AMBTMS Chapter 122

Li Shu raised his eyes and saw the merman in the petri dish staring at him with crimson eyes, as if looking at prey trapped in a net, with nowhere to escape.

The merman was inside the petri dish, he was outside it, separated by thick protective glass. For a moment, Li Shu felt as if the merman had broken through the glass and stood in front of him—no, he was the one confined within the petri dish.

He felt the damp hair brush across his cheek, felt water flowing over his skin, his vision became blurred, as if he were immersed in the midst of the sea, with the roaring sound of waves in his ears.

He smelled the scent of the sea, and saw the deep blue ocean.

[Host—]

The alarm from 1314 rang in his mind, and Li Shu came back to his senses and found that he was soaked all over, almost pressed against the petri dish. The moisture in the room seemed tangible, and the alarm by the door flashed with an ominous red light.

He almost fell for it.

Stepping back, Li Shu’s eyes grew heavier with seriousness. This was the second time; in the short time he had been in the laboratory, he had been deceived twice.

The male protagonist of this world was more dangerous than he had imagined.

From the original owner’s memories, it was easy to see that such incidents were not the first. Pressing a certain switch based on memory, the lingering moisture in the room was quickly cleared away.

Li Shu checked his clothes and, unsurprisingly, they were completely wet.

He cast a deep glance at the merman in the petri dish. The merman stared back fearlessly and grinned.

Even with ill intentions, this smile was extremely beautiful, like waves crashing heavily down, stirring up bursts of spray.

“It’s different now…”

The merman’s sigh echoed in Li Shu’s mind. He saw the merman look away, then he swung his powerful tail and swam towards the other side.

The petri dish was about two and a half meters high, completely sealed, with the corresponding controls at a dedicated console. On one side of the petri dish was a metal staircase, and above the staircase was a platform large enough for one person to stand on.

Li Shu took off the damp white coat and climbed up.

The platform was less than a meter high above the ground, allowing Li Shu to see the top of the petri dish. The top was not transparent; an unknown silver metal tightly covered the top of the petri dish. Facing Li Shu were several small buttons—one yellow and two silver—with a row of small letters below them.

Li Shu noticed that from the moment he stood on the platform, the merman tensed his body.

Why?

Right, this petri dish was specially designed for the merman. In order to allow the original owner to approach the merman at close range without being injured, the petri dish was equipped with some “small features”. These features were enough to temporarily incapacitate a severely injured merman.

Now the merman’s hostility towards him was too strong. Li Shu wouldn’t be foolish enough to open the petri dish at this moment; he simply stood on the platform and observed for a while before climbing down.

The merman watched his every move, his eyes narrowing slightly, and the frequency of his tail’s swaying increased. Seeing that he did not press any buttons, the hostility slowly faded from his eyes.

—

The laboratory door closed behind her. Gu Li leaned against the wall and slowly exhaled. Regarding the existence of the merman, her attitude was the same as that of everyone in the research base: curious and fearful. While they were amazed and admired the beauty of the merman, they were also afraid of the danger he posed.

After that incident, they realized that the merman in the laboratory was entirely different from the ones in fairy tales. He was ferocious, violent, and incredibly destructive. What made him even more terrifying was his ability to directly control the human brain.

This was a species they had never encountered before, but it was not the only rare species. Gu Li had been at the research base for a few years and knew the powerful forces behind this base. She had seen all kinds of rare species here, many of which had never been reported.

Due to her outstanding work abilities, she was assigned to work beside Li Shu. Working with Li Shu, she witnessed the wonders of this world even more. It was also because of working with Li Shu that she had the fortune of seeing the merman the moment he was brought in.

She could never forget that moment of amazement. She believed everyone felt the same at that time. Even the always calm Li Shu had an undeniable excitement in his eyes at that moment.

It was extreme excitement. Ignoring etiquette, the man rushed forward and leaned over the tank holding the merman, his eyes filled with obsession.

They thought this was just another rare species. In this research base, the one thing they didn’t lack was all kinds of rare species. When the first researcher lost control, they didn’t pay much attention. When the second and third cases appeared, they realized something was wrong.

The merman could invade the human brain and control human behavior. He could communicate directly with humans in their minds. It was only then that they realized the merman was an intelligent species, and his strength was terrifying.

“Gu Jie, are you here to see S again?” A cute female voice rang out, and a girl in the same white lab coat quickened her pace.

S was the merman’s code name. The experimental subjects at this base were ranked by rarity, and by all measures, the merman was the rarest. Several months had passed, and the scientific team had scoured the sea area where they found the merman, trying to find a second one, but to no avail.

Gu Li straightened up, subtly avoiding the girl’s attempt to grab her arm. “I’m here to help the professor record some data.”

“Sister Gu, is the merman really as beautiful as Brother Zhao and the others say? I really want to see him.” The girl had round almond eyes, full of longing.

She came to the research base two months ago, missing the best time to see the merman. After knowing that the merman could control human thoughts, the number of people allowed to approach him dwindled. Aside from the team led by Li Shu, no one else was allowed near that laboratory.

