Translator:- Max
Editor:- ChibiSqueaks
Warning:- Read with a cool and calm mind, as you might have some murderous intentions later or at least I did :).
[October 2, 1984.
Today is the 341st day of the third World War, and it’s my first day officially joining the NATO naval fleet as Desharow from the United Kingdom. This is truly a day worth commemorating, although I understand that difficult challenges await me.
I have witnessed the terrifying destructive power of those merfolk, but I swear I am not afraid.
Starting tomorrow, I will be accompanying the renowned “Duke” warship on a naval blockade operation in the English Channel. Heavens knows how excited I am!]
I involuntarily gripped the pen in my hand, looked up at the window, and eagerly cast my gaze towards the behemoth anchored on the nearby sea. Ah, it was the coolest destroyer I’ve ever seen! The entire body was painted black for convenient night battles, and the ship’s body had a graceful and slender streamline shape. The command tower stood tall at the bow, resembling a narwhal's back emerging from the sea. I couldn’t imagine how mighty it must look as it rode the wind and waves in treacherous waters where ruthless mermaids lurk.
[Will you bless me, my dear grandpa? I……]
“Officer cadets and midshipmen, Assemble!”
A harsh shout suddenly sounded from the loudspeaker overhead. I hurriedly closed the diary, quickly put on my boots and ran out with everyone. Following the crowd, we dashed towards the elevated platform of the port. Before our non-commissioned officer came over, we skillfully lined up. Standing side-by-side with these soon-to-be comrades-in-arms, I felt like I might really be the youngest member of the entire Navy recruit team. Compared with these tall and strong guys, I was too small, although my height was not short among my fourteen-year-old peers.
I stood on my tiptoes a little, extremely straight, and raised my chin high to avoid being looked down upon by others.
However, out of nowhere, a heavy kick landed on the back of my leg, causing me to kneel down instantly. Instinctively, I turned my head and saw a man dressed as an non-commissioned officer standing behind me. His blue eyes, hidden beneath the brim of his hat, were playfully looking down on me. His expression was akin to someone observing an amusing yet useless little pet. His voice suddenly grew louder: “Even tiptoeing won’t hide the fact that you’re just a little brat, recruit. Straighten your legs, stand firm! Do you hear me?”
“Yes! Sergeant!”
This attitude irritated me a bit. I saluted him with a “Pa” sound, shouted very loudly, and stood up enduring the pain.
He circled around me, looking down at my face and body. His eyes lingered on my collar, giving me goosebumps. But then he suddenly smiled. “You’d be a good commando.”
Commando? My nerves jumped with excitement, but I was really puzzled by this soldier’s strange attitude. It seemed like he was mocking me with hidden meanings in his words.
So I pursed my lips tightly, looked straight into his eyes, and replied loudly with a cold scowl, “Yes, I will, sergeant, I will not disappoint you!”
I could tell that he was visibly startled by my loud response, as he instinctively took a step back and touched his ear, furrowing his brows as he looked at me. However, he remained silent. I knew he couldn’t retaliate, and rejoiced in his misfortune.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Lieutenant Rhine! Are all the recruits here?”
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“Today, all the recruits from Teams A-E are here, Colonel Sakarol.”
The repulsive non-commissioned officer known as Rhine gave her a military salute.
Colonel Sakarol stood on the platform used for inspecting the troops, positioned on the steps, and lowered her head to survey us.
Her gaze was cold and sharp, as if we were a group of products on a shelf and she was a picky merchant. The truth was, if she didn’t approve, we would be in trouble. My mood couldn’t help but become a little nervous. You see, my age didn’t entirely meet the requirements for service, but I was granted an exception due to my excellent performance. Oh, darn it, I didn’t want my dream of becoming an outstanding Naval officer to be shattered by her hands!
As I was lost in these thoughts, I noticed Sakarol gradually furrowing her delicate eyebrows. My heart seemed to twist in response, and I stared at her slightly parted red lips, my heart pounding in my throat. “All the recruits from Teams A-C, step forward!”
