Chapter 88 The mission failed miserably; instead of gaining hatred, it was met with...

That night, Vasher awoke in agonizing suffocation.

"Gurgle—"

When he opened his eyes, all he saw was the shimmering sea under the moonlight. Vashe was being pushed underwater by the half-demon, who was stepping on his chest. He looked up at the half-demon's blurry golden eyes in pain.

Damn it!

How dare a poor wretch dressed in rags, who can't even afford shoes, treat me like this!

Half-demons are never picky about their human form attire. As long as it is loose, tight, and can cover the whole body as quickly and as much as possible, that's fine. If it can also carry a reassuring scent, no matter who the scent comes from, the clothes are top-quality, regardless of the style, material, or price.

Unfortunately, people can never understand a cat's mind; they always try to apply their own values ​​to Mainkun.

"Pfft!"

A water-soaked head desperately tried to surface:

"You...you're really short of money, aren't you? I'm rich, I'm incredibly rich! I own a business guild! You can have all the Mora, just spare my life!"

“.

Mainkuhn shook the bottle of fetal seawater in his hand at him.

Tell me, what is this thing? Where did it come from?

Vasher's eyes lit up, and he immediately misunderstood:

"You...you want saponin water? No problem, I'll give you as much as you want!"

[...?]

As the sole supplier of saline solution, Vashe quickly praised the saline solution, hoping that the other party would treat him with courtesy for the sake of his baby.

"Young man, you have such a good eye! This fetal seawater kills without a trace, destroys the body without leaving a trace, and is also environmentally friendly and affordable. Yes, affordable. The fetal seawater that has dissolved people can be collected and reused to dissolve other people... glug!"

Mainkuhn stomped him into the water.

[！！！]

"Gurgle—Brother, I'm telling the truth!"

Vasher didn't understand why Mainkuen's body started trembling as he listened. Based on his experience, he guessed that Mainkuen probably didn't believe in the wonders of this amazing tool and thought he was being deceived like a fool. So he quickly struggled to his feet and shouted to clarify:

"I've done experiments, and I have hundreds of experimental records at my other base! Fetal water is really useful, an essential for murder and robbery—goooooo!!"

[Meow! Shut up! Shut up!]

The moment he mentioned dissolving, Mainkuhn thought of Leosley, Fimini, Navelette... and his stomping on him became more and more ruthless and severe with each step.

[Ah! I already know my brother will dissolve! Stop emphasizing it! Just tell me where the water came from!]

"Ugh!"

Vasher was nearly crushed to death by the enraged cat, and frantically tried to save himself:

"If you're still short on cash, you can dilute this stuff and make it into Less to sell; that'll make you money even faster..."

[...]

"Really! Trust me! This is based on experience!"

[Aww!! White!]

"Damn it, so you've already killed one of my sworn brothers!" Mainkun was furious and retaliated by breaking Vasher's arms and legs into eight pieces.

"Ah, ah—!"

The interrogation was suspended. Mainkun grabbed Vasher by the hair and continued walking forward, carrying Vasher's screaming body.

If the trial continues, Mainkuhn feels he might lose control and kill Vasher, so he has to hold off for now, at least until he has received the injection.

But we cannot waste precious time, as disaster could strike at any moment.

Therefore, Mainkuhn decided to visit another being in the world who understood the waters of the womb.

"Where are you taking me?! Let me go, please!"

[Where to? Ha, to find the only saint in this world who won't cut your throat.]

Bloodstains were left on the road to the Opizlie Opera House.

[And the only mute who can answer my questions, Fucarus, even the dogs are barking incessantly because of the signs of an earthquake, and you still want to be a silent idol?]

"I'm sorry, I was wrong!"

The broken bone pierced through the flesh and rubbed against the street, causing Vashj to wail and sneer in pain.

"My lord! My lord! Whatever I have done to offend you, it's because I'm an idiot! Please calm down and spare my life!"

"..."

Upon hearing this, Mainkun sensed the emotions surging into his body.

He showed no remorse.

Vasher still doesn't think he's done anything wrong.

But fear and violence are enough to make all evil people yield and weep.

However, this deterrence is the duty that the death penalty should bear.

However, Mainkuhn mistakenly took over the task.

