Her 4.3 Billion Years | Chapter 69 | A Reunion Across Eras | Novela.app

I found myself in the slave market of Ergoling, the capital of the Starry Sea, far from the town of Phili. In the Light Sea, only criminals, prisoners of war, and the descendants of slaves could be traded legally. Anything else was considered human trafficking, a crime carrying a minimum sentence of seventy-five years. During these times of war and widespread famine, the price of a slave had plummeted below that of fish meat. Logically, no one should have taken such a massive legal risk just to sell me. I had nearly been beaten to death after ruining the previous slave owner’s business by biting several customers who tried to pinch my face. Through his fits of rage and verbal abuse, I pieced together the reason I had been snatched: my looks. The husband of the woman who caught me thought it would be a good idea to keep me in their backyard for breeding; since I wouldn't be resold, the risk was minimal. However, their shop went bankrupt immediately after they took me in. He wanted to keep me for his private use, but his wife beat him so hard she broke two of his tailbones. Convinced I was a jinx, he sold me off at a bargain price to my current master, a Cephalopod Predator. "You’re beautiful, sure. If I had the money, I’d have you pop out a hundred little slaves to sell! But I’m so broke I can barely afford to eat. Breeding is out of the question. I’ll just sell you off for whatever I can get, so you’d better thank your lucky stars!" the boss shouted while ordering his men to beat me. No matter how much they hit me, I just kept biting. Eventually, whenever a customer wanted to touch my face, the boss would warn them that Number 83 was a biter, and no one dared come near me. Unable to sell me, the boss would return home and treat me to a daily "complimentary" thrashing. After a few days of this, a turning point arrived. A slave union from the Underworld City came to negotiate a five-year partnership. they offered a low-cost supply of untrained, first-hand death row inmates and war prisoners in exchange for fish meat. The boss refused instantly. They lowered the price; he refused again. When they reached their absolute floor, the boss countered with a price so low it nearly made them spit blood. Yet, they stayed to argue rather than fleeing. It was clear that even the "slave manufacturers" were struggling during the war. "Boss, does the Underworld City have a leader?" I whispered from the side. "The black market in your mother’s hometown has a leader, which is why she gave birth to a common-sense-lacking moron like you." His words were foul. I didn't get angry, though. I simply sat there, listening to them shout and haggle, refusing to let the noise penetrate my mind. After a few minutes of their endless bickering, I interjected, "Boss, if I were you, I’d take the deal." The boss extended a tentacle and smacked me hard across the head, a gesture that meant "Shut up, you unsellable piece of junk." Then he turned back to the union reps. "Why don't you give me the damn fish meat and I'll give *you* the slaves! My stock is practically rotting and I still can't move them. Look at Number 83—pretty, right? Can't sell her! No one's buying! I've seen your union's slaves; they're all eyesores, and you want to cram them into my shop? Why don't I cram something down your—" "Boss, think about it," I said, undeterred even as my head spun from the blow. "Right now, slaves are sold by weight and they're cheaper than fish. If you're really hungry, you could just kill us all and eat us. Since the price is so low, why not hoard them? I have a plan for you." Because of my sycophantic display, the boss didn't beat me that day. Instead, I was surrounded and thrashed by the other slaves for what felt like a year. A rare Poseidon slave named Xiaolan hit me the hardest, cursing me with a vocabulary that rivaled the boss’s. Impressive. Finally, I lay on the ground, watching the clock spin. What the hell? It had only been forty-seven minutes. Later, the boss came to talk to me about what I’d said earlier. "I get your logic. Food is appreciating, slaves are depreciating. Buy slaves now, and when food prices drop and slaves are scarce, dump the stock. Buy low, sell high, right? I’m a businessman; you think I don't know that? The problem, you little idiot, is the cost of feed and space. I’m nearly bankrupt just keeping you dogs alive. You think if I go bust, you’ll somehow be cleared?" "That's a decent suggestion, Boss, and you'd make a small profit. But I have a way for you to make much more—so much that you’ll never have to haggle in a market again for the rest of your life." "What way?" "I'll tell you as we go. We take it one step at a time." "Hah, nonsense. I told you, you’re oversimplifying. Feed, space, rent—how do you solve those?" "Don't raise them. Free-range