Redemption

warning: novel’s typical display of violence

The Emperor’s quarters were well-heated, yet Kaide remained curled up in his chair, cold sweat breaking out across his forehead.

Two attendants knelt before him, one on each side, holding up his tentacles to meticulously apply a moisturizing lotion to the suckers.

When Heinz pushed the door open to enter, one of the attendants accidentally knocked over the lotion bottle. The fragrance of marine white chrysanthemum blended with red algae oil spilled across the floor, thick and cloying.

The attendant fell to the floor in sheer panic, his frame trembling violently. “Your Majesty, spare my life! Spare my life!”

Kaide slammed a tentacle into him as his features contorted in a sick sneer. “GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE! NEVER LET ME SEE YOUR FACE AGAIN!”

The attendant’s right cheek swelled instantly, but hearing he wouldn’t be put to death, he scrambled away in profound gratitude.

Kneel for too long, and you lose the ability to stand up… Heinz murmured silently to himself.

“My dear minister, you’ve arrived at just the right moment. Quickly, go find an exorcist for me.” Kaide’s expression was frantic; he seemed to still harbor a lingering dread, though it was unclear what memory had triggered it.

Heinz bowed politely, his tone humble yet fitting: “Exorcists can be found, sir. However, I am not certain what manner of evil Your Majesty wishes to dispel?”

The words the kind of evil Izu Paraiso is nearly slipped from Kaide’s tongue. But he was a Sovereign. How could he display vulnerability before a subordinate? Clearing his throat, he shifted his phrasing:

“It’s likely… a nightmare. Yes, a nightmare. I just woke from my afternoon nap, and I had another dream about the demon devouring people. I suspect I’ve been mentally contaminated by something sinister. Therefore, an exorcism must be performed upon the palace!”

“Of course.” Heinz expressed deep concern with total gravity. “Your Majesty’s physical well-being is the Empire’s highest priority. I shall immediately search for a grand master of exorcism for you.”

He couldn’t be bothered to suggest that a scientific treatment might cure the man’s paranoia.

“On a side note, the Grand Duke’s messenger reports that they have successfully struck the ‘target’.”

Kaide’s heart skipped a beat, his body leaning forward slightly as he asked tentatively, “Is he… dead?”

Previously, the Swordfish Grand Duke had informed him that they had obtained a skeleton of a pureblood merman, ground it into bone meal, and manufactured it into bullets. A pureblood merman’s recovery capabilities were terrifyingly rapid, rendering conventional weapons completely non-lethal. However, utilizing a genetic weapon crafted from the skeletal remains of a blood relative would inhibit wound coagulation, carrying a massive probability of death.

Kaide genuinely couldn’t fathom it. Every single pureblood merman had supposedly been slaughtered, with their corpses sealed entirely within the merfolk cemetery under maximum security. Aside from Izu Paraiso, no one knew the precise coordinates of that secret burial ground.

Where on earth did the Grand Duke obtain those remains?

The Swordfish Grand Duke had casually disclosed: “The deep trenches of Earth hide quite a few useful things.”

To think they managed to harvest them from the Milky Way!

Kaide was somewhat astonished; so there were still signs of activity on that wasteland? He had assumed the humans of Earth had died out long ago.

The Grand Duke had smiled, saying, “I still have a few friends on Earth. I shall introduce you next time. They were the ones who dispatched personnel to help me dredge the deep sea and recover the skeleton of a merman ancestor.”

Even so, Kaide still couldn’t visualize Izu Paraiso’s death. He held a stubborn impression, consistently viewing that man as an undying blue phantom hovering over the Empire’s territory, one that could never be erased.

The Swordfish Grand Duke had leisurely comforted him, “Rest assured, Your Majesty. Even if he does not die, he will be gravely wounded. A Rotting-breed on the brink of death will completely lose his sanity, tearing apart the very first person he encounters to satisfy his hunger.”

“Let us tear away Izu Paraiso’s sanctimonious facade and expose this monster’s hideous countenance.”

When Kaide was a child, he had once witnessed Izu Paraiso devouring someone. Shredded clothing, hands and feet scattered across the floor… That cold-blooded monster had crouched in the center of the pool, his needle-sharp dorsal fin standing erect as he feasted, chewing and swallowing continuously. Though he was very young at the time, barely five or six years old, and couldn’t recall many of the details clearly, the general impression remained exactly like that.

Kaide believed it without a shadow of a doubt. That was a demon capable of eating humans. How could a demon die?

“He is not dead,” Heinz reported with total candor.

Inexplicably, Kaide breathed a sigh of relief.

“Or rather, he did not die on the spot. We are continuing to track the subsequent situation. However, the good news is that ‘Bai Ling’, the culprit who caused you to burn off a tentacle, has already been apprehended and brought to justice.”

