Vol. 2 Chapter 8: The Mermaid
Chapter 8: The Mermaid
Lu Li picked up his backpack and walked out of the classroom. The blackboard still had "One Week Until College Entrance Exams" written on it. Everything seemed to be falling into place these past few days. With constant use of the Tranquil Meditation Method, his mental energy derivation had steadily increased. Additionally, Lu Li had been using his abilities to assist in physical training, leading to significant progress in all aspects. His current attribute evaluation was as follows:
**Body Evaluation: 1.52 + 0.51; Life Energy Derivation: 0.1**
**Soul Evaluation: 2.89; Mental Energy Derivation: 2.37; Shadow Magic: 6.837**
Starting two days ago, using the Tranquil Meditation Method no longer increased Lu Li's mental energy. Although theoretically, mental energy could sync with the soul evaluation, due to various factors related to the meditation method, Lu Li had reached a limit of 2.37. To continue increasing it, he either needed to enhance his soul or upgrade to a better meditation method. Moonshadow Lover had already started upgrading the skill based on the data Lu Li had sent, but it might take some time.
Walking home, Lu Li suddenly froze, a look of excitement flashing across his face. Changing his destination, he headed towards his temporary base. Avoiding the few passersby, Lu Li used his shadow to open the back door of the base. Inside, everything was clean, with added tools and documents posted on one wall.
Just now, he received a notification from the game that his next instance was about to open and he needed to prepare. Lu Li changed out of his school uniform into a black hooded long-sleeve shirt. He packed a few small items into the inner pockets of his clothes, ready for the instance to begin.
As time passed, a sudden wave of intense nausea overwhelmed him, as if something was wrapping around him. The next moment, Lu Li vanished from the base.
With a loud splash, Lu Li was thrown into the sea like a cannonball, with something seemingly suppressing his movements. The dialogue box transformed into a panel in front of him, displaying the instance information:
**Instance: Invasion of the Mermaids**
**Instance Type: Multiplayer, Cooperative**
**Instance Description: The princess of the mermaid clan fell in love with a human prince who fell into the water. She has always secretly loved him but could never express it due to their different identities. Now, there are rumors that the prince is going to marry a princess from a neighboring country. Unable to bear it any longer, the mermaid princess wants to be with the prince and hold their own wedding. Since mermaids are inconvenient on land, she summoned you...**
**Objective: Help the mermaid princess and the prince hold their wedding!**
**Hint: Beware of third-party forces.**
**Rewards: Three random modules, 500 game points!**
**Enjoy the game!**
After reading the instance information, it turned into a dialogue box at the corner of his vision. The suppressive force vanished, but Lu Li was already sinking into the sea. The sunlight refracted through the water, creating a dazzling display. As he sank deeper, everything grew darker.
Lu Li turned to look below him, where a pitch-black abyss yawned. The immense pressure made his entire body uncomfortable, each heartbeat a struggle. The dark ocean abyss seemed to whisper something maddening, oppressive, and terrifying. As Lu Li stared into the abyss, he felt something staring back at him.
Marine creatures began to gather around, curious about the taste of a human. Lu Li closed his eyes, halting unnecessary oxygen consumption, adjusting the pressure within his body, and controlled his limbs to swim upwards.
Suddenly, a figure approached—a full-bodied mermaid with a swaying tail. She supported Lu Li under his arms, helping him towards the surface, and even tried to offer him air through a kiss. Seeing her scales and gills, Lu Li shook his head, and the mermaid didn't insist.
The mermaid's speed was incredible. She quickly brought Lu Li through a secret passage to an underwater cave. By the time he turned around, she had already flipped and swam away, her tail flicking above the water's surface.
From the cave ahead, Lu Li heard sounds and proceeded forward. After navigating a narrow passage and turning a corner, he found himself at the center of an island. There was an inland lake, the sun shining down, making the sands sparkle. Two others were already standing by the lake.
Judging by their wet clothes, it was clear they were also from the modern world—his teammates for this instance. He approached them, but neither acknowledged him, indicating they were strangers to each other.
One man, appearing in his thirties, wore a special combat suit covered in white sea salt, likely the first to arrive since his clothes were already dry. He stood coldly to one side. The other man sat cross-legged on the sand with his eyes closed, seemingly meditating, as water droplets were expelled from his body without leaving any traces.
The water on Lu Li's clothes slowly evaporated under the sun, leaving white salt stains, giving him a sour smell. His black clothes absorbed more heat, making the sun feel even hotter.
Just then, footsteps came from the passage behind them. A woman, dripping wet, approached, looking annoyed as she tugged at her clothes. It seemed everyone had arrived. From the center of the island lake, bubbles rose, and a figure emerged, her upper body breaking the surface.
With wavy red hair, blue gem-like eyes, a sweet smile, and three pink stripes on each side of her delicate face, she was a sight to behold. Shells covered her chest, but her lower body remained submerged, likely a fish tail. The mermaid released a charming smile, showing small fangs.
"Honored guests, I am the mermaid princess Ariel. I apologize for the slight miscalculation during the summoning, causing your landing points to be off. But it doesn't matter much. I need your help..."
"However, I see you're all drenched and uncomfortable. Please come to my palace below. It's enchanted to allow humans to breathe. Unfortunately, all the clothes I have are women's garments due to my circumstances..."
(End of the chapter)