them." "Free-range? Slaves are fish, not sheep. If I let them go, do you want me to lose everything so I have an excuse to slaughter and eat you sooner?" "They are neither fish nor sheep. They are intelligent beings like us; they just haven't received a higher education. However, they have basic judgment. They know what is good for them and what isn't." "What are you getting at?" "Have every slave sign an agreement: from now on, they go out to hunt. Every day, they bring back ten portions of food. They keep five for themselves. For every day they stick to this, they earn one day of freedom to choose their own future buyer." Mr. Asad had been in the slave trade long enough to know how enticing the freedom to choose a master was. No other slave owner in the market would ever offer such a deal, so they wouldn't run. He looked ready to argue, but after a moment of reflection, he seemed to find the method feasible. He said nothing and went to put the plan into motion. Sure enough, eighty percent of his slaves were willing to accept the proposal. The women, in particular, were eager to go out and hunt. Only two girls didn't go. One was the Poseidon, Xiaolan. Xiaolan had been sold by her adoptive father, who had molested her. He had conspired with her biological mother, who voluntarily sold herself as a slave to the stepfather so he could then sell Xiaolan. After selling the girl, the stepfather redeemed the mother, and the couple fled with the money. So, while she was an illegal slave in essence, she was legal on paper. The boss had been keeping her in good condition, hoping for a high price. It was obvious Xiaolan despised me; she gritted her teeth and rolled her eyes whenever she saw me. I swam over and asked, "Why aren't you going?" "What does it matter who I'm sold to?" "There's a big difference between being sold to a wealthy lady to watch her kids and being sold to a thirsty, balding old man." "One is being screwed mentally, the other physically. Overall, your free will is getting screwed either way. There's no difference." "You're an illegal slave, just like me. You've got spirit." "I'm nothing like you. I'm a Poseidon, look closely." "Sorry, my mistake. You're legal." Xiaolan nearly strangled me in her rage. The other girl who didn't go hunting was, naturally, me. The boss saw me sitting idly and scoffed. "I take it you don't want to choose your own buyer." "No need. You won't sell me anyway. It would be a waste for me to go." "You've got a hell of a lot of confidence." "My school grades are much more useful than my face. Double-S across the board, Boss. Look into it." "Can grades put food on the table? This is a slave market, not a potion company!" I remained silent, letting the results a few days later provide the answer. The first transaction of fish meat for first-hand slaves was completed. No one could have predicted that this deal—which looked like a guaranteed loss for my boss—would cause the major "slave manufacturers" of the Underworld City to crash. Because fish meat was now a scarce resource, the only place they could complete such a trade was with my boss. But my boss had a wide range of options—the entire Underworld City, and even those in other sea territories, began sending slaves to us. The black market had no leader, only unspoken rules, and the "men of the world" in the underworld generally followed a code of honor. However, for a brand-new trading model, there were no "unspoken rules." They fought tooth and nail, slashing their prices. Taking advantage of the chaos, the boss used some black-market connection to officially change my status to a legal slave. What a dog. Consequently, his trust in me grew. He eventually allowed me to move about freely. I took the opportunity to slip back to Phili to look for my family, but there was no trace of them. Not only that, but even the neighbors had been forced to move out by the war. I learned from an elderly couple waiting for death in Phili that General Xinghui and his wife were confirmed dead. Their only son, Xinghai, was missing and presumed dead. As a slave, I had no money and no right to leave the Starry Sea on my own. My dream of finding Aunt Mather in the Bodhi Sea was shattered. Left with no choice, I returned to the slave market in a daze, just trying to survive under the boss. Over the next year, the boss’s stock of slaves grew. In less than a year, he became the largest slave owner in the Starry Sea. He could afford to keep them, but since the slaves now had the right to vet their own sales, the transaction completion rate was abysmally low. Other slave owners mocked him daily, saying he wasn't a slave owner but the operator of a nursing home. The boss wasn't making much money, and he began to look at me with doubt. "Are you planning to turn me into a fishmonger?" "Boss, how many slaves do we have now?" "Less than ten thousand." "Not