Chapter Text
Shang Qinghua had always assumed death would be a rather straightforward thing. Not that he thought about death a lot! Don't get him wrong, he thought about it a healthy amount! But this definitely wasn’t how he’d thought he would go.
He had only wanted to go for a walk to take a break from his stuffy apartment, just something to gather his thoughts about the upcoming chapter of his hit novel ‘Proud Immortal Sirens way’. Sure it wasn’t exactly what he had wanted the novel to be! But it still paid enough for him to afford his one bedroom apartment so it was what it was.
What had originally been an epic fantasy adventure had slowly turned into porn filled slop between the half siren protagonist and his many mates as he took the mantle of The Emperor of the Sea. Being half human Luo Binghe had the ability to shift between having legs and having his tail, which his readers absolutely ate up.
But now he struggled against the powerful waves of the ocean, watching helplessly as the surface got further and further away. It had been a stupid mistake. A last minute decision to take a bridge that went over a portion of the beach. He didn’t know that the maintenance on the bridge wasn't up to date! How was he supposed to know that the railing would give out the moment he leaned on it!?
He didn’t want to die yet! He still had to upload the last chapter of his novel!
He kicked his legs as he tried to push himself back up only to be dragged back down as a wave crashed over him. Another wave hit and sent him into a rock, a sharp gasp leaving him as he hit his head, water flooding into his mouth and lungs as he gave a few more futile twitches. His vision blurred as a stream of bubbles slipped past his lips.
There were wisps of red in the water that swirled in his vision but he couldn’t quite tell where they had come from. In fact, he felt rather loopy. Something in his chest ached sharply as his eyes slipped closed. He had always thought he’d die differently, not to something like drowning! Maybe electrocution? Not that he did anything that could get him electrocuted.
With a final twitch he let himself slip off into unconsciousness. At least this wasn’t as painful as he thought it’d be. It was almost peaceful, if not for the persistent ache in the back of his throat and chest. Maybe this wasn’t the worst way to go, better than getting hit by a car or something.
—------------------------------------------------
The last thing Shang Qinghua had expected was to wake up. Even more so to an annoying google translate voice in his ears.
[The System has been successfully activated! Bound role: {error.exe}]
[{rebooting..}]
[{backup role loading…}]
[Bound role: {NPC - CR_LE} role: background worldbuilding npc, blank character]
…what?
[Welcome, User 001! This System hopes that User 001 is able to enjoy his second chance! ᕙ(`▿´)ᕗ]
Forcing his eyes open was a chore. Everything in his body throbbed and ached, especially his head. So much so that his vision was blurry and spotty around the edges. Around him was a rather strange sight but he could swear that there was seaweed and sand in front of his face.
Wait… he pushed himself up onto his hands as he looked around himself. It almost looked like he was… on the bottom of the ocean.
[User 001 is correct! (≧◡≦) ]
Shang Qinghua startled at the excited voice that chimed from somewhere around him, making something on the sides of his head flare out in surprise. One of his hands came up to brush over something slippery. Pulling his hand away in shock he noticed that his hand was covered in small blue scales all the way up to his elbow while his nails were curved into sharp black claws.
The fins on the sides of his head twitched in his shock, a small confused rumbling sound forcing its way out of his throat. Was he a fish!!? Shang Qinhua looked down at himself and… oh.
Where his very normal human legs should have been there was a long almost eel-like tail that was covered in dark blue scales. The almost lionfish-like fins at his hips flared out as he experimentally wiggled the new long tail… He could at least say it was pretty?
The scales on his tail were a deep royal blue that was only broken occasionally by round golden dots that ran down the entire length of it along the sides. His fins were a lighter blue mixed in with some yellowish gold that caught the sparse light just enough to glimmer like treasure.
“... what am I?” his voice was tinged with pure fascination as he shifted his tail, his fins shifting to help with the movement. He had a rather spiky dorsal fin that ran all the way from his lower back down to where a flatter end of his tail started. They flexed and popped up before falling flat as he flexed something in the new limb.
[User 001 has been bound to the role of a Crowned Abyssal Leviathan Mer!]
