Chapter 82 – I Accidentally Got Lost
In his siren form, Lin Jiu’s vision underwater was far superior to a human’s.
He could see Si Xu, but Si Xu couldn’t see him.
He wanted Si Xu to leave, but Si Xu kept diving deeper as if searching for him.
Lin Jiu hovered not far away, watching.
Perhaps because he had used the basic bloodline purifier, Lin Jiu felt different this time in the water compared to before.
He had the strange sensation that he could summon a raging storm at any moment, as if the entire ocean was under his control. If he wanted to, he could turn the sea upside down.
Of course, Lin Jiu knew this wasn’t possible. He was fully aware of his own limits. Yet, he could distinctly feel the changes in the surrounding seawater, and he knew exactly where the others who had fallen into the water were.
This feeling was something he’d never experienced before. Could it be because of the purer siren bloodline?
A giant, bone-spiked tail suddenly rose from the depths, whipping toward Si Xu. Lin Jiu was startled and darted forward, wrapping his arms around Si Xu’s waist and pulling him out of the danger zone.
Lin Jiu realized that he was much faster in the water than before.
Si Xu grabbed the arm around his waist, feeling the smooth, cold skin.
Lin Jiu sped toward the surface, taking Si Xu with him, and they quickly emerged from the water.
Si Xu gasped for air, but his grip on Lin Jiu’s arm didn’t loosen. Lin Jiu didn’t dare get too close. He tried to push Si Xu’s hand away but didn’t use much force, afraid of scratching him—Si Xu was gripping him tightly.
“Xiao Jiu!” Si Xu pulled him over with force and held him tightly.
Lin Jiu held his breath, his entire body, even his tail, tensing up.
Suddenly, Lin Jiu sensed danger near Lu Yu. A harpoon appeared in his hand, and with a single movement, a tall column of water rose from the ocean, lifting Lu Yu to the top. A massive claw followed, aiming to grab Lu Yu out of the air!
Lin Jiu flicked the harpoon again, and the water column flung Lu Yu toward the shore!
After doing all this, Lin Jiu froze for a moment, breathing heavily. Only then did he realize—he could control water now!
“Si Xu, you guys head back first. I’ll lead the monster into the deep sea!”
Lin Jiu said this as he tried to push Si Xu away, but Si Xu didn’t let go, his eyes fixed on Lin Jiu’s ears.
Lin Jiu: “…”
He instinctively covered his ears, but this only exposed his webbed hands and sharp fingers.
Lin Jiu: “…”
Si Xu was too shocked, and in a moment of distraction, Lin Jiu managed to push him away.
It was one thing to suspect, but seeing it with his own eyes was another matter. Si Xu was frustrated that the night was too dark and the rain too heavy to get a clear look at Lin Jiu’s real form.
With a flick of his tail, Lin Jiu darted away, watching Si Xu from a distance.
“I—I’m the siren you keep talking about! The one who lures ships and eats their crews! Scared yet?!” Lin Jiu yelled, feigning confidence before turning to flee.
“Lin Jiu!” Si Xu called out to him.
Suddenly, a column of water coiled around Si Xu and threw him toward the shore.
Besides Si Xu, several other columns of water shot into the sky, tossing them all toward the shore.
“Lin Jiu—!!!!!”
Si Xu’s voice echoed in the distance.
Lin Jiu knew he would try to swim back again, so he swung the harpoon through the water, summoning a massive wave. It surged forward, pushing the seawater ahead and crashing toward the beach!
The soldiers and enhanced humans still fighting monsters on the shore could only watch as the towering wall of water rushed toward them.
Everyone abandoned their fight and ran inland. But before they could get far, they were swept up by the wave, flipping through the air before being thrown onto the shore!
Everyone: “!!!!!!”
The surprise hit them hard.
Lu Yu and the others were left dizzy, tossed between the waves and the shore, completely bewildered.
The tide receded rapidly, dragging the small monsters back into the sea.
Si Xu got to his feet and dashed toward the water, but Lu Yu tackled him down, holding him back.
Si Xu flipped and kicked him off, yelling, “Get off!!!”
Lu Yu grabbed him again, not letting go. “Someone come help! Stop him!”
Weng Cheng, Lin Han, Zhao Cheng, and Huang Qi all rushed forward.
“Captain! You need to calm down!”
“Lin Jiu is still out there! He’s trying to lead the monster away by himself! Who the hell told him to do that?!”
Si Xu grabbed Lu Yu, “Was it you? Was it?!”
“Roarrrrr—!!!!”
Suddenly, a thunderous roar erupted from the sea. The enormous shadow, half-submerged in the water, slowly sank beneath the waves, vanishing into the darkness.
Everyone: “!!!!!!”
