While she had enjoyed the momentary satisfaction of a sharp tongue, Fanli didn’t feel truly happy deep down. She knew that if she were of the Predator Race, even if she didn't manifest such a high-level illusion, an Ocean Race girl like that would likely have been as obsequious as a palace eunuch.
Over the past month, she had specifically told all her friends in private not to associate with her—even to deliberately avoid her—until she had finished biding her time.
Starting from zero while everyone else was already halfway through the race was undeniably unfair.
However, ever since completing the first stage of her advancement, the limitations on her body had been completely lifted. Over this past month, her arcane strength had improved by leaps and bounds. Her absorption of knowledge was so rapid that she even suspected the arcane knowledge within Sui’s body was beginning to wake from its slumber.
In two months, she would either die or possess the two-thousand-year lifespan of the Predator Race. Regardless of the outcome, she intended to cherish this new life.
At night, she was fueled by boundless motivation, wishing she could read, understand, and memorize every book in a single sitting. Yet she also knew that even with a genius brain, all achievements depended on long-term persistence; a momentary, indignant burst of impulsive effort was of little use. Thus, every night at ten o'clock sharp, she would close her planned notebook—now filled with red checkmarks—and go to bed.
The next day was another "jump out of bed at five AM" kind of day. After her self-study session, Fanli went to school for her classes.
She had recently saved up enough money from her part-time job and had arranged to meet Xinghai at the library at 10:30 AM to buy herself a communicator. However, her Sea Race History seminar ended early, letting out at 9:42 AM.
Arriving near the row of massive, book-shaped library buildings, Fanli noticed a cluster of round shapes moving upward in one of the corridors. Swimming closer, she saw they were actually a group of Sea Race children.
Above the corridor, a mentor was leading them into the library; they were likely elementary students on a school-organized tour of the prestigious university. Their tails were multicolored and much brighter than those of adult Sea Race members. Fanli noticed that the differences between the Predator Race and the Ocean Race were stark even in childhood. The Predator Race possessed more competitive genes; their tails were already long, and their swimming style leaned toward sprinting, sudden braking, constant alertness, and aggressive posturing. The tails of the Ocean Race seemed to develop only after puberty, so these children had short tails and "chibi" proportions—nearly half-body, half-tail—with tiny tail fins that fluttered at a frantic frequency. They looked soft, cute, and easily bullied.
Fanli decided to wait for them to enter the library before going in herself. After a moment, she felt a thin ripple of water rush past her face. Looking in the direction of the wave, she saw an Orca boy dash out to block the path. Then, a small shadow suddenly stopped, turned back the way it came, and rushed toward Fanli.
Fanli looked closely and saw it was a boxfish, barely half the length of her index finger. Its body was shaped like a little square box, and it had a pouting "pea-shooter" mouth. Its pattern was a stylish orange base with black spots—it was incredibly cute. Its body wobbled as it frantically beat two tiny, transparent fins in front of her, seemingly pleading for help.
The Orca boy suddenly snatched it and swam behind the corner of the library. Driven by curiosity, Fanli followed and heard voices:
"So pathetic. This guy actually keeps the kind of brain-dead pet that only girls like."
"And he keeps a whole bunch of them. What an idiot!"
"Hey, you want your little boxfish back? Beg us! Beg us to slap your face with your own tail, and maybe we'll give it back, hahaha!"
Fanli peeked around the corner and saw a group of Predator boys surrounding a small Ocean Race boy, hurling insults. One of them was yanking his hair, making him tremble with fear. The Ocean Race boy was smaller than the others, with a "three-head-high" stature, a round little belly, and chubby cheeks. Beneath a cloud of fluffy white hair was an angelic little face with large, shimmering, watery eyes.
The "Mushroom Cloud" boy trembled, but spoke with a high-pitched, milky voice of righteous indignation: "Don't look down on Dudu! Dudu isn't like the common boxfish you see. He’s a breed I caught and modified myself from the Storm Sea. The destructive power of the toxin he sprays is at the corpuscular level! Besides, he has a very easygoing and lovely personality. He’s not 'brain-dead' like you say!"