enough. We need to hoard fifty thousand." "Fifty thousand?! What for? I can't even sell ten thousand!" "Set them all free." I got beaten again. Once the boss had vented his anger, I went to him with my bruised and swollen face to explain the reason. He didn't understand the first time, so I explained it slowly again. Only then did he realize he had wronged me. "Damn it, why didn't you say so earlier?!" "I needed the chance..." I said, rubbing my pig-like face and speaking indistinctly. "How long will it take to gather fifty thousand?" "At least five years. We've almost bought out all the low-priced first-hand slaves. We have to wait; we can't rush, or they'll hike the prices." "Fine. We wait five years." "You little girl, what is your brain made of? How do you come up with these wicked ideas?" "Boss, I was born in the year 24480. Maybe the Sea of Fire burned a hole in my head when I was born, so my imagination is a bit... expansive." "So, you're a 'Child of the Burning'?" "Yes, Boss." The year 24480 of the Burning Era was my birth year. I had heard from the aunts and uncles of the Mather clan that the day I was born coincided with another cycle of the "Burning Sea." The entire Light Sea turned red for three days before returning to blue. The "Burning Sea" was a rare phenomenon that occurred only once every hundred thousand years and was highly controversial, but children born on that day were called "Children of the Burning." I thought the title was pretty cool. "Stop calling me Boss. It's weird. Call me Asad." The boss patted my head with an octopus tentacle and pulled out a small octopus child. "This is my son, Ada. Teach him about business in the future. If he had your brains, our family legacy would be secure." "No problem, Mr. Asad." I waved at the little octopus. "Hello, Mr. Ada." Ada used all eight of his little tentacles to cover his bright red face, twisting himself into a bizarre shape. "Little girl, what's your name?" Mr. Asad asked. "Eh? Isn't it Number 83?" I answered somewhat heartlessly. Mr. Asad squinted at me. "If you're looking for trouble, you can go right back into the cage." As a Child of the Burning, I naturally couldn't let my real name languish in a slave market. "My real name? It has a certain flavor. In Ancient Sea Language, it's the word for 'Wisdom'." "I don't know Ancient Sea Language." "Sui." I arched an eyebrow and smiled. Once Mr. Asad began calling me by my name, I essentially transitioned from a slave to his trusted subordinate. He was generous to his staff, paying me a good salary, and once trust was established, he delegated significant authority. Thus, managing slaves, auditing ledgers, and negotiating transaction details with black market merchants became my responsibility. I took the liberty of "abusing my power," ordering the slaves to search for a boy named "Xinghai" from Phili whenever they went out to work. Since I was a child, I had been an ambitious girl, but my plans for the future were simple: to become a leader in my chosen field. I often heard my parents discuss the inequality between the races of the Light Sea, and I had been furious when my brother was discriminated against because of his bloodline. The suggestions I gave Mr. Asad were, to some extent, a way to help slaves regain their freedom. However, I personally found it hard to empathize with these issues. Whether by luck or ability, I always managed to turn such conflicts into opportunities, even in the slave market. It wasn't until I saw a Shark policeman torture and kill a Pelagic slave that I felt, for the first time, a deep sense of powerlessness following extreme rage. That afternoon, I went to Starry Elementary to help Mr. Asad pick up Ada. On the way back, we saw a crowd gathered. Pushing through, we saw a Predator policeman sitting on the ground, his muscular tail wrapped tightly around the neck of a slave who had committed theft. The slave’s airway was compressed, and his face was turning a deep, bloated red. I knew this slave; he belonged to one of Mr. Asad’s old rivals. "Let... let me go..." the slave wheezed. "I can't breathe... I'm going to die..." The policeman looked indifferent, tightening the grip on the man's throat without doing anything else. The slave was a sturdy man, but pinned like this, he couldn't even move his tail. His eyes darted around frantically before landing on my tail. He rolled his eyes upward, pleading for help, but he could no longer make a sound. "Officer, he's stopped resisting. Let him up," I couldn't help but say. The policeman didn't even look at me. He continued to squeeze him like it was a game. Ten seconds passed. The slave’s eyes rolled back, and he slowly closed them, seemingly slipping into shock. "Let him go! Let him up!" I swam forward, growing anxious. "You're going to kill him!" But before I could take another step, a Sailfish policeman