I jolted and took a step forward along with the recruits standing beside me.
“Tonight, you will board the ‘Duke’ and follow me to the English Channel, becoming the first team in the blockade operation! Are you ready?”
She descended a step, her gaze cutting through us like a chilling sea breeze brushing against our cheeks. I noticed that others were trembling slightly, just like I did (at least our level of neatness might have satisfied her). Then, I raised my hand, I saluted her. “Ready!”
“Very well…”
As she blew the whistle which echoed through the air, we marched in formation and stepped onto the bridge of the “Duke”, the long-awaited destroyer. At that moment, my heart couldn’t contain its wild excitement. Yet, alongside the exhilaration of becoming a naval officer and the anticipation of the upcoming battle, there was suddenly, another indescribable emerging emotion lingering in my chest. When I gazed out at the vast and boundless sea, I suddenly had a strange and strong premonition – that my life would take a different course from my past, setting sail towards a destination that had long awaited my arrival.
I couldn’t believe that I actually had an urge to run away at this moment!
No, no, Desharow, what’s wrong with you? When did you become the coward you look down upon the most?
I took a deep breath, and heard a loud shout from behind, “A213! Why are you in a daze here, get in line!”
“Yes, yes!” I gave a military salute, rushed towards the bow of the ship, and stood at the end of the team tremblingly.
Sets of pure black insulated combat suits, along with submachine guns and hardened glass military knives, were quickly distributed to us.
Excitedly, I equipped each item, feeling as powerful as an invincible giant. The restlessness in my heart swelled like a shot of adrenaline, and courage filled my chest. Led by Lieutenant Rhine, we descended to the next level of the ship and were divided into five groups, each assigned to a small speedboat stored there. Every boat was equipped with a precise electronic navigation device displaying the map of the English Channel. I couldn’t help but feel puzzled. Shouldn’t we remain on deck for safer and more effective gunfire during the blockade operation? Are we really going to confront those mermaids up close by riding these speedboats, knowing they can release high-voltage shocks? It sounded too exaggerated!
“Lieutenant Rhine!” I couldn’t help but ask, “What are we being sent to do? Aren’t we supposed to participate in the naval blockade operation?”
“Yes, why aren’t we staying on the Duke?”
“What is our mission plan?”
Upon hearing my question, other recruits echoed the doubts, but our inquiries were met with two piercing whistle sounds that were enough to shatter eardrums. Everyone promptly closed their mouths. The entire deck fell into an eerie silence. The sound of boots treading on the floor seemed to echo like funeral bells, clear and chilling. Trembling, I gazed at the approaching figures, holding my breath.
“You are the first team responsible for reconnaissance and assault. Do you understand? Reconnaissance and assault mean entering the battlefield in the least noticeable way, gathering enemy intelligence, and carrying out assaults as ordered before quickly returning. If necessary, you will act as bait to expose enemy targets within our reach. Do you have any questions?”
He scanned all the recruits with a disdainful look, almost as if he was looking at pigs. No one dared to utter a word, and a suffocating sense of oppression permeated the air. The meaning behind his words were almost no different from sending us to our deaths. We were inexperienced new recruits, and yet we were being sent on speedboats to the heavily affected areas of the mermaid invasion for reconnaissance? Is it because we were considered to be a bunch of garbage whose value was equal to cannon fodder?
“Lieutenant!” I shouted in disbelief, and Rhine, without deviating from his path, walked up to me and stopped. He bent down, looking at me with a mix of contempt and ambiguity, sending shivers down my spine. He suddenly grabbed me by the collar, and I felt a wave of unease. “Of course, kid, you can choose to give up because you have a face prettier than a woman’s. I believe many wounded veterans would love to have a charming boy like you to attend to them, and I’m no exception.”
“I don’t want to give up! Lieutenant, please show some respect!” I glared at him angrily.
“Pffff—”
“Haha…You brat!”
“How old is he? He looks no older than thirteen or fourteen.”
