chapter 29

Above Bai Liu and the Siren King, a blazing sphere burned like a sun fallen into the sea; beneath their feet lay countless sunken corpses and the shattered remains of ships. Charred fragments from the fire drifted silently between them, suspended in the water. Though the scene appeared tranquil, the relentless blare of system alarms reminded all that this was but a fragile illusion:

[System Warning: Player Bai Liu's sanity continues to fall. Current sanity: 6...]

[System Warning: Player Bai Liu's sanity continues to fall. Current sanity: 5...]

On the small screen, Bai Liu's face was now entirely sheathed in thick scales, his hands armored in reptilian hide, fingers curled into claws, his lower body elongated into a full fish tail—utterly indistinguishable from the other monsters.

Wang Shun's heart pounded so fiercely it threatened to burst from his chest. "Sanity's down to five…"

"Bai Liu, do you still remember you're a player, not a monster?" Mu Sicheng murmured, gazing at Bai Liu's grotesque visage on the screen.

The Siren King's tail flicked with a subtle motion, and with a supernatural, unfathomable speed, he drew near to Bai Liu. On the screen, it was as if the Siren King had vanished and reappeared, his face now pressed against Bai Liu's cheek. The audience gasped, then quickly stifled their cries.

The Siren King's expression was serene, his long hair drifting past his high-bridged nose. He extended a single finger, touching Bai Liu's brow. His pale lips moved in silent words, inaudible to all but Bai Liu.

"You have brought me to the deep sea. What is your wish?" the Siren King intoned. "I grant you leave to speak your desire, and I shall bestow it."

A crushing sense of oppression constricted Bai Liu's pupils. As the Siren King drew near, it felt as if his mind were being churned by a blender, or flattened beneath a steamroller, utterly immobilized.

[System Warning: Player Bai Liu's sanity continues to fall. Current sanity: 1...]

Wang Shun was so tense he nearly bit through his own hand. "Ahhh—! Only one left! Just one! Oh my god, oh my god!"

Mu Sicheng's breath grew shallow; he said nothing, only watched intently.

The rest of the audience erupted:

"I can't watch! I can't watch!"

"I need oxygen!"

"Damn, it's been years since a player on the brink of death made me so desperate to stay—he really feels like he could work a miracle… My heart's racing…"

[System Warning: Player Bai Liu's sanity continues to fall. Current sanity: 1. (Berserk) at its limit—]

[Player: Bai Liu (Berserk Attribute Panel)]

[Stamina: 655 → 955]

[Agility: 733 → 1033]

[Attack: 555 → 955]

[Resistance: 776 → 1209]

[Overall defense and attack have increased. Total attribute points exceed 4000. Rated as Super-A player. Bai Liu's level rises from A to Super-A.]

Wang Shun slapped his thigh in frustration and anxiety. "Even maxed out, he's only Super-A? That's still so far from S! S-rank needs over ten thousand points!"

"Six thousand short. There's no way he can withstand a god-tier NPC's attack," Mu Sicheng muttered, rare regret in his eyes as he glanced at Bai Liu. "Such an intriguing player. What a pity this will be his final game."

The agony, paradoxically, brought Bai Liu a measure of clarity. Blood welled from his lips and eyes, but he wiped it away with indifference, and smiled. Looking the Siren King in the eye, he enunciated, "My wish is this: attack me. Right now."

The Siren King seemed to consider this, his silver pupils shifting as he fixed Bai Liu with his gaze. "If I attack you, you may die."

"Who can say? Perhaps I won't." Bai Liu's smile widened, every scale on his body trembling and bleeding at the Siren King's approach. He now resembled a mermaid entirely.

The Siren King's very presence exerted a blood-deep suppression over Bai Liu, and though terror writhed within him, he regarded it with a strange detachment. The right side of his face was twisted in uncontrollable fear, tears streaming from his eyes, lips pulled down in a grimace. Yet the left side wore a natural, languid smile, eyes filled with nonchalance, lips curling upward.

Bai Liu leaned in, until their noses nearly touched, and whispered playfully, "What if you fail to kill me, and I gain something from you instead? A reward, perhaps. Or points."

The Siren King's pale eyes met Bai Liu's, and after a long pause, he withdrew his gaze. "Mad traveler, as you wish. I shall attack you. But since you have returned me to the sea's depths, if you survive, I owe you a wish. You may claim it at any time—simply grasp a part of me and call my true name: Tavir."