“WHAT?!” His voice cracked slightly making the word oddly squeaky as he felt the fins on the side of his head flare up in alarm. Shang Qinghua knew that species. If he didn't he would have to be an idiot! The crowned abyssal leviathan merpeople were one of the extinct species in Proud Immortal Siren Way!
The Crowned Abyssal Leviathans were what Heavenly Marked Sirens descended from after all! Not that he wrote a whole lot about the large sea monsters. But hey! They were still in his notes!... Somewhere… they were killed off by their offspring due to their tendency to just… eat whatever moved. Whales, sharks, other mers. If it moved it could be killed and eaten!
Although he did write them as able to eat basically anything. As long as he didn't go crazy with his diet he shouldn't be hunted down! Easy! Simple!
The only problem was that Crowned Abyssal Leviathans grew rather large and as such needed a large amount of energy to sustain themselves. Which you could get from either eating living things or from ambient qi. Which meant cultivation!
[User 001 is correct! User 001’s body has low level cultivation already but can be pushed higher and to immortality! (人*´∀｀)｡*ﾟ+]
…. Well that was gonna be useful.
“So… are you always gonna be around if I need help?” He didn't quite like the idea of being completely alone in this world given that remembering even half of the clusterfuck of a novel was going to be near impossible.
[This System will be available 24/7 to help User 001 in all things fishy! (≧▽≦)]
All things considered, that was actually really reassuring. He was about to ask more questions when his stomach rumbled quite loudly, making him aware of a deep aching hunger. When was the last time this person/fish had eaten!?
[Several weeks ago! User 001’s host body died from loss of energy! This System would recommend finding something to replenish it before 24 hours or else User 001 will be kicked from this world. (・∀・)]
WHAT!!?? This thing was a scam! How was he supposed to hunt something when he could barely move!?
He wiggled his tail around for a few moments, trying to balance himself as he scooted along the sandy bottom of the sea. The long stalks of kelp swayed around him like they were mocking his efforts. How did he even get off the ground?! He didn't have a normal tail! All he had was basically a long scaley rope that occasionally sparkled in the light!
With a hiss he wiggled around more frantically, kicking up sand around him in his mini fit. But he also managed to push himself off the ground! Progress! He mimicked the wiggling motion from before and watched as the flatter end of his tail flicked at his command. It had indeed pushed him forward with a jerk but that didn't necessarily mean he had full control on where he was going.
The fins at his waist fanned out at a pathetic attempt to stop him from running face first into a wall of kelp, the slimy texture immediately making him want to jerk away. It just so happened that he'd managed to get himself tangled in the long stalks.
[This System is glad to have put User 001 in a safer environment to practice… (￣ヘ￣;)]
Oh shut up! He was trying!
With a few grunts he finally tore himself free of the kelp, using his claws to snap the stalks. He had a feeling this would take awhile…
—---------------------
It was indeed several hours of just wiggling around before Shang Qinghua figured out how to worm his way through the water, his long tail wiggling behind him much like an eel. It'd taken the longest amount of time to figure out how to use both the fins at his hips and the fins that sat around a third down his tail.
Apparently the second set, which were more decorative, were usually used in threat or mating displays. Shang Qinghua could see why considering they were a stunning golden color that glimmered like real gold. They were bright and striking when flared out. Not to mention rather large and long, shaped like a lionfish’s fins much like the ones on his hips.
He'd also gotten a decent idea on how big he was. Really fucking big. He'd startled a seal so badly the poor animal had darted away making distressed noises, but he roughly knew how big a seal was and compared to him it was… very small. It wasn’t even the size of one of his fins! The seal also told him there was land somewhere nearby. Not that he planned to leave the kelp forest anytime soon!
Leaving would be giving up tons of free food! The kelp forest was thriving with wildlife, from fish to small sharks, even a few seals would dart by him occasionally if they were brave enough! And it was pretty obvious that the person he took over had lived here too if the den he'd found was any indicator.
