Chapter 2 - Mermaid’s Nest_"Dive into Destiny: Reborn to Conquer Another World"

CHAPTER 2 - MERMAID’S NEST

I devoured the eggshell while having a small breakdown. The tears that flowed from my eyes turned into tiny pearls as soon as they touched my cheeks. The bottom of the eggshell was soon filled with small, irregular pearls.

Slowly, I lifted my head and looked up. The ceiling was made of stacked, colorful crystals arranged in a strange yet perfectly fitting way, making them solid and unshakable. The sky reflected off them, allowing me to see the clouds passing outside. I could even see the waves crashing against the outer walls, yet not a single drop of water entered. Sunlight passed through the crystals, illuminating and coloring the environment in a breathtaking way. Surprisingly, the crystals didn’t act like a magnifying glass under the sun, or else I would have been roasted in this place.

— It’s so beautiful...

I was mesmerized. This place helped ease my pain a little, so I kept admiring its stunning beauty. Looking down, I noticed a large pool in the center, surrounded by three smaller ones. They were separated by a pure white sandy floor, and various colorful shells seemed to be glued together to form the pools' bases.

My egg was inside one of these smaller pools. Its bottom was entirely covered in light blue shells, but my egg wasn’t resting directly on them. Instead, it was nestled in a bed of algae carefully wrapped beneath it. I reached out to touch them and discovered they were soft and fragile.

— Haha… This place is so beautiful… But it hasn’t even been that long, and I already miss home… Mom...

She raised me alone, and I turned my back on her, claiming I could take care of myself. My siblings always said I was ungrateful.

— Hahaha… And they were right… I never even had the courage to say that I loved them… It was always "leave me alone"… I really am an idiot… I bet they’re not even crying at my funeral… Haha… I should have stayed with them…

The last tear fell from my eyes. They were dry now, even though my heart still ached. I sighed, knowing it was useless to dwell on it. I was tired of this already. Releasing the piece of eggshell I held, I realized I had only eaten the top half. I lay down at the bottom of my egg, feeling the pearls surrounding me. They seemed hard at first but were actually soft, making them unexpectedly comfortable. The remaining fluid from my hatching was still there, and for some reason, it felt warm and reassuring.

I didn’t want to leave. Or maybe I was just afraid of what was outside. Time passed, and I slowly drifted off to sleep.

The sunlight gradually warmed the pools, but only slightly, thanks to the strange crystals filtering the light. They made the water pleasantly warm.

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By midday, small, colorful crabs shiny like the crystals on the walls climbed out of the central pool and scattered into the others, trying to reach the walls. As I slept, I suddenly felt a pinch and woke up.

— Ouch!

I looked down and saw my fish tail—white as snow, with two side fins and a light blue fin at the tip. I admired my newfound beauty for a moment.

Then, I found the culprit. A small crab had latched onto my fin. Without hesitation, I pulled it off.

— What is this? A crystal crab...? Hm…

At that moment, a window appeared before me. Startled, I almost jumped out of my eggshell. But then I remembered what Luna had told me about my analysis ability.

[Lucky Crab]

Status: Normal

Lv: 1

Ability: Glows in the dark.

Small marine creatures that love to gnaw on shiny objects and mix their dust with saliva to make their shells brighter. They are highly nutritious and easy to eat, which is why mermaid mothers build nests with glittering objects to attract thousands of these crabs as food while they care for their young.

I was impressed. This analysis ability was really useful. Without it, I wouldn’t have known these things were edible.

— Wait… How do I even eat this?

I had never eaten crab before, so I was completely confused. I poked at the little creature in my hands, but nothing happened. I tried pulling off its legs, but as a newborn, I was too weak. In the end, my hands were red from the crab’s pinches, and I still hadn’t figured out how to eat it. So, I went for my last resort—I stuck part of it in my mouth since it didn’t fit entirely.

I tasted something sweet. But it wasn’t the crab—it was the crystals stuck to its shell. I held its pincers while nibbling on the crystals—it was strangely addictive. That’s when I realized...

— Wait… I’m sucking on a crab’s rock shell!? Ahhh, I’m losing it!

I threw the crab far away and tried to spit out the crystals in my mouth, suddenly panicked. To check if I had been poisoned, I used my self-analysis ability.

[Crystal-Scaled Mermaid]

Name: None

Age: Newborn

Status: Normal

Lv: 0

Title: The First of Many

Abilities: Analyze, System Store Access.

A newborn crystal-scaled mermaid. This rare species is hermaphroditic at birth and differentiates during adolescence. Their scales are actually iridescent crystals synthesized by their body after consuming certain materials. Unlike other mermaids, their mothers build nests with crushed excess scales, making them resemble natural crystals. These scales are highly sought after by marine species for their durability and can also serve as emergency food to regenerate lost scales.

— Okay… So I was supposed to eat that? But… not directly from a crab…

I looked around and came to a realization.

— I’m going to starve… But it looks like I’ll have to eat rocks… And I don’t even have teeth… Which means I’ll have to suck on crabs…

I sighed, muttering to myself:

— Or maybe my salary will save me…

Chapter 2 - Mermaid’s Nest

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