Chapter 7: The Reaction Period
While the other mermen were still crowding around outside the door inquiring about the news of the purebred Chinese human, a small military airship quietly departed from the West Sea Human Breeding Center.
Now that the merman researchers were no longer around, Vincent could finally voice what he had been holding in for the past half hour. “Why didn’t you dodge?! Oh my god, if anyone finds out you managed to lose a scale just by visiting the human breeding center, my salary for this year is completely done for.”
The strongest merman on the entire planet actually had a scale knocked off by a human!
What kind of monumental anomaly was this? He could guarantee that if this news leaked out, it would absolutely claim the front page headlines of every media outlet.
The fine scales on the side of Lux’s face were tiny and few in number, concealed within his long hair. If someone didn’t look closely, they couldn’t actually tell one was missing.
He, however, remained completely placid. “His cry was too soft and sweet. I didn’t expect him to hit me.”
One second he was crying out meow-wu meow-wu in front of him, and the next second he completely flipped his face and threw a punch right at his cheek.
Recalling the black-haired human’s wide, round eyes, Lux curled his lips in a thoroughly pleasant mood.
In truth, he could have easily dodged it. But at the thought that the human had just been hurt by his bite and was angry, he had lost his focus.
He hadn’t packed much strength, but his tiny claws had managed to scratch him anyway. For such a delicate human, he wondered how long it would take to heal.
Lux cast his eyelashes down in thought.
Vincent cupped his chin in deep contemplation. “So you mean you lost control because you heard his cry?”
Across from him, Lux gave an “mm” but didn’t even lift his eyes, his fingers deftly scrolling through his light-brain display.
Vincent pondered for a moment. “Even I felt very… when I heard his cry.”
He knitted his brows, searching his brain for an appropriate adjective.
“Excited?” Lux offered casually.
Vincent nodded. “A bit. I really wanted to pull him into my arms and take a few deep breaths of him.”
The moment the words left his mouth, the merman before him—who hadn’t bothered to give him a single look just a second ago—abruptly lifted his eyes, his gaze freezing cold.
Vincent covered his mouth. “No, no, no! I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare. I just felt a brief spike of excitement in my heart. No, my heart wasn’t excited either—I felt absolutely nothing when I heard him cry out.”
“Fine,” he spoke the honest truth. “My reaction wasn’t anywhere near as massive as yours. When I saw the other one with blonde hair and green eyes, my heart beat much faster. I swear, I absolutely have no other designs on your human.”
Lux ignored him. “Why can’t I search for the reaction period on the human-rearing forum?”
Bringing this up instantly sparked Vincent’s interest.
“The human-rearing forum has a lot of sub-forums. Come, come, come, let me teach you.” He swam over to help Lux navigate the device.
With a few simple inputs, he tapped into the science section.
Inside, the explanations regarding a human’s reaction period covered everything one could possibly need.
“These are all mandatory courses for rearing humans, yet you’re only looking at them now?” Vincent asked in disbelief upon seeing him start from the most basic introductory article.
Lux said calmly, “Could you have guessed before today that a purebred Chinese human would be awakened?”
Vincent: “…”
That was also true.
Given how incredibly fastidious this guy’s taste was, he hadn’t expected him to actually be mentally prepared for the possibility of remaining a bachelor for the rest of his life.
“Don’t worry too much. With your SSS-grade mental strength, matching a human is nothing more than a piece of cake.” Vincent didn’t think this matter would throw any unexpected curveballs.
The higher a merman’s mental strength, the greater the success rate of matching a human.
As for Lux, he was practically defying the heavens; the Ocean Planet hadn’t produced a single fish with mental strength as high as his in centuries.
After finishing the articles about the reaction period, Lux tapped into another section, his brows suddenly knitting tightly. “The forum allows the videos and photos of unsold humans to be spread around at will?”
Following his gaze, Vincent saw that the light-brain was currently displaying the interface for the “Discussion Zone.” The entire screen was filled with topics related to that purebred Chinese human, and several photos released by the West Sea Breeding Center had already spread all over the world.