Said den was really just a large cave he could slip into with relative ease. It had a narrow entrance that opened up into a single larger chamber. In the far back of the den was a nest of kelp laid out that could be used as a bed. It wasn't exactly the softest or the best, specifically because the kelp was in need of replacing. But it was good enough. And the soft sandy bottom of the cave made it possible to lay down wherever without any rocks digging into his tail.
There were even holes in the ceiling of the cave that allowed light in so he could see clearly! It was obviously a home of sorts! And it didn’t seem like anyone was going to be coming back anytime soon so it was fair game! Plus, there were even a few personal items he could use that he’d found shoved into a small natural shelf. The woven seaweed bag had been an absolute score of a find.
Along with what was basically a knife fashioned out of some sort of bone. The handle hadn’t even been wrapped with anything, making it slightly hard to keep a hold of. To fix this he wrapped some of the cord from the bag. It made it slightly easier to use and more comfortable to hold.
The only real downside of his newly stolen cave was that the entrance was rather easy to spot and not at all hidden. Which meant that random wildlife would wander into his home which he often saw just from the few hours of being here. Just another thing to stress about! Not to mention the mission from the system that would occasionally pop up with reminders about how much time he had left.
What did that even mean?! He had already started snacking on the kelp, even if it got stuck in his now slightly sharper teeth and made him gag at the slimy texture. He wasn’t even hungry anymore!
[This System reminds User 001 that Crowned Abyssal Leviathans have to eat living things to absorb qi. Until User 001 reaches higher cultivation this System does not recommend trying a vegetarian diet! (っ＾▿＾)]
The stupid little chime from the system made him jump, his fins flaring out in surprise as a hiss left his throat. That was also a new thing, the sounds. Not that Shang Qinghua necessarily minded the random chirps, clicks, whistles, and hisses that now left him randomly. It could be a little annoying sometimes but it was fine! Really! He didn’t mind one bit!
“What, am I just supposed to start snapping up random fish? Bleg, live fish does not sound good… and how am I even supposed to cultivate!? Just because I wrote this doesn’t mean I know everything! And how are you making emoticons into sounds!?”
There was a moment of silence before the system chimed again. This time a semi opaque teal box popped into existence in front of him, three little dots in the center before the text changed and the google translate voice spoke again.
[Would User 001 like to purchase ‘Cultivation for Dummies 101?’ for 30 B-points?]
“... What the fuck is a B-point? There's a shop?! System why didn’t you say that earlier, yes! Give me the book!” The system chimed again and a book appeared in his hands. He stared at it for a few moments before an almost hysterical laugh bubbled up from his throat. It was made out of some sort of thick hide! Why did he think it would be paper!? How stupid of him to expect a normal book!
[B-points are points given out or taken away depending on User 001’s actions. If B-points reach {0} User 001’s account will be terminated! (◔◡◔)]
“WHAT?! Why didn’t you tell me that earlier!? How many B-points do I have right now!?” Shang Qinghua’s voice was shrill as he clutched his new book to his chest. Why did this system have to be such a scammer!? Not telling him important information until after he’d done something stupid!
[User 001 has 70 B-points currently! Work hard and complete missions to gain more B-points! (˚▽˚)]
“How much is this new mission worth? Restoring this body’s qi or whatever? A lot right?”
[User 001’s reward for completing his first mission is his continued existence in PISW! ᕙ(`▿´)ᕗ]
“... you… you’re such a scammer! What do you mean there's no reward!?”
[User 001’s reward is his continued existence. (◔◡◔)]
“So what? I just have to eat some fish and the mission is complete?" There was, once again, a moment of silence before the teal screen changed once more, showing a time limit. A significantly shorter time limit than before. “... system, why is there only three hours left on the mission timer? I thought I had at least another ten!? What is this!?”
[This System is only trying to speed up User 001’s progress! Since User 001 now knows how to complete the mission this System does not think he needs so much time! (・∀・) This System recominds User 001 catches at least {3} fish!]
With that the System screen blinked out of existence and stopped responding to his questions and angry shouts. Not that he had the time to nag at it, he had fish to catch! And ‘account termination’ sounded a lot like instant death and he was not about to die twice! He absolutely refused to die from not being able to catch three fish!