[Fukaros, come and see the monsters nurtured by this benevolent kingdom.]

Frustrated, Mainkuhn walked past the Dewy Spring where no one made a wish. He decided in his heart that he would throw Marcellus in front of the gods later and make a good laugh at her.

"Your law of no death penalty is being completely disregarded."

Will this make the gods stop smiling, change their expression, and reconsider the issue of the death penalty?

"...Who, who!"

As Mainkuen was lost in thought, he saw Marcellus, his limbs severed and being dragged like a dead dog, suddenly twitch and scream into the empty darkness:

"Who...how do you know my name??"

"?"

Mainkuen fiddled with his drooping cat ears, completely bewildered, but heard nothing. He blinked his reflective beast eyes, only to see Lu Jingquan all alone.

[Audio hallucination?]

[Are you out of your mind?]

Mainkun flicked his short tail in confusion, trying to drag the man forward, but the body beneath him, which was convulsing and screaming in pain, became excited and groaned out cries of pleasure.

"No one knows my name except... Vinier! Is that you? Is that you?"

"Ah...it really is you, I've finally seen you..."

Tears of joy streamed down her face again.

[...Are you crazy?]

Mainkun found Vascher's happy face extremely irritating and was about to slap him to bring him to his senses when he saw Vascher suddenly widen his eyes, contort his face, and let out a ferocious scream:

"No, you are not Verner!!"

...

Joy vanished, replaced by a massive surge of terror that rushed into Mainkuen's body with a scream.

With a thud, Marcel convulsed twice, then finally collapsed at his feet, his face contorted in pain, and stopped breathing.

"???"

Mainkuen stood there bewildered, repeatedly confirming that there was indeed only one heartbeat near Lu Jingquan, and it was his own; there really, really, really no other living thing.

But Marcel died.

He died without any reason.

[What?! A ghost? A vengeful spirit seeking revenge?]

Mainkuhn was a little scared. He pressed his ears down and peeked around for a while before suddenly realizing something was wrong.

[Wait, the person being interrogated is dead.]

[And all I know right now is that the water that can dissolve human flesh is called fetal seawater.]

[...]

[Aaaaaah! Come back to life!!]

Mainkuhn immediately crouched down, placed his hands in a non-standard first aid position on the human's chest, and pressed down hard! Snap! The effect was remarkable; Marcellus broke twelve ribs!

[...It's quite normal to break ribs during first aid!]

Mainkuhn immediately adjusted his first aid techniques, trying to open Marcel's head to perform artificial respiration... Okay, there's no need for resuscitation anymore, because Marcel has become Louis XVI.

"Whoosh~ Whoosh~"

The sound of cheerful water echoed from Lujing Spring.

"..."

It couldn't conceal the lament in Mainkun's heart.

[Ughhhhh!]

[That's why I'm reluctant to touch humans! They're too fragile!! I have to be constantly careful with the pressure I apply!]

With a stiff face, Mainkuhn grabbed the head in one hand and the body in the other, and rushed into the opera house, frantically banging on his hand to issue a ruling to the cardinal.

[Fukaros——]

"You're here again, little cat."

Fucarus was awakened and opened his eyes to see a young man covered in red, barefoot and wrapped in rags, jumping around frantically on the stage. In the middle of him lay a headless male corpse, and blood was flowing all over the opera house.

"Sacrifice? I miss it so much."

"..."

No! Child, you killed someone and then brought the body directly to court? Is that right?

Having lived for hundreds of years, this was the first time Fukaros had experienced the feeling of wanting to say something but holding back.

“Bring him back to life—” the cat whined. Fukaros wasn't human, and Mainkun could communicate with her freely.

"I still have questions for him!"

"This is a bit difficult for God."

With a headache, Fukaros rubbed his forehead, waved his hand, and decided to first capture the cat and put it into the mental world.

"Tell me about it, Xiao En."

After a flash of bright light, the familiar goddess appeared before Mainkun, her smile tinged with helplessness and reproach.

"What grave crime has my subject committed that you would so cruelly kill him?"

"There are too many, I'll talk about them in a bit."

Mainkuhn, too lazy to defend himself, pulled out the fetal water from his pocket and went straight to the point... Marcellus was beyond saving; now he could only pray to God:

"Is this the culprit that destroyed Fontaine? Tell me, will all the seawater in Fontaine turn into this in the future? You are not allowed to remain silent..."