At such a critical moment, I couldn’t believe that I heard someone whispering and mocking me. It made me furious, and I just wanted to drag those foolish asses out and give them a good beating. After all, I had achieved the highest score in combat during the Navy qualification exam. I believed I could knock down every person present, including that nauseating lieutenant. However, I clearly didn’t have the opportunity. Before I could lose my temper, Colonel Sakarol promptly appeared in front of us, providing us with the pre-operation briefing and boosting the morale of each recruit.
Sakarol was a renowned commander in the NATO fleet, and under her encouraging words, each of us was filled with renewed ambition. My mood didn’t seem as terrible as before. I believed that a wise naval colonel wouldn’t sacrifice new recruits without reason. Of course, I had to admit that my rekindled confidence might have been influenced by the magical effect of the beautiful Colonel. What was most comforting was that each speedboat had been assigned an operations team leader. The one on my speedboat was a tall, muscular figure, appearing to be an experienced veteran.
As the evening grew darker, the rear door of the deck swung open with a resounding bang. The speedboats we were on slid down the inclined deck one by one and into the sea, their engines cutting through the red, sunset-drenched waves as we swiftly headed towards the entrance of the English Channel.
Through the insulated glass cabin, I gazed at the evening sky gradually being engulfed by darkness. I couldn’t help but tighten my grip on the submachine gun in my hands. My heart pounded in rhythm with the swaying of the boat. I focused on the electronic navigation display showing several rapidly moving green coordinates. We were heading towards the red area symbolising our reconnaissance destination, which was dangerously close to the narrowest passage of the English Channel. I had heard that it was the most treacherous area in the entire channel. We had to follow the instructions and navigate around the passage, deploying high-frequency sonar projectiles into the mouth of the channel, as it was occupied territory by the mermaids. They had blocked a major fortress of maritime traffic between half of Europe.
It was said that this newly developed weapon could form a long-range directional ultrasonic attack, capable of disorienting the mermaids and reducing their combat effectiveness for a period of time. (It was a complicated process, but I knew the military couldn’t use torpedoes as they would damage the nuclear power stations providing electricity to both the UK and France below the channel.)
As the darkness completely enveloped the surroundings, we drew closer to the mouth of the channel. The speed of the speedboats was reduced to its slowest, following the instructions received via pager. The bodies of massive beasts resembling cliffs enclosed us from both sides. As we slowly approached the entrance, the moonlight was driven away by the shadows cast by the cliffs, leaving behind a sinister darkness. I could hear the quickened breaths of everyone in the speedboat, and cold sweat quietly formed in the palms of my hands.
Finally, we arrived at the nearest coordinates to the mouth of the channel. The insulated hatch above us opened, and we cautiously stood up, one by one. Carefully, we tossed the high-frequency cannons into the seawater below, securing them to the rock walls with nail guns and chains.
However, at this critical moment, a short and shrill cry suddenly came from nowhere!
In an instant, chilling screeches resounded around us, one after another, from all directions. Countless eerie glowing dots emerged from the shadowy surface of the sea, rapidly converging towards us.
I immediately grabbed the submachine gun, but a veteran beside me grabbed my arm. “You can’t open fire, or it will alert the entire mermaid group behind the channel! If we attract their leader, this mission will be a complete failure!”
Mermaid leader? My heart skipped a beat suddenly, and for some reason, the hand holding the gun softened.
“No, we need to get out of here, they’re going to tear us to pieces!” One of the recruits yelled in panic.
“The mission must be completed, otherwise you will become a disgrace to the entire fleet!” A stern warning came from the pager.
Hateful! I immediately grabbed one of the high-frequency cannons and handed it to my companion, helping him secure the chains to the rock walls. The screeching of the mermaids from all sides grew closer, sending chills down my spine as if it were a menacing war cry. My heart squeezed against my throat, threatening to burst out of my mouth.
Just at this critical moment, a loud explosion-like noise suddenly sounded in my ear!
