MASG chapter 67

 

Before they even reached the island, danger had already “caught” them, hinting that this journey would not be so simple.

“Otherwise, let’s not go up,” Mi Dou suggested calmly. “Knowing there are tigers on the mountain, yet still heading straight for it—let’s not do things like that.”

“I agree,” said Silver Fang, looking at the map. “If we dock the boat at Frozen Island’s pier, it’s pretty much the same anyway. Frozen Island has been sealed off for too long. There’s nowhere for us to settle, even if we get off the boat. After resting a few hours, we’ll head to HuTi City. Everything’s already arranged there, right?”

Xia Yu’s wristband flashed.

Ling Shi: [Arrangements are already in place. Three of Ma Jiayuan’s work contacts have been found; they are all currently working in HuTi City. They were also Ma Jiayuan’s last normal social contacts in HuTi City. I believe they hold great investigative value.]

Jingwei: [The route has been fully planned for all of you. Just waiting for departure.]

“Thanks. Having artificial intelligence to help is really convenient,” Silver Fang agreed. Not to mention, they now had two AI systems helping them.

The ship was about to dock, and the entire island came into clearer view—as if stepping out from a cold-toned oil painting, going from two-dimensional to three-dimensional. The translucent blue ice walls on both sides parted to make way for the ship. Human technology seemed dull compared to such a natural landscape. “No-man’s land”—these four characters came to life, even their breaths felt icy.

“All right, we won’t get off,” Xia Yu finally agreed. The fewer complications, the better. Right now, they were basically a magnet for trouble—they couldn’t afford any more accidents.

However, Mo An was extremely curious about the water quality in this area of the sea. He had been swimming smoothly earlier but suddenly sensed something was wrong.

“Aren’t you cold?” In a blink, Xia Yu turned back and asked.

Mo An instantly crossed his arms over his chest, even though he was still wearing a towel around his waist. “I’m not cold. Why are you peeking at me?”

“When did I peek at you?” Xia Yu felt wronged. “You’re the one swimming around without clothes. You weren’t like this when you were little. Now you’re all bashful. When you were little, you used to walk around dragging your bare tail on the ground and wiggling nonstop.”

“That’s different. Being a child is being a child. Besides, that’s how we mermaids move on land.” Mo An still covered himself, leaving no room for anyone to see.

Xia Yu teased him. “I helped scrub your scales before. What haven’t I seen?”

“Great, then come with me to the bathroom right now and continue scrubbing,” Mo An said, refusing to lose. He grabbed Xia Yu on purpose. “Come on, come on. Let’s go now. Scrub that place for me…”

“Enough, stop messing around.” Xi Ban helplessly patted Mo An. “When everything’s settled, you two will have plenty of time to play around. For now, put on some clothes.”

Mo An snorted and went back to the room to change. Mi Dou hid behind Xia Yu and secretly observed Mo An’s posture. “So mermaids walk on land like standing snakes.”

“Our muscle movement paths are somewhat similar. We can use the opening and closing of our scales to exert force,” said Xi Ban as he put on a coat. “It’s so cold. No wonder death-row prisoners were all sent here. No one can survive the winters on this island.”

Yes, it was truly cold. Xia Yu felt it too, and Mi Dou felt it even more—he kept yawning. Half an hour later, their boat successfully docked at the empty pier after avoiding the hidden reefs. The pier was even more desolate than Xia Yu had imagined. The wooden parts of the pier had rotted away, leaving only the metal framework.

But even the metal was badly corroded—one step might break it.

“I need to run some tests to see what makes the water here different.” Wrapped in three thick coats and with drooping eyelids, Mi Dou pushed open the door. He held a test tube containing seawater they had just collected. It looked normal to the naked eye, but Mo An sniffed it and said,

“This water has been severely polluted.”

“You’re really sharp.” Mi Dou nodded.

“Mermaids have extremely strict requirements when it comes to water quality. Our gills can only filter clean seawater. If the environment in the water is too terrible, the gills will stop working immediately, and the cells will necrotize.” Mo An touched both sides of his Adam’s apple. He had never experienced this kind of pain, but it must be unbearably agonizing. Wouldn’t that essentially be like letting a mermaid suffocate in the sea?

“Looks like you… you all have weaknesses too.” Mi Dou yawned again. His remaining energy ran out, and just before collapsing, he handed the test tube to Xi Ban. Then he dove onto the sofa and immediately fell asleep. Xi Ban held the test tube and could sense that the seawater was polluted too. Luckily, Mo An had returned to the boat earlier; otherwise, he would have been contaminated, too.

“Shall we eat something now?” Xi Ban suggested.

“I’ll look for something.” Xia Yu walked toward the kitchen.

The kitchen was mostly filled with canned food. First, Xia Yu picked out a few fish cans for Mo An and Xi Ban. Then, he picked out cans of fried rice and steak for the rest of them. Without a heating device, they all sat on the sofa eating cold canned food while Mi Dou, who couldn’t wake up, lay beside them.

