Chapter 10
Chapter 10
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Translator: Mod7
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Chapter 2 - Towards the Starlight
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The starlight was faint.
Occasional raindrops trickled through the small opening.
It wasn't very big.
"Kiss- smack-"
I could barely even look at it. Surrounded by so many mermaids, the relentless kissing never seemed to end.
The mermaids, after having their fill of me, would swim off to catch fish or rest nearby,
But I had no respite.
"Gasp… W-wait…"
Whenever I felt dehydrated, the mermaids would bring water in their mouths and feed it to me.
I drank, clinging desperately to consciousness.
Kissing usually involved an exchange of saliva,
But I was losing more than I was gaining, to the point of agony.
"Pant- smack…"
The mermaids seemed oblivious to the agonizing pleasure of this endless first night.
Whenever I winced or complained about the throbbing pain in my ankle,
They would playfully nip and prod me.
“Эйе, эйе~ Һеҙгә шул тиклем оҡшаймы? (Yes, yes~ Does it feel that good?)”
Their tone had changed. They treated me like a spoiled child.
But I was exhausted.
A man needed time to recover after ejaculating.
They didn't even give me time to replenish my fluids.
Whenever they sensed I was no longer aroused, they would simply kiss me, suck on my skin, and nibble on my body.
Of course, even that was intensely stimulating, sending shivers down my spine.
“Juho, Рәхмәт~ Мин тейеш. (Juho, thank you~ You must.)”
I was the sole recipient of their overwhelming attention, forced to comply with their every whim.
“Y-You want me to repeat it? Hmm…? Рәхмәт (Thank you)?”
They taught me like one would train a dog, and repeating their words wasn't difficult.
Even with my clumsy pronunciation, they clapped and cheered like seals. Perhaps, by mimicking their words, I had shown them a new possibility.
“Laura!”
“Lau- Laura…”
I repeated the names of the other mermaids,
“балыҡ. (Fish.)”
“балыҡ.? (Fish?)”
And slowly learned the meaning of their words. They wrote on the ground with their fingers, and I memorized the images and sounds.
They brought me fish and I repeated the word,
“үбергә. (Penis.)”
“үбергә? (Penis?)”
They whispered words after certain actions, and I repeated them.
Their sentence structure wasn't overly complex. I was getting used to their vocalizations and could mimic them fairly accurately.
I was a quick learner. Every time I learned something new, they applauded in amazement.
Aria, in particular, became even more affectionate, her touch gentle, her gaze filled with pride.
But after these lessons,
I was once again used for their pleasure.
Their touch, no longer gentle,
But burning…
“Һеҙгә шул тиклем оҡшаймы? (Feels good?)”
“Мин үҙемде яҡшы тоям… (Feels good…)”
Even so, we were able to communicate on a basic level.
I began to understand certain words and phrases.
My brain adapted, learning to decipher their language.
They showered me with even more attention,
Demanded more,
Fed me more,
“You’re amazing, Juho!”
And rejoiced more.
“Thank you. Thank you…”
But whenever I had a moment,
I looked at the small opening in the ceiling.
Could I climb up there?
There were protruding rocks, like footholds.
If I could use them, I might be able to reach it.
But I wasn't confident.
Even with a fully healed leg,
I wasn't sure I could climb that high without falling.
***
A day passed,
Then two,
Then a week…
The wound on my ankle slowly healed,
And I grew accustomed to the mermaids’ ways.
“Hmm…”
The mermaids often slept on my territory.
They used me as a pillow, snuggling close.
And as they slept,
I would open my eyes,
And stare at the opening in the ceiling, where the starlight filtered through.
I imagined escaping through it,
But then, as darkness deepened,
I questioned whether escaping was the right choice.
The outside world was uncertain.
The monsters still roamed free, and I knew nothing about them.
“Juho, wiggle your tail slowly. Like this.”
“So cute~”
But here, in the cave, I was slowly gaining a certain degree of freedom. The elder’s interference lessened, and my bond with Aria and the others deepened.
“Let’s practice swimming together. Okay?”
They took turns becoming my swimming instructors. I learned to swim with my legs practically tied together.
It was an inefficient method for a human, but I didn't complain, simply following their instructions.
Of course, swimming wasn't my only problem.
I couldn't hold my breath for long,
And after a few dozen seconds, I would have to surface, gasping for air.
“Gasp… cough…”
As I lay there, catching my breath,
The mermaids would comfort me, stroking my hair.
“It’s okay. You tried your best.”
There were inherent limitations. Even though they resembled humans, they were essentially semi-aquatic creatures, adapted to the space between land and water.
But I practiced swimming,
Hoping to reach Amy, who was still in the lake.
“This is enough to swim around the cave. You’re not supposed to go outside anyway, so don’t push yourself too hard.”
It seemed the mermaids had no intention of letting me leave.
I was simply learning to move between their territories.
“…”
No matter how strong our bond became,
I would never get the chance to reactivate Amy.
Perhaps this was for the best?
If I simply stayed here, I would eventually become like the skeletons below.
Perhaps that was preferable.
I remembered Dan’s demise.
His agonized screams, his desperate struggle for survival.
He had been much more of a man than me,
And a good person.
Even if I escaped, could I survive long enough to leave this planet?
A painless death might be a blessing.
Overwhelmed by this sense of helplessness,
I,
Opened my eyes and looked at the ceiling.