Without exaggeration, the roar was as if dozens of turbines of the airplane were simultaneously revving beside me. I covered my ears, feeling dizzy and trembling all over. I suddenly plunged into the water, and at the same time, I saw that everyone else on the speedboat was in the same situation—the high-frequency cannons had been remotely activated.
We were truly treated as cannon fodder. Damn it! I covered my ears and desperately swam away from the positions of the high-frequency cannons. At that moment, I noticed that the mermaids were also intimidated by this maddening noise, retreating and scattering like they had been thrown into a boiling pot. Some blindly crashed into the rock walls, while others fled deeper into the channel. To avoid the fleeing mermaids, I pressed myself tightly against the rock wall. I was fortunate not to be directly stunned by the high-frequency cannons, although their power weakened my limbs. However, the other recruits accompanying me were not as lucky. Some fainted in the water and were grabbed by passing mermaids, dragged towards the depths of the channel. Fearful, I plugged my ears, curled up, and hid myself in the shadows under the rock wall, hoping not to attract the attention of the nearby mermaids.
As if fate were intentionally playing with me, in my moment of fear, I suddenly noticed several ripples rapidly approaching me. Oh no! I instinctively reached for the military knife strapped to my thigh, but the terrifying noise caused me to lose consciousness almost immediately. I hadn’t even had a chance to grip the handle tightly when my ankle was firmly grasped, and in the next moment, my body was forcefully dragged towards the mouth of the channel. Amidst the splashing waves, I saw that I was being held captive by a group of mermaids, around ten of them, encircling me like a pod of dolphins. Their speed was even faster than that of the speedboat, and in an instant, they had carried me across the channel.
In the fleeting moment amidst the turbulent waves, a bright scene unfolded before my eyes. Moonlight poured down on me like a blooming fireworks display, but I had no mood to appreciate the beauty beyond the channel. I saw countless mermaids gathering in groups, numbering in the thousands, surrounding the rocky outcrops on either side of the strait. Their eyes were fixed upon us, the human captives, with predatory intent, as if they were planning to feast upon us, dividing us among themselves.
The realisation that mermaids were man-eating creatures had long been whispered in my ears. The impending sense of death and terror sent a shiver down my spine. There was barely any meat on my bones, not even enough to satisfy a mermaid’s appetite. We were doomed, left to our own devices with no one coming to rescue us. Despair consumed my thoughts. Damn it, I knew we were mere sacrificial pawns! The so-called NATO fleet was nothing but bullshit! No wonder they recruited us in such large numbers this year, to be used as cannon fodder! Bastards!
I closed my eyes, filled with a mixture of grief, indignation, and unwillingness, burning in my heart like a raging fire, even scorching away the fear within me. But this couldn’t stop me from being trapped in the dire fate at this moment.
I was brought by the group of merfolk who had captured me into the depths of the strait, in front of a massive and eerie cave. Along with my companions, we were each pinned down on the rocks, our limbs held firmly, as if waiting to be disemboweled like helpless animals.
But the merfolk holding us captive did not immediately attack us. Instead, they looked up towards the cave, as if waiting for something.
This made me think of the etiquette at noble tables, as if the merfolk also had a hierarchical system and distinctions of rank. They were probably waiting for someone of higher status. Damn it, whether it’s low-ranking or high-ranking merfolk, our fate was the same. Should I pray that the elders consume us in a more elegant manner, so that we die more swiftly and cleanly?
I could feel my legs trembling, and the enthusiasm and valour I had when I first joined the fleet seemed to evaporate along with the sweat. I didn’t want to admit how terrified I was, and I didn’t want to die like this. I was only fourteen, still young, and I hadn’t had the chance to earn my first medal, to wear a properly fitted naval uniform, or to write down all of this in my diary.
In the midst of my chaotic thoughts, on the verge of bursting into tears, I heard a rustling sound coming from the cave. All the surrounding merfolk lowered their heads in a posture of reverence. Then, a chilling and profound roar resonated through the air above us.
