I felt like my mind was about to snap at the bizarre scene unfolding before me. What the hell was this? How could something like this exist in the world? It was like stepping into the set of a B-grade slasher film—dirty, horrifying, and utterly unsettling.
"Ugh... ugh... ugh..."
I couldn't understand what the hero saw in this mermaid that made Eve cherish her. What was their connection in the first place? In the original game, Eve just joined as a party member after you beat her up, and aside from a lewd scene, she had no special cutscenes. Like the forbidden potion before, the game's settings were strictly followed, yet there were strange discrepancies.
From above, I faintly heard the clash of swords. I couldn't waste any more time. I swung my mace at the tank, shattering it. Water gushed out, sweeping through the room and hallway with immense pressure. Behind me, sailors screamed. I barely held on by gripping the nearby bars, then looked down at the mermaid flopping on the floor.
She was still moaning, "Ugh... ugh...," her body convulsing. Was Eve abusing this woman out of love? Given that Eve was insane in the original story, her love for this mermaid probably felt more like an obsession. As a sexual deviant, raping a mermaid wasn't out of the question.
I pulled a dildo from between the mermaid's legs. It was slightly smaller than Lucius's, but still impressively large. Once removed, it dangled limply to the floor. Disgusted, I tossed it aside and removed the mermaid's gag.
"Hehe... heh-heh-heh..."
Her eyes were unfocused, and she seemed completely unhinged. Her hands were tied anyway, so I figured I could use her as a hostage to threaten Eve. As I reached down to lift her, the mermaid casually dodged my hand and spoke.
"Ever started something without thinking and then got stuck doing it out of habit?"
"What?"
"The mermaid's moving!"
The sailors behind me shouted. She was free? But her hands were still tied! Clearly bound, the sailors screamed and fled. Those who had escaped the hero below deck began climbing back up.
The mermaid tensed slightly, and the ropes binding her snapped with a soft *twang*. Freeing her arms, she stretched her shoulders and began moving. She took a deep breath of the room's air and looked at me. Her unfocused blue eyes locked onto mine. When I said nothing, she spoke again.
"It's like getting addicted to something you do out of habit, then just repeating it. You've never felt that?"
Danger. I instinctively knew this mermaid was dangerous. With red hair and blue eyes, she scanned the room with unfocused pupils. I mentally opened her status window.
**Name:** Sellu
**Race:** Mermaid
**Level:** 34
**Stats**
*(Current traits are active.)*
Strength: 110
Agility: 120
Intelligence: 48
Luck: 78
**Traits**
Mermaid's Blessing: All stats double in water and on land.
Fish Detection: Can communicate with fish.
I swung my mace. With her overpowered traits, her stats were no joke. If she went wild here, it'd be a hassle, so I figured I'd crush her skull and move on. Eve wouldn't know if she was just knocked out or dead anyway.
But the mermaid dodged my mace with surprising speed, slithering across the floor like a legless cat toward the corner. Pressing herself against the bars, she said,
"This pirate island used to be where mermaids lived. People called it Mermaid Island. But when word got out, hunters swarmed. Mermaid blood is valuable—supposedly an aphrodisiac. Heh..."
She laughed maniacally, tilting her head. This woman was insane. I thought she was just Eve's abused prisoner, but it seemed they were in a consensual, twisted relationship.
"Do you know how many mermaids died? I stopped counting at a hundred. Except for special ones like me, mermaids are weak."
If all mermaids were this strong, they'd rule the seas. In the original game, mermaids were trash mobs. Even with Mermaid's Blessing, their base stats were no different from a normal human's—except for weird named entities like this one.
"Humans are strange. They want to eat us, drain our blood, and lust after us. Ever seen a mermaid-human hybrid?"
I knew about mermaid-human hybrids. Eve, currently fighting the hero on deck, was one. Though not mentioned in the story, her character profile briefly noted it. That's why in the lewd scene, she had scales on her legs.
"Eve swam here alone. She hated humans. I'm so proud of how strong she's become. I can't count the years of humiliation and persecution we've endured. I'll never forgive those who called our home a mermaid colony and kept taking us one by one."
I had no time to waste, but she was hard to catch. Swinging wildly, I found her twisting like a snake, dodging effortlessly. Of course, she couldn't touch me either. If she tried to bite, I'd turn her into mermaid jerky.
She stayed just out of my mace's reach, darting around the room. I kept twisting, mace at the ready, determined not to lose her.
"At first, we only killed hunters. Killing everyone would never end, so we set limits. We'd only do a little bad until we moved to another island. Heh..."
The mermaid's unhinged laughter and twitching head were unnerving. Like a ghost from a horror movie in a mermaid costume. Despite her exposed chest, good figure, and pretty face, I felt no desire.
"Crazy bitch."
"We started with a little bad, but it was so fun. Eve and I got addicted. Castrating hunters, watching them writhe in pain—it's exhilarating. Eve bringing women to rape in front of me—it's hilarious. Honestly, I can't live with other mermaids now. This life is too enjoyable."
Her eyes gleamed. I finally understood why she had a dildo and was in this state. This insane mermaid was masturbating while watching bound people get castrated and killed.
Eve catered to her tastes, setting up a torture chamber with a tank to kill and rape people in. The only explanation was that mother and daughter were both insane.
Thinking the hero could've ended up like the crazed women in the trading city's hall made me angrier. I pointed my mace at the mermaid and said,
"You fucking bitch."
"Heh... it's over there."
The mermaid smirked at my mace. She probably thought she'd win in the water. Mermaid hunters weren't as strong as me or the hero. She clearly saw me as just a slightly strong priest.
"Ever gotten addicted to something that started without thinking?"
Her scales bristled, and her eyes widened. I gripped my mace, ready for a fight.
****
A rum barrel on deck was sliced in one strike. Eve grimaced, dodging the blade aimed at her. This woman was stronger than I thought. Our first fight wasn't like this—she was improving.
Having shown all my improvisations in our first battle, her tricks no longer worked. Blessed by a priest, I couldn't overpower her like before. Worse, her skills were superior.
The priest who went below deck also bothered me. Mom would handle her, but if she lost, things would get complicated. Yet, I couldn't ignore A.A. in front of me.
Eve was in a tough spot. The fight dragged on without a clear winner. She didn't seem like she'd lose, but subduing A.A. without killing her, as originally planned, seemed impossible.
"You're pretty good," Eve said. A.A. didn't respond. She didn't seem concerned about the priest below. Eve tried to rattle her.
"My mom's downstairs. She's the leader of Mermaid Island. No matter how strong your priest is, Mom will rip her apart."
A.A. remained silent, her blade steady. Eve grew frustrated.
"Can't you hear me? Your priest's gonna die. Mom will destroy her. Huh? Get it?"
A.A. finally spoke.
"You're nervous."
"What? What'd you say?"
"You're anxious."
"Fuck. I'm anxious? You wanna die? Huh? You fucking bitch!"
**Boom!**
A loud noise came from below. Both A.A. and Eve turned. The deck hatch opened, and a red-haired mermaid peeked out. Eve cheered,
"Mom!"
But the mermaid was limp, thrown onto the deck. Lucius crawled out, spat on the floor, and stepped on her. Seeing Eve's face harden, he said,
"Drop your weapon."