The Record of Unusual Creatures - Chapter 146

Chapter 146: Naming the Baby

 

It was the first time Hao Ren got to witness with his own eyes the wonder of racial differences.

After some meticulous observation, the half-past-six guardian knew it was not part of teething behavior instead, she had mistaken the chopstick for food. The six-inch mermaid had really powerful jaws. She bit the bamboo chopstick in half like she was eating a chocolate bar, leaving the table full of bamboo residue. Hao Ren was shocked. He went to grab the piece of chopstick left in her mouth but thought better of it after seeing a mouthful of saliva.

The piece of chopstick disappeared into her mouth, and the little mermaid’s stomach was bloated. She patted her tummy as she burped out some bamboo breath before she jumped into the tub and darted across the water. She was so agile that it was hard to imagine this little one was just a newborn of a few hours. Lily looked on in amazement. Then she said, “Hmm, looks like she could gnaw on my teething rusk too… Don’t you think so, Landlord?”

Not to say the husky was being over imaginative but, she was the only one who would think of such a thing.

“She eats bamboo?” Vivian had the weirdest expression in the entire universe. “Since I was born, this is my first time seeing a mermaid eat bamboo. A bamboo-eating fingerling.”

“I think she feeds on roughage.” As a water-bound creature, Nangong Wuyue knew more about mermaids than anyone else. “There are no bamboos in the sea. I bet the oceans in other worlds don’t have it too. But, this little mermaid’s main food is coarse fiber. It thrives in the toughest environments and survives on its own. No wonder Sister Goddess was so damn sure the egg would hatch—this thing’s really tough.”

“The fact that the egg only hatched when it was boiled really got me. Yet, she warned me not to cook it. What the heck?” said Hao Ren as his mouth twitched slightly. He was not too surprised that the little fish was tough. Mainly because, he always thought that mermaids in the Otherworld were ferocious and tough. Just judging from her powerful jaws and maneuverability, throwing a few of these eggs into the Pacific Ocean would completely wipe out the other life forms in no time. Not even fishing boats would survive. Unfortunately, the fingerling was the only one left of her species.

As everyone surrounded the tub to study the little mermaid, a prickly voice was suddenly heard coming from the doorway. “Hey, I’m back! What are you guys doing?”

Lily turned her head and glanced over her shoulder. It was Y’zaks. She waved and called out to him. “Big guy, over here, quickly! Landlord’s egg has hatched! Thanks to me!”

At that moment, Hao Ren felt like hauling the husky out of the window. Unfortunately, he was no match for her…

“What the heck are you talking about?” Y’zaks was confused. As he poked his head around, he saw a little fish in the tub, and was astonished. “Nangong, I didn’t know you were pregnant.”

Hao Ren was speechless.

“Ah, I see it now!” Sensing something was wrong, the penny dropped, and Y’zaks quickly realized his mistake. He smacked his forehead and said, “Please, excuse my blunder. It’s the egg we brought back. It hatched so quickly!”

Hao Ren glanced at the demon suspiciously. He sensed Y’zaks was up to something. It was not a mere slip of tongue. His mind was obviously not there. However, the great demon was swift to divert attention.

“What’s the name of this little thing?”

“Oh, it doesn’t have a name!” Vivian clapped her hands. “We can’t keep calling it Baby Fish, right?”

Everyone started to think of a name for the baby fish. It seemed like the little mermaid had a promising future. Barely hours since she was born, she had become the crown jewel of the family. Rollie circled around and meowed for like half a day and yet nobody noticed it. It looked like it had lost its place and that was very depressing for Rollie.

Hao Ren teased the little mermaid’s tail with his finger. He had a suggestion. “Let’s call it Baby as a nickname. After all, we don’t have to register her. We could always give her a proper name when she grows up.”

“No, that sounds too conventional.” Nangong Wuyue waved her hands frantically. “Next, please.”

“Considering she’s a mermaid and she’s been sticking to our landlord since he brought her back, shall we name her Hao Fishy?”

Lily was elated. “Yeah, I agree…”

“Next, please!” Hao Ren had a big headache. “Can’t you guys be more serious?”

Then Lily had another idea. “Okay, since it was I who did the incubating, let’s name it Dog Egg…”

Everyone cried, “Next!”

“I think the name should be gorgeous and distinguished,” Y’zaks broke his silence with his coarse voice. “We need to take her identity into consideration: she’s the only mermaid left whom the goddess placed in our custody. Her guardian, that’s you, Landlord, is the right-hand man of God; in the language of my world, you’re kind of a pontiff character whom even the king will bow to. So, this mermaid deserves a princess name…”

Hao Ren was even more confused now. “What do you suggest then?”

“Elizabeth Francois Velasquez Furier—hey, wait a second, I’m not done—”

Hao Ren shoved Y’zaks away (it felt like pushing away a mountain). “You’re not as good as me!”