I couldn’t help but startle, feeling a sense of familiarity as if I had heard that sound somewhere before. I strained my neck to look up, and in front of the cave, a majestic male merman emerged from the water. Reflected in the water’s surface, I could see his silver-grey hair, flowing like long strands of seaweed, obscuring his face from my view. The tail that gradually rose above the water was pitch black, reminiscent of a killer whale, exuding a menacing aura. Yet, the scales shimmered with a translucent iridescence under the moonlight, like a death knight clad in dragon-scale armour, leaving anyone who laid eyes upon him in astonishment.
He moved slowly, circling towards the front of our group, gliding past each subdued individual on the rocks, resembling a king inspecting offerings from his subjects. There was no doubt in my mind that he was the leader of the merfolk. But what terrified me even more was that he didn’t linger near anyone else; instead, he swam directly towards me.
The merfolk leader lowered his head, his long and narrow eyes, that exuded a faint light fixed upon me, piercing into my heart. I stood frozen in place, unable to move, as his webbed claw gently caressed my cheek, moist palm gliding over my forehead, cheekbones, and chin. Then, he leaned down, and the shadow of his figure cast a dizzying, intoxicating aroma that enveloped me from above. My limbs were released from the grip of the other merfolk, and strong finned claws clasped firmly around my shoulders. I was startled, but I heard a hoarse, murmuring voice in my ear, “I’ve been waiting for you for fifty years… My little Desharow.”
“What?” I trembled, huddling my body, thinking that I must be experiencing a hallucination due to the fright—I heard the merman say my name?!
I didn’t even have a chance to comprehend the bizarre situation before I felt the merman’s webbed claws tighten around the back of my head. My lips were forcefully covered by something, and it began to fiercely bite and suck on them, as if it wanted to bite me into pieces and swallow me whole. As soon as I realised that the merman was kissing me, I let out a horrified scream and instinctively reached for the glass military knife on my thigh. In a state of panic, I stabbed it towards his back.
Thank you for the update
I’m confused.
Hi may I know what are you confused about, I’ll try my best to explain it to you!!
Yea, I’m confused too. Wasn’t Desharow attacked by Rhine and so how did we get back to Agar having waited 14 yrs for Desharow? How is Desharow 14 yrs now and wasn’t Rhine supposed to be dead?
I have the same confusion.
And this is now a new timeline as the last time is destroyed now kinda. I hope you understand now, I tried my best to explain, if you still don’t understand you can ask. Rereading might help to understand better now.
So are you telling me the rescent Desharow who was stabbed by Rhine no longer exist and basically succumbed to his injuries to have died? Because it still remains when Desharow had been stabbed by Rhine he was in Agares arms and so how did that occurrence transpire to Desharow not only Not injured, but in that current timeline at 14 years old? I hope that clears up my specific confusion and where we see the relapse
To be honest, I am relieved that Desharrow has been given a fresh start, regardless of how it came about (as I expressed my confusion in my previous question). It didn’t feel right to me that despite their affection for each other, Desharrow and Agares lacked communication, especially on Agares’ part. I say this because Agares failed to warn Desharrow that their consistent intimacy would eventually transform Desharrow into a merman. Agares neglected to convey this crucial information that would have affected Desharrow’s entire being, identity, and knowledge. I believe Agares was somewhat biased in this situation, even though I understand that he loves Desharrow whole heartedly and had a different upbringing and lifestyle. However, such important information should not have been disregarded. Desharrow also has a life, and a relationship should be a two-way street. I hope that in this new future ahead, they can finally find a balance and have a sincere conversation.
Once again, I deeply appreciate your assistance in answering our questions and for translating this remarkable story for us.