"Where did you get this?"

Fucaros was startled, and simply said:

"yes."

Mainkuhn was stunned, and immediately looked at him with suspicion: "...Why so decisive?"

"You already have the answer to this question in your heart, you just don't want to admit it."

Looking with a touch of pity at the boy who was about her height, Fucarus offered words of comfort for what seemed like the umpteenth time:

"Stop thinking about prophecies. Your status is too low to fight against fate."

"Now, I have my second question."

Mainkuhn couldn't understand what she was saying, but he took advantage of her rare candor to press her for answers:

"Why doesn't the water of Teyvat accept the negative emotions I pour into it? Isn't the water of Teyvat supposed to accept all human emotions?"

This problem terrified him the most and made him most uneasy.

"...The negative emotions you infused?" Fukaros repeated, a pure look of confusion appearing between his brows for the first time.

"Yes!"

Mainkuhn's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible anxiety.

"From the moment I discovered that it could dissolve people, I have been trying to control it with negative emotions—fear, anger, hatred... but none of them work, I can't get in!"

"Wait, wait."

Fucarus waved his hands repeatedly, trying to make sense of this astonishing information:

"Your power comes from emotions? Rare, extremely rare. One of your fathers or mothers must be extraordinary... No wonder you can easily control the compensatory energy transformed from justice. Is this what you rely on to save the world?"

"It's just negative emotions."

Mainkuhn cautioned that the attitude was like emphasizing a dirty but useful tool.

"Impossible, justice is not a negative emotion."

Fukalos wanted to argue, but Mainkuhn didn't want to listen; his focus was never on the bloodline he hated.

"Tell me why first!"

"Okay, okay, don't rush."

After skillfully calming her down, Fucarus began to feel awkward:

"How can I explain this to you...? Do you know about the power of the Light Realm and the power of the Human Realm?"

"?" The cat, lacking in education, replied, "Never heard of it."

"Hmm... that's a bit difficult to explain."

Being a teacher was also a novel experience, and when it didn't involve her own salvation plan, Fucarus was happy to talk more:

"The water commonly found on the continent of Teyvat, whether it be rivers, rainwater, or the water elemental power controlled by those who possess the Eye of God, all fall under the category of human power."

"Moreover, the power of the human realm is also closely related to humans. In addition to the gentle elemental power, human emotions, memories, desires... these desires are also the power of the human realm."

"The water element of the human realm is gentle, like a natural container or carrier, which can absorb and store emotions that are also part of the human realm."

"However, the water of the primordial womb is completely different. It is not a creation of the human realm, but a manifestation of the light realm, the most primordial existence in the world, the origin of life."

Fukalos quickly skipped over this part, only emphasizing to Mainkuen:

“Xiao En, since your power originates from emotions, it is naturally compatible with the power system of the human realm. However, to control the waters of the womb, what is needed is not emotions, but rather…”

Understanding and mastering the fundamental laws of life.

This is usually the authority of the water dragon king.

Fukalos swallowed those two sentences and glanced meaningfully in the direction of the Mo Mang Palace.

"Do you understand? Give up, stop trying."

Finally, she smiled and patted the bewildered student with pity.

"This isn't a blow, it's just the truth: you really can't do anything about it."

The gods are not tactful.

She was deliberately trying to make the other person give up; futile efforts are nothing short of torture.

"...I see, I understand now."

The other party did indeed give the answer she wanted to hear.

"Good that you understand. All you need to do is trust me wholeheartedly and then put all the burdens on me."

“Seawater for raising fish…” Mainkun suddenly looked up, interrupting her, and asked an extremely strange question, “Can you raise fish in it?”

"...Can?" She was completely caught off guard by this leap in her thinking.

"Can I keep sea otters, chubby leopards, jellyfish... as pets?"

Mainkuhn then listed a long string of marine creatures.

Yes, all of them are possible.

Fukalos had absolutely no idea what he was doing.

"The Primordial Ocean is a special body of water in Teyvat that nurtures life. Almost all life is born from this primordial ocean, which is as harmless as a mother."

harmless.

"Only dissolve the Fengdan people?"