The great demon sounded like an unimaginative name-generator and a lame bookworm.

Everybody was at it again, and nobody seemed to be able to come up with something sensible. At last Vivian spoke with a low voice with her arms crossed, “The big guy’s right. The little mermaid deserves a good name. But, his suggestion was a little bit too wordy. Hey, we can shorten it and call her Elizabeth. What do you say?”

Not that the name was bad, but Hao Ren felt that it was too common and lacked ingenuity. Before Hao Ren could say anything, the hammer fell as Vivian spoke again, “If there are no objections, then it’ll be decided as such. The earliest mermaid legend originated from the west, and I think this name suits the little one quite nicely. What do you think, Landlord?”

To Hao Ren, this fingerling, who was just under half a foot was anything but elegant. He looked at his mad tenants and could not help himself. He nodded, thinking that least Elizabeth was a proper name. If things were left to the husky, it was not impossible that Dog Egg would have very well become the chosen name.

“I’d like to give her a nickname,” Nangong Wuyue raised her hand. “Elizabeth sounds too formal. She shall be called Lil Pea because she’s small like a pea.”

Without waiting for the others to spill their thoughts, the little mermaid started to slap its tail in the tub happily. Although she could have been happy for other reasons, everyone felt the same. Hao Ren clapped his hands and said, “That’s it. She agreed. She’s Lil Pea from now on!”

The little mermaid finally got her names: Elizabeth, and Lil Pea as a nickname.

Hao Ren had a hunch that the name would one day become legend—just look at the contrast…

After half a day of hoo-ha, Lily was starving. Everyone dispersed back to where they were supposed to be; Vivian went into the kitchen and started cooking while Y’zaks as well as Nangong Wuyue started to unpack. Just when Hao Ren was about to leave, there was trouble: the little mermaid wanted to tag along wherever he went.

As everyone had left and Hao Ren was about to do the same, Lil Pea, the little mermaid began to beat her tail against the water and scream like crazy. She scrambled out of the water, onto the tea table and then onto the floor. After that, she jumped towards Hao Ren. Hao Ren was shocked seeing all that.

Lil Pea calmed down once she clung onto Hao Ren’s leg. However, Hao Ren was almost in tears: the little fish was looking up to him like he was her mum, and he needed to do something about it real quick!

Chapter 147: The Baby’s Mother

 

Hao Ren was basically counting sheep the whole night.

After her meal, the little mermaid clung to him like superglue. Her small arms were as thin as chopsticks but, they felt really solid. Hao Ren was too afraid to pull her away from his arm because he may inadvertently hurt her. Nonetheless, there was no way he could live on like that.

The next morning, Hao Ren walked out of his room with a pair of droopy eyes with Lil Pea still clinging onto his arm. She looked like an armband from afar. Hao Ren was still wearing the clothes from the day before. He could not change because the little thing never left him alone. And he had basically dozed off for just about two or three hours that night, fearing he would crush her if he was not careful.

Lily was packing like she was getting ready to go to work (probably the strays in the alley needed vaccination). She was amazed as much as she was amused when she saw Hao Ren. “Wow, Landlord, she clung to you like that the whole night?”

“What can I do?” Hao Ren shrugged. “She didn’t want to go back into the tub. She’s been clingy since yesterday.”

That was not the case when the little mermaid was first born. Hao Ren could still remember it was easy to move her back to the tub. She would be excited and venture out of the water occasionally. But as time went by, Lil Pea clung to him like superglue; she would not go back to her tub, she would not move on her own, and she would not let go of him.

Nangong Wuyue also sensed something was off about Lil Pea. She came up to Lil Pea and waved her finger. Lil Pea’s head would turn and her tail would swish as she followed the rhythm of the finger’s movement. But other than that, she refused to move an inch unlike the previous day when she showed extraordinary curiosity towards everything new.

“She’s in good health,” said Nangong Wuyue as she caressed and felt the little mermaid’s smooth scales. “But her clingy behavior…could be due to the insecurity of an unfamiliar environment. That may explain why she keeps holding on to something she feels familiar with.”

“Firstly, she’s not in her natural habitat—the sea. This little one surely feels strange,” said Nangong Wuyue as she analyzed the situation. “The kids grow very rapidly once they hatch. This species of mermaid is highly intelligent. She already has a clear sense of her surroundings so, she has probably found that this environment isn’t fit for her… Maybe not quite so but, most likely she feels that this environment doesn’t match her genetic profile. Second and most importantly, she can’t communicate with us. Although this species is highly intelligent, and able to communicate with other adults of the same species even as newborns, we can’t understand a single word she murmurs. Neither does she understand us.”

“So, that’s why she’s become afraid?” Hao Ren asked. He let Lil Pea change her posture and lie on his arm. The little creature was feeling tired after clinging onto him in the same position. Looking at her behavior, it seemed like there was nothing she was particularly scared of. She was still curious and excited about her environment. Additionally, she would purr when lying on her back as if she was feeling satisfied.