Kaide ground two words from between his teeth: “Hang him!”

Heinz followed the order seamlessly: “Your will is done.”

The arrest squad turned out in full force, completely sealing off every single exit of the arena. Officers with particle rifles slung across their frames took up staggered positions, forming a lethal blockade line.

But this was merely the tip of the iceberg. The security detachment of the Deep Space Mecha Legion stood waiting on standby outside, tightly monitoring the airspace. The moment ‘Bai Ling’ attempted to flee by piloting a mecha, they would aim their barrels skyward and shoot him down immediately. No matter how powerful a bird of prey he was, he wouldn’t be able to grow wings and escape.

Bai Ling had long harbored an ominous premonition; being surrounded by crowds at this moment, his face appeared remarkably flat. He shifted his gaze toward the lone familiar face among the crowd. Lu Hang— it was this man again.

Locking his cold, grey eyes onto Lu Hang, Bai Ling stated flatly, “Let me pass to see my family one last time.”

As he spoke these words, over a dozen infrared aiming sights flashed simultaneously, clustering with extreme alertness on his forehead, bathing his features in a blood-red halo of light.

“You have five minutes,” Lu Hang suddenly spoke.

The criminal investigator beside him frowned. “Captain Lu? We requested your presence to assist with the apprehension, not to interfere with the operation. You don’t comprehend the danger this criminal poses. Do not make unauthorized decisions!”

“It is precisely because I comprehend his danger that we should let him go.” Lu Hang’s tone hardened slightly, lowering his voice to explain: “This is a tournament arena, and civilians are packed everywhere. If the suspect is provoked, he could easily launch a suicide attack. If a state-level disaster erupts in front of foreign media, can you bear that responsibility?”

“YOU!” The investigator’s breath caught in his throat, nearly choking him. But no matter how unwilling he was, he had to admit the man’s words held a shred of validity.

Lu Hang cleanly unholstered his weapon, pressing it against Bai Ling’s lower back as he turned to nod to his colleagues: “I will escort him over myself, and I shall take responsibility if anything goes wrong. Is that acceptable?”

The investigator noted sarcastically, “Fine. Captain Lu is an elite of the legion and holds a noble title; how could civilians like us have the power to refuse?”

Lu Hang knit his brows but ultimately chose to remain silent.

Upon reaching an isolated spot, Bai Ling cast a fleeting glance behind him and said, “Thank you.”

Lu Hang nudged him slightly with the weapon, gesturing for him to keep moving. They walked in absolute silence until they arrived outside VIP Box 001. Only then did Lu Hang weigh his words to ask:

“Why did you attack the Sovereign?”

This was by no means an ideal location to interrogate a suspect. Lu Hang had assumed the other wouldn’t answer, but he heard that clear, cold voice state:

“To protect what belongs to me.”

Lu Hang’s mind was distracted for a split second, a ripple stirring deep within his heart. He rapidly shifted the topic: “You may enter alone to say goodbye, but the door must remain open. Those are the regulations.”

Turning his torso to look back, Bai Ling noted that the angle and posture of the weapon pointed at him hadn’t shifted at all. The corners of his lips curled into a slight smile: “Aren’t you afraid I’ll run the moment I step inside?”

Lu Hang offered a gentle smile: “My marksmanship ranks number one in the legion.”

“Always that accurate?”

“No, I only rose to the number one spot within this past half-year. Someone used to be more accurate than me.”

Lu Hang recalled the leaderboard for the legion’s shooting training; the top spot had been occupied consecutively for five years by the ID [Lodestar]. Unfortunately, that king of marksmen seemed to have retired, vanishing without a trace.

Amidst his flickering reflections, he noticed Bai Ling had already stepped into the room.

Bai Ling took two steps inside, then his entire frame suddenly turned rigid on the spot.

Lu Hang possessed exceptional vision; casting a casual glance inside, he instantly spotted the male figure seated before the single-sided viewing window.

Incredibly regal. That was his first impression. But in the next split second, he discerned that something was wrong.

The man reclined against the deep crimson velvet sofa, his golden hair thick and scattered, with his head hanging helplessly to one side. His expression was serene, as if he had just navigated an exhausting task and closed his eyes for a brief nap. The light filtering in from outside the glass caught the fine dust dancing in the air, shrouding his cold-toned features in an oil-painting-like grain beneath the Tyndall effect, rendering even the bloody wound at his abdomen hazy.

A person is unable to utter a sound when trapped in extreme panic.

Bai Ling parted his lips, wanting to shriek something, but it felt as if his windpipe had been crushed; he could only manage a series of raspy, broken wheezes.