Everyone: “!!!!!!!”
Everyone: “!!!!!!!!!”
“It’s… it’s really gone!”
Nobody could believe it!
Si Xu gripped his gun, forcing himself to stay calm.
“Get me a boat! Now!”
This time, Lu Yu didn’t try to stop him and ordered a rescue boat to be prepared quickly.
“I’ll go with you,” Lu Yu said.
Weng Cheng and the others chimed in, “We’ll all go. There’s a better chance of finding him with more of us.”
Si Xu gave his orders calmly, “Several boats. I’ll take one alone!”
With that, Si Xu said no more and anxiously awaited the rescue boat.
The small monsters dragged back into the sea began crawling toward the shore again. Frustrated, Si Xu raised his gun and fired.
One shot blew a small monster to bits!
It disintegrated into fragments.
Everyone: “…”
What kind of weapon is this? It’s terrifying!
*
In the ocean.
Lin Jiu first blasted the monster’s head with a powerful sonic wave. Despite its thick skin, it didn’t shatter, though two of its bone spikes broke off.
The monster was enraged and chased after Lin Jiu, snapping its jaws.
Lin Jiu darted away, harpoon in hand, easily outpacing the massive creature.
Though the monster was huge, it couldn’t keep up with Lin Jiu.
Like walking a dog, Lin Jiu led the creature on a chase all night.
He was getting tired and wanted a break. Glancing around, he couldn’t find anywhere to rest. Seeing the monster closing in, Lin Jiu had a brilliant idea.
He snuck behind the creature and grabbed one of the bone spikes on its back, climbing onto it. Amidst the bone spikes, he found a safe spot near the base of its tail, where the spikes were too dense for the creature to curl its tail and reach him. This way, the monster couldn’t touch Lin Jiu.
Lin Jiu wedged himself tightly among the bone spikes to avoid being thrown off by the monster. Still not satisfied, he put away his harpoon and took out a fishing net bag, winding it around the nearby bone spikes and tying several knots until he felt secure enough to sleep.
Lin Jiu thought to himself, once he woke up, he’d ditch the monster and swim back on his own.
It was the first time Lin Jiu had ever slept in the ocean, and he slept sprawled out without a care in the world.
He had confidence in the monster’s strength. Most sea creatures would avoid it, not just because of its combat power, but its sheer size alone was terrifying enough.
*
Si Xu searched the ocean all night on a rescue boat, but there was no sign of Lin Jiu or the monster.
Lu Yu, worried about Si Xu being alone, followed closely behind in another boat, going wherever Si Xu went.
They searched from night till day, from heavy rainstorms to clear skies, but still found no trace of Lin Jiu.
Lu Yu already had a bad feeling. What were the chances of someone surviving after luring a monster like that into the sea?
The chances were zero.
But he didn’t dare say it out loud. He feared Si Xu couldn’t take it, so he just followed him, helping with the search.
By noon, Si Xu stopped his boat, waiting for Lu Yu to come closer.
Lu Yu pulled up beside him.
Si Xu asked, “Who suggested that he lure the monster away?”
Lu Yu replied, “He was worried the monster might have special powers. He said he could lure it into the deep sea. I didn’t agree, so he said he wanted to discuss it with you. That’s why I brought him over.”
Si Xu closed his eyes. He should trust Lin Jiu’s abilities. He was a siren; he wouldn’t drown in the ocean. As long as the monster didn’t eat him, there shouldn’t be much danger… He wanted to reassure himself, but he couldn’t help feeling worried!
Si Xu glanced at Lu Yu. “Your wounds have been soaking in seawater for too long. You need to get them treated. You should head back. I’ll keep searching.”
Lu Yu protested, “You can’t go any farther. Do you plan to sail all the way to Liu Island?”
Si Xu looked up and realized how close they were to Liu Island.
Lu Yu added, “We should head back together. This isn’t working. Let’s send out rescue planes to search from the air.”
Si Xu agreed.
Searching from the sky was much more efficient than combing the ocean by boat.
When they returned, Si Xu didn’t rest. He joined the rescue team again, flying out to search for any sign of Lin Jiu or the monster.
*
Lin Jiu woke up from his nap to find everything pitch black. The monster was still moving.
Feeling a little hungry, he took out a piece of Silver carp from his space ring, eating as he observed the terrain. He had no idea where they were. Was this the deep sea?
After eating his fill, Lin Jiu admired the desolate scenery of the seabed, yawned, and decided to take another nap. He figured it was safer to travel during the day since it was easier to get lost at night.
Lin Jiu didn’t know how long he had slept when a sudden loud crash jolted him awake. The entire “bed” was shaking!
Lin Jiu’s first thought was that it was an earthquake, but then he remembered he was still in the ocean.