“Think back to how you behaved when your mom brought you to the zoo for the first time. You hid in your mother’s arms,” said Nangong Wuyue with arms akimbo. “The most important thing now is to figure out what’s in her mind. Cross-species fathering is very difficult.”

Hao Ren nodded in total agreement. The biggest challenge he faced was the language barrier: if he could communicate with the little mermaid, she would be less clingy since she was at ease. So it was back to the biggest question: how would she communicate when she could not even speak?

Lily broke in. “Why don’t you see Raven?”

Lily’s words hit Hao Ren in the head. He felt like an idiot: he should have thought of that earlier but, it was the husky, who reminded him!

Lily spread out her hands and said, “I’m naive but, I’m not stupid…”

“MDT, contact Raven 12345.” The MDT hovered out of Hao Ren’s pocket and initiated contact. Lil Pea looked at the glowing gadget curiously. She flapped her tail, and wanted to taste it but, Hao Ren ignored her.

“Hao Ren? What’s going on?” Raven 12345 sounded impatient as if she was very busy. “How’s the egg?”

“It hatched!”

“What?” Raven 12345 shouted like she was really shocked. Then Hao Ren heard a bang followed by a creepy scream at the other end. He asked, “What are you doing there?”

“Nothing special. I’m in the midst of a fight.” Raven 12345 spoke rapidly. “It hatched? That’s quick!”

Hao Ren knew that Raven 12345’s life could not be understood in the normal sense of things so, he did not bother to ask what the fight was all about. He made the best use of his time and told her everything about the little mermaid, particularly about the communication problem and the ‘mother-child’ relationship. “The biggest problem is we cannot understand her, and she can’t understand us either. This little thing doesn’t seem to understand that this world will be her home. She’s clinging to me like glue.”

Raven 12345 paused for a second, then she said, “Hmm, I can’t believe that boiling works… It’s going to be hard to communicate with the newborn. But if what you said is true, she has enough intelligence. The only thing she needs is to understand your language. Nangong Wuyue, I guess you could help.”

“Me?” The siren maiden looked surprised. “I don’t think I can understand what she says. And I’ve told you a hundred times that I’m a siren, not a mermaid!”

“It’s not about being a mermaid, it’s about the inborn ability to communicate among species of the sea. Sirens have the ability to establish communication with any other deep-sea creature, and that includes those of the Otherworld. However, this is the legacy of lazy programming left behind by the previous creator from another celestial. The program was meant to test a new biological model and has since been deactivated following years of evolution. But, I could try to reactivate it.”

Raven 12345 talked about the passive and bad working habits of the creator god as if it was entirely normal. Hao Ren and Nangong Wuyue were breaking out in cold sweat like cows. Nangong Wuyue then inquired with a strange expression on her face, “What should I do now?”

“Go outside and find an open space. I’ll send you the program. Oh yes, don’t forget to turn off all electronic devices that may cause interference.”

Nangong Wuyue had no clue what that was all about. However, she believed that the goddess was trustworthy so, she left her mobile phone on the couch and went out in the open.

Hao Ren had a hunch that it would probably be a booby trap again. Before he could warn and stop the siren maiden, a loud, thunderous sound was heard outside.

Nangong Wuyue walked back in with her exploded hair. “…I won’t believe her anymore, ever.”

Raven 12345 was still on the line. She shouted, “No doubt that was a little too explosive, but hey, it worked. The program has been reactivated. You can try it out just like I told you. I’m busy, I got to go.”

Nangong Wuyue went into the bathroom and cleaned herself up. Then, she allowed Hao Ren to sit on the couch afterwhich, she carefully pointed at Lil Pea’s forehead. “I’m just giving this a try. Don’t put too much hope in it.”

Vivian and Y’zaks came up to witness what Nangong Wuyue was about to perform. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on Wuyue and Lil Pea. Hao Ren was so nervous that he felt himself sweating; however, when he looked up, it was Lily gulping water behind him.

The big fish and the little fish communicated for like dozens of seconds. Suddenly, Lil Pea stared at Nangong Wuyue in astonishment. Nangong Wuyue exhaled. “Phew… looks like it worked.”

Hao Ren could not wait. He hurried Nangong Wuyue. “Quick, let this little thing understand that I’m not her mother!”

“Okay, just let me talk to her slowly.” Nangong Wuyue nodded as she carefully took Lil Pea from Hao Ren. A wondrous thing happened when Nangong Wuyue reached out. The little mermaid let go of Hao Ren and embraced Nangong Wuyue as if there had been a trust established between them—although she still shook her head and let out a few cries, she looked calmer and sounded like she was just saying goodbye.