"Corpuscles, corpuscles, corpuscles... you read a few arcane books and now you can't stop talking about corpuscles. You nerd, do you think we're idiots? Like we're that easy to fool." With that, one of the boys slapped him on the head. "I think your brain is as stupid as your Dudu! Acting like a big shot all day! Take that! And that..." With every "Take that," he delivered a hard smack to the boy's head—the pattern of school bullying was much the same regardless of age.
Mushroom Cloud was dazed by the blows, and his lips began to quiver.
Then, the boys began to kick and punch him. Mushroom Cloud curled into a ball on the ground, protecting his head with his hands. Bruises and scrapes soon appeared on his fair little face and short silver tail. The heavier the scent of blood became, the more excited the Predators grew, hitting him with even more vigor. The boy holding the boxfish tossed it aside and joined in.
Fanli couldn't watch any longer. She rushed over and shouted, "Stop it!"
The boys turned around, looked at each other for a moment, and then activated their mockery skills:
"Is this sympathy from a lower Sea Race?"
"Big sister, don't use your height to bully people. Even though you're twice as tall as me, I could still open my mouth and eat you all by myself."
"Sister, run! You can't beat them!" Even as he said this, bright white tears rolled from the corners of Mushroom Cloud's eyes, dissolving into the seawater.
Fanli liked children, but she hated brats. Expressionless, she snatched the boxfish and held it up, pointing its mouth at the boys. "Boxfish are very sensitive to being shaken, right? If you keep talking, I’ll start shaking it. If it sprays some unknown liquid, don't blame this 'lower Sea Race' big sister for being too timid and having shaky hands because you scared her."
Seeing its owner in such pain, the boxfish was also terrified. Its dark pupils stared at them, its pouting lips aimed right at them. The boys looked at each other, gritted their teeth, and sped away. Once they were gone, Fanli swam over and knelt before him. "Little one, what's your name?"
"Yu... Sister can just call me Xiaoyu."
Fanli curled her tail and sat in front of Xiaoyu, taking his tiny hand and placing the boxfish in his palm. "Xiaoyu is a brave and caring child. Dudu should be proud to have a man like you as a friend."
"I... I'm not brave. I've been bullied since I started school, and I don't know how to fight."
"Being brave doesn't mean using violence to solve problems. You know so much at such a young age, and you use that knowledge to defend your little companion. That is bravery."
Xiaoyu blinked his large eyes, and two more tears floated upward. "Is what you're saying true? Tell me."
"It's true."
The Ocean Race truly had it hard. To achieve the same success, they had to work several times—even dozens of times—harder than the Predator or Sea God Races. Fanli felt a pang of pity for this clever child and couldn't help but pat his head. "In this world, there is much unfair treatment. It isn't your fault that you weren't born noble. You must overcome this hurdle, keep your current convictions, and believe that you are the best. Then, become an outstanding person and protect others of our kind who are being bullied."
"Our kind?"
"Yes. Other Ocean Race members, just like us."
Xiaoyu opened his small mouth, hesitating. "So... the Ocean Race is always bullied..."
"The Ocean Race shouldn't be bullied. But you must believe that we are no different from them. We should respect everyone, just as we respect Dudu. Even if one day the Predator Race or the Sea God Race becomes weak, they should still be respected. All people are born equal; the law of the jungle is unacceptable."
These words completely overturned the education Xiaoyu had received since childhood. But he believed Fanli, nodding without hesitation. "Okay, I'll listen to Sister."
"What a caring child indeed." Fanli smiled.
Xiaoyu looked up at her blankly. Her eyes were the color of the ocean at a depth of three hundred meters at noon—a perfect deep blue. And she looked at him with such kindness, without contempt or ulterior motives, simply wanting to pass on a little warmth from her heart.
She didn't know that her eyes would remain in the young boy's heart for a very, very long time.
"Sister, what is your name?" Xiaoyu asked carefully.
"My name is Fanli."
"Sister Fanli, are you in the First-Year Arcane Department?"
"Yes."
"Okay, Sister Fanli. My home isn't in the Red Moon Sea, but I will go to Saint Yejana University too. Then I'll become very strong to protect the Ocean Race and protect Sister."
