The silvery light of the full moon filtered through the dense canopy of the forest, yet it failed to conquer the darkness of this cursed woodland. Instead, the light made the shadows of the trees stretch into long, grotesque shapes that crawled across the ground. Only one sound echoed through the heart of the forest—the heavy, rhythmic, and brutal footsteps of the Orc Lord. Every step felt like a heavy hammer striking the heartbeat of the woods.
Even was being crushed within the monster's massive fist. His pulse was slowly fading. From the outside, he looked as lifeless as any other object in this forest, but deep inside his chest, a faint life still flickered. Dark blood trickled from his lips, glistening under the moonlight. Just moments ago, with his last bit of strength, he had punched the creature's fleshy body—a desperate, failed attempt. But that hand was now motionless, hanging numbly.
His mind was clouded by a strange buzzing. The inescapable sound of death—tick, tick, tick—echoed in his ears like the hands of an old clock. 'Am I really going to die?' This question crashed repeatedly against the edges of his conscious mind. Every rustle of a bush or leaf felt like the whisper of a death messenger.
Was this bottomless darkness only part of the forest?
Or was it his final destination?
With every breath, the painful groan of his ribs reminded Even that he was standing at the very edge of death's door. Without some miraculous power or unimaginable luck, there was no way out of this hell. The moon above stood still like a cruel spectator, watching Even's miserable end.
As Even's consciousness slowly began to return, the first thing he felt was a bone-chilling roar—the sound of a mountain river crashing violently against rocks. In the silvery moonlight, the forest's darkness became even more mysterious. Even opened his eyes and saw that he was still trapped in the iron grip of the terrifying Orc Lord.
The fresh blood dripping from the monster's body looked dark red in the moonlight. The Orc Lord held Even with a strange fury. The monster slowly lifted its massive jaw toward the sky, as if preparing for a demonic ritual. Even could see the monster's blood-red eyes boiling with rage.
The Orc Lord then brought its face extremely close to Even. The stench of rotting meat and clotted blood hit him hard. Even had no strength left to scream in pain or terror. He realized that his final destination lay within those wide jaws. Just as the icy touch of death reached his neck, a mechanical, emotionless voice rang inside his brain:
[WARNING: A 'Great Beast' has been detected!!]
The word echoed in Even's blurred mind—"Great Beas...?"
Before his thought could finish, an unimaginable horror tore through the deep darkness of the forest. A massive, four-headed wolf! Its height and stature made even the Orc Lord look like a dwarf. There was no growl, no warning—the wolf seemed to be born from the darkness itself. In the blink of an eye, it pounced on the Orc Lord, and with one of its heads, it bit off and swallowed the Orc Lord's entire head in an instant.
The headless body of the Orc Lord stood still for a few moments. Its muscles twitched one last time, and its grip on Even loosened. At that moment, the bloodthirsty gaze of the four-headed Great Beast fixed on Even. Its four pairs of eyes seemed to burn through his soul. It let out a horrific roar that shook the entire forest like an earthquake.
Just as the wolf reached out its bloody mouth to tear Even apart, he slipped completely from the Orc Lord's lifeless hands. Losing his balance, he fell straight into the intense current of the river flowing below. The ice-cold water immediately dragged him into the depths.
…
The moment he hit the icy water, Even felt as if a massive stone wall had struck him. The violent waves forced salty water into his nose, ears, and mouth. His lungs screamed for oxygen, but he only tasted the murky water. He had never learned to swim, and with his heavy, overweight body, fighting the mountain current was impossible. Against the giant power of the water, he was nothing but a helpless piece of straw.
Amidst the dim darkness and the whirlpools, Even's consciousness began to fade again.
'Unconscious again!'
With a sense of utter self-pity for his fate, he sank into the depths. His power to fight consciously was gone.
But then, amidst that deadly cold, he felt a strange warmth. He felt a pair of soft arms wrap around his numb body. The naked body of a mysterious woman held his heavy frame with great tenderness. Her untouchable aura and the scent of her body seemed to pull back Even's fading life.
In a semi-conscious state, Even felt the mystery woman's silky hair dancing under the water against his cheek. Her soft, supple body pressed against his back and chest. The woman was pulling him toward the surface with incredible strength. When death seemed certain, this gentle touch felt like a heavenly miracle.
When Even tried to move his legs or struggle in his daze, a strange shiver ran through his body. His legs brushed against the lower part of the woman's body. But there were no human legs! He felt something slippery, smooth, and scaly—like a massive fish tail. The faint moonlight piercing the water momentarily revealed the silver glow of that tail.
…
When the waves finally threw Even's body onto the sand at the riverbank, the familiar scratchy touch of the shore returned. In his half-conscious state, Even remembered the first day—when the System had heartlessly rejected him and thrown him into the sea. Today, the same thing had happened again. Destiny seemed to repeatedly lead him to the edge of death, only to bring him back.
Even struggled to open his eyes. Through blurred vision, he saw an otherworldly beautiful woman in front of him. In the dim moonlight, it was clear that the lower half of her body was not human, but a massive, smooth fish tail. Her long, messy hair was soaked with saltwater, barely covering her bare chest. A salty, wild scent drifted from her.
But inside Even, there was no desire, no wonder, not even fear. His soul had already died from humiliation and pain. He tried to sit up but collapsed back onto the sand. Suddenly, a great cry erupted from deep within his chest. The salty tears flowing from his eyes surpassed the river's current. He tried to hide his face with his thick hands, but the force of his sobbing escaped through his fingers.
First quietly, then sobbing, and finally, he began to scream and cry like a child. He thought of his past life where no one had ever loved him. He thought this new world might change his luck, but since arriving, he had only been fighting death.
He suddenly remembered the Baron. The Baron might have shouted from a distance or felt regret, but did he step forward even once to save Even? To the Baron, his own safety and the loyalty of his warriors were more important than Even's life. Yet, it was this same Baron who had said—mermaids are nightmares, they are terrifying!
Even's crying intensified. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. The humans he considered his own had left him to die. And the mermaid whom the world called a nightmare had saved him from certain death for the second time. Even whispered to himself, "If you are truly that terrifying, then eat me right now. At least let this pain end. As a return for your debt, let this worthless life of mine be yours."
Seeing Even's heartbreaking agony and sharp cries, the mermaid remained still. She made no sound and did not attack. A deep sadness appeared in her large, magical eyes, as if she were expressing her own silent grief for his infinite pain. Her wet hair glistened in the moonlight as she looked quietly at the broken man.
A moment later, the mermaid miraculously lengthened one of her nails. With that sharp nail, she gently cut a finger on her right hand. Immediately, drops of blue blood began to fall, glowing like blue sapphires in the dark.
Perhaps it was the pain of the cut, or perhaps Even's cries had struck a hidden chord in her heart—a single tear rolled down from one of the mermaid's eyes. She held her cut finger under that teardrop. As her blue blood and her tear mixed together, they transformed into a strange, glowing blue liquid.
She slowly extended her right hand toward Even, holding that glowing blue liquid in the center of her palm.