blocked me. "Do not interfere with police business." Seeing the slave completely motionless, I had a terrible premonition. I didn't move closer, but I shouted at the Shark policeman, "Let him go! He's lost consciousness! You're going to kill him!" Perhaps my emotions influenced the onlookers, as they too began to urge the officer to release his tail. But the Orca policeman acted as if he hadn't heard a word. He even shifted his posture to press down harder. "Can't you see what he's doing?" I said to the Sailfish policeman. "He's not enforcing the law; he's enjoying the slaughter! Just like a shark that likes to bite things to death without eating them! His predatory instincts have taken over. Why aren't you stopping him?!" The moment the words left my mouth, I was shoved hard into the crowd by the Sailfish policeman, bumping into two people. Eight minutes later, several officers finally lifted the slave from the ground and tossed him into a police vessel. But the slave’s limbs and tail were limp, soft as noodles. Two days later, his owner told us he was dead. The government paid them 200 Fu in compensation, and the matter was dropped. The slave vanished from the world without a sound. For a long time, my life had felt covered by a thick fog. At that moment, the fog was wiped away, and I saw the dark side of this world clearly. The slave’s final, weak voice and his pleading eyes haunted me in the night. From that day on, I realized that it wasn't just slaves; all Pelagics lived at the bottom of the food chain. Any Predator could mock their lives and humiliate their dignity. Restaurants that didn't allow Pelagics to dine, companies that only hired Predators and Poseidons, Pelagic students beaten by Predator children for saying one wrong word... Because our genes were so similar to marine organisms, the sea-folk world had accepted the rule of "survival of the fittest" by default. If you didn't have the ability to survive, that was your problem. Facing races born superior to them, most Pelagics chose to endure in silence. Why was the Light Sea I loved like this? From that day on, my state of mind deteriorated. In Mr. Asad’s words, I had gone from a "cute little girl to a rebellious, angst-ridden youth." As a father, he thought I was just going through puberty, finding everything annoying. He even told me, "You're young now, thinking about changing the world every day. When you get to my age, you'll feel that as long as the money is right, you'll get on your knees and beg the world to change you into whatever it likes." But I truly didn't think that way. I had a good brain. To be a mediocre person would be a disservice to this world of natural selection. I became increasingly convinced that liberating slaves through action alone was useless. The massive genetic disparity between sea-folk individuals was the root of classism and racism. If there were a potion, or an arcane art, that could fundamentally alter the genes of the sea-folk, minimizing the gap between Poseidons, Predators, and Pelagics, then... From that day forward, I spent all my spare time reading, self-studying arcane arts and potion-making. In the years that followed, Mr. Asad became the greatest slave owner. By collaborating closely with the black market, he became the top financier for all black-market slave owners. While assisting Mr. Asad in his grand ambitions, I never stopped looking for news of my brother. But every day, the reports brought back by the slaves left me disappointed. The war never ceased. Even living in a villa with the highest security, one couldn't help but feel anxious, as if the end of the world were imminent. Yet, times of crisis create heroes, and many well-known names emerged during this protracted war. One day, Mr. Asad chatted with me about the war. "I heard there's a rising star in the Starry Sea Special Forces who shares a bit of fate with you. His name also contains 'Su,' and it's an Ancient Sea name too. After his first time on the battlefield, he was promoted to staff officer of the Seventh Detachment. Later, he went in and out of the Obsidian Trench five times to rescue the youngest son of Lord Oda. He's a Lieutenant now. Many of the documents for transferring regular prisoners of war to slavery are approved by him. Can you imagine? The boy is only in his eighties, not much older than you." "What's his name? We should get on his good side." "Su Shiye." Su Shiye... Thinking of how it meant "Starry Sea" in Ancient Sea Language, my heart skipped a beat. But after a few seconds of calm, I felt dejected again. Poseidon hybrids couldn't become Special Forces. Su Shiye couldn't be my brother. In the year 24561 of the Burning Era, after careful planning, Mr. Asad finally hoarded enough slaves and "released" all fifty thousand of them. These slaves’ primary jobs had been hunting and mining the tin and steel that the