Nangong Wuyue brought the little mermaid back to her room, expecting that Lil Pea would come out feeling better. Hao Ren finally let out a sigh of relief. The first thing he wanted was to get changed. He was still wearing the same clothes he wore on the interstellar trip.

When he got himself a new set of clothes and came back to the living room, Nangong Wuyue and Lil Pea were already there. “That’s fast!” said Hao Ren with a surprise on his face.

“It was kind of telepathic. She’s very smart.” Her expression was a little weird. “Basically, I’ve explained everything to her…and she’ll adapt slowly.”

Hao Ren was elated. “So, now she knows I’m not her mom?”

“Err…there’s good news and bad news,” said Nangong Wuyue. She smiled wryly. “Which would you like to hear first?”

Hao Ren was taken aback. He knew he was going to be set up again. “…The good one.”

“Lil Pea now knows that you’re not her mom.” Nangong Wuyue gave the little mermaid back to Hao Ren. “She thinks you’re her dad. Frankly, a guardian could also be a dad.”

Hao Ren found the news not as good as he had expected but also, not as bad. He nodded and said, “Dad is okay. At least, it’s not that awkward. Just that, she shouldn’t be so clingy. What’s the bad news?”

Nangong Wuyue yanked a pot out from behind her. “This is her mother.”

Hao Ren was dumbfounded.

Chapter 148: Crash Course

 

Everyone at the scene was wide-eyed. Hao Ren could not wrap his brain around what she meant by that.

“Lil Pea thinks that she came out from this pot.” Nangong Wuyue looked extremely serious. “Yes, you’re right, it’s the pot Lily used to boil the egg. But, I really have no idea what went wrong; when this little thing learned that you weren’t her mom, she was dead set on believing that the pot was her mom. She believed that you discovered the pot then, you and the pot made her together…”

“That’s one hell of a mess!” Hao Ren stomped his feet. That scared the hell out of the little mermaid. He immediately poked Lil Pea’s tummy to comfort her while he shot an angry look at Nangong Wuyue. “What did you say to her?”

“I did my best.” The resentment on the siren’s face was no lesser. “Let me tell you, her brain’s a mess. Basically, we were just communicating on the edge of logic. You can’t possibly expect a newborn to understand so many things. I’d be surprised if she even understands what a dad and a mom is.”

Hao Ren almost cried. “But, you can’t just let her think that her mom’s a pot, especially when she thinks I’m her dad! How are you going to correct her worldview when she grows up?”

Nangong Wuyue sighed. She turned and looked at Lily. “Keep your f*cking eyes open.”

“Like this?” Lily’s eyes were as big as tennis balls.

Nangong Wuyue then turned to Hao Ren. “Now you see? A worldview isn’t something that can be explained…”

“…..”

Lily stood by and looked on but, she could not wrap her brain around what was happening. She packed up and left the house.

Hao Ren and Nangong Wuyue tried to make things right but, after a long day, they gave up: Lil Pea was dead set on believing that she was born from that damn pot. She showed unusual affection towards it—the way she did with Hao Ren. Vivian realized she had to buy a new pot. The old one belonged to the little mermaid now.

After Nangong Wuyue filled the pot up with water, Hao Ren carefully placed Lil Pea inside it. The little thing seemed to enjoy swimming in the pot now. It was unlike her cautious and anxious manner earlier. The pot had given her a familiar sense of security. She had hatched in the pot so, she was right to feel secure in it.

The little one swam for a while before she began to cry for food. It was easy to tell what she wanted: a series of unsettling grunts followed by the beating of her tail in the water to lift her. Hao Ren quietly recorded her every behavior and expression as well as the timing. He then got into the kitchen and walked back out with a chopstick.

Chopsticks were the only thing the little mermaid ate and he needed time to verify other recipes.

Maybe she could eat vegetables? After all, this little mermaid ate plant fibre, and vegetables were full of fibre.

Hao Ren thought it would be a good idea. He dashed into the kitchen, pinched some celery and radish into small lumps and threw them into the water—he felt like he was feeding a fish instead of a child. The little mermaid was not interested in the debris: the veggie lumps gave off a funny smell. The little mermaid threw them back out of the water and splashed the water on Hao Ren’s face.

Apparently, this was another veggie-hater.

“This dad and his child is having fun time.” The MDT hovered in the air as he looked on. Then, it jabbed Hao Ren’s forehead and said, “Enough family time. Let’s get back to work. According to the schedule Madam Raven gave you, it’s now time to learn the basics of navigation and flight control. Now’s the time to start if you want to feel how it’s like to sit in the cockpit.”

Hao Ren was watching Lil Pea’s ingenuous table manners in amusement. He was startled when he heard what the MDT said. “Wait a minute, when did I get a new schedule?”