So I think I got where you are confused. So the time traveling desharow who died in Agares’s arms might have kinda like poffed, like turn into dust or just like gone cause he was not from that timeline, as he was from the future and he had already influened the change for future, hence his porpose of coming to the past. The desharow who died(Tim travel) was probably 25 or so years old. Now after the world War 2, in 1930 something, at that time neither of the desharows were born yet so now we have a time skip of about 50 so years, to when Desharow of this timeline of past is born again but with no memories since he is the Desharow of this time(the past). And now he has grow up to be 14 years old now. So we’ll have this version of desharow now. The older one who was with Agares of that future timeline is gone with that corrupted with dark matter agares. But the ‘new’ ones will have yhe memories and everything of that time too. It’s like taking information from one computer through pen drive and putting it into another one by inserting it 🙂
I hope this finally clears it
Ohh now you are making me embarrassed ☺ ahhh, I also love this story a lot and the manhua is just chefs kiss and yeah i understand that they finally get a fresh start but to be fair even if there was no Agares, that rhinoceros(Rhine) would have forced himself on him and probably forced him to join the German Nazi as he erased everything about Desharow. So I guess Desharow was kinda doomed anyway because if that monster so I guess why not get a handsome merman during that. And I also hope they communicate, I hope.
And you can ask me again if you don’t understand something, it’s okay.
Okay so, Desharow is 14 again and I’m kinda having mixed feelings about him and Agar kissing. Well, can’t expect a mermaid to know about human logic.
I don’t care about all this, someone just tell me why the fu”k is Rhine still alive????? Like WTF! Is he immortal or smth? In my life I’ve never seen a more stubborn human. He just refuses to die. I don’t care about that woman colonel whatever her name is, just Why Is He Still Alive??
Then please remember to check warnings on the next few chapters. And its probably to make us readers suffer I guess but yeah in ch 97(?) Or so, it was stated that Rhine also jumped through the gate with Desharow.
Oh! I don’t have that much of a problem with it. Tbh after reading sooo many novels I have grown kinda immune to it but thanks for the reminder.
¯\(ツ)/¯
I do remember that it’s just that Rhine is way too annoying. He gets on my nerves.
De hecho el Rhine de la otra línea del tiempo si murió, este es el Rhine de esta línea del tiempo
I know. Even if he’s from another timeline, he’s still Rhine and that automatically makes him annoying.
Confirmo
Really? Damn even I didn’t know since I just breezed through the rest of the novel and wanted to read while translating. Ahh but ain’t that a spoiler but well yeah Rhine is still an annoying cockroah that just doesn’t die. Gimme some insecticide guys.
¿¿Como que no sabías?? Eres el traductor xD
Did they go through time again is that what is happening right now?( And thank you for the update)
I hope you understand now since this time travel thing can be a bit confusing, feel free to ask me again. I might make a summary and add it in ch 101 so people who don’t get it can understand.
Oh okay I get now thank you so much for explaining it 😊
Thanks for the summary! I don’t think I understood that Desharow actually died from that wound. Then we just jumped to the future and I was kinda confused 😅. The fact that he died and it was to remove the “second” Desharow from the timeline made it all make sense!
If guys don’t understand anything you can always ask me again. Even the author again explains in ch 101 note so that may also help you guys.
Thank you for the updateee hnggg. At first i didnt know what was happening but i realized the the bombing of hiroshima didnt happen so world war 3 happened because daddy Agared was like, WAR. What hit me most was the Desharow died hnggggg and Reincarnated as the 14 yr old chikd soldier.
ok. can we talk about how we thought we finally got rid of Rhine, ONLY TO FIND HIM AGAIN IN THIS NEW TIMELINE???!!!! THIS GUY IS A FREAKING COCKROACH I SWEAR TO G-
Rhine is the personification of the popular saying: a bad vase doesn’t break
Más bien sería, “yerba mala nunca muere”
Right i think i get it now after reading the comments.
So after jumping thru the portal where they go back to the past Rhine gets killed and Desha probably dies too. But since they are from the future, their ‘deaths’ doesn’t really mean anything as they will be born in the future of this timeline again. And this chapter is what happens after Desha turns 14, so I suppose from the time Desha dies to when his future self is born again, Agares waited for (50-14) 36 years
Hi! I’m English and I just wanted to ask about what was meant by the English channel being described as some sort of passageway? The English channel is the area of sea between the UK and France so things like “narrowest part” of the English channel is confusing to me since none of it is narrow and it’s a few hours wide by boat 💓