Starry Sea was famous for. Suddenly granted freedom, they didn't know what to do. They flooded into the society of Ergoling in massive numbers, but with low education levels and few survival skills, some became thugs, some begged, and some performed on the streets. For a time, they were called a "new type of virus" by the citizens of the Starry Sea. Because of the chaos caused by the released slaves, the Governor of the Starry Sea even said bluntly, "A slave is always a slave; they can never truly integrate into the collective of citizens. I hope certain slave owners will stop committing acts of social revenge and cooperate with the government to develop the economy." As I expected, before long, many slaves returned to Mr. Asad, asking for work. Thus, Mr. Asad made a secret agreement with them to go and harass the government. To reduce the citizens' anxiety and social conflict within the territory, the Starry Sea government quickly agreed to their demands. They provided financial aid and deported them to the Ocean Twilight Zone—the boundary between the Light Sea and the Abyss. Taking advantage of the Stormy Sea’s inability to protest, they seized the seabed plains in the Twilight Zone between the two seas, occupying the territory of the indigenous sea-folk—the Karyu Plains. Seeing the slaves on the news go from rioting to colonizing, my companions and I high-fived one by one. When I passed little Mr. Ada and saw his eight raised tentacles, I was a bit confused about how to slap them. Forget it, it wasn't important. What was important was that my scheme had succeeded. The free slaves of Starry Sea descent integrated with the indigenous people of the plains. Following the laws and regulations of the Light Sea Federation and the Starry Sea, they drafted a local constitution and formed an autonomous region of the Starry Sea. Their leader, naturally, was the spiritual leader who had given them freedom—their former actual leader, Mr. Asad. However, the Stormy Sea would not sit by and let its old neighbor play dirty. They did not recognize the constitution of the Karyu Plains or the sovereignty of the autonomous region. In 24569, the Stormy Sea government dispatched warships to the border, intercepting and detaining a cargo vessel from the Karyu Plains filled with gold, accusing them of engaging in illegal trade with the Abyssals. The Starry Sea requested they recognize Karyu’s sovereignty, only to be publicly humiliated by the Stormy Sea’s diplomatic spokesperson. "We have no obligation to follow the laws of a non-sovereign commercial entity, especially one in such an ambiguous location with suspected close ties to the Abyssals," the spokesperson said. Our war with the Abyssals was nearing its end, but any citizen of the Light Sea still avoided them like the plague. The Stormy Sea used this as an excuse to reject the claim, and even the citizens of the Starry Sea somewhat agreed. Originally, the slave owners of the Starry Sea were very dissatisfied with Mr. Asad’s actions. They felt that his unconditional release of slaves had significantly affected the stability of their own slaves and began to frantically attack the Starry Sea Colonization Center’s policy of sending slaves abroad. The Starry Sea government couldn't withstand their 24/7 protests and realized the Karyu Plains were too far away to manage. Coupled with the interference from the Stormy Sea, they stopped their financial support. In October 24572, they announced they would transfer the governance and diplomatic rights of the autonomous region to the local residents. The Legislative Committee of Karyu passed the decision unanimously. On January 8th of the following year, marked by the Light Sea tribes reclaiming the last base above the Twilight Zone of the Meteor Trench, the Abyssal Counter-War officially ended. The entire Light Sea cheered the name of the Deep Blue amidst the disaster. Even someone as angry as Xiaolan shed tears of emotion. On the 17th of the same month, the Karyu Autonomous Region was gone; the Grand Duchy of Karyu was born. Their Grand Duke was, naturally, Mr. Asad. "Sui, you really did it. Everything is proceeding step by step according to your plan. I really have to thank you for getting me to this point." On the day the national flag and emblem were designed, Grand Duke Asad sounded very happy on the phone. After becoming a head of state, his vocabulary had become much more refined, but he couldn't wash away the rogue-like tone unique to a slave owner. He had deep feelings for the Starry Sea; even the national emblem featured an eel wearing a crown of stars. The emblem of the Starry Sea was a male shark wearing a crown of stars (first appearing on currency during the reign of Oda IV and on the reverse of the 10-Drop coin), and the Oda clan emblem was an Ouroboros eel. He had combined the two. Finally, Karyu’s sovereignty was