"Only dissolve the Fontainebleau people."

"How can there be racial discrimination here?"

Mainkuhn was a little puzzled, but more relieved. He breathed a sigh of relief, a smile appearing in his vertical pupils.

"Thank you, Fucarus. That's wonderful. My plan to save the world is still correct."

"What?" Fukalos's heart skipped a beat, sensing that the cat was about to say something earth-shattering.

"I assume."

Perhaps Mainkuhn devoted his entire life's intelligence to this hypothesis.

“One day in the future, more and more of the fetal seawater will leak from somewhere, merge with the seawater, cause the water level to rise, and submerge Fontaine.”

"..." Fukalos fell completely silent, not even smiling, but just looking at him with the same heterochromatic eyes as Funina, to see what futile struggles he would make.

She got what she wanted.

"So."

Mainkun never speaks, and his voice is weak and feeble, light and hoarse, just as harmless as when he is in cat form.

He used such a weak and unrefined voice to spout arrogant remarks.

"I'll just pump out that ordinary seawater!"

"I'll extract as much seawater as my body temperature increases. If it increases a lot, I'll extract more; if it increases a little, I'll extract less. If it goes off the charts, I'll extract all the seawater."

"!?"

A plan a hundred times more desperate than Remuria's, a thousand times more foolish than Alan Giordan's, and ten thousand times more insane than Rene's, showed Fucarus only the tip of the iceberg.

Hahahaha!

Even though Mainkun hadn't been injected with any drugs, he could still feel an unbridled excitement and pleasure. He opened his arms as if to embrace the imaginary, overwhelming malice controlled by his will:

"I will use the hatred of mankind as my signal, so that the world-destroying tide will never rise again, and I will ensure that the tide of death will never touch the walls of Fontaine City! Hahahaha!"

"Be happy for me, Fucarus."

In the very end, he suddenly looked at the stunned god, his eyes burning with madness and a hint of self-destructive mockery.

"I have finally found meaning in my lowly life."

The mockery quickly faded because Mainkuhn was genuinely unwilling to focus on himself; he reviewed the salvation plan and examined its shortcomings:

"From now on, the people of Fontainebleau will no longer be able to swim in their own country's seas. What a pity."

*

"Stop! Just trust me, don't do anything else!"

Fukalos firmly protested and tried to stop them.

"I don't even know if I should have granted your wish back then and sentenced you to death."

She was even so pessimistic that she said such things.

"Do you know how much negative emotion it takes to blacken a sea? You would be tragically murdered, fleeing in hatred, never finding peace in death, and leaving a lasting infamy."

"I can die, but my brother cannot die."

Mainkun has read the random replies and is focused on his own plans:

"Where do you think I should put the extracted Fontainebleau water? In the Sumeru Desert?"

This is the most important step in his plan.

Without finding a good way to contain the seawater, everything else is just empty talk.

Therefore, Fucarus said:

I will never answer you again.

She thought about it and felt that replying like that was inappropriate, as the other party might act without thinking, so she gave him a stern warning:

"The sudden mixing of large amounts of water and sand can easily cause disasters such as mudslides, destroying the living environment of desert dwellers."

"That sounds hateful."

"Xiao En!"

"Don't worry, I won't do that."

Before a god who is not human, he displayed his rampant nature and unexpected frankness.

"Because humans are very fragile, they can die easily. If I could, I wouldn't want to kill anyone."

"Stop, stop, stop! I shouldn't have answered any of your questions. Don't you think there's something wrong with your plan?"

Fukaros found that since meeting this wretched cat, she was finding it increasingly difficult to laugh; perhaps this was the fate of cat owners.

Something's not right.

Mainkuhn thought about it carefully:

"I think it's quite feasible."

"Cruel, so incredibly cruel..."

"Indeed, too much water will cause disasters no matter which country it is placed in."

“I mean, it’s cruel to you, Xiao En.”

Fucarus looked at the half-demon as if he were watching a heart patient playing a suffocation game.

"Have you ever considered that human emotions have power, especially the darkest and heaviest negative emotions that drive you—hatred, anger, fear, despair, etc.? They are powerful forces that will absolutely erode you and harm you..."

"oh."

Upon hearing that it was cruel to himself, Mainkuhn lost interest:

"Don't worry, I'm tough and easy to raise."