It wasn’t like it’d be impossible, he already knew how to swim so hunting couldn’t be too hard! He’d just have to go after the slower ones!
Thirty minutes later it became abundantly clear that fish were a lot harder to catch than he had first thought. Every time he managed to get close enough to a small school of fat fish they always darted off before he could sink his claws into them. It was infuriating! How was he supposed to complete the mission when the damn fish fled and hid before he could even get close enough to grab them!? But still he had to keep trying! He was nothing if not determined! He just had to change his tactics, instead of chasing his prey he would just have to try ambushing them instead. It was what Leviathans were good at after all.
The golden scales on his body weren’t just for decoration! They were shiny and small, just like a small fish. And with the rest of his scales being a deep blue he blended in with the open water just beyond the kelp forest. There was even a drop off that led into water so deep he couldn’t see the bottom! Just a watery abyss that stretched on for miles.
It was also the perfect spot to ambush prey. There was nowhere for the fish to dart off to, nowhere for them to hide. So that’s how he found himself just beyond the rock shelf and floating above the wide stretch of open water. It was hard to wiggle his tail just right to catch the sun's rays on the golden patches, the glimmer drawing in larger fish that he could snatch up.
After two hours he had managed to grab two decent sized fish that were easily a third of his size. There were bigger ones but Shang Qinghua was quite proud of his catches so far. And the blood from the other two drew in larger fish! It was basically free bait!
The only problem with the fish blood in the water was that he didn’t think about the things it would attract. He didn’t see the lurking shadow beneath him until it was too late. He had just been about to snag another curious fish when something large slammed into him, teeth digging through his scales like they were butter and into his soft flesh.
Blood poured into the water around him from the bite, clouding his vision with plumes of deep red. Pain jolted his senses as he twisted and tore at the animal currently trying to take a chunk out of him. A snarl pulled at his lips as he managed to hook a hand into the shark's gills, the animal releasing his tail as he twisted and pulled.
More red spilled into the water, only this time it wasn’t his own.
Shang Qinghua didn’t stop even when he was released. His claws tore through tough hide, pouring more and more red into the water around them. He didn’t stop even when the sharks thrashing lessened. No, he only sunk his teeth into rich meat once the thrashing didn’t threaten to throw him off. He was dully aware of something chiming to his left, not that he stopped his feast.
It was good. The taste. The texture as he swallowed down chunks of still twitching flesh. He was insatiable as his vision clouded over with more red. There was only him and his prey in this moment.
It was only a few hours later when he managed to pull himself back from a rather groggy edge, his eyes drooping with satisfaction and exhaustion. He felt full. More than full. It was a strange sensation, like a new thrum of pleasant warmth was coursing under his skin and through his veins. It made him feel sleepy and relaxed.
[Congratulations! Congratulations! Congratulations! Good things must be said thrice! User 001 has completed his first mission! +B-points {60} for taking down a shark and improving your cultivation! Absorb more life force to continue improving your cultivation and reach immortality! ᕙ(`▿´)ᕗ ]
A long and groggy groan made its way from him as he slipped back into his den, leaving the torn apart carcass of the shark behind to sink into the void. He had a feeling this was going to be an awful experience.
—--------------------------------------------------------
Shang Qinghua woke up in pain. The bite on his tail ached and pulsed whenever he shifted ever so slightly. It felt like hot nails digging into him. Luckily, after a quick check just to be sure, he came to the conclusion it would heal okay. The bite wasn’t even bleeding anymore! It was, however, sore.
The attack had peeled off some of his scales which left the area around the wound a little sensitive to touch. Not that he wanted to touch the wound! It just… looked weird. Apparently his… meat was a very light pink, almost white with how light it was. Not that he was surprised considering he looked like a weird mutated eel.
But all things considered he didn’t actually know how to fix the bite mark. Or at least make sure it didn’t get infected. He was a writer, not a doctor! Sure he knew how to bullshit his way through his novel but how much of that actually crossed over into this world? It wasn’t like doing papapa would magically fix his tail! That was reserved for the protagonist!