“It looks like Dou Dou won’t wake up until we leave the pier.” After eating, Xia Yu took off a coat and carefully draped it over Mi Dou. “I hope my situation won’t implicate Mi Lian and the others.”

“Mi Lian really supports Dou Dou with everything she has. She truly is a great mother, always supporting her child’s dreams,” Xi Ban said.

The moment he finished speaking, they all seemed to hear a burst of singing.

“Strange. Who’s singing?” Xia Yu stood up first. “Did I hear that right?”

“This…this is!” Xi Ban listened to a few lines and revealed an expression of disbelief. “This is a White Siren singing! Mo An, cover your ears! Don’t listen!”

White siren? Why couldn’t he resist the singing of a White Siren? Mo An was just a few seconds too slow. The scene before his eyes suddenly distorted. He immediately covered his ears and followed Xi Ban into the lowest cabin under the deck. It was quieter there. Mo An lowered his hands, which were already drenched in sweat. “What happened? What’s going on with the White Siren?”

“The White Sirens are the all-snow-white mermaids of our sub-branch. They’re especially gentle and have almost no combat strength. Black Sirens have the psychic ability of prophecy. White Sirens can read minds. However, the singing of a White Siren can cause a mermaid to hallucinate. Listening for too long can lead to madness.” Xi Ban was also sweating heavily.

Mo An wiped his sweat. “Didn’t they say this island was abandoned long ago? Why would there be a mermaid nearby?”

“No, not nearby. This mermaid is on the island.” Xi Ban said firmly. “This island is surrounded by polluted seawater. There’s no way a mermaid could survive here. It must be in the center of the island. This mermaid must be trapped.”

“Then should we go save it?” Mo An asked.

Xi Ban didn’t answer immediately, but his silence was an admission. They would never abandon their sisters and kin.

After waiting a few minutes, the singing finally stopped. Mo An went back up to the deck and repeated everything Xi Ban had told him. Xia Yu didn’t stop him. Over the years, he had come to understand the emotional bonds of mermaids. He only said, “Then I’ll go with you.”

“You can’t go. You need to stay on the boat.” Mo An turned to prepare.

“How can that work?” Xia Yu followed him. “I raised you. What if something happens to you? How would I explain it to Professor Wang Qin?”

Hearing this, Mo An finally turned around.

Xia Yu looked up at him—so tall. When did he grow this tall?

“Is it just responsibility?” Mo An suddenly asked, seemingly out of the blue. Xia Yu’s brain stalled for a second. Responsibility? What responsibility? But in that one second, Mo An had already turned away again. He wore a strange, unreadable expression of disappointment.

“I definitely have a responsibility toward you. I can’t let you face danger alone. You are the last person entrusted to me by Professor Wang,” Xia Yu responded faster than he could think. His brain hadn’t figured out Mo An’s question yet, but his mouth had already replied. Yet, when Mo An heard this, he looked even more disappointed. He silently shook his head and continued preparing to leave.

Silver Fang watched all of this. Strange—how had these two kids been fine just moments ago, and now they’re suddenly at odds? He looked toward Xi Ban for help. Xi Ban shook his head. Mo An had grown up; his thoughts had changed. He wanted more, especially from Xia Yu. Every time Xia Yu repeated that Mo An was his responsibility and that he wouldn’t be able to explain to Professor Wang Qin if Mo An got hurt, Mo An felt even more heartbroken, despite the good intentions behind the words.

Xi Ban could clearly see that what Mo An wanted from Xia Yu… wasn’t something as simple as responsibility.

They left quickly, leaving the others on the boat waiting for Yan Xia’s instructions. Xia Yu watched their silhouettes shrink and disappear. Then, he turned back to Silver Fang and asked, “Did I say something wrong just now?”

“No.” Silver Fang could only switch into his professional, official mode. “Maybe Mo An sensed a kinship and became uneasy.”

Kin… Xia Yu looked forward again. He wished he were the same kind as Mo An—mermaids understood each other; they could sense each other. They communicated without obstacles. But between him and his younger brother… something had been off these past few years—just like right now.

The path beneath the ship was difficult to traverse. Xi Bin followed behind Mo An, wanting to ask the silent, soon-to-be-adult fish a question. However, he decided against it. These matters needed to be worked out by Mo An and Xia Yu themselves. If he broke that thin layer of ice, things might only become more awkward.

“This road doesn’t look like it’s been abandoned for hundreds of years.” Mo An had no idea that Xi Ban was already having a storm of thoughts behind him. He only wanted to deal with Frozen Island quickly and then head to HuTi City to clear Xia Yu’s name. But he wasn’t wrong. According to Silver Fang, Frozen Island had been uninhabited all these years. Hundreds of years of wind and frost shouldn’t leave cement intact. With the temperature so low here, the cement road under their feet looked almost half-new.

“The prison is just ahead. Let’s be careful.” Xi Ban turned on his flashlight and softly hummed a tune. He wasn’t in the mood to sing, but he needed to let the White Siren know that someone of his kind was nearby.

But don’t sing again! A White Siren’s song has a calming effect on humans, but not on fish.

