Chapter 24: The Shapeshifting Mermaid

"System, this guy..." Lin Qiu's voice grew louder, his eyes burning with anticipation. "Has he taken human form?!"

"Not human form," the system replied. "This is a program compiled by the Ancient City system. Within this city, the aquatic races can transform into the likeness of merfolk."

"Once they have hands and feet, they gain the ability to create."

"But on this Bluewater Star, no matter how life evolves, the most it can achieve is the appearance of a merperson. It can never become a true human."

"What?!" Lin Qiu's heart skipped a beat, anxiety rising. "So, no matter how hard I try, at best I’ll become this half-human, half-fish thing, and never a real person?"

Panic seized him. He had no desire to spend his whole life confined to these waters. Even if ancient civilization returned, he wanted to walk on solid ground, live out his days on land. Surely human women were more alluring than fish?

But the next moment, he realized he’d been too hasty.

Glancing sideways, he saw the dolphins beside him begin to transform.

"This..."

He stared, speechless, as a group of merfolk appeared—men and women, young and old.

"This... is beautiful!"

He gazed at Lin Lin, who had become a youthful maiden at the prime of her life. His eyes widened in astonishment.

Lin Lin wore a strange garment, and Lin Qiu found himself wondering where it had come from.

As he pondered, an invisible force poured into his body.

He looked down and saw hands—human hands.

His fins had transformed into hands.

"I have hands?!"

He stared in awe at his hands: pale, delicate.

He quickly reached out to touch himself, and felt the fabric of his clothes.

"System, what's the story with these clothes?" Lin Qiu asked, dazed.

"After transforming into merfolk, it’s an evolutionary step—bestowing etiquette, integrity, and honor."

"This is a fully developed civilization beneath the sea."

The underwater world was vast, nearly seventeen times the size of the entire landmass of Huaxia.

Even if all the land on earth were dropped into this sea, it wouldn’t be enough to fill it.

This enormous underwater realm, with its complete civilization, was almost beyond belief.

The system explained: within the boundaries of the ancient city, the city’s system provides each transformed fish with a set of clothes. These garments aren't real, but simulated through technology.

They look entirely authentic when worn.

"So these clothes don’t actually exist?!" Lin Qiu asked, shocked.

"Correct, they’re virtual creations," the system replied. "But they can fool the sensory nerves of any being, so for all intents and purposes, they are real."

Lin Qiu understood now.

When reality and illusion blur, one becomes the other.

Such was the case here.

"Once you become a merfolk, you can live within this ancient city, use your intelligence to create anything you desire."

As the system spoke, light radiated across the city, spreading in all directions.

Lin Qiu looked up and saw the water within the ancient city rapidly parting, rushing outward.

In the blink of an eye, the city—about the size of a province—was completely dry.

Overhead, the light formed a dome, keeping the water outside at bay.

His feet pressed firmly against the ground of the city, filling him with a profound sense of security.

He stared in awe at his feet, clad in familiar leather shoes, dazzling to the eye.

These shoes were exactly the type he’d worn in his previous life.

"System, this city system can even transform my clothes into what I used to wear?" Lin Qiu exclaimed, truly stunned.

"Please put away your naïve thoughts," the system retorted. "The underwater city’s system is far more advanced than anything human by countless orders of magnitude."

"It read your memories when you entered, and will alter your appearance based on what you recall."

"Give me a mirror!" Lin Qiu demanded, excitement trembling in his voice.

"A mirror, a trivial item—provided as a courtesy," the system replied.

Suddenly, a plain mirror appeared in his hand.

His hands shook as he took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and brought the mirror before his eyes.

"This..."

Seeing his familiar face reflected back, he couldn’t help but burst into tears.

The mirror showed a young man: pale skin, thick brows and large eyes, a prominent nose, lips perfectly shaped. The features harmonized, giving him an air of handsome charm.

His transformation was complete—no trace of fish remained.

If there was any difference, it was that his teeth were even whiter than before. Perhaps because he now possessed the teeth of a shark; when he smiled, the white gleam shone like diamonds.

Beside him, Lin Lin had become a beautiful mermaid.

Perhaps it was the inherited genes within her soul—after transforming into a merfolk, she still retained some aquatic features.

Lin Lin’s ears were pointed, like those of an elf.

At the center of her forehead was a diamond shaped like a teardrop.

Dolphins have no scales, their skin is sleek and smooth.

That diamond mark made her breathtakingly beautiful.

Looking around, he saw every member of the dolphin clan—young and old, male and female—had the same diamond teardrop mark on their foreheads.

Lin Qiu exhaled deeply, grinned, and thought being a fish might not be so bad after all.

These underwater folk—men were striking, women were enchanting.

Even those who were older still possessed a graceful allure.

They were far more attractive than any artificially beautified women on land.

In a moment, he let go of the obsession in his heart.

"Brother, I’m afraid of that man," Lin Lin whispered, tugging at Lin Qiu’s hand and glancing at the man beneath the bell. Her lovely eyes held a trace of fear.

After becoming a merfolk, her vocal cords had evolved.

Dolphins are born musicians; when they speak, their voices reach the depths of the soul, intoxicating all who hear them.

No wonder they were the royal musicians of their era—who could resist such a voice?

Lin Qiu followed her gaze to the man, who sat with eyes closed.

Cross-legged, he resembled a martial arts master from a human novel, deep in meditation.

Lin Qiu watched curiously, surrounded by the murmuring voices of countless merfolk, some still awkward in their new forms.

"It’s better to be a fish," some complained. "Swimming is freedom—these legs are uncomfortable, walking is tiring!"

"This is how our ancestors looked," others said. "To witness the grandeur of civilization from their era—you should count yourself lucky!"

"We now possess inherited memories. No longer do we have only seven seconds of recollection. We have our own culture—we are no longer inferior beings."