Sometimes, a particularly bright, blue star caught my eye.
And I would,
Think of Earth.
Earth was filled with beautiful scenery.
Humans, not foolish enough to pollute their home planet, had transformed Earth into a verdant paradise the moment they ventured into space.
I had cherished the opportunity to visit Earth.
I still held those memories dear.
“…”
Looking at the star, I imagined Earth being there.
And I would swallow,
Tears of longing and sadness welling up in my eyes.
Somewhere out there, in the vastness of space, where my cries couldn't reach,
Were other humans.
My universe,
And a crimson sunset.
“…Juho.”
But today, luck wasn't on my side. This wasn't the time for sentimental musings.
As I gazed at the sky,
A whisper startled me.
“Why aren’t you sleeping?”
It was Aria. She had been sleeping soundly beside me, but she had woken up.
She turned, her gaze following mine towards the night sky.
Or rather,
Towards the small opening in the ceiling.
“…”
I saw the stars,
But Aria saw an escape route.
“What are you doing?”
Aria turned my head, forcing me to look at her. Her voice held a hint of anger and betrayal.
The other mermaids stirred.
Their gazes turned towards me.
“Juho, what are you doing.”
Aria climbed on top of me, blocking my view of the night sky.
I could no longer see the stars. Instead, I saw Aria’s face, so beautiful it seemed to glow even in the darkness.
“Juho.”
She was angry. I swallowed, offering an excuse.
“Uh, well… I saw the opening. I was worried insects might get in.”
“Really?”
I hoped she and the others would buy it.
“…Really?”
Aria tapped my chest with her index finger, her expression skeptical.
“I don’t think so.”
Aria, as if making a decision,
Quietly slipped into the water.
“Juho, were you thinking about that dead female?”
I was momentarily confused about the “dead female,”
But then I realized she meant Amy.
The mermaids had seen Amy and me. They knew about the cold, lifeless female in the lake.
“She’s dead. Juho, you’re our husband now.”
Aria pouted. She was clearly jealous of my relationship with Amy.
“…Aria.”
An idea struck me, a way to both appease her and retrieve Amy. Crisis had presented an opportunity.
“…”
But I hesitated,
Torn between appeasing the mermaids and the uncertain future beyond the cave.
If I escaped,
Could I truly survive?
Even with Amy’s help,
Could we really return to headquarters?
“…She wasn’t my wife. She was my family. My younger sister. I know she’s dead. She died protecting me.”
Even without certainty,
My mind had already made the best possible decision.
Aria, swimming silently in the water, watched me intently. She paused, blowing bubbles, then…
“Really?”
She looked at me with sympathy, moved by my feigned grief.
Like the elder mermaid cradling the skull,
The mermaids clearly mourned their dead.
This suggested the existence of funeral rites.
“I want to see her one last time. My sister.”
Aria thought,
He must be heartbroken, having seen his family die.
Even Grandma misses her husband,
So Juho must be feeling the same way.
“Aria, you would be sad if Grandma or the others died, right? I want to bury my sister with my own hands. I can’t sleep because I’m worried about her…”
Yes, I would be sad if my family died.
Juho must be grieving.
“Alright.”
So she dove,
Swam out into the lake,
To retrieve Amy’s lifeless body, but…
“Child, just bring back the head.”
The elder mermaid spoke, breaking her long silence.
Her wrinkled eyes stared intently at me.
“Listen to Grandma.”
Aria, taken aback by the unexpected, serious advice,
Obeyed without question.
Amy’s severed head,
Was placed before me.
“Child… this is the father of your children.”
Her voice echoed through the cave.
I wasn't sure if it was my head throbbing,
Or if her words truly resonated with unusual force.
“Don’t grieve too much. She died in our lake, so your sister will rest peacefully with our ancestors.”
It sounded like a comforting sentiment,
But I sensed a clear message behind her words and actions.
Stop scheming and live happily with my children.
“So forget about her and focus on your family.”
The wrinkles etched into her face spoke of a long life.
How long had she lived here?
What memories had she shared,
With the skull she held so close?
“My husband was the same at first. It’s always like this. But with time, you’ll get used to it, and you’ll forget why you were ever so foolish.”
Had that deceased being,
Once looked up at the night sky like me?
“Don’t look up. Look around you.”
When had they stopped looking at the stars?
Within that comforting embrace.
“Life isn’t far away.”
“Amy.”
Looking at the elder mermaid and the skull,
I called out to Amy.
“Deactivate power-saving mode.”
I secured Amy’s severed head to my waist,
And woke her up.
I inserted my finger into the port on the back of her neck, granting her access.
“-Dr. Juho, it’s been a while.”
Amy’s eyes opened.
“It has. You can still process information even without a body, right?”
“Yes.”
After our brief reunion,
I stood up, ignoring the throbbing in my leg,
And removed the shirt that bound my legs together.
“Good. Then let’s do this.”
I began climbing the cave wall. With the protruding rocks as footholds, it wasn't impossible.
“Juho?”
The mermaids stared up at me in bewilderment. Aria blinked in confusion.
Even the elder mermaid frowned, tilting her head.
They thought I was being foolish.
The opening in the ceiling was…
Dozens of meters away.
“What are my chances of reaching that opening and escaping?”
“Considering your physical structure and strength, Doctor… approximately 0.0829%.”
Still, I continued my arduous ascent.
“Hmm… so it’s not zero…?”
Towards the starlight.