"Thank you," Bai Liu replied, eyes crinkling in a bloodstained smile.

The Siren King circled Bai Liu slowly, his pupils narrowing to vertical slits. With a sudden, unstoppable motion, his tail coiled and struck Bai Liu's waist.

Bai Liu was hurled through the water like a torpedo, crashing into the seabed with a thunderous impact. The screen shook, the ocean floor quaked, clouds of silt billowed, turning the water black. Fissures split the seabed, revealing boiling magma below. Fish scattered in terror, but all kept their distance from the Siren King, who hovered above.

From on high, the Siren King gazed down, his long hair fanning out in the water, his tail swaying with a deadly grace. Amid the apocalyptic backdrop, his immaculate, emotionless face radiated a sanctity almost divine.

Every viewer before the screen shut their eyes in unison, none daring to look. Only a few whispered:

"Is he dead?"

Wang Shun, heavy-hearted, averted his gaze. "With only one sanity left, even if he survived the attack, it would drop to zero. He must be gone."

Mu Sicheng stood with hands in his pockets, watching the blackened screen, his expression unreadable. For once, he had no lollipop in his mouth, only a soft, regretful sigh. "I'd hoped to play a game with him. Bai Liu… was truly fascinating."

As many prepared to leave in disappointment, the black screen flickered with a weak, stuttering system alert, as if the signal were failing. After two seconds of static, the image returned, drawing every eye.

—The screen had not gone dark. Which could mean only one thing: Bai Liu was still alive.

[System Warning: Player Bai Liu's sanity continues to fall. Current sanity: 0.1. Please clear the level immediately.]

[System Warning: Player Bai Liu's sanity continues to fall. Current sanity: 0.1. (Berserk) at the ultimate limit!!!!]

[Player: Bai Liu (Berserk Apex)]

[Stamina: 955 → ??? (undetectable)]

[Agility: 1033 → ??? (undetectable)]

[Attack: 955 → ??? (undetectable)]

[Resistance: 1209 → ??? (undetectable)]

[Overall defense and attack have increased. Total attribute points unknown. Unable to assess player rank. Reporting to higher authority… Higher authority intervening. Bai Liu's video data has been sealed in the game's encrypted archives.]

Wang Shun stared in disbelief, words failing him. "He's… he's still alive. Sanity at 0.1—my god!"

Mu Sicheng was equally stunned, stepping closer to the screen, searching the dust for any sign of Bai Liu.

The Siren King, too, seemed to sense life remained below. He descended, sweeping the mud with his tail.

Bai Liu's limbs were twisted, half-buried in the seabed, his lower body obliterated by the blow. Blood streamed from his eyes, nose, and ears, yet he was laughing—openly, joyfully, even as blood spilled from his lips.

Seeing the Siren King who had nearly killed him, Bai Liu managed to raise his broken right hand in a lazy greeting. "Yo, Siren King."

Wang Shun couldn't help but laugh, incredulous and exasperated. "Doesn't he feel pain? He's greeting a monster with a broken hand—this game's sensory feedback is one hundred percent!"

"Madman," Mu Sicheng scoffed, arms crossed.

Of course Bai Liu felt pain—he was in agony, nearly dead. But he regarded the pain with indifference, as if it belonged to his body alone, unable to disturb the serenity of his mind or the satisfaction of imminent victory. His emotions were compartmentalized, like pigments in separate wells, never mixing.

The Siren King's face betrayed no emotion. "You're still alive."

"Yes," Bai Liu replied, baring bloodstained teeth in a smile, still in the mood to jest. "I told you, if you couldn't kill me, perhaps I'd gain something from you."

The Siren King leaned in, pale lashes lowered. "What is it you wish to gain from me?"

Bai Liu's mind was hazy, but at such close range, gazing at the Siren King's impossibly exquisite face, he was suddenly tempted to tease him.

He smiled, gently touched the Siren King's hair with his broken hand, and, pressing it to his bleeding lips, kissed it playfully. "Perhaps a kiss? I've never seen a creature as beautiful as you—not even my own models could compare."

The Siren King lowered his gaze. "Very well."

"Hm?" Bai Liu wondered what he meant, when the Siren King closed his eyes and leaned down to kiss him.