“Last night. Didn’t I tell you?” The MDT pulled up in front of him, projected a hologram which displayed a ton of learning materials. “Maybe you weren’t really paying attention. You were busy with your six-inch daughter. Listen, these are the additional materials. Madam Raven has given you the basics. If you can pass, you’ll be able to control the Petrachelys. When you get your class two licence, you’ll be able to fly solo. So, where would you like to start?”

Hao Ren stared at the rows of learning material in a daze; The Theory of Spacecraft Control, Basics of Navigation, The Theory of Energy, Basics of Star Charts, Artillery Overview, and all kinds of jargon he barely knew, and these were just in the table of contents!

“I—I have to learn all this stuff?” Hao Ren was wide-eyed. He heard that flying a spacecraft required some learning but, he never expected there to be so many materials and topics. It was nothing like he had imagined based on what he read from sci-fi novels. “Will I even understand these? I’ve been to university—”

“Of course you can. Your brain has been enhanced to a certain extent. It has the capacity for high-speed reading and writing. Your subconscious has an implant that’s capable of processing these data. If you’re not retarded, learning these stuff won’t be difficult. These materials are specifically tailored to your perspective and level of understanding. We shall start from the Grand unified Theory.” The MDT sounded flat and dead serious; when it came to business, more or less it acted like a proper personal digital assistant. “And to be frank, you’re not required to go through the basics, all you need to know is what order to give in what circumstance, and the reason why that particular order is given. Simply put, a qualified captain of a spacecraft is between a caveman, who only knows how to press buttons and a mechanic, who’s an expert in his field.”

Hao Ren thought about it for a while. Then, with a hopeful voice, he said, “Wait a second, don’t you have a high-tech way of doing this, like program implant where I can skip the learning process? Sort of like the XX system add-on in the brain; like in the novels.”

The MDT had a look of disdain. “We have the technology but, it’s not appropriate for your application. The injection-learning device is for logical data and reflective learning. It is widely used in new army barracks for minions, where part of the course would be injected without any dangerous side effects. However, it’s not applicable for spacecraft captains. It’ll only reduce your learning aptitude and brain autonomy; it’s not a sequelae per se but it’s the nature of this ‘learning’ method—it writes codes into your brain as if you’re a machine. Although it’s highly effective, you’ll end up useless.”

Hao Ren barely understood what he had heard. The MDT continued leisurely, “There are some loosely-controlled autonomous universes, where brain implants can be found in the black market. They are used by some syndicates and individuals with the ulterior motive of creating digital slaves. Their embedded system would dismantle the safety lock, and swap out a large part of the host’s cognitive abilities—it starts with the arithmetic ability then, the memory followed by the ability to think and lastly, you.”

Vivian listened attentively by the side. She curiously asked, “So, one would end up being a retard?”

“No, actually the opposite is true. The implanted system would make the host extremely intelligent, with high reflexes, long-lasting stamina, super memory, and precision thinking. It turns people into superhumans—but, the superhuman isn’t you. A highly assimilated individual won’t be aware of the fact that he or she has been displaced. The subject will still think that everything he or she does is out of free will—it’s the perfect kind of brainwash.

Hao Ren was drenched in cold sweat!

“You can have knowledge, skills, logical thinking capabilities, and memory implants but, you’ll end up living on conditional reflex and brain insertion. You won’t realize that every single part of yourself has been swapped out and replaced by a bunch of zeros and ones. This has been happening and sometimes, other agents are called in to clean up the mess.” The MDT jabbed Hao Ren’s forehead and continued, “So, it’s better to learn the hard way. Different skills require different learning methods, and different life forms have their own ways of learning. Let’s begin with Introduction to Warp Drive…”

“…”

Chapter 149: Those Demon Hunters Again?

 

If Hao Ren did not experience it for himself, he would have never imagined that all those glorious starship captains, who travelled the stars started by reading from scratch. Most novels or movies never even touch this!

However, the MDT was right on one point. The study materials were really customized to suit his learning capabilities and understanding. Having his body strengthened also gave his mental abilities a boost. While the materials were still a bunch of mumbo-jumbo to him, after getting the basics down, he could begin to grasp the more technical stuff.

He did not need to know how the ship’s core worked (well, the number of people who actually knew how Imperial technology worked were considered exotic). He just needed to know what commands to input, and what the inputs actually mean to better understand the nuances of commanding. Hee would need to give out commands in the future. This was essential knowledge a starship captain needed to have; knowledge he would need to survive in space.

Well…it wasn’t like the ship did not come with an auto-repair system. Let the machines earn their due.

Hao Ren went ham on his studies. He clutched the MDT from morning until about 10.00pm. Accompanying him was Lil Pea, who lay by his side. The pot of water was pretty much a second home to the little mermaid and it was now a permanent fixture on the tea table. She would hop into the pot to swim for a while then, hop back out into Hao Ren’s arms and lie down with her belly exposed. At times, she made some unintelligible noises but, she did seem at ease.