Fanli wanted to say that wasn't necessary—Xiaoyu was so small that by the time he got in, she would have long since left the school. But thinking that Saint Yejana was so prestigious, it was good for him to have the motivation to get in, so she didn't correct him. She simply stroked his hair. "You still have injuries. Let me take you to your mentor, you..." At this point, her hand touched something, and she froze. Then, she brushed aside Xiaoyu’s thick, curly hair and saw the small ears hidden beneath.
He had no ear fins.
His ears weren't pointed.
And then, it finally clicked—his hair was white. Not the grayish-white of the Shark Race, but a pure, snowy white.
Fanli lowered her voice. "Xiaoyu... you... you aren't Ocean Race?"
Xiaoyu tilted his head, scratched it, puffed out his cheeks, and shook his head. His voice was soft and sticky. "Mom and Dad never said I was Ocean Race."
When he raised his hand, his short sleeve slid down toward his shoulder. Fanli saw an armband on his arm, bearing an emblem of a trident entwined with seaweed.
The emblem of the Liekong Sea Clan was a trident entwined with seaweed.
She looked down at Xiaoyu’s tail again. Though it was short and so pale it was almost negligible, there was indeed a layer of light on its surface.
No wonder he was so well-versed in the arcane at such a young age.
Fanli took a deep breath, wanting to bash her head against a wall and kill her meddling, "Holy Mother" self. But in the end, she couldn't bring herself to do it, nor could she bring herself to do what the Predator boys had done—slap Xiaoyu on the head and shout, "Why are you, a descendant of the Sea God, acting so weak?!" Instead, she stood up silently and swam away without looking back, no matter how Xiaoyu called after her.
Entering the library, Fanli lingered near the potions section to prepare for brewing a soul-swapping potion in the future.
In truth, reverse soul-swapping potions weren't difficult; she could already brew one with a 75% success rate. If it were a soul swap within the same timeline, she could reverse the swap with Sui immediately. However, potions involving a reverse swap with a soul from the future were far too difficult. Spatiotemporal potions belonged to a realm that even top-tier potion masters feared to touch, let alone a spatiotemporal potion mixed with soul-swapping. Only after she began researching the details did she realize that Su Shiye hadn't been lying when he said it would be difficult to swap back with Sui.
She saw a copy of *Spatiotemporal Potion Theory* that had just been returned and reached for it, only to find herself suddenly shrouded in shadow. Before her fingers could touch the spine, a large hand snatched the book away. She turned around to see five Shark Race boys standing beside her, their pupils narrowed into vertical slits, causing her to instinctively recoil. The leader was the largest, with thick eyebrows, large eyes, and curly silver hair.
"Haha, isn't this our little 'Goddess of Learning'? Studying so hard?" Kaimo laughed arrogantly. "How is it? Feels terrible to have no friends, doesn't it? I heard you even learned high-level illusion magic recently. So stubborn? Still not planning to switch departments?"
Fanli gave him an awkward but polite smile and reached for another book on the shelf, only for him to snatch that one too. Undeterred, she reached for a third, and it was snatched again... Finally, the shelf was emptied. She sighed and turned to swim away.
He circled around and blocked her path. "Why so cold now? Where’s that gentle act you were putting on for the little boy at the entrance?"
So Kaimo had seen everything. Fanli said helplessly, "As you saw, he was just a little boy."
"What's the point of acting cute for a kid? You aren't stupid enough to think some hero is secretly watching you and will descend from the heavens to save a pathetic worm like you who has nothing but good grades, are you?"
*Who's acting cute? Who's waiting for a hero? How bizarre.* Fanli ranted internally, but on the surface, she remained calm. "You're right. May I leave now?"
Though it was a question, she didn't wait for an answer before trying to depart, intending to return for the books after they left. But Kaimo extended a muscular arm, barring her way. He tilted his chin slightly, looking down his nose at her. "Fanli, who are you putting on this act of lofty purity for?"
"I'm not putting on an act. I just feel that we are different people and have nothing to say to each other."
"Different people indeed." Kaimo held up the *Spatiotemporal Potion Theory* book she had chosen, letting the pages flutter open. "What's the use of researching something so ethereal? Do you want to become a witch?"