“Ah, well…” Vincent comforted him. “He’s a purebred Chinese human, after all. Look at it this way: your human is highly popular. Even though the entire Ocean Planet adores him, he still belongs to you, right?”
Lux lifted his eyelids. “He isn’t my human yet. The reaction period hasn’t ended.”
“…”
Then why are you wearing a face that looks like your own wife was completely ogled by everyone else?!
Vincent shifted the topic. “Aside from the reaction period, what other content do you want to look at? I’ll teach you all of it.”
As he finished speaking, he saw Lux ponder for a few seconds before opening his mouth: “Are there any recommendations for snacks, furniture, or toys suitable for Asian humans?”
“I’m worried that because I bit him too hard today, he might dislike me.”
“??”
Vincent choked.
Didn’t you just say the reaction period hasn’t ended yet?
Is this what happens when an iron tree finally blooms for an over-aged, single merman?
Vincent’s inner world was highly complex.
Yet another merman thoroughly conquered by a human.
Late at night.
The West Sea Human Breeding Center.
Ruan Chen lay on the soft seashell bed, but for some inexplicable reason, his body felt incredibly hot.
So scalding… it felt as if his entire being had been tossed straight into a furnace.
He snapped his eyes open, panting heavily in large gasps.
Water.
He wanted to drink water.
Emulating Joshua’s previous actions, Ruan Chen clicked on the night light and crawled down from the bed.
The moment his feet touched the floor, his legs turned to jelly, and he nearly collapsed straight to the ground.
“Holy crap…”
What on earth was wrong with him…
Ruan Chen’s mouth was so dry it felt like it was about to smoke. Dragging his weak, floating steps, he staggered over to the glass of fresh water the mermen had left for him and gulped it down entirely in one breath.
Yet it still didn’t feel like enough.
So thirsty, so agonizing.
Panting heavily, Ruan Chen slid down to sit on the floor, pressing his body against the cool glass wall. Only then did he feel a slight modicum of relief.
“Is anyone there…”
Ruan Chen lifted his arm, wanting to knock on the glass, but he couldn’t summon a single shred of strength, and his vision began to cut out in waves of darkness.
What should he do…
He twisted his head around, but his physical energy was no longer sufficient to support him crawling over to Joshua’s room.
Ruan Chen’s voice was raspy, his breath faint.
“Joshua… help…”
“Is anyone there… a merman works too… save…”
Inside the monitoring room, the merman responsible for the night shift returned to his seat to check the surveillance feeds.
Suddenly, he noticed on the human breeding room feed that the precious black-haired human was leaning against the glass wall. His face was flushed, his breathing rapid, and his round, dark eyes were wide open, staring helplessly in his direction.
The merman froze for a second.
He hastily switched on his communication headset. “Requesting assistance, emergency assistance! That purebred Chinese human needs help!”
By the time the merman researchers arrived at the scene, Ruan Chen was operating almost entirely on survival instinct just to breathe.
“Meow-wu…” The rims of his eyes were completely red, his forehead clung with sweat-dampened bangs, and the depths of his eyes were entirely filled with moisture.
“Quick, quick, hold him out!” The merman researcher knew exactly what was happening at a single glance. “There’s an issue with the reaction period.”
Ruan Chen was carefully fitted with an oxygen mask by the merman nurse.
“His body is so hot,” the nurse said frantically.
A merman’s body temperature was naturally on the lower side; normally, holding a human made them feel warm, but right now it felt like cradling a massive furnace.
Ruan Chen was laid flat on the diagnostic table, but his entire body ached and he had no desire to lie down, instinctively curling himself up.
“Meow-wu…” (So uncomfortable.)
The mermen seemed to be using apparatuses to check his body. The cool sensation made him feel comfortable, and Ruan Chen reached out to grab the arm waving before him.
In the next split second, as if he had been struck by an electric current, he let out a sharp cry: “Meow-ow!”