“You’ll get the chance.”

As if not noticing Gu Li’s indifference, the girl followed her, talking enthusiastically and expressing her admiration for the merman.

She was too obvious; how could Gu Li not know her intentions? This girl had been pestering her ever since she found out that she could get close to the merman. In reality, she could only enter that laboratory but not approach the merman. That was the professor’s privilege alone.

Gu Li didn’t dislike the girl. Like her, the girl was a student sponsored by the Li family, here for an internship. She was enthusiastic, kind, pretty, and capable—except for her excessive obsession with the merman, she was perfect.

“Xiao Qin,” Gu Li stopped, “I really can’t let you see the merman. Without the professor’s permission, you can’t enter that laboratory.”

“I know,” Qin Le’an pouted, acting coquettishly, “Sister Gu, just tell me about S~”

“You really are…” Gu Li’s tone was helpless.

“I knew Sister Gu was the best.” Qin Le’an cheered softly. She had never seen S and could only piece together an image from Gu Li’s words. She didn’t even know why she was so obsessed with the merman.

Li Shu had been exploring the laboratory for a while, and combined the original owner’s memories, finally figured out the lab’s functions.

In a flash, the afternoon passed. Li Shu fed the merman once according to his memory and then went out to find food for himself.

The base was fully enclosed, with complete facilities, including places to eat, drink, and have fun.

Li Shu found the cafeteria with ease and met Gu Li there.

On seeing Li Shu, Gu Li stood up to greet him, and the girl across from her quickly did the same.

Li Shu nodded, not intending to disturb the two girls, and took his food to another table.

[The girl with Gu Li is the female protagonist,] 1314 reminded.

Li Shu paused, and at that moment, Qin Le’an spoke up, “Professor, can I…”

Realizing what she was about to say, Gu Li pinched her, and when Qin Le’an looked over, she shook her head.

Qin Le’an quickly shut her mouth. She had almost blurted out her thoughts. The professor’s high regard for S was well-known at the research base. If she had spoken her mind, she would have lost any chance of getting close to the merman.

Luckily, Gu Jie was there, otherwise, she would have said it.

But at this moment, Li Shu turned back, looked at the flustered girl and asked, “What is it?”

“I, I…” Qin Le’an couldn’t think of a convincing reason.

Seeing her face flushed with anxiety, Li Shu didn’t make it difficult for her. “You and Xiao Gu can come together to help me with some tasks later.”

What a turn of events, what a surprise. Qin Le’an’s face turned red with excitement, her voice filled with disbelief, “Professor, can I really help?”

“You can.”

After all, she was the female protagonist. Even if he didn’t say it now, she would eventually appear in the lab and meet the merman. He was merely speeding up the inevitable.

Li Shu left, but Qin Le’an was still in a daze and was standing there like a wooden post.

Gu Li helplessly pressed her to sit down. “Come back to your senses!”

“Sister Gu, I wasn’t hearing things, right?” Qin Le’an grabbed Gu Li’s arm, her eyes sparkling.

Gu Li: “No, finish eating quickly, then we’ll go to the lab.”

“Yes,” Qin Le’an nodded vigorously, “I will work hard!”

Gu Li tapped her forehead and smiled. The little girl had finally gotten her wish.

When Li Shu returned to the laboratory, the two girls were already there. They were wearing metal wristbands designed to block the merman’s mental power. Based on the morning’s experience, the effect was minimal.

This time, the merman didn’t cause any trouble. Li Shu glanced at the merman, who had his eyes slightly closed, seemingly resting.

“Xiao Gu, you show Xiao Qin around first.”

The laboratory seemed empty, but it was actually fully equipped. Gu Li explained as she walked, and Qin Le’an learned quickly, needing only one explanation to get the hang of things.

[Host, according to the plot, the female protagonist will attempt to help the male protagonist escape in ten days. Why are you giving them a chance to meet early?] 1314 asked, puzzled.

[Didn’t you say the plot was unreliable?] Li Shu finished his work and called the two girls over.

“Professor?”

“Do you want to take a closer look at him?” Li Shu pointed to the merman, who was feigning sleep in the petri dish.

Without waiting for them to answer, Li Shu walked towards the giant petri dish. Gu Li and Qin Le’an exchanged glances and saw the excitement in each other’s eyes.

That was a merfolk, after all.

They walked to the edge of the petri dish, and the merman, having sensed their presence, opened his eyes and swam towards them, his tail swaying.

The two girls stood on either side of Li Shu, holding their breath as they watched the merman approach, their breathing becoming more rapid.

The merman stopped precisely in front of Li Shu and reached out to touch Li Shu’s cheek through the glass.

The cold sensation followed the merman’s movement and landed on Li Shu’s face, and Li Shu turned his head away uncomfortably to avoid it.

The merman’s face suddenly darkened.

These chapters reminded me of a certain manga (⁠◡⁠ ⁠ω⁠ ⁠◡⁠)