The comment was a double entendre, and the boys around him burst into laughter. Fanli didn't catch the hidden meaning and simply said coldly, "You're right. And I have to put in a lot of effort just to get into Luoya University."
Kaimo quickly caught her implication, a fierce look flashing in his eyes, but he suppressed his temper. "Who are you mocking? I think you should stop acting. That little boy you were comforting at the library entrance—he’s so small, which means he has a long lifespan and grows slowly. You know exactly what race he is, don't you? You act so pure, but deep down, you still yearn for the high-tier Sea Races? What are you so bitter about now? Let me tell you, give up on that dream. Bait is bait; it can never become a predator!"
"I'm sorry, but the Sea God Race isn't as noble in my heart as you claim. The only thing about them I admire is their arcane power."
"Are you saying the Predator Race's arcane skills are lacking? Do you know that the arcane ceiling for the Shark Race is a hundred times higher than yours?!"
To praise one person is to belittle another; Fanli understood this logic. But she had always disliked the "bully son of a wealthy landlord" types in her class. Thus, she could make him uncomfortable with flawless precision while not even wanting to look at him. "Of course I know. You're the greatest. May I leave now?"
"Try talking to me with that attitude again!" With that, Kaimo shoved her shoulder hard, pushing her two meters away.
The force was so great that it made her deeply realize the gap between herself and the Shark Race. Never mind that there were five of them; even five of her combined probably couldn't beat one of Kaimo's hands. The sight of an enraged Shark baring his fangs made her unable to stop her hands from trembling.
Kaimo sneered. "Know your place. Think carefully about what kind of attitude you should have toward your 'Daddy'."
Fanli suppressed her fear and looked up at him, neither humble nor arrogant. "You're right. I'm just bait. Naturally, I yield to a Predator 'Daddy' in terms of strength. But is that the only difference between us? To many, it's only natural for a Predator to bully bait. But what about a man bullying a woman? A group of men bullying one woman?"
Kaimo froze. Though his voice remained loud, it was now mere bluster. "You must have some misunderstanding about our race. Under the law, Sharks don't go to jail for rape or gang rape."
"Sharks and Predators don't go to jail for rape *within* their own race. But if you rape an outside race..." Fanli exposed him mercilessly. "You'll rot in prison."
This was one of the most bizarre laws in the Light Sea's penal code, in Fanli's opinion. At first, she thought it was utterly absurd and moronic, but later she came to understand a bit of their twisted logic.
Human males risk breaking the law to commit rape because the primary motivation is to force their sperm upon high-quality females whose genes and resources they could never otherwise match, with a certain probability of producing offspring without having to take responsibility. But if the target cannot get pregnant at all, the significance of rape is greatly diminished. Because Shark and Orca females can freely control whether they conceive, the punishment for a Shark or Orca male forcing non-consensual sex upon them is similar to the punishment for assault; it isn't a heavy sentence.
This law was highly controversial among Sea God Race women; whenever it was mentioned, people would argue until they were red in the face. Conversely, Shark and Orca women didn't have much of an issue with it. They were genetically gifted in terms of selection. If a Predator male truly wanted offspring, he wouldn't rape them; he would coax them, pamper them, and beg them to bear his child. Even if raped, it didn't matter; if they wanted to continue, they could just lie back and enjoy it; if not, they could simply say, "Your claspers are so small, I'm going to flush your seeds out in a moment," and the other party would immediately become limp, both psychologically and physiologically.
Therefore, although the crime of rape carried a light sentence for Sharks and Orcas, the number of such cases each year was less than one-thousandth of those involving the Ocean or Sea God Races.
"A little piece of bait like you thinks you can send me to jail?" Kaimo was furious. "Do you believe I have ways to stay out of prison?!"
Fanli didn't show her internal fear. She smiled. "Oh? If your current actions reached the ears of the Glazed Legion Military Academy and the Vice-Governor of the Red Moon Sea, I'm sure they wouldn't react at all, right? They’d surely think, 'Good job, kid,' wouldn't they?"
"Stop using my dad and my uncle to threaten me! You think I'm afraid?!"
Seeing his expression and the way the other four Sharks looked at each other—one even whispered, "Boss, calm down"—Fanli knew he was.