"Xiao En!"

Fukalos wanted to say something more, but Mainkun didn't want to listen anymore.

"It's almost dawn, and I have to go now. My children are waiting for me at home."

He carefully collected the seawater, making sure not a single drop of this dangerous substance was leaked.

After tidying up, Mainkun seemed to remember something, rummaged in his pocket, and then pulled out a wet, slippery, and slightly wriggling round object, which he shoved into Fukaros's hand without saying a word.

The god, who was still indignant about this madman's plan to save the world, was startled and almost dropped the coin:

"Child, you still want to raise children after all this? Be careful, or you'll end up losing everything... Huh? What's that?"

"Xi Zao, when I gave you the sea dew flower last time, didn't you say you wanted Xi Zao more? So I just grabbed one from the sea and gave it to you."

Mainkuhn said calmly.

"You have nothing here except a greatsword. It's too empty. What else do you want? I'll bring you something next time I come."

"Huh?"

As Fukaros held the cool, slippery plant in her hand, and looked at the boy's natural expression as if he were just picking a flower for her, all her reprimands and worries were instantly blocked up, leaving only a sense of absurdity and... a touch of bewilderment at being struck by this strange concern.

Is this the topic we should be discussing now?

With a sense of helplessness and absurdity, the deity inexplicably added:

“...small cakes.”

After saying that, she herself felt it was outrageous, and very humanely rubbed her forehead to explain herself:

"I heard that it's human food that Funina likes, so I just want to investigate and see what its advantages are."

"No." A crisp and decisive refusal.

"Why!"

Even a god has the right to feel disappointed by rejection.

Mainkuhn turned his head away, his voice muffled beneath his scarf, carrying the self-righteousness characteristic of someone with social anxiety:

"You have to go inside the store to buy a cake, and there are so many people. You also have to talk to the staff, which is a hassle."

"..." Fukalos stared at him expressionlessly.

"...Tsk, don't look at me like that. Do gods need to act cute?"

“.” Keep watching.

"Alright, alright, I... I'll try to make one for you when I get back, okay? Seriously, let me go! It's almost dawn!"

The cat's figure quickly disappeared from Fucaros's sight.

All that was left for the gods was the silence of the stage and the great sword overhead.

No, that's not all.

"Gurgle."

Fresh algae resemble bubble balls; when squeezed, they produce a loud splashing sound.

Gods are not human, and they are never afraid of loneliness.

"Gurgle, gurgle."

But having something to relieve boredom is not bad.

gurgle gurgle gurgle—

"well."

With a deep sigh, Fukaros held the small clump of plant in her hand, a complex and indescribable expression forming on her face.

"What should we do?"

After a long while, as if she had figured it out, she summoned a ball of water and enclosed the lonely Xizao inside.

"Let's keep him alive for now; we can't let him die like this."

*

Inside the opera house, Mainkuen looked down and saw Marcel's decapitated body and a pool of blood on the floor.

“.

Mainkuhn is truly a pity.

It was rare for him not to lose control of his demonic power against a bad guy, which allowed the other person to survive.

The other person still died inexplicably.

Where can I make up for the negative emotions caused by this loss?

[No, we have to make use of it.]

Mainkuhn, a clever little devil, started racking his brains again.

After a moment's thought, he dipped his fingernail in blood and wrote a few large words in the highest, most holy, and most just court of judgment.

The one who killed this man was a lynx.

The handwriting was crooked and messy, like a child's drawing. It's already impressive that a cat can write, so we can't expect it to be neat. However, the blood-red mess of words branded on the wall was even more terrifying.

Everything is ready.

He gleefully took flight and hid in a secluded corner of the opera house, waiting for the first audience member to enter.

finally.

Squeak—

The heavy side door of the opera house was pushed open a crack.

A middle-aged man in a janitor's uniform, looking sleepy, slowly swayed in, pushing his cleaning cart and yawning.

"Ugh, that trial last night was really noisy, we were cleaning up until midnight... How come there's blood here?"

He looked in the direction of the bloodstains and saw a headless body covered in crimson ink, lying horizontally in the center of the stage.

"Head! Ahhhhh! Lynx! Ahhhhh—Dead! Dead!"

"..."