recognized by the Stormy Sea and other territories. Logically, everyone should have been happy, but the Starry Sea government was very displeased. To prevent me from orchestrating another slave independence event, some low-life lackeys spread rumors everywhere, saying Sui was a woman sold to the slave market for breeding and that my descendants were now grown and being sold at high prices. They even threw a bunch of red-haired, blue-eyed Pelagic children into the market, forging fake certificates to fool people. Grand Duke Asad publicly clarified for me, but unfortunately, the number of sane people is never 100%. As for these men’s tactics, what can I say? They were just bullying me because I’m a woman. Damn them. I used my black-market partners to find the leader of these dogs and spread rumors with even greater intensity that he was impotent and that his entire brood belonged to his subordinate (a pretty boy who had helped him spread the rumors). I said his family genes were so colorful they had painted the ocean in brilliant hues, and that the children’s real father slept in his wife’s arms, weeping with gratitude that he was raising the kids for him. The men were so angry they nearly ended up in a psychiatric ward. They jumped around threatening to kill me, but their fists hit a sponge—their Great-Grandmother Sui was a woman of few words and wouldn't lower herself to confront them directly. Then something wonderful happened: that pretty boy really *had* slept with his wife. No one knew whose the kids were. The man’s mental state was so poor he fired the pretty boy and resigned himself. He ruined his own career trying to ruin mine; what an idiot. I remained calm in public, but behind the scenes, I laughed until I cried. My happiness index was directly proportional to their anger. In short, I can walk the straight path, but I’m not afraid to play dirty either. In these matters, it’s all about psychological endurance. If you can't handle the loss, well, what can I say? I never fear villains, but I am very afraid of people with too much principle. Tragically, I soon met such a person. Grand Duke Asad ordered me to continue recruiting men for his sons in the Starry Sea to expand their influence, but I was blocked by the Starry Sea government. Consequently, I directly exiled his three sons to other seas—the youngest, Ada, was taken by his sister to the Red Moon Sea, where they each cultivated new slaves. As everyone knew, Grand Duke Asad was happily governing his country in the distant Karyu Plains. The person who held the lifeblood of the Starry Sea slave market and black-market resources was naturally exposed to the government immediately. When the government informed me that their military officer wanted to talk to me, I knew I was in trouble. The person who wanted to talk to me was a big figure, the youngest Major in the 127,000-year history of the Light Sea, barely a hundred years old. During the Abyssal Counter-War, he had been calm and composed, performing legendary feats that were known even in the slave market. On his hundredth birthday, even Lord Oda himself had come to congratulate him. This person was the Su Shiye Grand Duke Asad had mentioned over a decade ago. Entering the Starry Sea Special Forces training base, a field exercise unit happened to be returning. The two soldiers at the front held the Starry Sea naval flag and the military flag, swimming with a precision that looked like they were being cut by a blade. Even though they were curious about a woman appearing at the base, they only looked at me out of the corners of their eyes. I was captivated by their formation when a Shark Lieutenant around a hundred years old swam over to meet me. He had a small mustache, cheeks so thin they were slightly sunken, and a long, thin scar across his high bridge. "The Major looks approachable, but he's actually very strict and extremely intelligent. It's best to be submissive in front of him. He might go easy on you because you're a beauty, you know." After saying this, the Lieutenant gave me a wink that made my skin crawl. "By the way, I'm Arnold, the Major’s brother-in-arms. If he makes things too hard for you, come ask me. I can put in a good word." Entering the office, the first thing I saw was a massive blue military flag draped over the desk. Behind the flag were six communicators, a pile of documents, and a photo frame. The young man was standing by the window in a terrestrial form, so I couldn't determine his race. But he had pointed ears, so he definitely had Predator blood. Sunlight streamed into the room, making his ash-white short hair and the epaulettes on his blue-black uniform glitter. "Ten years ago, I told them not to approve the release of large numbers of criminals and prisoners of war to become slaves, even if their final destination was the legal slave market of the Starry Sea. As