A Chemist's Interstellar Saga
Chapter 250: Merman Hunks

Chapter 250: Merman Hunks

The students carefully read through the details, but the final warning went ignored. Fear of death and danger was a luxury they couldn’t afford. As military students, they had long come to terms with the potential for sacrifice.

"Does anyone have any suggestions after reading this?" Zephyr asked, clasping his hands and looking at the group as they processed the information.

"Captain, will this competition still focus on resolving the planet’s crisis, like the previous ones?" Drexel was the first to raise his hand, surprising everyone with a relevant question.

"Yes, that’s likely the case," Zephyr replied, his expression softening a bit. For once, Drexel was on point. Though Drexel could be a handful, he had his moments of clarity. This was one of them.

"Alright, then I have no further questions," Drexel said, sitting up straight and falling silent.

With a sigh, Zephyr turned his attention to Varden. "Varden, do you have any suggestions?"

The Brant family, Varden’s family, was the most renowned potion-making family in the Alliance, and given that this competition revolved around a deadly virus, Varden was arguably their most crucial asset.

All eyes turned to Varden, expecting a solution. But instead, Varden shook his head and said, "Our family has done some research on the virus from Inferno. We know that the stronger your psychic power, the longer you can resist infection. But, to be honest, this virus hasn’t been a primary focus for us, so progress has been limited."

Zephyr’s face fell slightly in disappointment. "I see," he muttered, clearly hoping for better news.

"Don’t lose hope just yet," Varden continued. "While I don’t have the answer, there might be someone who does." He then turned his gaze toward Arix. "What do you think?"

Zephyr’s eyes brightened as he realized what Varden was hinting at. Of course! How could they have overlooked Arix? She was the one who developed the psychic power healing potion. If anyone could tackle this virus, it was her.

The other students quickly caught on, their excitement mounting as they all looked expectantly at Arix.

Arix, feeling the weight of their stares, blinked in confusion. Finally, she asked, "You’re not seriously thinking I can solve this virus, are you?"

Everyone nodded in unison.

Arix facepalmed. ’Thanks for the trust, but I really don’t think I can do it!’ she thought, suddenly overwhelmed. ’How can anyone promise to defeat a virus they’ve never encountered before, especially one from another star system?’

Her mind flashed back to a previous experience that made her blood run cold.

Arix still remembered the struggle of dealing with the virus that had infected Torvak. That one had been so complex it nearly drove her to the brink of insanity.

The worst part about interstellar viruses wasn’t just their danger, but their ability to evolve in unpredictable ways.

Seeing Arix’s strained expression, the group began to realize they might be asking too much of her. It wasn’t fair to put all the responsibility on her shoulders—it was a team effort.

Drexel, usually the most easygoing of the group, suddenly spoke up with uncharacteristic seriousness, his gaze sharp as he looked at everyone. "Arix, just do what you can. It’s okay if it doesn’t work out."

The other students, feeling a bit guilty, quickly echoed Drexel’s sentiment. "Yeah, just give it your best shot."

Finally, Zephyr, as the leader, stepped in to make the final call. "For this competition, Arix will focus on studying the virus, with Varden assisting her. The rest of us will take care of their safety."

The students all nodded in agreement. It was the most sensible approach, and it spread the responsibility across the team.

"But I can’t promise success," Arix said, still worried. She wasn’t about to let pride push her into an impossible task.

"It’s okay," Zephyr reassured her. "Even if things don’t go as planned, we’ll all understand, right?" He turned to the group, his cold gaze daring anyone to disagree.

After a brief hesitation, everyone nodded vigorously.

Seeing their support, Arix reluctantly accepted the task, feeling a bit better knowing she wouldn’t be alone in this.

With that, the meeting wrapped up.

Zephyr finalized the necessary precautions and outlined the team assignments. Since they all had to attend a state banquet the next day, he reminded everyone to get some rest.

With that, he headed back to his room, leaving the team to prepare for the challenge ahead.

...

The next day, the Alliance’s mecha team took off in a mini spaceship proudly displaying their national emblem.

They headed for the grand banquet hosted by the Empire of Eden. The event was set in the royal banquet hall, deep within the palace.

Since they couldn’t land the spaceship inside, Arix and the others had to park outside and walk the rest of the way.

They weren’t too bothered, though. Arms linked with friends, they strolled along, chatting and laughing as they made their way to the palace.

