The Creature Keeper - Chapter 4

Legend has it that the Mermaid is a creature from another world, crossing dimensions from a cold and twisted realm.

Tang Rou saw the Mermaid when she was young, but due to delirium and high fever, she forgot what the Mermaid looked like.

She only remembered that it was a stunningly beautiful being.

That day marked a turning point in Tang Rou’s life-the ship they were on was overturned by giant waves.

It was said that before the ship sank, the crew heard a wondrous song, and everyone on board, as if in a nightmare, leapt off the ship with vacant eyes.

Some cried out in alarm, some screamed, some wailed in utter despair.

Tang Rou fell into the icy sea, watching as those around her were dragged underwater by unknown creatures.

The air was thick with the terrifying scent of blood; she thought she would be torn apart and devoured by a fierce predator.

Yet, she saw a magnificent figure in the distant, shadowy ocean, swimming toward her like an arrow.

She made a sound, and the ugly carnivorous creatures nearby instantly scattered.

Tang Rou swallowed several mouthfuls of salty, fishy seawater, and just as she was about to drown, someone grasped her wrist, pulling her gently yet firmly into a cold embrace.

All she remembered was a cascade of pale golden hair unfurling before her eyes, like a veil swaying in the water, blurring Tang Rou’s senses.

An iridescent tail fin swept past, like a dazzling river of stars falling into the deep sea.

The Mermaid saved her life and kept her on a deserted island.

There, they spent seven cold yet beautiful days together.

The Mermaid was very fond of her.

On the first day, Tang Rou did nothing but cry. The Mermaid brought her food, but Tang Rou, lost in fear, ignored her kindness.

On the second day, Tang Rou fell ill with a high fever. The Mermaid, full of pity, kissed her, chewing the food and feeding it to her mouth.

On the third, fourth, and fifth days, time passed in a haze; she was barely conscious.

On the sixth day, Tang Rou awoke to a series of damp, gentle kisses.

Her kisses carried the sharpness of keratin teeth, lightly nipping at the thin skin of Tang Rou’s ear, sending shivers through her. Tang Rou thought the Mermaid saw her as food and burst into tears.

The fragile human girl was left with one rosy mark after another on her skin, like the bite marks of a carnivore.

The Mermaid gazed at the marks on her body, fascinated, letting out a delighted low laugh. Her broad, dreamy tail wrapped around Tang Rou’s waist, playfully dragging her into the water.

She thought she was pleasing Tang Rou, trying to make her happy, but Tang Rou only cried louder.

She was very afraid.

The Mermaid’s affection shone from those jewel-like eyes and was expressed in her actions.

She drew close to Tang Rou, touched her, embraced her, kissed her.

She was so beautiful it made Tang Rou’s heart tremble, yet she was a true demon.

The Mermaid did not understand the etiquette of human society, nor did she know that humans express love gradually.

She acted on instinct, kissing and biting Tang Rou, stroking her hair, even crawling ashore every day just to hold her like a beloved toy.

Cold, dampness, and unknown fear enveloped Tang Rou day and night.

In those sunless days, Tang Rou was sometimes dragged into the icy sea for kisses, sometimes confined tightly in the Mermaid’s embrace by her tail.

She was like the Mermaid’s cherished toy.

The fear of death hovered constantly in her mind; Tang Rou lived in constant anxiety, afraid the Mermaid’s sharp teeth would pierce her throat.

Yet, in the end, it never happened.

Aside from those bite marks, the Mermaid protected her well.

On the seventh day, while she slept, Tang Rou was taken away by a Military helicopter.

She saved Tang Rou’s life and left her with an indelible memory.

But Tang Rou, due to her persistent fever, forgot what she looked like.

Pulled from her memories, Tang Rou suddenly realized that the Mermaid before her had grabbed her sleeve, those mesmerizing eyes staring straight at her.
The slender fingers were cold and damp, with nearly transparent webbing between them, and the skin was pale and flawless.

What surprised Tang Rou was that the Mermaid could actually speak.

“Please help me.”

Her slightly hoarse voice sounded like a moving chant.

Tang Rou immediately stepped forward, carefully helping the half-human, half-fish Mermaid up.

She took the opportunity to grasp Tang Rou’s shoulder, the gesture intimate, letting out a gentle sigh.

The fish tail spread out on the ground was actually torn apart from the middle, and not far away lay a broken chain, a clear sign of the Base engineers’ cruelty.

Tang Rou was shocked. “Did they… pierce your tail with a chain?”

The Mermaid rested her head on Tang Rou’s shoulder, seemingly acquiescing to her words.

She was very tired, her movements gentle and intimate, her wet hair clinging to Tang Rou’s neck, bringing a strange sensation.

Tang Rou did not resist much. She asked carefully, “What’s wrong? Are you hurt anywhere else?”

At her words, the Mermaid frowned slightly, and in the next moment, a deep wound down to the bone appeared on her raised arm.

Tang Rou was startled. “It’s that serious!”

In her panic, she had no idea that everything she was doing at that moment was being recorded by a hidden camera in the corner above her head.

“Who is she?”

Someone pointed at the surveillance screen and asked.

In the spacious Observation Room, no one answered.

The Senior Engineers looked at each other, shocked that the terrifying Mermaid was showing such a high degree of submission to a human for the first time.

Even more unbelievable was that she had actually harmed herself.

This terrifying Mermaid had cut a deep wound into her own arm and then showed it to a human with a pitiful look, as if seeking sympathy.

It was simply unbelievable.

Suddenly, the image on the screen was covered by black and white static, as if the signal had been cut off.

She… discovered it.

This Mermaid had always hated being watched.

In the spacious Observation Room, the only man in civilian clothes said coldly, “Go check who administered the Sedative in Sector S today.”

.

“I can’t carry you.”

After several attempts, Tang Rou gave up. Although her upper body was human, the fish tail alone stretched nearly three meters, far too much for a delicate girl like her to move.

The Mermaid blinked, her platinum-silver eyes inexplicably showing a hint of confusion.

Tang Rou’s heart softened, and she gently stroked the Mermaid’s damp hair. “I’ll go find some tools. Will you wait here for me?”

The Mermaid was docile, not aggressive, and very affectionate, but instead of letting go, she gripped Tang Rou’s wrist even tighter at her words.

Tang Rou gasped softly, “That hurts a little.”

She immediately let go, lowering her head to look at Tang Rou’s reddened wrist, her face full of innocence.

Tang Rou couldn’t help but smile. Like soothing her own Experimental Subject, she looked into the Mermaid’s eyes and comforted her softly, “I’ll be back soon. Trust me, okay?”

The Mermaid’s pupils contracted slightly, and she looked at Tang Rou hesitantly.

Tang Rou met her gaze, neither dodging nor flinching.

After a moment, the Mermaid finally seemed to compromise and said in a low voice, “Don’t lie to me.”

“I won’t lie to you.”

She just didn’t expect that things would soon spiral out of control.

Tang Rou promised to find tools to help the Mermaid, but after leaving, she found the entire Sector S cordoned off.

She walked toward the main gate, but at the corner, she ran into the woman who had earlier sent her in to administer the drug.

The woman stopped Tang Rou, looking at her as if she’d seen a ghost, her face twisted with fear.

“You didn’t go in?!”

Tang Rou frowned. “I did go in.”

“Then how are you still alive?”