Yu… Chen…

Bai Ling threw himself forward, cradling the man’s freezing cheeks, desperately pressing his own scalding forehead against his to provide some warmth. Significant amounts of hemostatic powder had been scattered across the floor, and even more had coagulated into clumps plastered over the wound. With trembling fingers, Bai Ling reached out to feel his back, discovering a much smaller hole with slightly charred edges. Every soldier understood that this was the exit wound of a bullet.

It was at that moment…

When the sweeping robot told them to step aside, he had distinctly smelled the metallic scent of blood, yet he hadn’t paid it any attention.

“Ah…”

Bai Ling frantically wiped away the bloodstains on the man’s face, acting as if doing so could redeem something. Then, pressing his ear against his chest, he strained with every ounce of effort to listen… Heartbeat, heartbeat, start thumping for me!

Nothing. Nothing but a dead silence.

The floor beneath his feet seemingly trembled, and the soaked carpet resembled a marshy mire, threatening to swallow a person whole. Bai Ling stood upon that congealed patch of carpet, damp and cold. It took a long while before the realization registered with a dazed shock— he was standing in the blood of his Alpha.

Yu Chen, Yu Chen… my old man. The floor is covered in dried blood. He is dead… my Alpha is dead…

From Lu Hang’s perspective, what he witnessed was a silhouette. Before the window, that bird lay draped over the man’s body, his arms spread forcefully like a sickly bird extending its wings to protect something precious. The room was steeped in a absolute, dead silence, to the point where even the sound of breathing had vanished, making one wonder if the bird had died along with him.

Thud. A soft sound echoed.

The terminal slipped from the man’s hand, clattering onto the floor.

The screen lit up automatically, plastered in a chaotic mess of blood and dried fluid. The orange-tinged serum rendered the display blurry and unresponsive to touch.

Bai Ling picked it up, catching sight of the final command sent out by the merman.

Not to save himself, nor to seek revenge, but rather: “Protect my Little Bird.”

Protect my Little Bird, his Alpha had said.

Bai Ling was suddenly seized by a wave of happiness— a twisted, chaotic happiness. When a person is trapped in extreme, shattering grief, their emotional boundaries collapse, throwing them into a state of absolute, unbridled madness. He let out a brilliant, radiant laugh. Cradling the merman who once loved him so deeply, he softly repeated:

“I love you too. I love you so much. I truly, truly love you.”

Lu Hang’s eyes shuddered. He felt as though he had just caught a microscopic twitch from that completely bloodless finger.

But the bird, thoroughly lost in his manic frenzy, remained entirely oblivious to it.

He had no idea that a wild beast on the brink of death would abandon all its humanity, reverting completely to its primitive, predatory instincts, ripping apart every single thing in front of its eyes… Even its most deeply treasured possession.

“Get away, quick!” Lu Hang’s breath hitched in his throat. He watched open-mouthed as that blood-soaked man bolted upright, clamping a hand around the bird’s lean waist. A cold, ruthless glint flashed from his razor-sharp teeth as he dove down, sinking them straight into the Omega’s supple neck.

“Mgh!” Bai Ling threw his chin high into the air, the taut lines of his neck pushed to the absolute breaking point.

Gulp, gulp… A clear, ravenous sound of swallowing echoed relentlessly against his ear. Having lost far too much blood, the merman’s entire frame was burning with a frantic thirst; he desperately wanted to drain the vessel beneath him dry. The fluid surging into his lips tasted so bitter yet beautifully sweet, and the claws digging into his back were so fractured yet fiercely sharp…

Lovely. So lovely it drove him mad.

A vessel offering itself up for sacrifice, ripe for the taking, yet still murmuring such words of devotion.

From rigid tension to relaxation, and from relaxation to complete surrender.

Bai Ling instinctively tightened his arms, locking his embrace around the alpha’s broad back, embedding himself deeply into the merman’s chest without leaving a single millimeter of space between them.

“You’re still alive…” he murmured dazedly, his cheek pressed against the freezing strands of golden hair, his head tilted to the side.

Watching this display from a distance, Lu Hang was thoroughly shocked, faintly discerning a bizarre brand of tenderness within the scene. This was clearly a brutal, one-sided mauling, yet due to the absolute compliance of the recipient, it had transformed into a mutually accepted ritual of soothing. It was so pure that it felt as though it would sear the eyeballs of any onlooker.

Ding—

The sudden chime of a communicator broke the silence. Bai Ling snapped up the terminal instantly; it was a call from the old Woodpecker.

Seeing that the other side picked up within a fraction of a second, Zhuo Liangmu breathed a massive sigh of relief: “Thank heavens you are still conscious.”

“He’s unconscious,” Bai Ling replied, his tone recovering its habitual calm. “But he’s still alive.”

Zhuo Liangmu dazed for a moment, demanding immediately: “Where are you?”

“Box 001. How long until you arrive?”

