Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

  Needless to say, it was certain that Sihwa had finally understood 52 Hertz. She said something to both 52 Hertz and the minke whales, managing to prevent a meaningless fight.

  Her song lasted for a few minutes, and it was modulated by the pickup device so Zhang Zian could hear it, too.

  52 Hertz was still excited, but its restlessness had already disappeared. It seemed to have understood that it wouldn’t be able to get an answer from Zhang Zian and his boat; they were not of its kind.

  The minke whales on the other side of the boat were probably persuaded by Sihwa, as well. Minke whales were originally a gentle animal, so after Sihwa had persuaded them, they dispersed in all directions with only a small part of them staying behind. The sounds picked up by the pickup device had also relaxed.

  Zhang Zian saw the mother and child minke whale. They hadn’t left, but instead had carefully approached his boat, rolling around the sea in a pleasant and soothing manner. As for the male whale, it had also stayed behind, which was definite, since it wanted to retain the title of the chief escort whale!

  It had attracted a lot of minke whales, including both males and females, and the remaining males were obviously after its target. They circled around the mother and child minke whale from a distance away.

  The external conflict had been resolved, so now, it was the conflict among their own: A courtship battle between the males.

  Zhang Zian had no sympathy for the male whales who had their brains infested with sperm. They were all so eager to get out of their d*mn single status that they wouldn’t even hesitate to fight.

  When Zian saw that the situation had de-escalated, he asked through the phone, “Sihwa, what did you say to them?”


  “I just told the side with more people to not start a fight, and that the big whale wasn’t a bad guy.” Sihwa was wiping off her sweat in the bathtub. The tense situation earlier had made her nervous. She had broken out in a sweat, which rarely happened, and now her whole body felt like it had been emptied.

  “And 52 Hertz, I told it that although it doesn’t have another one of its kind, for the time being, I’m able to understand it. Did you know? It wasn’t actually looking for another of its own kind, but it was just looking for someone who could understand it,” she added. “Do you get what I’m trying to say?”


  Zhang Zian had a sudden realization. Their previous speculations were slightly off. They had always thought that 52 Hertz was looking for its own kind so it could be free from its lonely status, but that wasn’t accurate.

  Many kinds of whales liked to be alone, and it was only during the courtship or breeding season that they liked to be accompanied by a spouse or children. Therefore, for 52 Hertz, although it was pitiful that it was unable to find another of the same kind, that wasn’t the most pitiful part. The most pitiful thing was that it didn’t have any friends… No creature could understand its voice, and no creature could communicate with it.

  Minke whales were also used to being alone, but were they lonely? No, they could communicate with other whales at any time.

  Destined to be alone was nothing, and it was fine to not have a partner… Whether it was humans or nature, there were many d*mn singles. But it was terrifying when friends, enemies, or even someone to communicate with didn’t exist… Even the otakus that didn’t leave their home had a few otaku friends and buddies on the Internet. They reigned over some forum under the name of some hero, smothering all dissident opponents with their spit and endless amounts of time.

  In the simplest terms, one could have been alone, but not lonely at the same time. One could do things alone and be alone, but they can’t be confined to themselves. That was the difference between alone and lonely.

  52 Hertz was the loneliest whale in the world, but it was not the only one that was alone. There are many whales that were alone out there.

  After Sihwa was done, she remained silent on the other side of the line, not knowing what she’s waiting for. All Zian could hear was the sound of her breathing.

  Zhang Zian cleared his throat and said, “Sihwa, thank you.”


  “Why… why did you suddenly thank me?” She suddenly panicked on the other side of the line. Her face flushed like a cooked shrimp.

  “Because you helped me––and you also helped 52 Hertz. You prevented a fight between 52 Hertz and the minke whales. If it weren’t for you, I don’t know how many whales would have died today.” He solemnly said, “You’ve done an incredible thing today.”


  “Nothing… it’s just a little thing…” Sihwa wasn’t used to being praised. She started to twist her body around in the bathtub, getting really embarrassed.

  “No, this is no trivial matter. This is very important, so I have to thank you for myself, 52 Hertz, and the minke whales,” he said. “In addition, I also have something to tell you.”


  “What? Why are you being so talkative? Can’t you just say it when you’re back? You’re wasting my phone bill…” she muttered softly.

