Fate Trading System – Chapter 291

Plan A

Divine Vestige 17

Su Xin was immaculate, clean from head to toe, because she had bathed a full three times.

She was fragrant all over, her clothes and hair perfectly arranged. It was a clear sign of how seriously the villagers took the sacrifice.

Su Xin felt like the only thing missing was a sign on her body that read 【Please Enjoy Your Meal】. It was utterly terrifying.

The main story NPC probably wasn’t among the ten people chosen this time.

Every instance, no matter which one, had to have a trigger.

The trigger for this instance was a girl who was about to become a sacrifice, which was meant to draw the players into the story.

Su Xin didn’t care about the others. All she had to do was get into the water and rendezvous with Slayer.

All ten people were dressed in the same clothes. Su Xin’s hands and feet were bound, her mouth was gagged, and she was made to face the sea.

On her system panel, Su Xin equipped the Water-Entry Pearl, a tool that allowed her to breathe and speak freely in the water. Because it was controlled by the panel, she didn’t need to hold it in her mouth.

The seawater gradually swallowed them. The others, driven by their survival instincts, began to struggle. But with their limbs bound, they couldn’t move at all, forced to slowly taste the flavor of death.

Su Xin, however, felt nothing in particular. She closed her eyes and let herself sink.

Something cold and icy caught her. Su Xin opened her eyes.

The face that greeted her was somewhat indifferent, its eyes the blue of the ocean, a shade deeper than Slayer’s original color.

“Found you.”

Slayer whispered in Su Xin’s ear, her fishtail swaying.

Slayer had noticed Su Xin the moment she was lowered into the water. Another merfolk had intended to receive Su Xin, but Slayer had pushed them aside.

The seawater soaked through her clothes, revealing Su Xin’s fine figure for all to see. There was no way Slayer would let anyone else touch her.

It wasn’t impossible for the merfolk to help a human survive at the bottom of the sea, it just took some effort. Su Xin had the Water-Entry Pearl so she had nothing to fear, but she still had to put on an act in front of the other merfolk.

Slayer passed a breath of air to Su Xin and, holding her, swam toward the depths.

The merfolk palace was magnificent, and all the members of the clan were gathered there.

The merfolk population wasn’t large. They lived for a very long time and would mate and give birth during their annual breeding season, but their fertility rate was low.

The merfolk were awaiting their once-a-year feast. Although the taste of fish was delicious, it couldn’t compare to the flesh of humans.

Of course, not all merfolk felt that way. Those who disliked it were not required to attend.

The other nine people had already fainted, but Su Xin was still cradled in Slayer’s arms.

“King¹?”

The other merfolk looked at Slayer, puzzled. Slayer stroked Su Xin’s face, then swam up from the throne.

“I’m keeping this one here. You can divide the others among yourselves.”

Slayer had no interest in human flesh. She carried Su Xin toward her personal quarters.

“What does the King mean by this? Does she plan to keep that human as a pet? But that’s useless.”

The merfolk were confused, but a moment later, they cast the matter aside.

After all, there were nine fragrant meals waiting for them. The King could do whatever she wanted.

Once they were far away from the other merfolk, Su Xin stopped pretending to be unconscious and opened her eyes.

“How’s the situation?”

“Not bad. The Merfolk God, Seirman², is probably the most approachable god there is. He communicates with his people frequently. It shouldn’t be too difficult to summon him using the King’s identity.”

The merfolk all had voices like the music of the heavens. They loved to sing, play instruments, and listen.

The King NPC that Slayer had replaced was the most beautiful singer in the entire ocean.

“But I seem to have run into a problem.”

Slayer sounded a bit helpless. She had the original person’s memories, her voice, and her singing skills, but she lacked that deep emotion.

“What kind of problem?”

Su Xin watched Slayer. Slayer’s hand rested beside her. Her fingers weren’t like a human’s; a thin, transparent membrane connected them, like the webbing on a duck’s foot.

“My singing voice… it doesn’t seem to move him the way the King’s did. I’ve been calling to him for days, but he hasn’t appeared.”

Of course, when you sang for one person and one person alone, your voice would be saturated with deep affection.

It would be a moving sound, overflowing with a joy that couldn’t be concealed, one that could make the listener’s heart soar with excitement.

The most beautiful singing in the world was, without a doubt, that which was filled with deep emotion.

It could be invigorating, blissful, sweet, and thrilling, or it could be sorrowful and heart-wrenching.

When Slayer sang to the ocean, she thought she sounded pretty good, and so did her people. But Slayer herself knew she was still missing something compared to the original Merfolk King.

Su Xin fell into thought. How do you make someone’s singing full of emotion?

“Slayer, do you want to sing a happy song or a sad one?”

“A happy one.”

“Then just imagine me with you every day. Ah… I’m with you right now. Why don’t you sing for me?”

“Okay.”

