.]

“I’ll throw you into a furnace sooner or later.” Lao Gui shook his fist and spoke while holding the standard security-retrieval box. “I’m going to collect the chips in Mo An’s pocket. Even though they’re already gray, they’re still worth a lot.”

“I’ll go with you,” said Xia Yu. They went to Mo An’s room together. Mo An was still half asleep when Lao Gui used a special retrieval gun to get the chip. With a clink, the chip landed steadily in the metal box.

“What’s this?” Lao Gui turned on his searchlight. “There are words on it…”

Xiang Xing leaned over curiously. “This chip is burning my body. What does it say?”

The chip resembled mutated cells, and the words on it were blurry. Lao Gui struggled to decipher them. “Ri… Ri… Mei…”

“Rijianmei Plastic Surgery Hospital?” Xia Yu’s mind raced.

“The last two characters are blurry.” Lao Gui closed the lid. “It looks like it’s Rijianmei Plastic Surgery Hospital’s doing again. It’s strange. They brought Xiang Xing out of Yukun City, and now they’ve pulled this stunt.”

Xia Yu thought for a moment, then asked urgently: “Xiang Xing, the half-mechanical man you saw holding the detonator—did he say anything?”

Xiang Xing closed his eyes. When he spoke again, his voice had changed to an unfamiliar mid-to-low pitch. He could not only mimic appearances, but also perfectly replicate voiceprints.

“The Apocalypse has arrived. The knights have descended.”

Xia Yu’s memories instantly returned to six years ago on the Tide, the ocean liner, where the crew had said the same thing.

---

 If you’re enjoying my translations, feel free to leave a comment or support me on Ko-fi ☕