RAM Extra 3

“The Maritime Disciplinary Officer is here!” A loud shout echoed, and the curious sea creatures scattered in all directions. Two sharks, caught up in a fierce fight, had no idea that danger was approaching. A tall, muscular figure suddenly appeared above the sea, and before anyone could react, one shark was struck with a heavy punch, flying several meters away, while the other’s nasal spine was bent, flipping over several times in the water.

The smaller sea creatures gasped, drawing crosses over their chests in silent prayer for the sharks. The next moment, a voice full of energy rang out.

“I’ll see who’s fighting! Be careful, or I’ll turn you into fishballs with a good beating!” The young merman stood with his arms crossed arrogantly, looking down at the defeated sharks. His curly hair, tied into a ponytail, fluttered in the wind, and his muscles bulged slightly in his arms. The bells on his bracelets jingled in the sea breeze as the scorching sunlight made his pale skin shine brightly—he looked magnificent.

Other sea creatures dared only to peek their eyes above the surface, whispering, “Should we leave? What if we get caught in this?”

“Who?” The young merman suddenly leaned down, his face approaching that of a small fish with a villainous expression. “Who’s been whispering bad things about me?”

The small fish were terrified and scattered, and the merman’s face grew larger in their view, making them panic. “It’s over, it’s fish-fighting time!”

“Hey! Don’t run so fast!” The merman, immensely strong, couldn’t stop the panicking fish from fleeing. He punched the sea in frustration, the vast ocean gently accepting his fury with a calm thud.

Looking out over the vast sea, the once-arrogant merman’s mood deflated. No fish were left to play with him, and it wasn’t yet time to meet his fathers. Plus, they had strictly forbidden him from approaching the near shore.

“Who’s this poor little merman?” The young merman muttered to himself in a tone imitating his father, “It’s our Zhenzhu.”

“Ah!” Zhenzhu sighed loudly, causing the small fish with seven-second memories to circle around him. Frustrated, he punched the surface of the sea again. “Angry, angry, angry!”

But then, he remembered his mating period was approaching, and thoughts of it made him pause. Looking toward the coastline, he realized it was too far to see the city. Only the sea stretched out before him, no trace of the shore in sight.

Zhenzhu, always obedient to his fathers’ words, wondered if he could disregard their warnings this time. The mating period was coming, perhaps it was time to search for a mate among the fish. But he hadn’t found anyone special yet. Deciding to take a chance, Zhenzhu sank into the water, heading toward the shore.

He recalled his fathers’ warnings: the near shore was dangerous, and humans were even more so. He would pick a secluded spot for curiosity’s sake.

With a strong sense of vigilance, he placed a piece of kelp on his head as camouflage. Even if humans saw him, they’d likely mistake him for some low-level seafood.

“Heh heh heh…” Zhenzhu hummed contentedly, though the shoreline he’d chosen was too desolate. There were hardly any houses, and he could vaguely recall the bustling markets his fathers had taken him to when he was young—so different from now.

“Ugh…” A muffled sob interrupted his thoughts, and Zhenzhu was puzzled. He never cried like that—either he cried loudly for his fathers to hear, or not at all.

Curious, Zhenzhu swam closer to the rocks and found a person crouched there, crying quietly. The person had dark skin, short hair, and a tall figure, looking rather out of place for someone crying like this.

Yan Hui buried his head in his arm, crying hoarsely. He missed his parents and regretted coming to this so-called big city. He even thought life would be better if he were dead…

“Hey?” A strange male voice echoed, mingling with the sound of the waves. “Why are you crying?”

Yan Hui looked up, bewildered, scanning the empty sea. No boats passed by, and the surface only rippled lightly. Not far away, however, a piece of kelp floated by.

Was it just his imagination? In such a remote place, the chance of someone being here…

“Wow!” A head suddenly popped out from the kelp, revealing a pair of deep eyes.

Yan Hui was startled, his vision went dark, and he collapsed against the rocks.

“Hmm?” Zhenzhu pushed aside the kelp blocking his view, tilting his head as he looked at the unconscious human. “So scared? Really fainted, or pretending? Hey! Human!”

But only the sound of the waves responded.

Curious, Zhenzhu couldn’t believe it, even though he was seeing it with his own eyes. He leaned in closer to inspect, then reached out to slap the human’s cheek, trying to confirm whether he had fainted from fright.

“Hey! Don’t play dead.”

The hot sun above made everything feel scorched. The boy slowly opened his eyes, and in the blinding light, he saw a towering figure with a fish tail looming over him. Overwhelmed, he collapsed again.

“Hey!” Zhenzhu was annoyed. He’d finally found a human, and they hadn’t even spoken yet before the person passed out. How useless.

The waves were growing larger, and Zhenzhu realized the tide was coming in. Humans couldn’t breathe underwater like fish, so he decided to help this frightened one.

Gently, he picked the boy up and moved him to a safer spot. As a kind gesture, he left the kelp by the boy’s side before turning to leave.

“Such a good-hearted merman,” Zhenzhu muttered to himself, pleased, before swimming away.

The waves grew higher and higher, and Yan Hui slowly regained consciousness. The sun had set, and the sea and sky were tinged with pink. His feet were submerged in water, and as he tried to remember what happened before he fainted, he recalled crying alone by the sea, even thinking about ending his life…

His hand brushed something soft and damp. Turning his head, he saw a dark object by his side, which startled him. Driven by curiosity, he picked it up, but as soon as he realized what it was, it flew out of his hands. He scrambled to his feet and stumbled away from the shore.

He had encountered a sea monster! That was the monster’s hair!