Slayer thought about what song would be suitable.

“Seirman’s weak spot is on his lower back. This time, we’ll play it by ear. You sing to grab his attention. See which way he turns his back—I think it’s more likely he’ll face away from me. Or, you could do something else to distract him then, and then I’ll make my move. You’ll be in charge of it this time.”

“Okay.”

“Don’t think too much right now. Just relax and be natural. In your eyes, there is no sky and no sea. Your world is very narrow, and I am the only one in it.”

“You sing for me. Your eyes, your heart, your mind—they are all filled with me.”

“You submit to me.”

As Su Xin guided her like this, she felt a tiny spark of wickedness.

Slayer was like an innocent princess, being coaxed by her, the evil witch.

“You’re so enchanting.”

Slayer moved closer, her hair floating obediently in the water. She couldn’t help but press her lips against Su Xin’s, full of fervor and love.

Su Xin felt like she was being hypnotized.

During the gaps in the kiss, Su Xin’s mind even wandered to other things, like how magical the Water-Entry Pearl was. Seawater wasn’t even getting into their mouths while they were kissing.

A nimble, ethereal song drifted through the deep sea, pleasing and beautiful to the ear.

“It’s the King, singing.”

The merfolk stopped their feeding and swam toward the source of the song.

“If there is a treasure in this world,
Then it must be your obsidian eyes,
Where the ocean’s deepest love lies,
Tempting me to fall, to drown,
From where have I come,
And to where shall I return,
Blind and with no place to rest,
Until I saw you,
Your hair, a beauty woven from moonlight,
Your lips, fragrant and sweet as a flower,
Your heartbeat, so vibrant and strong,
In that one moment, I fell in love with you,
From now on, I will have you to rely on,
…”

The merfolk gathered outside the King’s palace. They couldn’t enter, nor could they see inside, but it didn’t matter, because the song could not be hindered by such things.

The love and deep affection in the song made all the merfolk unable to resist singing along.

I am so fervently obsessed with you, can you hear me?

Su Xin heard it. She looked at the silhouette of the merfolk in the distance with a complicated expression.

Slayer…

Master Fourteen, if this game world collapses, will she still exist?

【This one does not know.】

Fourteen’s voice was always so flat and mechanical, so cold. Yet, strangely, it could sober a person up in an instant.

If she can exist in reality, I think I’ll find her and be with her.

Su Xin had always thought that she didn’t like simple things because they didn’t suit her.

She disliked ignorance and didn’t particularly yearn for the light. But now, she was discovering why simple people were so attractive.

That kind of pure, obsessive love that was loyal only to you—it was an emotion few could refuse, so unrestrained and bold.

“I offer everything to you,
And ask only to lose myself with you,
Be it this enchanting voice,
Or this foolish heart that exists for you,
I am here,
Belonging only to you,
…”

Su Xin thought that this Slayer, molded by her own hands, was truly adorable.

Is there a correct, predictable formula for love?

There isn’t.

Things that are tailored and fit into neat little boxes might not turn out perfectly, but they might just be the most suitable version of what could be.

Su Xin thought she liked people who were direct, sharp, and not clingy. But when Slayer acted cute and clung to her, Su Xin found she couldn’t resist that either.

“My child, your voice rivals the most beautiful things in the world.”

Seirman had appeared.

All the creatures of the sea were mesmerized by the song; it was impossible for Seirman not to be drawn to it.

“Good day, my God.”

Slayer’s expression was still joyful, softening the cold, beautiful face of the King into something lovely.

“My child, I am pleased to see you have improved again.”

Seirman only had eyes for Slayer. He couldn’t help but begin discussing her song with her. As for Su Xin behind her, he paid her no mind at all. She was just a fragile human who could die at any moment. Seirman felt they didn’t even need to do anything; the human would die on her own, unable to withstand the pressure of the deep sea.

When is the best time for an assassination?

Naturally, it’s when the prey is contemptuous, or even completely oblivious.

Su Xin had Fourteen retrieve a dagger she had once redeemed in an instance. A product of the system was guaranteed to be of the finest quality.

It was every bit as sharp as Slayer’s weapon. Su Xin locked onto the right spot.

“Thank you for your praise, my God.”

“You never used to sing songs like this. What, have you found someone you like?”

Seirman didn’t care if Slayer took a king consort. For the merfolk, union was for procreation, not love. To be precise, besides humans, other races were much the same, with procreation as their primary purpose—except for the elves, who didn’t need to procreate themselves.

It had been a long time since Seirman had heard such a song from one of his own people.

“Yes, my God. I have found my love.”

“Where is she?”

An excruciating pain erupted from his back. Before Seirman even had a chance to struggle, his body began to dissipate.

“Right behind you,” Slayer said with a smile.

Job done!

Slayer collected the godhood, then seized Su Xin and started to kiss her.

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