“Wh-What is going on here?” The merman nurse who had been touched by him widened her eyes in shock.
The merman researcher stared intently at the data displayed on the screen.
“His mental value is severely elevated,” he knit his brows tightly. “Send a message to the Admiral and tell him to get over here as quickly as possible. Say that there is an issue with his human’s reaction period and he needs his assistance.”
One of the merman nurses hurriedly rushed off to the communications room.
The remaining colleagues looked perplexed. “But… even if the match fails, this kind of reaction shouldn’t occur?”
If a human’s mental strength couldn’t match a merman’s, they would only display listlessness, alongside a decline in appetite and bodily functions.
Furthermore, their mental value would only continue to steadily drop until the body completely metabolized the mental pheromones injected by the merman.
Never had anyone experienced a soaring mental value accompanied by a scalding hot body.
“I know,” the older merman researcher pressed his lips together. “This isn’t a failed match.”
His colleague paused. “Then it is?”
The merman researcher stared at the mental value on the screen, which had already surged to absolute maximum capacity. “It looks more like… the compatibility is too high.”
Listening to their voices, Ruan Chen felt an intense wave of irritability rising within his chest.
Fitted with the oxygen mask, his vision returned to normal, and being submerged in the water provided relief to his burning body.
Yet deep within his soul, a fire still burned fiercely.
A craving…
A craving for what?
He looked toward the merman researcher beside him in sheer confusion.
For a fleeting instant, it felt as though the teal-colored merman researcher had blurred and transformed into a pale gold hue.
Ruan Chen’s pupils contracted.
“Meow-wu.”
He was startled by his own thought.
Just now, he had actually… perceived both of these mermen as the gold merman from earlier today.
His brain had truly gone haywire.
Two hours later, the doors to the treatment room glided open.
The human on the treatment bed was already on the verge of losing consciousness.
“Admiral… Admiral Lux, you’ve finally arrived,” the nurse wept tears of joy.
Who…
Sensing a highly familiar aura, Ruan Chen lifted his head.
The high fever caused his vision to blur once more.
But that didn’t stop him from distinguishing the merman before him.
Smelly goldfish…
What did he come here for?
Taking advantage of his illness to claim his life?
Ruan Chen possessed absolutely no strength right now; quietly clenching his fist was the absolute limit of what he could achieve.
He had just bitten his neck, and only a few hours later he couldn’t wait to eat him?
The golden silhouette drew a bit closer, bringing the surrounding water currents to caress Ruan Chen’s body.
Ruan Chen gave a slight shiver. “Meow-wu…” (Don’t touch me.)
Watching the gold merman extend a hand to reach toward his head, Ruan Chen’s eyes widened to their absolute limits.
“Meow-ow-ow, meow-wu…” (This isn’t fair. Wait until I’ve recovered from my illness to fight you.)
But the anticipated pain never arrived.
That hand came to rest gently upon his forehead.
“Meow-wu-wu-wu…” (Ah, so, so comfortable…)
Ruan Chen narrowed his eyes and lifted his head to nuzzle against it. The spot touching the palm of the merman’s hand instantly stopped aching, and even the dry heat throughout his body was alleviated significantly.
By the time he snapped back to his senses, Ruan Chen discovered he had already been pulled entirely into the gold merman’s embrace.
And he was currently plastered against the guy’s neck, nuzzling and rubbing all over him with a look of utter enjoyment.
Damn it.
What… What was he doing?!
Snapping completely awake, Ruan Chen’s body gave a violent jolt.
Following that, the merman gently pried his head back.
Ruan Chen locked eyes directly with the other’s pale golden pupils.
Recalling the grudge from having his neck bitten a few hours ago, he glared with wide, round eyes, lifted a foot, and kicked Lux straight in the face.
“Meow? Meow-meow-meow-meow-ow-ow!” (Smelly goldfish! You actually dared to bewitch me and play dirty? You’re completely finished!)
