Chereads / Rise of the Devil's Soul / Chapter 4 - The Merman

Chapter 4 - The Merman

After a while, Xu Kai found himself on a bustling street, a vibrant kaleidoscope of shops and people.

It was there that he caught sight of his reflection in mirror . 'Oh, snap! The guy in the mirror has a physique that could give Greek gods a complex, just like me, haha. Wait a minute, my arm isn't in a sling anymore! I can wield a bow and arrow again.'

'But hang on, I need to get back to my world. How do I pull that off? Where did that ancient guardian vanish to? I need to track him down.'

'I bet he's the one who teleported me into this outlandish world. He could have at least given me a user manual or something.'

'Why did he leave me as clueless as a goldfish in a shark tank? Am I the star of this show, or just an extra? So much confusion! He should have appointed me as the prime minister, or maybe they don't do politics here. He should have crowned me king, so my survival would have been as easy as pie,' Xu Kai thought to himself, lost in this whirlwind of thoughts.

Suddenly, he collided with Han Li, a well-known and somewhat intimidating figure from the Abyssal Academy.

Han Li's eyes were cold, his expression unreadable. "Oh look who it is, the one and only Wu Xie," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Xu Kai was taken aback. His mind raced as he tried to process Han Li's words. 'Wait, he knows me?' he thought to himself, his heart pounding in his chest.

'I think this Wu Xie is someone really famous,' he mused, a sense of curiosity kindling within him. He couldn't help but wonder about the identity of this Wu Xie.

With a stern look on his face, Han Li addressed Wu Xie. "I swear, Wu Xie, if I were in your shoes, I would have already liberated this world from the weight of my existence." His words were harsh, filled with a biting sarcasm that was as cold as winter wind.

"I really pity you," he continued, his tone laced with a cruel mockery that was more cutting than any blade. "So, I'm not going to punish you for the minor offense of dirtying my clothes by your touch." With that, Han Li turned on his heel and left, his departure as abrupt as his words were harsh.

His figure receded into the distance, leaving behind a trail of his biting words and a very stunned Xu Kai.

Xu Kai was left in a state of shock, his mind reeling from the encounter with Han Li. He stood there, rooted to the spot, his gaze fixed on the retreating figure of Han Li.

He felt a wave of confusion wash over him, leaving him feeling lost and disoriented in this strange world.

After what felt like an eternity, Xu Kai managed to gather his wits and started walking again. His mind was a whirlpool of thoughts, the most prominent of which was the identity of Wu Xie.

Who was this Wu Xie that everyone seemed to know? And why did they seem to have such a strong reaction to him? These questions gnawed at him, adding to his growing sense of unease.

Eventually, his aimless wandering brought him to the edge of a vast ocean. The sight of the endless expanse of water brought a sense of calm to his troubled mind.

As he stood there, taking in the view, he noticed a figure jumping into the water. His heart skipped a beat as he thought that the person was trying to end their life. Without a second thought, Xu Kai plunged into the ocean, swimming with all his might towards the figure.

He reached out, grabbing the person firmly, trying to pull them to safety. The person struggled, trying to free themselves from Xu Kai's grip, but Xu Kai held on, determined to save them.

With a final burst of strength, he managed to pull the person out of the water, dragging them onto the shore. As he lay there, panting heavily from the exertion, he couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment.

"Have you gone mad?" Xu Kai blurted out. His eyes were wide with disbelief as he noticed the transformation that had occurred.

Where there had once been human feet, there was now a mermaid's tail, its scales shimmering in the fading light. It was a sight so surreal that it seemed to defy reality.

Xu Kai was shocked, his mind struggling to comprehend what he was witnessing. It was as if the laws of nature had been rewritten, leaving him in a world where the impossible was possible.

He stood up abruptly, his movements jerky with surprise. Instinctively, he moved back a few steps, putting some distance between himself and the transformed figure. His heart pounded in his chest, a wild rhythm that echoed his inner turmoil.

The merman turned to face Xu Kai, his eyes holding a strange, unreadable expression. As he rose to his full height, there was a ripple of movement, and his tail morphed into a pair of human legs.

The transformation was seamless, as if he was shifting between two realities. He moved forward, closing the distance between him and Xu Kai.

His voice was calm, yet it held an edge as he said, "I believe you owe me an explanation, you insignificant mortal, why did you exert such force to pull me from the comforting embrace of my aquatic home, only to label me as mad?" His words were laced with a potent mix of confusion and indignation, a testament to the turmoil he felt at being so abruptly displaced from his natural habitat.

Xu Kai was taken aback; this was something completely new to him. He had never encountered a creature like this before, let alone saved one from what he thought was a suicide attempt.

He struggled to find the right words, his mind still reeling from the shock. "Well, I- I saw you jumping into the ocean and, in that moment, I feared you were trying to end your life. Driven by that fear and a sense of urgency, I acted on instinct to try and save you." Xu Kai managed to say, his voice trembling with the intensity of his emotions.

His words echoed around them, a stark contrast to the merman's accusatory tone. It was clear that this encounter was far from over, and Xu Kai knew he had a lot to learn about this strange new world.