The light was blinding. Before he could react, he realized he was no longer underwater… No, the monster was surfacing, with its back and tail exposed above the sea. Lin Jiu, still wedged near the base of its tail, was suddenly exposed to the sunlight, completely unprepared.
Lin Jiu: “…”
He looked up and saw a helicopter circling overhead, and he couldn’t help but curse!
Fortunately, the monster quickly dove back into the ocean. As it submerged, Lin Jiu saw countless bullets whizzing into the water around him.
Lin Jiu: “…”
Lin Jiu: “…”
Damn it! Don’t accidentally kill an innocent siren!
Where the hell am I?
Could it be… I circled back to the same place?
Lin Jiu was going crazy. He hurriedly untied himself from the spikes, not wanting to be caught up in the mess with this stubborn monster.
On the helicopter, a surveillance operator zoomed in on a photo, shocked by a black figure nestled among the white bone spikes. The operator zoomed in further and froze the image on a dark fish tail.
“My god… Turn back! I need to take another shot! There’s something on that monster!”
The pilot replied, “We can’t. The fighter jets are targeting the monster. We can’t get close.”
The operator shouted, “There’s a mermaid on the monster’s back!”
The pilot laughed, “A mermaid? You mean like in fairy tales? Haha, we must be really lucky.”
The operator snapped, “I’m not joking! I really saw it! Contact headquarters immediately and tell them to avoid killing the mermaid. We need to capture it alive!”
Seeing the operator was serious, the pilot turned the helicopter around for another pass. Suddenly, a water column shot into the sky, throwing the helicopter off balance. It wobbled and had to retreat quickly.
Another round of gunfire came from the fighter jets, but more water columns rose up, forcing them to evade and miss their targets.
Lin Jiu finally figured it out. The writing on the helicopter was from H Nation. This wasn’t Z Nation at all!
Lin Jiu didn’t want to kill anyone—he just wanted to scare them away.
He slapped the monster with his fish tail.
Idiot, where are your underlings? Summon them now! If they dare attack us, we’ll raid their coast!
Charge! Charge!!!
The monster let out a low growl, and the sound slowly echoed across the seabed.
Lin Jiu grew excited. The monster was really summoning its underlings!
Charge! Charge—!!!!
Let’s show them what we can do!
*
Lin Jiu had been missing for almost two full days.
The rescue planes scoured the ocean non-stop but found nothing. Everyone knew the chances were slim for Lin Jiu to have survived.
But Si Xu firmly believed Lin Jiu was still alive. He wouldn’t stop searching—he had to find him!
The rain had stopped, the monster had retreated, but the mood at the camp remained heavy.
They all knew that Lin Jiu wasn’t coming back.
Boss Lin had sacrificed himself to the sea.
Lin Han, who was scrolling on his phone, suddenly froze and then jumped up, rushing outside. The others, seeing him run, hurried to follow.
While running, Lin Han shouted, “Captain! Captain! We’ve found the monster!”
Si Xu, who was about to board the rescue helicopter, stopped in his tracks and quickly approached. “Where?!”
Lin Han handed him his phone, stammering, “In… in H Nation! The monster has gone to H Nation!”
On Lin Han’s phone was a news article from H Nation, reporting that the coastal regions had sounded alarms for the invasion of a mutated sea creature.
Below the article was a photo — wasn’t that the same bone-spiked monster?!
Si Xu: “…”
Si Xu had been searching the waters near S City, but who could have guessed that the monster had circled all the way to H Nation?
Lu Yu arrived with more people. “What’s going on? Any news about Lin Jiu?”
Si Xu replied, “The monster went to H Nation. Lin Jiu may have gone with it. I have to go to H Nation.”
As he spoke, he started to leave, but Lu Yu blocked him.
“You mean to tell me that Lin Jiu swam all the way from S City to H Nation? If you say that, people will think you’ve gone mad.”
Si Xu stared at him. “He left with the monster. If the monster’s in H Nation, Lin Jiu must be there too. He can’t come back on his own, so I have to go get him.”
Knowing Lin Jiu’s scatterbrained nature, the idea of him finding his way back was laughable.
Lu Yu ruffled his hair in frustration. “Are you seriously planning to submit a request to headquarters? They’d have to be crazy to approve it!”
Si Xu said firmly, “They will approve it.”
Without delay, Si Xu headed to A City and went straight to Si Qinian’s office.
“H Nation is currently under attack by the monster. As their neighbor, we should assist. After all, that same monster attacked our coastal cities just days ago. We should join forces with H Nation to eliminate it.”
Si Qinian was already aware of the monster’s appearance in H Nation, and he knew Si Xu’s real motivation was Lin Jiu. But even though he sympathized with his son’s desire for revenge, he couldn’t risk other people’s lives.