  “Sihwa, I just want to tell you that although there are no other mermaids to accompany you, although you’re trapped in a bathtub and you can’t go out, Fina, Old Time Tea, Pi, Famous, and the other elfins, including me, are all able to understand you. Your thoughts are free. This is more important than anything else… You may be lonely, but you’re not alone.”


  “Really… Is that true?” Sihwa asked softly.

  “Yes, it’s true, so you don’t need to continue fantasizing about the long-legged oppa that doesn’t exist. We all know that you’re a kind-hearted child. You don’t need to escape in the fairy tale-like fantasy, or put your own value onto others. You also don’t have to be envious of humans that have legs because you are you, a unique little mermaid, and there are so many things in the world that only you can do. You’ve already let 52 Hertz, minke whales, and I see you blossom, and in the future, you will certainly bring happiness to more people!”


  After a long silence, Sihwa suddenly burst into tears. “Thank you… Thank you…”


  Zhang Zian was also embarrassed to say this, but he had kept all his thoughts about Sihwa’s growth and hard work to himself. She deserved to the compliments. After all, only when children were praised often did they build up confidence and grow up with good mental health.

  “Well, then I won’t waste your phone bill anymore. I’ll see you at home!” Zian said, then hung up and locked the screen.

  However, the screen automatically lit up again.

  [Navigation Elfin]: Congratulations! Your mermaid’s likeability has been upgraded to friendly. Its real name is being unlocked!

  [Game Hints]: Pet Attributes

  [Known as]: Mermaid

  [Rareness]: Epic/Legendary

  [Features]: Forgo being a dragon keeping one’s tail, yet descend as an immortal upon the world. Creatures with scales all miss her and come for a sleepover!

  [Unlocked Origins]: The legend of the mermaid has existed since ancient times, but most of them appear in front of the world as an evil Siren, enchanting all beings with their beauty and sound.

  In these legends, the mermaid was often extremely beautiful, and their voice so enchanting that no one could resist. Even the famous Greek hero Oedipus stuffed a candle in his ear and tied himself to a mast in order to resist the song of the mermaid. He did so to avoid sailing his ship towards the reef rocks out of the confusion of his mind.

  In the teachings of the Middle Ages, the mermaid was like the snake in the Garden of Eden; it was a symbol made to seduce people into falling.

  When Andersen wrote the eternally famous Daughter of the Sea, he completely reversed the inherent image of the mermaid with his own power.

  Under Andersen’s pen, the little mermaid was beautiful, had an enchanting voice, and a perfect appearance. But she was unable to be together with her loved one, and in the end, her soul was sublimated through being at ease. The tear-jerking story and the mermaid’s infatuation touched the hearts of countless girls, and ever since then, the evil Siren disappeared from everyone’s memory.

  Andersen admitted that Daughter of the Sea was the only fairy tale he had written that even spoke to himself.

  Later, in a period that wasn’t far off, another great writer and artist Oscar Wilde further perfected the image of the mermaid with The Fisherman and His Soul. He gave the mermaid the ability to attract fishes by singing. It was only because of the existence of Daughter of the Sea that Wilde’s fairy tale seemed slightly inferior.

  The two eternal fairy tales from two great writers made the story of the mermaid known to everyone. Now it was an indispensable bedtime story for countless young girls.

  Under the blessing of great faith, the little mermaid was born as an elfin into the world.

  [Real Name Unlocked]: Andersen & Wilde’s Crowning Fantasy!

  Zhang Zian silently read through the flashing text on the screen before he locked the screen again. He took in a few mouthfuls of fresh air and his mood became more relaxed.

  The minke whale and its mother were playing next to the assault boat when several male minke whales clashed in the distant sea. 52 Hertz had left while he was staring at his screen, but Zian knew that it would definitely return, since there was a little mermaid there who could understand it.

  The previous tension left him extremely exhausted, so he stretched his body and laid down in the boat, looking up at the sky and watching as white seabirds flew over his head. They stretched their wings and hovered freely in the air.

  The question that had been bugging him for a long time had finally been answered. He had always wondered why Sihwa didn’t exactly match the portrayal of the mermaid in Andersen’s fairy tale, and why she had the ability to summon marine creatures. The answer for that was because she was the combined creation of Andersen, Wilde, and other countless myths and legends.

  “Okay, go on home!” Zian waved goodbye to the mother and child minke whale, then started the motor and headed back for the shore.