“I think…the problem with raising a mermaid is the need to change her clothes all too often,” Hao Ren said as he gave up studying. The information was just too much for his brain to process at one go. He then set the MDT down. After that, he scooped Lil Pea up and put her back into the pot. His shirt got soaked when the little rascal hopped all over him. Even the sofa was wet. “Vivian, what are you doing?”

The vampire had been busy sewing in a corner since morning, and Hao Ren took a curious peek. He saw in her hands, a tiny shirt that was intricately sewn. “You aren’t making a shirt for Lil Pea, are you?”

“What do you think?” Vivian said as she broke the thread, giving Hao Ren a sideways glare. “You can’t be wrapping Lil Pea up with sealing tape all the time, right? Wuyue had me make some shirts for the little rascal before she left. What do you think of it?”

By Jupiter, this vampire seemed to have put all her talent points into household skills!

Hao Ren took the mini, light pink waistcoat from Vivian. The size was almost right, and the quality was almost artisan. Not only did she pick a cloth that would not shrink after being soaked in water, she even sewed two little fish patterns on the back of the coat in a frenzied effort. Her handiwork was almost too good that you would wonder how she even managed to learn all this. Lil Pea’s eyes widened as Hao Ren put the waistcoat on her. She clumsily tried to cooperate with Hao Ren as he struggled to put the coat on her. After a while, he managed to get the coat on her properly. Having worn a shirt for the first time, she did not seem all that comfortable. She twisted around for a bit and slapped her tail against the table as she went. It did not take long however, for her to get used to it and she jabbered in glee. It was as though it meant something to wear a shirt, almost as if it was a game.

The little mermaid flopped about in her new garb for a few rounds on the table, and after that, she jumped back into the pot to take a nap. Vivian on the other hand, had a gleeful smile on her face, satisfied that the little one liked her handiwork. With her motivation at it’s peak, she declared, “I’ll make a couple of camisoles and brassieres for her later. And please, get rid of the sealing tape. She almost looks like a mummified fish wearing it.”

As Hao Ren and Vivian were going on about the minutiae of raising a baby mermaid, the main door creaked opened. It appeared Lily was back much earlier than usual.

Vivian glanced at Lily curiously, “So early today? I haven’t even prepared anything for lunch yet.”

In everyone’s eyes, Lily’s return back home was always linked to meal time, and she had never returned so early before.

Lily did not respond to Vivian and her face was grim. After carefully peering outside, she latched the door shut. She then made haste towards Hao Ren and Vivian. “We have a problem.”

Lily’s serious demeanor took both of them by surprise. They never thought the derpy husky was even capable of such an expression. Hao Ren quickly pulled the MDT out of his pocket (how did that habit even come about?) and asked, “Did you just bite someone, and now the whole gang’s upon us?”

Vivian kicked Hao Ren in the shin. “Stop it with the nonsense. It’s not funny.”

“It’s this,” Lily said as she rolled her eyes. The husky took a piece of paper out from her pouch. “This seems very familiar…”

It was a piece of hard paper, the size of a poker card. It had a yellow tint. A strange aroma emitted from the paper, and on it, a series of intricate patterns painted in red ink could be seen; Letta runes.

Hao Ren had pretty much developed an antipathy towards these runes. Nothing good happened any time those runes appeared. Vivian also joined in with a frown, “These are runic cards used by the demon hunters… Where did you find them?”

“Along the nearby streets. Some were shoved into the cracks and some were stuck on lamp posts. All of them were placed in locations that aren’t easy to spot. I found a whole lot of them,” Lily said as she poured an entire stack of cards out of her pouch. “Am I really going to be dog stew this time?”

“Don’t think too much.” Hao Ren himself was shocked by the amount of runic cards Lily had collected but, he still managed to remain calm. “Let’s make sure this is real and not a prank…”

“There’s no way these are fakes,” Vivian said as she flung one of the cards into the air and smothered it with Blood Mist. There was a continuous cackle of lightning as the mist reacted with the runic card. A moment later, both the mist and card dissipated into nothing. “This is some really carefully drawn runes. Only demon hunters or ascetic monks of the church would know how to draw such runes. Seems like we’re being targeted for real.”

“Didn’t Raven 12345 say she settled the matter?” Hao Ren sighed deeply as he recalled his bitter experiences with the bunch of maniacal hunters. “Why did they pop up again?”

Vivian sighed softly as well. “…Well, we all know not to place all our hopes on her. We need to learn how to protect ourselves at the very least. We’ll need to plan our moves when Nangong and the big bloke come back. Since the demon hunters have placed cards all over the streets, it looks like they’re almost certain of our location… If a fight does break out, it won’t be pretty…and I was just getting comfortable with my life here…”

While her words were resigned, Vivian still took things seriously. With a wave of her hand, a dozen little bats appeared as she signaled at Hao Ren. “Help me put on some sunscreen.”

