Muscle—everywhere.
Deep blue skin.A protruding rounded snout.A shark's face.A dorsal fin slicing down its back.Webbed fingers stretched between clawed hands.
"Impressive strength… human."
The creature grinned wide, rows of razor teeth glistening in the torchlight.
"Sharkman?" Adam stepped back sharply.
Behind him, the pirate he'd stomped earlier rose again.
"Hurts like hell," the man chuckled, voice buzzing thickly. "If my body wasn't cartilage… I'd be fractured already."
Adam turned.
His pupils contracted.
An octopus-man.
Bald head. Trumpet-like mouth. One massive eye embedded in his face. Crimson skin, soft and swollen with flesh.
He raised both hands—
They split.
Eight tentacles unfurled instantly.
From behind his back—eight steel blades slid free.
Other pirates closed in.
Among them were more fishmen—though most were still human.
From the cliff above, Yu Jia's delayed warning drifted down:
"They're fishmen! Be careful—!"
Adam gave a faint, bitter smile.
Too late for caution.
Even if he'd known earlier—
He still would've jumped.
He would never abandon Yinling.
He stepped sideways slowly, widening distance from the two fishmen.
Fishmen… he knew them well.
Children of the demon Paz.
A grotesque demon whose whereabouts were now unknown.
In the ocean, fishmen were terrifying.
On land, weaker—but still formidable.
Any race tied to demons or angels was dangerous.
They had once been frontline troops in the War Above the Clouds.
"Who's your leader?" Adam asked calmly.
"I am."
The sharkman grinned, picking up his cleaver.
"Need something, strong human?"
"Who is your clan chief now?"
Adam had no intention of revealing himself—but he wanted intel.
Neither Feng Mi nor Yan Wu had mentioned fishmen activity.
He hadn't expected them to fall so low—
Reduced to piracy.
"Clan chief?" The sharkman chuckled. "No idea what you're talking about."
Adam adjusted.
"Then let me rephrase. After leaving the First City… what have your people been doing?"
The sharkman's eyelids lifted slightly.
"So you do know about us."
He licked his blade slowly.
"But I don't see fear in your eyes."
Adam exhaled quietly.
Interrogation was useless.
He counted numbers.
Distance to sea: under fifty meters.
If they reached water—he couldn't pursue.
If he fought—he had to kill them all.
No survivors.
No witnesses.
But against this force… near the shoreline…
His odds were uncertain.
Lure them away?
Risky. One slipping into the cave would doom Yinling.
Negotiation… was the safest path.
Adam straightened slightly and turned toward the cliff wall—
Walking casually.
Like on a stroll.
"Trying to run? Too late, human!" the sharkman roared, raising his blade.
"Kill him!"
Before the order finished—
Adam punched the cliff.
BOOM—!
The shoreline exploded in sand and stone.
Debris blasted outward. Rocks flew straight into the sharkman's open mouth. He coughed violently, shielding his eyes.
When the dust cleared—
Silence fell.
A crater.
Two meters wide. One meter deep.
At its center—
Adam stood calmly.
All pirates stepped back in unison.
Fists clenched. Sweat beading.
The sharkman's bravado collapsed instantly.
That power…
Was monstrous.
"Give me some face," Adam said politely.
"Leave this place. Friends."
A long pause.
Then the sharkman laughed.
"You're not human… are you?"
"No human is that strong."
"But you're polite. First one in two hundred years."
Adam inclined his head slightly.
"I simply wish to avoid unnecessary conflict. If you grant my request… we leave as friends."
"Friends? Hah… interesting."
He waved his cleaver.
"Fine. Whoever you are—I'll honor your manners."
"We're leaving!"
He turned immediately, leading fishmen and human pirates back to the boats.
Behind them, Adam remained watching.
One fishman jogged up beside the sharkman.
"Boss, we're just letting this go? He punched you."
"Of course. He was polite—and I'm generous."
Inside, he scoffed.
Idiot. That strength—why would we fight for nothing? We're pirates, not butchers.
Still…
What was that man?
What race looked human… yet held such power?
As boats were dragged back into the sea, the sharkman glanced back once more.
"…Better ask Father about this."
He boarded.
Adam heard that clearly.
This wasn't over.
Only when the pirate ship vanished beyond the horizon did Adam turn back to the cave.
Inside the Cave
Yinling lay where he'd left her.
Unharmed.
Adam hesitated—then drank from the blood pouch himself before lifting her.
His wings spread as he carried her up the cliff.
The earlier clash had drained what little stamina he had left.
He was near collapse.
He'd have to recover first—Yinling wouldn't awaken immediately anyway.
Atop the cliff, he grabbed the still-dazed Yu Jia and flew back to the clinic.
Basement Laboratory
Yu Jia handed over a fresh pouch of processed blood.
Adam lifted Yinling gently and fed her.
Even unconscious—
Her body drank instinctively.
Vampiric nature.
The blood vanished rapidly.
He kept pouring.
Slow at first—
Then faster.
Her body began subtle movement.
Chest rising faintly.
Breathing reflex returning.
A sign of consciousness recovery.
"Another pouch."
"Got it!"
Yu Jia rushed to refill.
Processed blood flowed through tubing again.
Paler than natural blood—
But purer. Stable. Resistant to coagulation and decay.
"I… don't know your name yet," Yu Jia said.
"Adam."
A common enough name.
No suspicion.
"Adam, you were incredible. With you around, I'm not afraid of hunters anymore!"
"You're wrong," Adam said flatly. "They'll be back."
Yu Jia froze.
"They will?"
"They mentioned consulting other fishmen. Next time—there'll be many."
Yu Jia frowned.
"Unlikely. Fishmen are solitary. Hard to gather numbers."
Adam turned to look at him.
"You know them well?"
"Somewhat. I study many races," Yu Jia said proudly. "Fishmen are lazy. Prefer piracy. Some get recruited into navies."
Lazy…
Very fitting for Paz's bloodline.
"Regardless, we're leaving," Adam said. "You're coming."
He'd decided.
Even a Fifteenth-Gen had uses.
Yinling coughed weakly then—blood intake sufficient.
"Where to?" Yu Jia asked.
Adam patted Yinling's back gently until her breathing steadied.
Still unconscious. Exhausted.
He drank more blood himself.
He wasn't full yet.
"Where can I learn vampire secret arts?" he asked, walking to the blood valve.
Yu Jia thought.
"If you can self-study… Athena Library has extensive vampire archives."
"Athena…" Adam murmured. "Sounds Aegean."
He drank again.
Athena—Greek goddess of wisdom.
So Greece existed here too?
History had changed… but not entirely?
"Yeah," Yu Jia said casually. "In Athens. Capital of Greece."
Adam spat blood across the floor.
"Greece exists?!"
Then realization struck.
Earth had native humans.
Their history predated Eden's descent.
If Greece existed—
So did Egypt.
And…
The Han.
Han…
Moisture gathered in Adam's eyes.
Faces surfaced—
Parents. Classmates. Friends. Colleagues.
Memories from another life.
Unfading.