I suspected, trouble has arisen." *Good thing you were transferred away, or who knows when our grand plan would have been finished,* I thought to myself, though I kept a polite, if slightly awkward, smile on my face. "Sui. A well-chosen name." The man’s voice was young and sharp, yet low enough to be perfect. When he said "Sui," it was so smooth it made my tail go soft. "I’m curious why such a wise woman wouldn't do something... correct." "Liberating slaves isn't a mistake, Major Su Shiye." "Oh? And who do you think you are, the Governor of the Starry Sea?" "When the Governor is a mere figurehead, even slaves can resist. And besides..." I suddenly went quiet. Because, through the mirror on the wall, I saw the reflection of the photo frame on the desk—it was a picture of my father, mother, brother, and me. "Cleverness for its own sake. What you're doing is adding a burden to the Light Sea government!" The young Major grew a bit angry and turned around. "Sui, you aren't government officials, yet you're trying to fulfill the government's mission. It's inappropriate. Have you ever thought that if every slave owner were like Asad..." He trailed off, stunned. I was stunned too. Although it had been twenty-three years since we last saw each other, and we were both children then, and our appearances had matured significantly, we recognized each other instantly. He closed his eyes, shook his head, and opened them again. I covered my mouth with both hands, my shoulders shrinking, my eyes instantly stinging with heat. "Impossible..." he gasped. I wanted to speak, but I couldn't make a sound. My whole body was shaking. Finally, he strode toward me with incredible speed and pulled me into his arms, holding me so tightly he nearly crushed me against his broad, burning chest. "I'm dreaming." He panted heavily, yet spoke with certainty. "Lili, why am I dreaming again?" I still couldn't speak. I just hugged him back with all my strength, burying my head in his chest. Since being sold to the slave market, I had only ever shed physiological tears when being beaten; I had never cried out of sorrow. This was the second time in twenty-two years I had cried like a bullied child. The first time was when I heard the news of my parents' death. The longer we hugged, the stronger my brother’s grip became. His heart was beating violently. It made me feel extremely vulnerable, yet at the same time, gave me a sense of absolute safety. But from this hug, I knew that over these twenty-three years, my brother had had it worse than me—no, after getting to the slave market, I had actually made a profit. My brother was so pitiful. The ocean is vast, and the Light Sea is in chaos. I had almost given up hope of ever reuniting with him. To meet again was, of course, the greatest stroke of luck. However, I hadn't realized that for some people, it is better to remain apart. Years later, I heard from Arnold that my brother had a high tolerance for alcohol, but that night, he got drunk. He told Arnold, "Lili and I were closer than biological siblings since we were small. In all the years I lost her, not a day went by that I wasn't searching for her, remembering my parents' wish for me to take care of her and ensure her bloodline continued, because her lineage is vital to the Light Sea. And I always regretted not agreeing to her request for a kiss before we were separated; it made her so unhappy. So, I always had a plan: if we met again, the first thing I would do is kiss her and apologize. Finally, the Lord of the Endless Ocean blessed me and let me find her twenty-three years later. Arnold, guess what happened? Lili has become a slender, beautiful young woman. And then I knew... I can never kiss her again in this lifetime." As he finished, my brother let out a soft laugh. *** **Glossary** Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation --- | --- | --- 尔国临格 | Ergoling | Capital of the Starry Sea (Xingchen Sea). 燃烧之子 | Child of the Burning | Children born during the "Burning Sea" phenomenon. 卡律平原 | Karyu Plains | A territory in the Twilight Zone; likely a transliteration of Charybdis. 卡律海公国 | Grand Duchy of Karyu | The sovereign state founded by Asad and the freed slaves. 苏释耶 | Su Shiye | The protagonist's brother; his name means "Starry Sea" in Ancient Sea Language. 苏伊 | Sui | The protagonist's name in this era; means "Wisdom" in Ancient Sea Language. 阿萨 | Asad | The slave owner who becomes the Grand Duke of Karyu. 阿达 | Ada | Asad's son. 小兰 | Xiaolan | A Poseidon slave who was initially hostile to Sui. 德洛普 | Drop | A unit of currency in the Light Sea. 浮 | Fu | A unit of currency or compensation. 风暴海 | Stormy Sea | A neighboring sea territory to the Starry Sea. 海洋黄昏区 | Ocean Twilight Zone | The boundary area between the Light Sea and the Abyss. 逆戟族 | Orca Tribe | A type of Predator (Killer Whale). 旗族 | Sailfish Tribe | A type of Predator.