The vampire was about to go out to reconnoiter the area. While Hao Ren had his doubts about the little bats finding any trace of the demon hunters, it was better than doing nothing at all. Lily was busy ruffling through the runic cards, and she was rather puzzled by the symbols etched onto them. “What do these mean? I don’t remember them looking like that before?”

There are many types of runic cards, and veteran demon hunters may even create their own. The strength of a Letta rune is in the various forms and powers it can take,” said Vivian as she applied the sunscreen with Hao Ren’s help. “Based on what I can see on the paper… I think they are meant to create a geomantic or spell field of sorts. Some of the runes read as ‘The Earth’s Boundaries’, some, ‘The Shapeless Shadow’. When combined, these effects would probably create a field that could scout, monitor, engage in battle, or seal something… All of these are anchored upon the creation of this field. Seems like the hunters have only just arrived, and you discovered their work before they got far.”

Hao Ren thought, perhaps they stood a better chance this time around, given that air-brained Lily dismantled part of the field by chance. Lily was also elated after being useful. Her tail popped out in a sudden poof, and she started wagging. “Heh! I’m just that good aren’t I?”

“Oh yes. It’s your job to look for the rest of the Letta runes then,” Vivian’s retort came almost at a blinding speed. “Based on the field’s deployment, I have a feeling that the demon hunters loath facing us head on again. Just keep ruining their field deployment. This will buy us some time. Also, I think it’s time we take the fight to them. Let’s try to rid the whole street of these runes.”

Lily’s tail stopped midair as her jaw dropped. “Huh?”

“What are you gawking at?” Vivian said as she pushed the window open. The bats around her spread out as they took off into the wind. She looked back at Lily and Hao Ren, her fangs bared. “This is a challenge! Being caught unaware once is enough. Now we know what they’re up to. Let’s make sure we take one back alive this time!”

As the vampire maiden spoke, cold wind gathered around her. Her lust for battle was almost palpable.

Chapter 150: Lily’s Great Legion

 

Vivian was seldom so energetic.

The very good-tempered, ancient vampire was always busy doing housework in the big house like a good mother and wife. Her favorite thing was cooking; her favorite pastime was dazing and sleeping; the entertainment she liked included news on the grapevine and boring TV shows. She was so adapted to the life of ordinary people that Hao Ren almost forgot her true identity: an ancient vampire, who had been active on Earth since the Yuanmou Man walked upright; a powerful creature called the Countess of the Crimson Moon that the werewolves were afraid of.

Facing frequent provocations from the demon hunters, the first thing the countess did was indeed fight with them.

Hao Ren had little information on hand at the moment. They could not tell how many hunters had come to the street based on the runes Lily found in the neighborhood. They could only be sure that it was done by real demon hunters. Therefore, Hao Ren prepared for the worst. They would fight with them. Then, he would take everyone and escape to Kuiper station or other places. Now, this was the only thing that gave Hao Ren peace of mind. He had another plan, which was almost impossible for the demon hunters to follow. He did not believe that the extremists would have the knack to chase after them up to outer space. And if they did, he would just let the station garrison teach them how to be good people.

Lily was sent out to search for spell cards that were set up nearby by the demon hunters. However, obviously, it was not something that she could do alone in a hurry. Hence, Lily came back home after about an hour, for lunch. Eating was the most important thing to Lily. The husky’s combat power dropped to zero when it was time to eat. This was a natural phenomenon. You could not fight it.

On the other side, over 10 bats released by Vivian began to search the demon hunters’ trails throughout the Southern Suburbs in a giant and ever-expanding spiral track. They would return and report to Vivian when they found traces of the slightest supernatural phenomenon. However, Vivian was still busy cooking in the kitchen as if nothing was happening. The lunch was a sumptuous meal as usual.

“You can still keep your composure,” Hao Ren could not help but remark during lunch. Vivian, who sat facing Hao Ren had switched into her Blood Clan form but, her magical, bloody eyes did not show much tension. Vivian, in vampire form still set the table for them quickly and neatly as usual. She did not look murderous and fierce at all.

“Why can’t I?” Vivian took some vegetables with an indifferent smile. “We have no clue at this point anyway. We should eat and drink as usual to keep our energy. I’ve faced lots of troubles. At least, those who laugh till the end won’t not lose their appetite before a duel.”

In another sense, these were really inspiring words, which gave Hao Ren peace of mind.

Lily was also in her husky form. Her pointy ears occasionally twitched ever so slightly in the air as she kept an eye out for any movement outside. She feared that the hunters would attack them in the next second. She bit her chopsticks and muttered, “Why aren’t Wuyue and the big guy back yet… They aren’t encountering any problems, are they?”

