"Ethan Zhang, do you want to go to the shrimp and crab farm with us today to gather food?"
I shook my head, politely declining the enthusiastic invitation from the Merfolk before me. I had already been living in the Merfolk village for over a week, and was completely familiar with everything around me. That Frost Serpent had been bound and imprisoned inside a conch house, which had been reinforced all around. It was nearly impossible for it to break free.
I still planned to stay in the Merfolk village and wait patiently. The Merfolk chief had already sent people out to help me inquire about the Chimera Beast. The Frost Serpent had seen the Chimera Beast in the middle layer of the illusion realm. After I probed the Frost Serpent's memory and relayed it to the Merfolk Elder, he told me that he had never seen the swamp the Frost Serpent described. I asked the Frost Serpent, and it said it might have passed by there before.
Frost Serpents are not restricted to living in water; they can also survive in the outside world. However, their flying distance on land is limited and extremely exhausting. Most of the time, they can only slither on the ground like snakes. The surface is home to even more powerful supernatural beasts, while those in the water are relatively weaker.
So most aquatic supernatural beasts are relatively safe, relying on water as their natural advantage to fend off many of the powerful land-dwelling beasts.
Today, I planned to wander around the village for a while, then head out to the outskirts to test my own strength. These powerful forces surge forth whenever I want to use them, and they flow so smoothly—but their destructive power and devastation coexist. I am somewhat afraid I won’t be able to control them.
Lately, I often find myself reflecting on certain things—Buddhism and Daoism. No matter how much I think, I can't remember where I came from, what my name is, or why I carry such immense power.
After chatting idly with the Merfolk in the village for a while, I left. Jade May wasn’t around today—she’d gone out with others to gather food.
I really like this pure-hearted tribe. Their hearts shine with astonishing brightness, from children to elders, which surprises me. They almost never clash with other supernatural beast tribes.
Even when it came to distributing food from the sea, they used to willingly give up some of the regions rich in aquatic resources.
After reaching the outskirts, I looked around—already more than ten kilometers from the Merfolk village. Quietly, I raised my hand, feeling a surge of heat welling up from deep within.
With just a thought, this immense power surged forth. As it did, the water around me seemed to boil, slowly pushing outward. Where I stood became a vacuum, and the vacuum kept expanding.
Staring quietly at the distant rocks, I nervously waved my hand. Instantly, a huge flash of white streaked past, raising clouds of dust from the seabed as the water split before me again. I stared in disbelief—clearly, I still couldn’t control this power.
But no matter what, I have to keep trying—I must control this power. Otherwise, I might accidentally hurt someone, and that’s the last thing I want.
Recently, fragments of images keep flashing through my mind, always accompanied by something strange—ghosts, and other things I can’t quite identify.
After several attempts, I still couldn’t control my power. I decided to return to the Merfolk village—after all, that Frost Serpent could break free at any moment. When it saw my strength, it lost all desire to fight me.
A few minutes later, I returned to the Merfolk village. Most of the Merfolk who’d gone out to gather food had come back, but Jade May and a few others were still missing.
"Weren’t they supposed to go with you?"
I asked, and Jako Chen shook his head.
"They went to the land to gather flowers and fruit and should be back soon."
I responded with an 'oh,' helping the Merfolk to cut up the food. Near dusk, the Merfolk returned, and Jade May came over, her face full of joy.
"Ethan, today I met Yong. He said he’s seen the Chimera Beast you mentioned."
I stared in astonishment, jumping to my feet.
"Really?"
Jade May nodded.
I remembered that Yong was an exotic beast with a human face, pale blue all over and resembling an owl. Jade May told me Yong gets along well with their tribe, often taking them to pick wild fruits, while they give him fish, shrimp, and shellfish from the sea.
"Will he come again tomorrow?"
I asked, my emotions a little stirred.
Jade May nodded, grinning.
"I’ve already made plans with him—same place tomorrow."
"Thank you. Thank you so much."
