22- Intruder

The next day, Krahs went out to patrol around the nest, but he forbade us from leaving. He said he wanted to check for any dangers first.

Strangely, Lilay didn’t want to eat anything. He was upset.

“Nexha, weren’t you scared?” he asked in a low voice.

“Of the moray? Of course, she was huge.”

“N-no… I was scared of Dad.”

I froze mid-movement, almost dropping my milk bottle. Hearing Lilay call Krahs "Dad" made my heart tighten in a strange way. I stood still for a second, then set the bottle aside and hugged him tightly, just like he always did when he was happy.

“We don’t need to be afraid of Dad,” I whispered. “He would do anything to protect us.”

“But what if…” Lilay hesitated.

I held him even tighter.

“Do you doubt him? Even after everything? He’s been protecting you since you got here, even though you’re not his son…”

Lilay lowered his eyes.

“I…”

“Dad loves us, Lilay. I promise.”

“You promise?”

“Yes.”

Lilay still seemed unsure, but he smiled a little and accepted my milk bottle. After that, I decided to cook something special. My paycheck had come in, and I wanted to use part of the money.

(Shop) (\MD 2948/)

Welcome to the shop, user! Here, you can buy whatever you need for your world conquest. Work harder, dear idiot. (•^-^•)

-Food/ Medicines - Slaves

-Skills - Magic Items

-Miners - Animals/ Pets

-Plant materials - Accessories

-Clothes/ Armor - Technology

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

I bought a large fish for 10 MD. Since the milk wasn’t enough to satisfy my hunger, I decided to cook properly. I cleaned a turtle shell and mixed mermaid scale powder with crab powder.

I prepared the fire and put water to heat while I cleaned the fish. When the water got hot, I cut the fish into pieces and let it boil. The water was already salty, so I didn’t need salt. But then I realized a problem—how was I going to eat without spending more money?

Then I had an idea.

“Lilay! Don’t touch the food until I get back!”

I snuck out of the nest and swam to the moray-weed forest, which looked like bamboo growing underwater. I grabbed my obsidian knife and tried to cut some, but the material was tough.

That’s when I felt it.

A presence.

Something large blocked the light above me. Instinct screamed, and my body reacted on its own. My scales hardened, and I curled into a ball, trembling.

Then, two hands grabbed me.

At first, I thought it was Krahs. But when I opened my eyes…

A shock hit me like a punch to the chest.

Dark brown hair, almost black, floated in the water, and large purple eyes studied me with curiosity. It was a mermaid.

“What is a pup doing here alone? The sea is dangerous.”

Her voice was soft, but it didn’t calm me. Fear burned in my chest. I knew this world was cruel, and I didn’t know if she would hurt me.

My obsidian knife slipped from my hand and started to sink.

I panicked.

“DAD, HELP!”

The mermaid flinched and almost dropped me, but she held on tighter.

“Hey, hey! No need to be afraid, little one! Calm down…”

But it was already too late.

The great shadow appeared.

Even against the faint sunlight, the obsidian tip of Krahs’s spear gleamed.

“Let go of the pup,” his voice was low and cold.

The mermaid trembled.

“S-Shark?!”

She pulled me against her chest and swam away fast. The seaweed she wore as clothing brushed against my face as she sped through the sea.

“Damn sea wolf!” Krahs growled, accelerating after her.

The chase lasted minutes, but it felt like an eternity. The mermaid moved fast, but Krahs was relentless. He cornered her, forced sharp changes in direction, cut off her escape routes. She started to tire.

And then, he caught her.

Krahs tore me from her arms and grabbed her wrist tightly. She struggled, but she had no chance against him.

We took the sea wolf back to the nest as a prisoner.

With no better option, I bought some turtle-shell bowls and served the fish soup. Lilay wagged his tail as he ate, happy. Krahs, on the other hand, stared at the prisoner. His gaze was hard, resentful.

The mermaid trembled.

“M-Mr. Shark… I-I’m not a very good meal…” her voice came out shaky.

Krahs snorted.

“I don’t eat garbage.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. Meanwhile, I put ten lucky crabs to cook. The smell was incredible.

The mermaid stopped trembling. Her eyes locked onto the pot. She was drooling.

Krahs frowned.

“Ridiculous…”

Lilay, curious, approached her and sniffed.

“Dad… is she Mom?”

“NO!”

Krahs choked on his soup and yelled so loudly that Lilay and I jumped. The mermaid was startled too, but then she quickly realized this was an opportunity.

“I can be a great mate!” she said quickly, as if her life depended on it. “I can take care of the pups! I’m still young, I can lay lots of eggs! Please, don’t turn me into food!”

Krahs turned red like an embarrassed coral.

“I-I’m NOT that kind of shark!”

The silence that followed was broken by a sound.

My laughter.

I couldn’t hold it in and started laughing so hard I almost fell backward. Lilay laughed too. The mermaid smiled nervously. Krahs buried his face in his hands, mumbling something about “damn luck.”

I had a feeling that night would be long.