Academic gathering with Lich colleagues

Arnoin glanced at it and became agitated.

"Dirty bugs, this one won't do, get another one!"

Mr. Dragon captured the dwarf.

"Arnoin, I've tolerated you for too long. If you obstruct my student again, I'll make you taste the wrath of a dragon."

"That 'treasure' still has problems; it was just caught. It could harm the students who are 'stinky'."

Mr. Dragon threw Arnoin into the water.

“Choose that area. It’s dangerous, but I will guarantee the safety of my students. If your disgusting creation doesn’t know what’s good for it, I don’t mind turning it into mine.”

"Damn bug." Arnoin muttered under his breath, but still had no choice but to use his magic, and the ice wall shattered.

“Come to me, my darling.” A red glow emanated from Arnoin’s fingers.

A moment later, a figure emerged from beneath the water.

As the creature drew closer, the dragon slowly retreated, nudging Lyle on the back. "Plague Doctor, I must say, this is the best option I could think of."

Her alluring limbs were covered in colorful scales, and her long, smooth hair was bluish-green. Strangely, her hair did not clump together with the water. She had a face that was no different from that of an adult woman, and her eyes had two layers of pupils, one yellow and one purple, overlapping each other.

Her tail fin sliced ​​through the water, revealing a fish tail covered in shimmering mucus.

This is a mermaid, a beautiful mermaid.

Ignoring Arnoin's waving, she swam directly to Lyle, propped herself up with her arms, and looked up at him.

A smooth arm reached out to Lyle under the ethereal gaze of the mermaid.

Lyle responded to her, placing his hands together.

Soft and boneless, cool and smooth. Before Lyle could even fully appreciate it, a force pulled him into the water along that slender arm.

Lyle struggled violently in the water, but to no avail. The mermaid's arms were like vises, and Lyle could only slowly descend with her. Seawater rushed into her mouth and nose, filling her lungs. Lyle reached out her palm towards the light, but ultimately succumbed to darkness.

I don't know how much time passed, but we were in a deep, dark body of water.

A voice entered Lyle's drowsy, waterlogged mind. It was an indescribable voice, like many women saying the same thing, with an ethereal emphasis.

Are you feeling better?

Lyle opened his eyes and saw a pair of beautiful, glowing yellow eyes before him. The mermaid's face was pressed close to his.

Her scales and slime shimmered in the darkness, like a goddess guiding light, or a fairy from a dream. That unique beauty was embodied in the flowing water, her chariot draped over the schools of fish. With each movement, the scattered white bubbles resembled falling petals of blessing, or fluttering butterflies, flying towards the unseen light.

Lyle discovered that he could breathe underwater and see many things that were normally invisible to the naked eye, all thanks to the mermaid's hands that were attached to his mask.

"Spiritual communication".

"Yes, I am Vena."

"You can call me the Plague Doctor."

Vena swam with Lyle in the current, and in Lyle's eyes, those beautiful and dazzling illusions always surrounded her. A sense of peace rose in Lyle's mind; he knew this was the feeling of the mermaid Vena, because at this moment, the two were of one mind.

They drift aimlessly, becoming spirits of the ocean, undisturbed by anything.

They continued their descent, and Lyle spotted their target.

It was an underwater city, the land of mermaids, Moshui.

Those tall white buildings are like giant seashells, with perfectly round pearls scattered casually on the seabed covered with beautiful corals. Mermaids swim leisurely, playing a special seven-stringed lyre whose music can carry the sound of ocean currents.

Under the influence of the music, the ocean transforms into a gentle mother, softly whispering beside you. Lost in the tenderness of becoming one with the sea, Lyle longs to join them as soon as possible.

Wiener, who was guiding the way, stopped moving forward.

Through a telepathic connection, Lyle raised a question.

"Home is in a very far away place."

Vina reached out her hand to Moshui, only to touch the cold stone wall. What the two had just seen and heard was merely a beautiful illusion preserved in Vina's memory.

She was imprisoned in Arnoin's cell, a place that could never be called home.

Lyle looked at that pretty face and felt the heartbreaking sadness emanating from the depths of Vena's heart.

"I want to go home."

“Let’s run away,” Lyle said, grasping Viner’s hands. “Mr. Dragon is just outside. With his help, teaching Arnoin a lesson will be no problem. I will take you back to your hometown.”

Viner shook her head, turned around, and tossed her hair back, revealing that disgusting thing.

It was a black leech that looked like a fat maggot, tightly biting into the back of Viner's neck.

“Arnold has imprisoned me by controlling this place. With just a thought, the leeches will drain all my blood. I can’t escape.”

Lyle pondered a solution in the water, shaking his head.

Black tentacles unfurled from behind him, one of which stuck to Venus's forehead.

“Nia likes you, Vena.” Vena gave a faint smile.

She grabbed Lyle's hand. "I'll give you the knowledge you want first, although I'm not sure if the biological knowledge left in the mermaid's memory will work."

"What about you?"

"Wait until you leave here before you think about how to save me."

"What if I fail?"

