Nexha rested on the sand for a while before finally checking his status.

[Crystal-Scaled Mermaid]

Name: Nexha

Age: Baby

Status: Normal

Lv: 6 | XP: 640/100

HP: 49/50 | MP: 35/35

Attack: 7 (+1) | Defense: 36 (+1)

Intelligence: 16 (+1) | Luck: 7 | Beauty: 30

— That thing… took one HP from me? That last fall was stronger than I thought.

He glanced at the fish beside him, its massive body still resting on the sand.

— It’d be a waste to just leave something this big here.

Tying the fish securely in the net, he began dragging it home. The weight was ridiculous, and Nexha had to take several breaks to rest along the way. The effort took hours, but finally, he arrived.

Lilay greeted him in shock upon seeing the size of the fish.

He swam around Nexha, bewildered, as if trying to confirm whether he was dreaming.

— How did you catch this? Did you steal it from someone?

Fury surged in Nexha instantly. He grabbed his brother’s cheeks and squeezed hard.

— I caught this myself! Alone!

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Lilay yelped and tried to escape but couldn’t. Determined to get revenge, he grabbed Nexha’s cheeks in return. The two rolled on the sand, locked in a childish scuffle.

Realizing he wasn’t going to win, Lilay resorted to his ultimate weapon:

— DAAAD! NEXHA’S BEING MEAN! — he cried out in a tearful voice.

Krahs, who had been napping, woke up immediately.

He looked outside and saw the two kids rolling in the sand, gripping each other’s cheeks. He blinked a few times, rubbed his eyes… No, this wasn’t a dream.

Intrigued, he swam over and pulled them apart. Lilay, cheeks red, clung to Krahs, whining.

— Nexha, you…

Before Krahs could finish scolding him, he noticed something.

A small scratch on Nexha’s cheek.

His eyes widened. Instantly, he pulled the boy closer, cupping his face in his hands.

— Not even a hit from the Storm Wave could wound you… How did this happen?

With his cheeks squished in his father’s grip, Nexha could only mumble:

— C-Caught a fiiish...

That’s when Krahs noticed the massive fish tangled in the net.

He sighed.

— You caught one of the big ones, huh, Nexha… Must’ve been tough.

Krahs ruffled his son’s hair with a proud smile, but his expression soon turned serious.

— But that was dangerous. Nexha, promise me you won’t do this again.

The boy hesitated for a moment before answering honestly:

— I can’t promise that, Dad…

Krahs let out a deep sigh, contemplating.

— Then, if you realize you won’t win… run away as fast as you can, okay?

— Okay.

Only then did Krahs remove his hand from his son’s head. Lilay, still clinging to Krahs, had stopped crying, though his little pout showed he was still mad at Nexha.

Suddenly, Nexha looked up at his father and grinned.

— Dad, help me take the fish to Old Nest? I want to cook.

Lilay immediately stopped sulking, already drooling at the thought of the meal. Krahs chuckled and helped Nexha carry the catch.

That night, the fish stew was so good that even Nalu showed up uninvited to steal a bite.

Zhaelor seemed a bit upset that he couldn’t join, but a generous portion of fish was enough to lift his spirits.

Nexha savored the day to the fullest…

Because deep down, he knew.

He feared moments like these would become rarer and rarer in the future.