Mainkun stepped barefoot onto the soft velvet curtain and counted off with some guilt.

[First copy]

"Aaaaaah, someone help!"

The old cleaner's scream was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake. Soon, hurried and chaotic footsteps came from all directions.

"What's going on?!"

"What is Old Bart shouting?"

"Lynx? Oh my god! Quick! Protect the scene!"

The first to rush in were several opera house security personnel. They looked tense, and when their eyes swept over the bloody scene in the center of the stage and the arrogant blood-written words on the ground, their faces turned deathly pale.

"It really is a lynx..."

"How dare he..."

"This is the Opiz Clay Opera House..."

[Two, three, four.]

Mainkuhn counted carefully.

"Quickly, seal off all exits, notify the Court of Justice, notify Lord Navelette! Hurry!" the captain roared, trying to sound calm, but the tremor in his voice betrayed him.

"Wait, Captain!"

A guard with good eyesight screamed:

"Look at that head, the dead man is Marcel, the president of the Gabriel Merchant Guild!"

"Who? That Marcellus?" The captain was taken aback, his command abruptly halted. He rushed onto the stage in three quick steps, getting close to examine Marcellus's terrified, lifeless face.

"Hiss... It really is him! Wait, wait, wait, we'll notify the Enforcement Court later!"

"Ah, ah."

The cleaner was even more heartbroken after hearing this.

"I've heard that the president of the Gabriel Chamber of Commerce is a truly good person; he's always on the list of philanthropists. That damned lynx..."

He had barely finished speaking when he noticed that the security personnel, who had just been terrified, had all become strangely calm, glancing at him with a pitying look as if he were an idiot. He then asked, puzzled:

"Friends, why are you all looking at me like that? Did I say something wrong?"

"Uh, that..."

The security guards stammered:

"Didn't you see the urgent Steambird Newsletter that came out last night? The Rose Society has been exposed..."

[Um? ]

Mainkuhn, hidden behind the curtain, suddenly had a bad feeling.

Sure enough, the guard lowered his voice excitedly:

"Navia, the young lady of the Rose Society, personally stormed into the newspaper office with evidence! She revealed that this old bastard Marcellor... is the murderer of the serial disappearances of young girls! Rumor has it that he killed dozens of girls! And, he's also the true inventor of Les..."

"What the heck?! Who invented this?" the cleaner exclaimed in surprise.

"...Les, that's what your youngest son drinks."

A terrifying silence followed.

Fear has subsided, but anger has begun to build.

But it wasn't anger directed at the lynx, so Mainkuhn couldn't exploit it.

"Damn it! [Fuck]!"

A foul language, the most obscene imaginable, was sprayed out by the cleaner. Old Bart, wielding a mop, rushed onto the stage, raised his club like the best golfer, and teed off! Thud!

[！！！]

Mainkuen, his hair standing on end, watched as Marcell's head flew high into the air and slammed hard against the wall next to him.

[How terrifying!]

"Ahhh, old Bart, don't ruin the scene!"

After regaining their senses, the security personnel shouted and began to block them. One by one, they raised their feet in a very professional manner and adopted an exceptionally professional dribbling posture.

"Pass, pass, don't pass it to me, that's disgusting! Where's the goal?"

"Stop playing around and get down to business!"

The captain immediately started fighting with Old Bart over the mop.

"I'm nearsighted, have weak eyesight, astigmatism, and farsighted, so I'll mop the floor... Is there a fingerprint here? Never mind, I just wiped it off by accident."

"No need to trouble yourself, I've been a professional cleaner for twenty years!"

Old Bart was not to be outdone:

"I'll clean it! I have good eyesight! I guarantee I'll clean it spotless! Not a single trace will be left! I'll lighten the burden on the brothers in the Enforcement Court!"

[No, you guys?]

Mainkuhn was completely stunned. He shrank into the shadows of the curtain, his golden vertical pupils wide open.

He meticulously planned a terrifying murder scene…

His signature, written in blood, was used to harvest negative emotions...

It's completely useless and is still being sabotaged, all because—

[Navia, why are you in such a hurry?! If this newspaper had been released even a day later—]

Mainkun was on the verge of tears.

[Then I'll reap a massive amount of hatred and fear, boohoo!]