“I understand your need for revenge, but the search-and-rescue efforts will continue. There’s no need to go to H Nation.”
Si Xu leaned on the desk and looked his father in the eyes. “I’m not looking for revenge. I want to bring him home!”
Si Qinian sighed. “Si Xu, I never expected him to make such a sacrifice. He saved the entire city of S. We are all proud of him, but you need to accept reality.”
Si Xu replied, “What reality should I accept? He’s in H Nation right now. That’s the reality! I need to bring him back!”
Si Qinian said firmly, “I will not allow you to risk your life, or anyone else’s.”
Si Xu fell silent.
After a moment, he said quietly, “Dad, you asked me to find traces of siren blood in our country. I found it. It’s Lin Jiu.”
Si Qinian: “…”
Si Xu continued, “He’s a siren. He can’t drown in the sea.”
Si Qinian argued, “Even if he has siren blood, that doesn’t mean he can’t drown.”
Whether or not Lin Jiu had siren blood, the fact remained that if he were alive, the Special Security Department would never stop searching for him. But evidence suggested his survival was unlikely, and Si Xu’s plan to risk his life in H Nation was something Si Qinian couldn’t allow.
Si Xu’s voice lowered. “His siren blood has already awakened. I’ve seen his siren form. He can’t drown! He’s stronger in the ocean than on land. There’s no way he died in the sea!”
Si Qinian: “!!!!!!”
Si Xu added, “He’s always been absent-minded, constantly losing things. He’s probably just lost in the ocean. Otherwise, he would’ve returned by now. He’s likely followed that monster to H Nation.”
Si Qinian: “!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Si Qinian abruptly stood up. “Gather a team immediately. I’ll contact the diplomats to arrange for aid!”
If Lin Jiu were found in human form, he’d be labeled an illegal immigrant and likely deported back to his home country. But if he were caught in his siren form, H Nation would never let him go.
A real, living siren—the temptation was too great!
*
Lin Jiu’s amusement at the commotion faded as the attacks became fiercer.
Wasn’t H Nation’s response a bit too extreme? The monster was still far from their shores, so why were they so relentless? Did they really think the monster wasn’t smart enough to seek revenge?
Lin Jiu had originally planned to abandon the monster and escape on his own, but he barely got away before bullets almost pierced his tail. Terrified, he hurried back and tied himself to the bone spikes again.
He slapped his tail against the monster repeatedly, hoping it would somehow understand his thoughts.
Let’s go, shrimp! This isn’t fun anymore. These people are crazy—it’s getting scary.
Unfortunately, the monster couldn’t hear him. The stronger the firepower, the more excited it became.
It was genuinely excited. Every now and then, it let out a low roar, filled with joy, and its body trembled, making Lin Jiu bounce along with it.
As the fighter jets continued their barrage, the monster’s excitement only intensified.
At first, Lin Jiu was nervous, worried the bullets would hit him. But after a while, he felt reassured. The thick bone spikes shielded him, and the spot he was hiding in was perfectly safe.
They’ve got plenty of ammo. Let them waste it. I’ll leave once they stop.
Lin Jiu, still tied to the monster, dozed off for a bit. The whirring sound seemed to have stopped, and there were no more bullets hitting the water.
Lin Jiu tilted his head, listening carefully. Were they really gone?
The gunfire had indeed ceased, but in its place was the hum of engines.
A boat was approaching!
Just as Lin Jiu had that thought, he spotted a massive net being dragged from afar. Inside were fish, shrimp, and even some mutated sea creatures that hadn’t managed to escape. The net quickly reached the monster and got caught on its spiked tail.
Lin Jiu: “…”
What was happening? Were they crazy? Did they really think they could catch the monster with a giant net?
The idea was so novel that Lin Jiu had to admire them.
The large monster flicked its tail slightly, and the net snapped instantly, causing someone to fall into the water.
The countless smaller monsters swarming around the larger one immediately rushed in.
Lin Jiu saw the person in the water frantically climbing back onto the boat. The small monsters, unable to feast on fresh meat, angrily rammed the boat’s hull. The boat quickly sank, but no one was seen, so the person probably escaped in time.
Lin Jiu glanced around. There wasn’t just one net; there were many, as if they were trying to fish for something.
Judging by the size of the nets, they clearly weren’t trying to catch the large monster. But it also didn’t seem like they were after the smaller monsters—unless they were insane enough to want to catch those creatures. What were they trying to capture?
Suddenly, Lin Jiu froze, his swaying tail stiffening. He lifted the tip of his tail to look…
Oh no! Could they be trying to catch ‘him’?!
—
So reckless