"Wow, this place is really something," Deanna said, eyes wide with awe. Growing up on Planet Void, she wasn’t used to such luxury, and the intricate architecture immediately caught her attention.

Arix and Cirilla were more familiar with grand buildings. But even they couldn’t help admiring the unique surroundings.

After a bit of excited chatter about the architecture, the group started to lose interest.

Even Deanna, who had been thrilled at first, began to feel a bit worn out. She glanced away from the buildings, a thought suddenly crossing her mind. "Hey, apart from us, there are other countries coming to this banquet, right?"

"Yep, there are representatives from five major countries," Arix replied, giving Deanna a puzzled look.

Deanna raised an eyebrow, then leaned in with a playful grin. "So, how did the Empire of Merman get here? Did they show up in fish tanks or something?"

Arix and Cirilla were both speechless.

For a moment, there was complete silence before Cirilla burst into laughter. "Haha, that’s too good! Arix, your cousin is hilarious," she said, trying to catch her breath.

Arix sighed, feeling a bit exasperated, but she couldn’t blame Deanna. She was fresh from Planet Void and didn’t know much about these things.

Arix patiently explained, "Mermen only need fish tanks until they’re about ten. After that, they develop legs and can switch between tails and legs whenever they want."

"Oh, got it. Too bad, though—I was hoping for some watery surprises," Deanna pouted, looking a little disappointed.

"Haha, Deanna, I didn’t know you had this side to you! Does your brother know?" Cirilla teased, grinning.

Arix suddenly remembered something and leaned in closer to Deanna, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Don’t give up just yet. Our third competition is in the Empire of Merman. The place is 99% water, so you’ll get all the wet surprises you’re dreaming of."

"That’s just perfect," Cirilla said, shaking her head in amazement.

"Arix, you’re a genius!" Deanna exclaimed, giving him a thumbs up.

Arix flashed them a bright smile, his teeth gleaming.

Still laughing and joking, they finally reached the entrance to the royal banquet hall. Just as they were about to enter, they bumped into the mecha team from the Empire of Merman, who had arrived at the same time.

And no, the mermen didn’t show up in fish tanks. Instead, they each had long, muscular legs.

Arix tilted her head, curiously observing the competitors from the Empire of Merman.

These legendary Siren mermen weren’t the blonde, blue-eyed, fair-skinned princes you’d expect from fairy tales.

Instead, they stood tall at about 1.9 meters, with strong, dark skin and a posture that made them seem tough and unapproachable. Their chiseled faces were marked with small patches of fish-scale tattoos, the only visible sign of their Siren heritage.

Arix swallowed nervously, quickly looking away, afraid to keep staring at these rugged, incredibly attractive men.

If she kept looking, she might start having inappropriate thoughts. ’It’s not that I have weak willpower,’ she reasoned to herself, ’it’s just that their muscles are too tempting!’

The leaders of both mecha teams nodded to each other, a silent acknowledgment, before preparing to enter the hall.

The waiting attendants immediately bowed at a 90-degree angle and led the groups to their assigned seats.

As they entered, the two mecha teams exchanged curious glances.

The girls on Arix’s team, in particular, noticed that the Siren mermen were staring at them with a certain intensity.

The boys from the Alliance quickly stepped in, positioning themselves to shield Arix and the other girls, as if ready to defend them.

Seeing the girls being covered up, the Siren mermen let out a proud, disdainful snort before following the attendant to another corner of the hall.

Once the Siren mermen were out of sight, Arix turned to Drexel, her curiosity getting the best of her. "What just happened? Why did their looks seem so... strange?"

Cirilla and the other girls nodded in agreement. While the mermen were undeniably handsome, their blatant stares felt almost like harassment.

Drexel hesitated, unsure how to explain.

He couldn’t exactly tell them that the Siren mermen, known for being somewhat notorious, were probably trying to flirt with them and might even be thinking about hybrid babies. Saying that might make him seem like the one being inappropriate.

After a long pause, Drexel finally managed to say, "Just keep your distance from them unless you’re interested in having mermen hybrid babies."

The girls froze for a moment, then the realization hit.

They finally understood the true meaning behind the Siren mermen’s gazes.

Instantly, their reactions varied—some blushed in embarrassment, some cursed under their breath, and others glared in anger.

Out of all of them, Cirilla looked the most upset. She had assumed those looks were a challenge, like they wanted to pick a fight.

But now, understanding their real intentions, she fumed, "I thought they were seeing me as a rival, but they were actually trying to hit on me?!"