And plus, Luo Binghe’s natural healing factor made it so he didn’t need to actually research how things actually heal! Wound care was not included in his stallion novel! Not that he couldn’t have written about some nice soft scenes to draw more people in! He just… hadn’t really wanted to? Why bother with unnecessary research when he could just have a protagonist capable of regenerating in seconds?
Would seaweed work as a bandage? It would at least protect the wound from anything getting in it… right?
Oh well! One way to find out!
Gathering the seaweed had been the easiest part, figuring out how to actually make it stick to him was… less so. Why didn’t book logic apply to him?! He should be able to just slap things on himself and they should just work! They always did for the protagonist! But then again he wasn’t the protagonist of PISW, he wasn’t even sure if he was a side character that so much as appeared in the main story! Was the person he took over even mentioned!?
Being a side character wasn’t too bad considering he wouldn’t have to be around Luo Binghe while he seized power. The downside was that he was technically in a position of power, which meant that he’d eventually have to face the blackened protagonist but it wasn’t something a little bit of thigh hugging couldn’t fix!
If his son came sniffing around he could just suck up to him and pledge his allegiance and then go on his merry way! Hopefully.
He winced as one of his claws caught on his wound, drawing a small cloud of red into the water before it dissipated into the water. It didn’t bleed more than that luckily, his natural healing factor stopping the bleeding before it became a problem. Being a mer was honestly amazing! He didn’t have to worry about bleeding out! Even from rather large gashes.
Could he leave the bite open to the water? Would it get infected?
Thinking back to some characters he had written about that had some nasty scars… it should be fine? As long as he didn’t like… roll around on some sharp rocks and reopen it. He’d just have to keep his eyes on it as it healed!
Having come to a conclusion he instead shoved the seaweed he had collected into his mouth, grimacing at the texture before forcing himself to swallow. It would be bad to let it go to waste!
If he wanted to stay here though he’d have to mark out his territory, otherwise some other mer could swoop in and challenge him for the unclaimed land. First things first was to mark out the perimeter! And if he remembered right, marking territory required infusing some qi into some stones and then marking them with his claws. Really, it should be easy enough!
The only problem was how stiff his tail was. His muscles ached and twinged whenever he moved. It really didn’t feel good at all, but if he didn’t get his territory marked he’d be a sitting duckling for other mers! It didn’t help that the previous mer hadn’t bothered marking a territory, instead choosing to just laze about!
So with a muffled groan of discomfort he reluctantly swam from his home and out into the water, trying to mentally mark where he was going to set up his border. There was a way for him to basically set up an alarm system; the only problem was that he had never actually written out how to do it! Which wasn’t really a problem! It was fine! He’d just have to figure it out himself!
Coming to a stop in front of a rather large rock that was just before the drop off he paused. His fins flared out as he thought for a moment, his face scrunching up before he reached out and dragged his claws down the front of the rock. He waited for a moment for something to happen before he frowned. Wasn’t there supposed to be like… a snapping feeling as his qi infused with the rock?
He scratched the rock again, deeper this time. It was pretty impressive how easily his claws gouged into the rock to leave deep marks that were slightly lighter than the surrounding rock.
[User 001 should pool his qi into his claws before making the mark. (╥﹏╥)]
Oh! That would make sense!
This time when he clawed at the rock he pooled his qi, feeling it leave him in a short burst that sent shivers down his spine. And then something seemed to click. He was aware of the rock but duly, like a marker that distantly pinged in the back of his mind. It was honestly a little strange feeling.
But he had the first marker now!
He repeated the steps all around the island he had claimed as his own. Once the ring was complete it was like he became aware of everything within the perimeter. Every fish that darted from spot to spot, even the animals on the island pinged like the ocean animals did. If something darted into his borders he could practically feel it, like someone had snapped a rubber band that rippled back to him.
It was… weird. But helpful! It would make hunting so much easier! “Hah! Take that System! This is going to be easy to grow my cultivation now!” He didn’t get a response other than a soft ding from it. Not even a transparent screen popped up!
He grumbled as he swam back to his cave, maybe he should explore the island. If it had any streams that led into the ocean he could get fresh fruit!
{main story…. Loading…}
{successful… loading main characters…}
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