Chapter 144: The Terrifying Mermaid

Everyone held their breath, drawing as close to the fire as possible to soak in a bit of warmth. Although their voices were low, the mood upon their arrival yesterday had been restless and the atmosphere noisy, with everyone acting impulsively, so no one had paid much attention to what was happening within the warship. But now, as everyone waited quietly for the exact same event, the surroundings grew exceptionally still, heightening their senses.

Slowly, accompanied by a faint splash of water, everyone felt something break the surface, followed by the crisp sound of limbs colliding with metal. Though the sound was loud, it remained entirely distinct because they were now stationed in the room closest to the lower deck. Hearing it, they could hear each other's heartbeats—and, of course, the trembling of Uki's lips.

When Uki had learned that Chen Cao and Hua Fo had set a trap to capture the unknown creature, his face had turned instantly ashen. He tried desperately to dissuade them, but no matter how Chen Cao argued, Uki refused to budge. In the end, a frustrated Hua Fo pressed the muzzle of his gun against Uki's forehead, threatening that if he did not comply, he would forget about avenging Uki's mother. Silenced by force, Uki now stood shivering from head to toe, silently reciting the prayers of his indigenous tribe.

A sudden, dense flurry of splashing confirmed to everyone that the earlier sound had been no hallucination. Stanley's teeth chattered incessantly as he gripped his AK-47 so tightly that the veins on his hands bulged. Overwhelmed by the stark reality of the sound, Karisa shuddered and pressed herself close to Chen Cao. Sensing a natural warmth draw near, Chen Cao did not push her away, simply allowing her fingers to clutch the edge of his jacket.

Splash, splash. At first, the noises were sporadic, but soon they intensified, until the sound of water beneath the hull merged into a chaotic roar that grew increasingly violent.

With a sudden bound, Hua Fo leaped to his feet, raised his submachine gun, and declared, "It's time. Move!" With that, he took the lead and strode out of the room. Fearing that Hua Fo might walk into danger, Chen Cao immediately drew his pistol, gestured for Stanley to follow closely behind, and hurried out.

Lu Tianming displayed extraordinary courage, springing to his feet to follow them. Though terrified, Uki picked up the two makeshift javelins he had fashioned earlier that day from the warship's fine guardrails, and brought up the rear.

Hua Fo and Chen Cao reached the lower deck almost simultaneously. Hua Fo shoved the door open, and Chen Cao slipped in right behind him. Moving in a coordinated pattern of tactical cover, Chen Cao extended his pistol toward the spot where Lu Tianming had set the trap: an iron cage suspended by ropes, attached to an iron ring salvaged from the ship. Two of the irregular small holes had already been plugged. According to Lu Tianming, these tiny apertures had been artificially threaded and arranged in a precise, irregular pattern to ensure that every small hole emitted a distinct sound. The exhaust fan ensured proper airflow without compromising ventilation quality; naturally, its speed had been meticulously calibrated to near-frictionless efficiency, requiring only the slightest breath of air to maintain perpetual motion. Such a simple setup, concealed beneath its surface, was laden with complex scientific principles—principles specifically designed to lure this creature.

And now... that creature... was right before their eyes.

Click. Chen Cao switched on his flashlight. The beam illuminated the rope rigged against the perforated wall, which was now taut and thrashing violently. Simultaneously, from the opposite side of the bulkhead came a torrential cascade of splashing water, violently battering the iron hull.

Sparing no battery power, Hua Fo dialed his flashlight to its maximum setting and cast the brilliant beam onto the object dangling in midair. It possessed the torso of a mermaid from fairy tales, ending in a long fish tail. Its waistline boasted a golden ratio that would rival any international runway model, and its heaving breasts were enough to make any man's mouth water. Seemingly blinded and terrified by the sudden blinding light, the creature whipped its head away, concealing its face from view.

Hua Fo patted Lu Tianming, who stood beside him paralyzed like a wooden chicken, and whispered, "Old Lu, brilliant work! You even calculated their access route. You really are a naval expert!"

Raising his pistol with the flashlight mounted beneath the barrel, Chen Cao inched forward and said, "Cut the commentary, Hua Fo. Get over here and help subdue this thing!"

Before Chen Cao could finish his sentence, the mermaid suddenly whipped its head back around, baring its teeth. With a distorted, venomous shriek, it lunged straight for Chen Cao's head! Quick-witted and lightning-fast, Hua Fo threw himself forward, yelled a warning, and shoved Chen Cao out of harm's way.

A guttural shriek echoed as a heavy thud shook the floor. The mermaid crashed to the ground, thrashing and wailing helplessly as the ropes bound tightly around its body. Chen Cao tumbled to the floor beneath Hua Fo's tackle. In the harsh glare of the flashlight, he finally caught a clear view of the creature's appearance: its skin was a bruised, sepia-toned ashen blue like a cuttlefish. Aside from a gaping mouth, its entire face was riddled with tiny suction-cup cavities. The maw was packed with rows of blood-red teeth, and as it opened wide, a wave of sickening stench billowed out.

Seeing the creature fight back, Hua Fo drew his submachine gun, leveling the barrel directly at the creature's head, ready to fire. Chen Cao, still recovering his footing, had no time to react. But Lu Tianming suddenly snapped out of his daze, lunged forward, and grabbed the hand with which Hua Fo was about to pull the trigger. "Mr. Hua Fo, stop!" Lu Tianming cried. "It's our bait! If we kill it, catching others will become nearly impossible. Besides, if we kill it, there's no guarantee its companions won't seek vengeance against us. That would leave us in an even more desperate plight!"

Recovering his wits, Chen Cao scrambled to his feet and agreed, "He's right, Hua Fo. We can't act rashly, or we'll pay a much heavier price!"

While they argued, the mermaid seemed to exhaust its remaining strength, writhing on the floor and emitting muffled, distressed wails. Lacking eyes, it bared its teeth and hissed endlessly toward the three men.

The beams of Chen Cao's and Hua Fo's flashlights swept over it in unison. Its face was covered entirely in suction cups and dominated by a single gaping mouth. It had no arms, and its head and neck were cloaked in thick, dripping manes of hair that swayed with every violent contortion of its body. Yet the knots binding it had been tied by the combined expertise of two seasoned veterans; unless they chose to untie them, no one else could ever hope to slip those bonds.

Even as the mermaid's cries grew faint, the sound of the storm battering the hull outside grew increasingly violent. Torrents of water crashed down, mingling with the howling wind and pounding rain, echoing through the decaying warship in a way that struck terror into their hearts.

"This one poses virtually no threat anymore, and it's practically impossible for the others to scale the hull," Hua Fo said, keeping his flashlight trained on Chen Cao. "Chen, keep an eye on this bastard and the entrance on the floor. I'm going to check the window and see what's happening outside!"

With that, Hua Fo walked over to the cabin window, aimed his flashlight into the darkness below, and froze in absolute shock.