"I only have you left, Plague Doctor. Mermaids can only communicate with living beings."

Vena embraced Lyle, completely drawing him into her arms, her body radiating a soft glow, like a beautiful, luminous jellyfish.

The mermaid's knowledge entered Lyle's mind through the mental connection.

"Please do your best, Your Highness."

Chapter 132 Reporter's Intelligence Gathering

Lyle didn't hear the voice that Viner had entered his mind clearly, because the voice was so insignificant in Lyle's mind.

In Lyle's mind, a deep sea appeared.

Mermaids, sea monsters, strange fish, crustaceans, cephalopods. To land creatures, the dark and dangerous ocean is a place where Lyle can sense the abundance and bizarre nature of life. Their bones, their pulse—Lyle feels them as intimately as he feels his own heartbeat.

Nia, who possessed her own unique talent, felt the same way. Her body expanded in the seawater, her strong tentacles, sharp claws, and dark knowledge emanating from her.

“We should go back, Plague Doctor.” Viner’s expression turned painful; leeches on the back of her neck were tearing at her skin, the pain almost making her faint. Arnoin seemed very angry.

Holding Lyle in her arms, Venere swam back to the surface.

Lyle was thrown ashore, soaking wet, the evaporating water stealing his body heat. The cold calmed his mind slightly, and Lyle, supporting his brain which felt like it was filled with turbulent currents, looked at Venere with difficulty.

She collapsed onto the steps; the mermaid, now out of the water, was just a disheveled girl. The miracle of the water had completely vanished. Her figure remained graceful, but less than a tenth of what it had been in the water. Blue-green blood trickled down her back, changing the color of her scales, and finally flowed into the pool along the patterns of her tail fin.

Her face was expressionless, except for exhaustion. But Lyle knew that if he were to hold her hand, he would feel the pain in her heart. Her pupils had turned a deep purple, and her eyes stared blankly at Lyle, saying nothing.

Enduring the throbbing pain in his head, Lyle crawled toward Vina, wanting nothing more than to grab her hand and feel everything about her.

A pair of dirty, mud-covered, deformed legs blocked his way.

Arnold wore a wicked grin, revealing a mouthful of rotten teeth that looked like small triangles of shark teeth.

“Andrei’s rules state that members’ private property is inviolable. Your wonderful animal experience is over, bug.”

Vena isn't some strange animal to you; she's a home-loving girl with her own thoughts.

Even though he was almost filled with resentment, Lyle ultimately did not break Andrei's rules. Because he was right, Venere was already under his control.

"What will it take to give her freedom?"

Arnoin's eyes narrowed slightly, and through that slit, he revealed a look as sharp as a shark smelling blood.

He reached out his smooth hand and grabbed Lyle by the neck.

His voice was slow, so the filth from his mouth flowed continuously down in front of Lyle's mask, soaking half of it.

"Trade her for Arnoin's beauty. Arnoin can sense that she's on you. But Arnoin can't find her. You have to give her to Arnoin yourself, you bug."

"Don't even think about it. I won't hand Nia over to anyone."

Arno gave a big smile, and something that looked like mud or excrement was spat onto Lyle's mask.

“Arnoin is very kind. Arnoin will give you time to consider. In a week, Arnoin will begin the biological modification experiment with the baby mermaid. But Arnoin will wait for you. You will like the baby mermaid growing two heads, right?”

……

Lyle walked dejectedly on his way back.

"Pandemic Doctor, how well do you grasp the knowledge of flesh and blood?"

"It's all in my mind, teacher."

"That's fantastic! Let's start tutoring right away. I can't wait to see your new creation."

Lyle stopped, turned to face the dragon, and bowed in apology.

"I'm sorry, teacher, I'm afraid I won't be able to focus on the matter of creation and modification for a while." Although the decision seemed frivolous, Lyle couldn't look away from those eyes that were staring at him. A week was like the Sword of Damocles hanging over his head, making it impossible for him to concentrate.

“You have been bewitched, Plague Doctor. Mermaids are a marine race skilled in seduction. They hunt with their beautiful appearance and legendary songs, dragging their prey to the bottom of the sea to enjoy them.”

"No, that wasn't enchantment, teacher. I can confirm that I truly felt everything about the mermaid—her thoughts, her emotions, her memories. Mermaids can communicate telepathically." I've been enchanted more than once or twice; I can tell the difference between enchantment and not.

"Telepathic communication, that's a rather rare ability. If it's true, it could be considered a major discovery, as we know very little about mermaids."

"Hey, don't Andrei's scholars know anything about mermaids?"

"Of course, mermaids are quite rare creatures, and very few Andrei people can truly understand them. In fact, many creatures are wary and fearful of us, but you seem to be an exception. This must be the ability of the Pure Ones."

"Maybe."

"So, you plan to rescue that mermaid?"

"Yes, I will do my best."

"If you need my help, just let me know. I'm happy to help my students and, incidentally, give Arnold a hard time."

……

Mr. Dragon and Lyle split up; he had other things to do, so he chose another side road.