“The big man won’t have any problems. There aren’t many people on this planet, who can beat him unless, the demon hunters exiled him to another space using strange ancient power.” Vivian was not worried about him and continued to explain, “We don’t even have to worry about Nangong Wuyue. Sirens won’t die.”

“Sirens won’t die?” Hao Ren remembered hearing similar things somewhere before but, he did not take them seriously at that time. And now that he heard it again, he was curious. “What does that mean?”

“The sirens are the only creatures that baffle the demon hunters. So much so that they generally don’t consider the sirens as an ‘alien species’, which needs to be eradicated.” Vivian kept on explaining about the siren’s unknown traits. “Although the demon hunters never openly admit it, a minority of them call the sirens the ‘Will of Water’ or the ‘Guardian of the Deep Sea’, and they treat the sirens as a species somewhere between aliens and the Holy Spirit. The sirens are peaceful and noninvasive in nature. They are powerful and bizarre but, are never the ones who provoke a dispute. The most important thing is that they can freely change their form in water, or even become part of the water. Death is not the end. They will regenerate through the cycle of evaporation and rain. So, even the demon hunters aren’t willing to provoke such a deathless species.”

Hao Ren had never heard of such a thing. “The sirens are that powerful?”

“Yes, quite so. So powerful that I wonder if they’re creatures that should exist in this world,” Vivian tilted her head and continued, “And their way of life is so weird. Ninety-nine percent of the sirens are hiding in secluded spots located in the deep sea, where no one has ever been. There used to be some pretty powerful guys, who tried to locate the sirens’ kingdom, like Poseidon and Ophion. However, they failed. When they came back, they vowed that they saw the sirens swim to the deep sea but, when they followed them from behind, they found themselves at the bottom of a barren ocean. Over time, this hidden species has become the ‘absolute neutral’ faction, which all unusual creatures and demon hunters on Earth usually don’t to provoke. Honestly, if it weren’t for Ebben swearing earlier, and me seeing Nangong Wuyue, this real living siren with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed that there used to be a group of sirens, who went ashore more than 100 years ago… I haven’t figured out what they intended to do on shore.”

Hao Ren was surprised to find that the siren had such an unusual background. To be frank, they could hardly find any powerful traces in Nangong Wuyue. The girl just marveled them when she slid around on her tail and treaded the deep sea. She usually kept a low profile.

However, Hao Ren also caught another message from Vivian’s description. Most of the sirens’ strengths were embodied in their ability to resurrect or reincarnate as well as their mysterious nature. In terms of combat power, the sirens did not seem to be able to help them during the fight with demon hunters. They were probably a species that could protect themselves but, were weak when it came to fighting…

They could not put all their hopes in Nangong Wuyue to fight against the demon hunters. Y’zaks was obviously more reliable than the siren.

Among all of them, Lil Pea was the only one who had completely no idea about what was going on. The little one was confined in the weird, big house. She did not know that it was sinister outside. She just lay on the table and curiously watched the adults talk while they ate. Occasionally, she would make strange noises to attract attention. She was also probably wondering why the adults just licked the food but did not eat them. Yes, to her, chopsticks were food and the stuff that was stuck in between the chopsticks… She had no idea what it was.

The little one then ate half of a chopstick again. She patted her bulging belly and lay in the pot. As she floated in the water, she fell into a doze. Vivian looked at the small mermaid in the pot with a smile. She then sighed and said, “I really envy the little mermaid for being in such a simple state. She has nothing to worry about, nothing to think about… I don’t even know what my childhood was like.”

Vivian was confused about her memory. She did not know anything about her childhood so, she would sigh once in a while. Sometimes, Hao Ren suspected that the vampire actually did not have a childhood but, he dared not tell her directly.

At that moment, a noise suddenly came from the outside. A pack of dogs were barking.

Lil Pea, who had just fallen asleep, was awakened by the noise. She jumped out from the pot and onto the table. Lily was happily wagging her tail. She stood up and said, “Oh—oh, my men have come to report their work!”

Lily’s men?

Hao Ren suddenly came to a realization and ran to open the door quickly. He was shocked after he opened the door.

There were approximately hundreds of dogs that were either standing, lying, squatting or sitting there. They gathered on the street, which now looked as grand as the Spring Festival!

Hao Ren suspected that all the dogs in the Southern Suburbs were gathered in this place.

“This… What the hell is going on?” Vivian came along when she heard the noise and was stunned when saw the scene. Lily shouted from the back, “Didn’t you guys ask me to find a way to get the spell cards on the street? I couldn’t do it alone so, I ordered them to help me!”

Hao Ren just noticed that every dog had at least one piece of paper with a Letta rune in its mouth. Some even had four or five of the spell cards with them. There were so many dogs in front of them, which meant that there were at least hundreds of carefully arranged spell cards searched out.

Hao Ren thought that if he was the demon hunter, he would have rather died. Who else could have thought of this wonderful tactic other than Lily?