The streets of Windbreaker City were bustling with crowds, the sounds of vendors shouting and people calling out echoing in the air. The lively scene was in stark contrast to the coolness of the night. Leo, Luna, and Dan walked slowly, not speaking much to each other. Lacking the mermaid transformation potion, they could only stay in the city for the time being, waiting for the supply of potions.
As the three of them walked down the street, they observed everything around them. The people in the city didn't pay them any special attention, as the residents were used to seeing all kinds of unfamiliar faces. Despite Dan and Luna's unusual appearances, they didn't stand out too much, as they didn't show any overt abnormalities.
Suddenly, a stumbling man came from the side and collided straight into Dan. The man was frail, dressed in tattered clothes, and his face was flushed, clearly drunk. He staggered a few steps, muttering incoherently, "You... you monster!... What are you looking at, dare to bump into me…"
He cursed as he pointed at Dan, his eyes unsteady, with a mix of anger and embarrassment in his tone. Leo frowned at the scene and took a slow step forward, his gaze turning wary. He stood between Dan and the drunk, ready to act at any moment. Dan, however, remained calm, his expression unchanged, as if he was used to such situations.
The drunk man's curses grew louder, drawing the attention of the people around them. Yet, Dan still made no move, his eyes flickering with a thoughtful light, as if the drunk's insults didn't affect him at all.
At that moment, several armored guards swiftly approached, clearly having noticed the commotion. One of the guards stepped forward and helped the drunk up, bowing respectfully as he said, "Young Master, please come with us."
Upon hearing the words "Young Master," Leo immediately furrowed his brow. He turned to Luna and whispered, "Is he the Young Master who likes to eat mermaid meat?"
Luna's eyes flashed with confusion, but she didn't answer immediately, only giving a slight nod. She seemed to be observing the drunk man closely, trying to find some clue.
"I... it hurts..." The drunk suddenly cried out in pain, then shook violently, clutching his chest with both hands, his face contorted in unbearable agony. He mumbled continuously, "Antidote... antidote... I need the antidote…"
His voice grew more frantic, as if each second was filled with immense suffering. The guards immediately helped him up and quickly moved him toward the inner city.
"Young Master, are you all right?" one of the guards asked with concern.
The drunk man didn't answer, still groaning in pain, clearly unable to speak coherently. The other guards quickly helped him away, and they soon disappeared into the crowd.
"That Young Master is definitely unusual," Luna said in a low tone, gently stroking her chin with a hint of doubt in her eyes. "Not only is he delirious, but the energy fluctuations in his body are also quite intense."
Upon hearing Luna's words, Leo felt a surge of confusion. He turned to Dan, his eyes filled with puzzlement. "What do you think happened to him?"
Dan didn't answer immediately. He silently observed the direction in which the Young Master was taken, his brow furrowing slightly. There was a flicker of contemplation in his eyes, clearly feeling that this was no simple matter.
"Perhaps we can find some clues from him," Dan said in a low voice, though he didn't say more. Clearly, he wasn't planning to discuss it further.
Just as the three were about to leave, a sharp gust of wind suddenly howled from behind them. Leo felt his vision blur, his body being pulled by a powerful force. In an instant, the environment around them changed drastically.
The texture of the air shifted, the noise of the streets vanished, replaced by a profound silence. Leo and Luna froze, their surroundings now completely different—they were no longer standing on the streets of Windbreaker City, but had instead been transported to a narrow, dimly lit alley.
Luna widened her eyes, a look of surprise crossing her face. "Space transference magic... How did we get sent here?"
Her voice carried a clear sense of shock and confusion, clearly unprepared for such an abrupt change. Leo's eyes scanned the area, noticing the gloomy atmosphere—the walls of the alley were covered in moss, a few dim yellow lights cast eerie glows, and the air was thick with a sense of oppression.
Dan's expression grew serious, his gaze sweeping the surroundings. "Someone deliberately used space transference magic to bring us here," he said softly, a flicker of vigilance crossing his eyes. "Someone has been watching us."
