The Creature Keeper - chapter 35

The Mermaid stood in front of the wooden cabin, looking terrifyingly lonely.

It wasn’t until the moonlight faded and dawn returned to the island that she finally moved again.

Tang Rou saw her slowly turn her head, her features gradually becoming clear, transforming into the face of the Mermaid. Those platinum-silver eyes locked onto Tang Rou, as if cutting through layers of mist and gazing straight into her soul.

She moved her lips, speaking silent words.

It was a strange language Tang Rou had never seen before.

Yet at that moment, she understood what the Mermaid meant.

“I will find you.”

Tang Rou couldn’t tell if she had been startled awake or woke up naturally; she only knew that after waking, a sense of inexplicable loss lingered in her heart.

The laboratory was very quiet. She looked around and found that the terrifying Eel-tailed Creature had disappeared. The corpse of the Sea Slug was still there, twisted into a bizarre shape by electric shocks, its thick head bitten off, leaving only a layer of skin attached at the neck.

She hadn’t eaten for a whole day and night, had been shocked and drenched by rain, yet Tang Rou’s body was unexpectedly energetic. She stretched her limbs and felt even lighter than before.

She slowly turned around and, through the glass wall, saw the light outside, realizing that it was already morning.

The Mermaid stood with her back to Tang Rou in front of the glass wall, her long hair flowing like golden, silky seaweed, or perhaps like a soul-reaping banner.

Number Four floated in front of her, like a blooming snow lotus.

The two of them seemed to be confronting each other, standing silently for a long time.

Tang Rou noticed that Number Four’s cnidocytes had emerged from its graceful ribbons, a few tentacles probing out through the open hatch, almost touching the Mermaid, who remained oblivious to the impending danger.

Tang Rou sat up. “Number Four!”

In an instant, the Jellyfish’s graceful body froze, retracting its ribbons.

Only then did the Mermaid, as if just realizing, retreat a little in fear, her injured fish tail bending and leaning against the table.

Tang Rou immediately stepped forward and found that the bandages wrapped around the Mermaid’s tail were already seeping with golden-red blood-the wound must have reopened.

She gave Number Four a reproachful look, only to find that it looked even more aggrieved.

Its ribbons curled around the glass panel, as if wanting to speak but unable to.

Tang Rou sighed, unable to understand why there was such hostility between these Experimental Subjects.

After searching around, she found that the Medical Kit had survived near the sofa, so she dragged the Mermaid back behind the sofa and quickly ran over to grab the Medical Kit.

At the same time, she saw the Wristband Phone lying scorched on the wooden floor, fried black by the Electric Eel.

Now, her connection to the outside world was completely cut off.

She squatted in front of the Mermaid with the Medical Kit. When she looked up, she found the Mermaid staring at her unblinkingly with those platinum-silver eyes, making her involuntarily recall the dream she just had.

Perhaps because they were both Mermaids, she substituted this Mermaid’s face into her memories of the past.

She knew those were just dreams-after all, she didn’t know what happened after leaving the island. The lonely back of that Mermaid must have been her own imagination, but thinking of that scene made her heart ache inexplicably.

“Let me see your wound.” Tang Rou squatted in front of the Mermaid and opened the Medical Kit.

Lifting the gauze, it was a bit better than she had imagined.

The broken fish tail was slightly misaligned, the wound smeared with ointment had formed a thin membrane, but it had split open again during movement.
Tang Rou said to her, “Sorry, please bear with it,” and then slowly poured the disinfectant over her wound.

The Mermaid seemed unaware of pain, gazing at her with those pure eyes, as if Tang Rou herself was more worthy of attention than the Mermaid’s own pitiful broken tail.

It was only when Tang Rou raised her hand to apply medicine to the wound, her fingertips brushing over those cool, delicate scales, that the Mermaid finally reacted again.

Her eyelashes trembled, and she looked away.

As if by not looking, she could lessen the torment of being touched.

When it was all over, the two of them hid behind the sofa. Still uneasy, Tang Rou dragged over the broken remains of the bookshelf that had been knocked down during the fight between the two creatures, placing them in front of the sofa to form a triangular area that concealed their bodies. Only then did she relax a little.

The Mermaid raised her hand and touched Tang Rou’s forehead.

“You said it’s cool, so the fever will go down.”

Tang Rou smiled.

“Thank you, I’ve already recovered.”

Upon hearing this, the Mermaid pressed her lips together and revealed a faint, subtle smile.

It made Tang Rou dazed again.

All because of that dream, which had unsettled her mood.

She wondered if it was due to excessive blood loss-the Mermaid looked especially pale.

As if she might turn into foam and vanish before her eyes at any moment.

Would a beautiful Mermaid turn into foam?

Tang Rou’s thoughts wandered. She moved her arm, still feeling that lightness she had noticed upon waking. Could being electrocuted actually be good for one’s health? That didn’t make sense.

The Mermaid folded her hands, her beautiful cheek resting on her arms, lying with her head on her own forearm, eyes fixed on Tang Rou without blinking.

Like a kitten watching its owner intently.

Perhaps that wasn’t the best way to describe her; judging by her physique, she could be called a handsome woman.

No one knew how long she watched Tang Rou before the Mermaid finally closed her eyes, long lashes lowering, quiet and ethereal.

Tang Rou watched her too. Her face was so pale that Tang Rou reached out in concern to touch her. The Mermaid did not turn into foam or disappear, but that gentle touch made her body slump to the side.

Tang Rou was startled and hurried to support her, only to find that the Mermaid did not wake, not even her eyelashes moved.

It didn’t look like she was sleeping-more like she had fainted.

Just as Tang Rou was panicking, footsteps sounded.

Who was it? Was something else coming?

She listened warily, but soon heard more footsteps, the sound of heels striking the floor in a steady rhythm.

People. Many people.

Tang Rou finally breathed a sigh of relief, like someone wandering the desert who had finally found an oasis.

People entered, dressed in the Base Security Officer uniforms, weapons in hand.

It was the Babel Tower Rescue Team-they had finally arrived.

Tang Rou collapsed to the ground, reaching out, “We’re here.”

They moved, their gazes quickly locking onto Tang Rou and the unconscious Mermaid behind the sofa.

The Rescue Team was well-trained. They quickly reported into their radios, and several members moved the debris blocking the sofa aside.

More people entered from outside. Strangely, all the Rescue Team members wore heavy protective goggles, tightly fitted to their faces, blocking any eye contact.

A few of the newcomers placed a fully metal Isolation Stretcher with a thick glass cover beside the Mermaid.

Even though they had been briefed about the rescue target, they still froze for a moment when they saw the Mermaid’s exquisitely beautiful face.

Tang Rou remembered that she had reacted the same way the first time she saw the Mermaid.