The entire political system of the Light Sea was a divine right of kings mixed with elite democracy. The government and the religion were very different. The government held more practical power, but officials were elected public servants who needed to maintain a low profile and stay close to the people to keep their power—not much different from many human nations. The religious side, backed by bloodlines, allowed the descendants of the Sect Gods to be as reckless and extravagant as they pleased, even if they didn't participate much in politics. Kaimo's family only had a political background, not a religious one. Thus, he was likely a "grandson" in front of his elders and an "ancestor" in front of outsiders.
"Of course you aren't afraid of them. You're their darling; how could they side with an outsider? So, a noble and magnanimous student like Kaimo, who is destined for great things, surely won't hold a grudge against a little bait girl like me." Her words were soft, but Fanli's attitude was not weak in the slightest. She ended with a smile. "May I ask, Student Kaimo, may I leave now?"
"Get lost!"
"If possible, this..." Fanli pointed to the textbook in his hand, her smile appearing even more innocent.
He threw the book at her and barked, "Scram!"
Fanli breathed a sigh of relief and hurried away. Fortunately, her combat arcane skills weren't quite up to par yet, and she wasn't sure she could best Kaimo and Lina. It was better not to expose herself if she could help it.
She felt sorry for Xinghai; he was frequently cornered by Lina’s people. At first, he would resist, but later, at Fanli's urging, he would simply flee as fast as he could whenever he encountered them. He was naturally gifted in speed; Fanli thought the way he carried her as they escaped was actually quite dashing.
However, just as Fanli turned around, she was grabbed by the neck and dragged outward. Before she could react, she read what was about to happen from the eyes of the surrounding students.
She had seen that same look when Dangdang was being bullied.
"By my God Buco, the Black Coral Goddess Gang is finally making a move on Fanli..."
"Is this a direct confrontation? What did Fanli do? Why does Lina dislike her so much?"
"Fanli’s composure is decent; she didn't scream like Dangdang, but it's still terrifying..."
"I heard Lina wants to be rank one in the grade, that's why she's pressuring Fanli. I just want to say, Fanli isn't in the wrong at all..."
Amidst the scattered whispers, the hair at the back of Fanli's head was snatched, forcing her head back. Then, the Fierce Princess appeared in her vision, her vertical pupils filled with a vicious light, flanked by three Orca lackeys.
"Finally caught you alone." The Fierce Princess narrowed her eyes, baring her fangs. "I told you to drop out of the Arcane Academy, but you wouldn't. Then don't blame us for not showing you any mercy, you 'Double-S Goddess'!"
With that, she raised her hand and slapped Fanli across the face! The striking speed of the Orca race was fast and precise; Fanli had no time to dodge. Her face was immediately sliced by long fingernails, staining the seawater red. Fanli turned her head back, her palm flipping upward, glaring at her with equally fierce eyes.
"Oh, you're still acting tough?!" The Fierce Princess didn't notice that the seawater above her head had condensed into a sphere of ice. She simply yanked Fanli's hair and shook her violently, like a shark thrashing its prey. "I gave you a chance and you blew it. Tell me, are you dropping out? Are you—"
However, her words turned into a shrill howl of pain.
The ice sphere slammed down, striking her in the back. She thrashed her tail wildly like a dying fish, waving her hand to command the three Orca lackeys behind her. "Get her! Beat her up!!"
This time, Fanli was prepared. In a flash, she traced a pentagram in the water and pointed at her own tail. Then, the water currents spun rapidly, and in a second, a pentagram-shaped barrier of ice condensed from beneath her feet, shielding her entirely.
The three Orca lackeys slammed into the barrier, falling to the ground and being tumbled away by the rushing currents.
She actually won...
With the joy of victory in her heart, Fanli couldn't help but taunt them. "Black Coral Goddess Gang? More like the Black Coral Fish Skewer Gang! Hahaha!"
"You lowly bait!" The Fierce Princess clutched her injured back, fuming with rage. "Get up! All of you, get up! Smash this barrier! Kill her!!"
*No, my mental strength is too weak right now; I can't stay and fight.* Fanli cast another large barrier to trap the group of them. Panting heavily, she swam out of the library window.
***
**Glossary**
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