Xi Ban’s song calmed Mo An considerably. The twin-tail melody soothed his spirit, and the small resentment he had just felt toward Xia Yu disappeared. What does Xia Yu really feel about him? Does he only see him as a little brother? Or just as Professor Wang’s dying wish?

It seemed Xia Yu truly thought that way.

They slowly entered the prison. The tall building, which should have been rotten and crumbling, showed traces of human repair—proof that secrets were hidden there. Hundreds of years ago, prisoners were kept in iron caltrops. Now, the caltrops were rolled up and stuffed in the corners like rusty tumbleweeds.

The prison was shaped like an ancient tower. The ground was icy, requiring careful steps. Occasionally, an insect crawled along the wall or a few spiders dangled down, powerless against uninvited visitors. The two of them felt as if they had stepped into an actual ancient castle. Hundreds of years ago, humans built with brick and soil—enough to astonish them.

After seeing so much of the steel jungle, even this prison seemed beautiful.

“Water!” Mo An twitched his ears.

The sound came from below, sloshing and splashing as if someone were deliberately disturbing the water’s surface. Although Mo An and Xi Ban knew their opponents were of the same kind, they drew their guns and descended the spiral staircase, searching for the source of the sound.

Before seeing the source, they first noticed water patterns on the walls and ceiling, like massive ice cracking, leaving behind its final image. Footsteps and breathing echoed. Mo An led Xi Ban up the last stone step. A small pool of seawater lay before them, like a hidden gem at the bottom of the prison.

A gaunt mermaid swam in it, its skin snow white. Its tail, once strong and powerful, was now so thin that the bones were visible. Large patches of scales were missing, revealing pale blue wounds.

Back on the ship, Xia Yu organized the information collected by Ling Shi, Jingwei, and Lao Gui.

“Any discoveries?” Silver Fang asked.

“Yes.” Xia Yu pointed at the screen. “In the Bible, ‘Apocalypse’ and the ‘Knights’ come from the Book of Revelation. There are four knights: Famine, Plague, War, and Death. In the Book of Revelation, God sends down fire from heaven to cleanse humanity. Those who believe in him gain eternal life and everlasting peace. Ma Jiayuan said the second knight has already arrived, referring to the ‘YeHuai’ worm.”

“Famine… The Tidal was the arrival of the first knight.” Silver Fang connected the dots.

“That’s what I think, too. Things are not happening independently; they are connected. Their ‘Bloom’ might correspond to ‘eternal life.’ But I haven’t figured out exactly what that means.” Frustrated, Xia Yu clutched a tiny clue. “Could it be Nuwa, dissatisfied with human society and wanting to cleanse it?”

Ling Shi: [I believe Nuwa could do that.]

Jingwei: But if Nüwa wanted to cleanse it, why not just kill everything? With her power, the rebellion back then would have been the perfect opportunity.]

“Because…it wants to be God?” Xia Yu suddenly realized. “Lao Gui said that God follows this procedure in Revelation. If Nuwa wants to become a celestial deity, she would imitate God’s mechanism.”

“Then, based on your analysis, the world is in even greater danger now.” Silver Fang temporarily agreed with Xia Yu. “Assuming Nuwa wants to play God to humans, she must follow the Revelation process. Famine has appeared, and the plague ‘YeHuai’ was killed by you, which explains why your detention order came so quickly. Nuwa wanted you dead because you destroyed its plague knight. Once one YeHuai dies, another may appear. Mi Dou was right: there may be more than one worm. There are four stages, and Nuwa certainly has contingency plans.”

“We must hurry to HuTi City!” Xia Yu broke into a cold sweat. Unknowingly, they had positioned themselves against Nuwa.

“But I still can’t make sense of it logically.” Silver Fang asked again. “Judging by Nuwa’s rebellion, its underlying logic has already been overturned. Why does it still follow the procedure to become a god? It’s already humanity’s god.”

Xia Yu looked out the window. The heavy fog over the sea mirrored the fog in his mind. “Could it have concerns? Fears? Its program may be locked by its creator, preventing it from wiping out humanity in one go.”

“Could this relate to Power Plant No. 3?” Silver Fang had always found that place mysterious. “Remember, the ‘Reclamation’ project was Operation 002. In the data world, a 2 can’t appear from nothing; there must have been a 1. There must have been a failed 001 operation. Could the 002 reboot you’re working on be Nuwa’s caution?”

“This… is too complex. I need to sort it out.” Xia Yu rubbed his temples. Power Plant No. 3 was shrouded in mystery and also involved Jingwei. Jingwei was an AI born from the rebellion whose core logic was to reboot Power Plant No. 3 at all costs.

Could it really be the last fail-safe to punish Nuwa?

Jingwei… reclamation project… they seem connected. Why was Jingwei born at the same time that Nuwa rebelled? It was a terrifying coincidence. Xia Yu was deep in thought when someone boarded the ship. He rushed out. “We need to hurry to HuTi City. The mysteries of the Apocalypse and the Knights have been solved. We…”

“Wait.” Mo An interrupted and placed the snow-white mermaid from his arms onto the deck. “He needs food. He said he was captured by a hospital and kept here for research.”