The two mermen, cunning as they were, feigned death once they were trapped in the electric cage, hoping to deceive their captors.
Unfortunately for them, they were unaware that the area was under surveillance, and every subtle movement beneath them was clearly visible. No matter how deceptive they were, they could not escape scrutiny.
"Give them a jolt to wake them up."
Upon seeing their sly antics, Zhao Lun's thoughts immediately shifted to the injured Maria and the others. The thought of their injuries ignited a surge of anger that he could no longer contain.
Zzzzzt! Bang! A flash of electricity surged through the cage, causing the two feigning death to spasm uncontrollably. No longer able to maintain their act, they erupted in fury.
"SSSSS!"
Two piercing sonic waves simultaneously shot towards Zhao Lun and Hordar.
Unfazed by the assault, the two merely gazed coldly at the creatures inside the cage.
Seeing that their attacks had no effect, the mermen ceased their cries and resorted to brute force.
They rose in unison, disregarding the high-voltage current, and charged at each other in a collision.
Bang! Clang! Bang!
The sounds of their clashes echoed like the reverberations of steel striking iron, and the cage creaked under the strain. Fortunately, the electrical current was increased, and the mermen could not maintain their struggle for long.
This time, they no longer feigned death—they fell motionless.
"Bind them with ropes and inject them with sedatives to keep them in this state."
The mermen possessed immense strength and high resistance to electricity, so Zhao Lun added an additional lock to prevent them from resisting further.
A platform rose nearby, and a mechanical arm appeared, connected to a thick syringe filled with a potent sedative.
The mechanical arm, controlled by Athena, extended towards the mermen and injected the drug directly through the gaps in their scales.
"Our laboratory is now open for business!"
Having secured them, Zhao Lun lost interest in tormenting the creatures. He was not a man driven by cruelty.
He retrieved the two forks, placing them on a scanning device for analysis.
"Hmm, made of rare deep-sea steel... not particularly valuable..."
"Wait, these patterns... they resemble..."
"So that's how it works... It can also be used in spellcasting..."
The steel forks were crafted from cold iron from the deep sea. Cold iron is a cold, hard material that resists corrosion from seawater. These forks were incredibly sharp, far surpassing the sharpness of regular steel...
This technique opened a new door for Zhao Lun.
"Alright, let's head home."
Zhao Lun and Hordar left the site.
The sudden attack had been a significant shock, but upon returning, Maria and the other three women were relieved to see Zhao Lun. They clustered around him, as though his presence was the only source of safety in the world.
Although they were in good health, they were still ordinary humans. The shock of the day's events had left them uneasy. Zhao Lun believed that, after some time, they would recover and emerge stronger than before.
"How are you? Feeling better?"
"Here, have some water."
Zhao Lun poured some divine spring water for them. Upon smelling its sweet fragrance, the three women hesitated no longer and slowly drank.
After finishing the cup, their tense nerves began to relax, and their smiles returned. The world seemed less threatening, and the fear they'd felt earlier now seemed almost laughable.
"What's the matter? Were you scared?"
Zhao Lun joked, observing how they were recovering.
After cleaning up, the blood had left their ears, and now, their laughter showed they were no longer troubled.
"I'm fine now. I'm back to normal."
"I don't know what happened either. My ears rang, and I just couldn't muster any strength."
"I felt a bit suffocated earlier, but it's much better now."
The three of them spoke in turn, occasionally interrupting each other. Though their conversation was chaotic, the atmosphere was warm and comfortable.
"Seems like you're all okay, but from now on, you should train a bit more. That way, you won't be so scared of such things."
"I'll buy you some protective gear tomorrow."
Training might not yield immediate results, but protective tools would be effective.
"Alright, you're all tired now. Go to bed, and tomorrow will be another fine day."
Zhao Lun teased.
"Ugh! Are you treating us like children?"
Angela shot him a playful glare.
"Can you tell us what those creatures were?"
Nicole looked at him, hoping he would explain the details about the two mermen.
The mermen were a proud and arrogant race. They believed they ruled the oceans, a realm far larger than the land, and considered themselves the finest species in existence.
They looked down upon other races, often attacking anyone or anything near the shore.
Hundreds of years ago, wizards rose up, and upon seeing the mermen's rampant behavior, began to hunt them down in droves.
Caught off guard, the mermen were overwhelmed, and after centuries of conflict, they were driven to near extinction on land, and even in shallow seas, they had vanished.
They were terrified of wizards, and seeing one with a wand would strike fear into them, robbing them of their fighting spirit.
Now, for two mermen to appear here and attack people was highly illogical.
What was most troubling was how unnaturally strong these mermen were.
According to records, a normal merman's cry couldn't induce dizziness, their strength was much weaker, and their weapons were rudimentary.
But these mermen had produced such a cry and wielded sharp, sophisticated weapons, making Zhao Lun take the matter very seriously.
Nicole and the others, who had daily access to spring water, were far from weak. Even without learning combat techniques, their physical resilience would make them hard to defeat by such attacks.
The mermen's newfound strength was clearly the result of some external stimulus.
Zhao Lun recalled the scene he had glimpsed through the mist and formed a tentative guess, though he was not yet certain.
"Is that so?"
After hearing Zhao Lun's account from "The Origin of the Mermen," the others were somewhat skeptical. It didn't quite match the legendary stories they had heard.
"Half true, half false."
"After all, it's based on wizard records, and the victors always tend to depict the defeated as monstrous. These mermen, being the losers, would naturally be painted in a negative light."
Zhao Lun said.
He didn't fully trust the wizard's accounts; he only used them as a reference to sift out the truth.
"But their appearance here is definitely unusual."
Zhao Lun pondered.
"Brother, dinner's ready."
"Huh? Has the day already turned dark?"
It was only then that Zhao Lun noticed the night had fallen.
The dining area outside had already laid out the food.
The delicious aromas drifted into the air.
Gurgle... Upon smelling the food, Zhao Lun's stomach growled, and saliva began to flow, forcing him to stop and head toward the table.
"Let's eat first."
Zhao Lun washed his face, refreshed himself, and joined the others.
The meal was special, designed to nourish and replenish their blood—clearly, the master chef Mulan was aware that Maria and the others had been injured.
Zhao Lun remained silent, and the others, too, were too absorbed in their thoughts to talk. They ate in quiet contemplation.
The merman attack had been too shocking, and it would take some time to process.