I grabbed Jade May’s hand excitedly, my heart racing. This was my only clue to recovering my memory.
When night fell, the Merfolk all went to sleep. I sat quietly in Jade May’s home, holding some shells and eating the meat inside.
"Ethan, memory must be very important to humans like you, right?"
I stared blankly at Jade May, not sure how to respond for a moment. After thinking, I replied.
"Sometimes it’s very important, especially when people are happy. But sometimes it’s not that important—those sad memories might be unnecessary for people. I can’t say for sure, but I want to know who I am, why I’m here. I just feel I can’t stay here any longer. I... I want to go home."
I said firmly. The thing I remembered most deeply was wanting to return to the human world. I’d asked the Merfolk Elder before, and he shook his head. Except for the memory of eating the hundred exotic beasts that were born in this world, there was no way to leave the illusion realm. The Merfolk Elder also told me a story.
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A long time ago, there was an exotic beast in the illusion realm who wanted to leave and see other worlds. It kept walking in one direction, but no matter how far it went, it never reached the boundary. In the end, it died on the road. Many have heard this story, and later, other exotic beasts tried to leave, but no matter where they went, the illusion realm seemed to stretch on forever. They could never get out, nor return to where they started.
The Merfolk Elder once said that since the Merfolk began living in the middle layer of the illusion realm, they’ve only ever explored about a hundred square kilometers. They’ve marked many places, but never reached the farthest edges. The illusion realm has countless unknown passages, and no one knows where they lead. There are countless exotic beasts in this world, and the powerful ones are as numerous as grains of sand.
I couldn’t help feeling excited—maybe tomorrow I’d finally learn the location of the Chimera Beast from Yong.
Jade May was already asleep. I lay there quietly, eyes open. After a while, I went out for a walk. By morning, the Merfolk were up; after Jade May and I ate something, some members of the Merfolk tribe packed up supplies and took me out of the village.
We were heading for land. According to Jade May, there are several waterways to cross before reaching land, but without knowing the way, you’d never surface. The whole area is like a maze.
But most exotic beasts are born able to sense the differences in water density. I looked around curiously, still following Jade May and the others.
Gradually, I focused on a mass ahead of us.
"Is it over there?"
Jade May looked at me in surprise.
"How did you know?"
"Just a feeling."
I sensed that the seawater ahead was darker than the surrounding water. You couldn’t see it, but the feeling was unmistakable. Sure enough, after passing through that patch of water, I quickly sensed other presences and saw plants swaying on the surface.
With a splash, I surfaced with Jade May and the others. It was a forest lake, surrounded by unfamiliar trees and plants.
"Hey, did you bring me any fresh fish or shrimp?"
A muffled voice came from above. I looked up and saw an exotic beast nearly a meter tall, with pale blue feathers, a human face, and the body of an owl—Yong.
The Merfolk quickly handed over the fish and shrimp they’d brought. Yong happily accepted them and started eating, finishing everything in no time. He slapped his belly with his wings, looking completely satisfied.
"Jade May, is this the kid you said was looking for the Chimera Beast yesterday?"
Yong glanced at me. I slowly floated down, coming to rest beneath the tree. Yong hopped down and landed in front of me, scrutinizing me for a while before speaking.
"No way. This kid is way too weak. I can take care of myself, but getting through the Starving Forest will be tough."
I looked at Yong in confusion—he clearly thought little of me. Jade May burst out laughing.
"You know, Yong, Ethan Zhang can take down the Crimson Carp King with one hand, and defeat the Frost Serpent with a single finger."
Yong looked at me, completely unconvinced. I didn’t know what to say.
"You’ve taken so much from us already—the least you can do is show us the way!"
"Come on, kid. I’ll lead you through the Starving Forest, then tell you where I saw the Chimera Beast. After that, you’re on your own."
"Thank you."
I hurried to say thanks. Yong took off, still looking down on me. I glanced back at Jade May, then walked forward slowly.
"Give me some of your hair."