The atmosphere in the alley grew increasingly dark, the air seeming to freeze, suffocating and unsettling. Suddenly, a deep voice echoed through the silence: "You've crossed the line with the mermaid tribe by rescuing humans from the sea."
Leo, Luna, and Dan all froze, looking toward the source of the voice. The voice carried an unspoken pressure, like an invisible force emanating from it, causing the three of them to feel an instant chill.
A figure stepped out from the darkness. At first glance, he appeared to be a frail beggar, dressed in a tattered robe, his face covered in a scruffy beard, and his posture hunched. He looked unremarkable, standing at the far end of the alley, his cold gaze fixed on them. The surrounding darkness seemed to devour everything around him.
Leo's eyes immediately turned alert, and he stared in surprise, whispering, "It's you?!"
He recognized this beggar. It was the same beggar they had encountered when they first arrived in Windbreaker City. At that time, the beggar had hinted at some secrets about the mermaid tribe. Though his words had been vague, the content had made Leo deeply suspicious. To his surprise, they had run into him again in this dim alley, and the beggar now seemed even more mysterious.
Luna also sensed something was off. She immediately responded cautiously, "You can use space transference magic, and you know we rescued humans from the sea. You must be a powerful mage. Why disguise yourself as a beggar?"
The beggar let out a cold laugh, his deep voice tinged with sarcasm. "A mage?" He threw his head back and laughed, his voice echoing through the alley, sharp and grating. "Hahaha, I was indeed once a powerful mage, but now... I've fallen." He paused, a deep weariness and helplessness flashing in his eyes, as if all the glory and dignity he once had had long since faded.
After speaking, the beggar's gaze casually swept over Dan before he suddenly asked, "Young man, you're from the mermaid tribe. Why do you help humans?"
Dan was taken aback by this question, his brow furrowing slightly. He hadn't expected this seemingly pathetic beggar to see through his mermaid origins so easily. He had no idea just how powerful the beggar truly was.
Dan didn't immediately respond but sighed softly, his expression complex. "The struggle between humans and mermaids should not involve these innocent people." He gazed at the beggar, his eyes firm, his voice resolute. "No matter what our tribes are like, ordinary people shouldn't be pawns."
The beggar was silent for a moment, as if contemplating something. His eyes deepened, as if seeing through time and space to an unknown truth. "The conflict between humans and mermaids is far more complicated than you realize," the beggar whispered, his voice heavy with meaning. "You only see the surface opposition, but the real enemy has long been manipulating everything from behind the scenes."
His tone was full of warning, as if revealing a hidden world far beyond what Leo and Luna could imagine.
The beggar paused for a moment before continuing, "You must have noticed the Young Master's abnormality, right? The mermaid transformation potion you're looking for is in the Young Master's residence. Remember, don't trust anyone's words." After saying this, his gaze swept over the three of them, as if he could see through their every thought.
Then, with a subtle movement, he turned and vanished into the darkness, blending with the shadows, disappearing without a trace.
The three of them stood frozen. The air seemed to have solidified. Leo and Luna exchanged a look, both filled with an inexplicable unease. The beggar's words were full of hints and warnings, but why would he provide them with such information at this moment? Was he truly trying to help them, or did he have other motives?
"What do you think?" Leo whispered.
Luna's brow furrowed, clearly filled with doubt. "I can't sense any powerful energy from him. If he were a mage, I should be able to sense more. But he clearly doesn't seem like a regular beggar." She paused for a moment, then continued, "His words are worth considering, especially about the Young Master."
Dan's eyes remained calm. He shook his head lightly and spoke in a low voice, "What if this is a trap? If he really has such power, why didn't he just deal with us directly? Why go through the trouble of guiding us this way?"
Leo didn't answer immediately, instead lost in thought. Indeed, the beggar's actions were full of suspicious signs, and his words seemed to hide many layers of meaning. But whether they were true or not, no one could say for sure. Even so, Leo couldn't help but feel a strong urge to investigate further.
"I think we should go and check it out. "