“We are already landing the hover-ship. Give me three more minutes.” Zhuo Liangmu barked orders to the medical team to disembark from the vessel while sprinting at top speed, panting heavily between his words. “He was struck by a genetic bullet, it is exceptionally troublesome. What are his symptoms right now? Has he lost his mind and attacked anyone?”

“No. He drank my blood.”

That tone was far too flat, plunging Zhuo Liangmu into a silence that lasted several seconds. When he spoke again, he subconsciously altered his form of address: “Did he bite you, sir?”

Zhuo Liangmu had anticipated a barrage of displeasure or complaints, but he didn’t expect the young bird to merely ask flatly:

“Does it help him? Will he feel better after drinking it?”

“…He has sustained severe blood loss and urgently requires a replenishment of nutrient solution. To a Rotting-breed Merman, blood is indeed a form of nutrient agent. It will help.”

“Good.”

Lu Hang stared intently into the room. The bird’s ramrod-straight spine slowly curved over, the emotions within his lowered eyes completely unreadable. After hanging up the call, he didn’t even push the beast away; instead, he tilted his head slightly, exposing a generous stretch of his slender, pale neck.

Allowing the wild beast’s fangs to drive deeper into his flesh and blood.

The bird turned his exquisite, detached face toward the light. Even though the throbbing pain made his throat roll continuously, his expression was full of gratification and serenity.

Lu Hang’s heart underwent a violent jolt, inexplicably reminding him of the sacred icons of martyrdom he had witnessed inside cathedrals. It was so soundless, yet so breathtakingly intense, causing him to instinctively lower the muzzle of his gun. With trembling fingers, he struck a match to light a cigarette, drawing heavily on it to settle his restless mind.

Right at that moment, Zhuo Liangmu finally arrived at the entrance. Taking a single look as he propped his hand against the doorframe nearly made him lose his soul from sheer terror.

The little white bird was held fast in the Merman’s embrace, being uninhibitedly drained like a literal blood pack.

When The One regains his clarity and discovers what he has done… he is going to go absolutely insane!

Author’s Note:

Lu Hang: (Stunned) (Unenlightened) How can an alpha and an omega be this insane? How do you even date with this kind of mental instability?!

Little Bird: (Gently patting the fish’s head) (Delirious) If the fish dies, should I steam him clear or braise him?

Old Merman: (Beginning to liquidate assets) (Writing down the bird’s name) (Feeling it’s not enough) (Writing the bird’s name across his own abdominal muscles)

The visual description of this scene was referenced from the structural composition of the painting “The Death of Marat.”

Translator’s notes:

[Synopsis 1]

Ever since Earth became a massive multiplayer online game, survival shifted to clearing game instances to break through. If a player continuously failed the game, they would enter the Confinement Zone— a place rumored to be the game’s very own version of hell.

After Jiang Qi emerged from the Confinement Zone, he always finds himself reuniting with his pets inside the instances.

The Siren in the Lost Sea was actually the little fish at home who listened to children’s songs every day.

The Evil God who negotiated with others using lies and greed was just the little red flower planted in his yard.

The Sun God, revered and feared by tens of thousands, was merely the autistic little bird who cried all the time.

Even You Sui, the number one player, was his long-lost childhood friend.

After Jiang Qi burst onto the scene, his figure was present in almost every event that shocked the masses.

His teammates adored him, living creatures swore loyalty to him, and the world feared him.

Yet, his only goal was to redeem this game.

[Synopsis 2]

When Jiang Qi walked out of the instances, the new names of all the instance bosses were made public.

The deer demon that consumed human hearts and blood was called Xiao Bai, the merman who bewitched human hearts was called Xiao Lan, and the greedy, wicked Evil God was called Xiao Hong.

Even the arrogant Phoenix obediently let itself be called Xiao Huang.

Everyone looked at You Sui, whose relationship with Jiang Qi was growing closer by the day, and eagerly asked what this god’s new nickname was.

Jiang Qi smiled. “Hmm… how about Xiao Hei?”

You Sui tightened his arm around Jiang Qi’s waist. “No, call me your lover.”

• From the Pets’ Perspective: The Daily Routine of an Instance Boss Having Their Cover Blown, When the Boss Inspires an Unexpected Workplace Inspection
• From You Sui’s Perspective: Reunited After Many Years of Amnesia, The Aloof Male God and His Beloved Wife Who Seriously Loves Raising Pets
• From the Fans’ Perspective: My Crackship Actually Became Canon, The God Became His Dragon

(Note: The above book titles are completely made up just for fun; the final right of interpretation belongs to Jiang Qi.)
Cold on the outside but soft on the inside Top Player (Gong) X Master of the Confinement Zone who loves raising “small animals” (Shou)

Tags: Power Couple, Horror, Infinite Flow, Power Fantasy, Lighthearted