The merman, my man
Chapter 145

The Merman, My Man by Black Velvet Chapter 145

The extreme panic made me hyperventilate, and I felt like I was about to suffocate.

I took continuous deep breaths to force myself to calm down. Then, I rubbed my temples to make myself stay awake and not faint again.

I had to accept the reality of things. I had grown gills like a mermaid behind my ears and could breathe freely in the water. I even had an illusion that my leg had become a tail and my hands had turned into webbed claws.

My body had undergone changes after reacting to something from a biological standpoint. In other words, this could be considered a genetic mutation.

Even though I wasn't thinking straight, I could still recite my knowledge in genetics from my studies. Genetic mutations are the primary cause of changes to a being's biological makeup. Many factors could lead to genetic mutations, and they could be classified into three categories. The first category is physical factors such as X-rays and lasers. The second category is chemical factors that could react with molecular DNA, thereby changing it. Examples of this include nitrous acids and bases, among others. The final category is biological factors that comprise but are not limited to contracting viruses and certain types of bacteria.

The factor that most likely caused this belongs to the third category.

Dicken must have caused this. He had shot his semen and DNA into me countless times whenever he violated me. This means that there was a virus within his semen that was aggressive... They had changed and rearranged my chromosomes or even altered their genetic structure as well as the numbers. And so, the damn virus had killed off my original cells and replaced them with cells with mermaid characteristics.

'Dicken said that this was the first change...

That would mean there will be a second, a third... An nth time of change? Until I become a mermaid entirely?

No, no, no! I can't accept this!'

I frightened myself with my inference. In frustration, I paced around the cave, ruffling my hair as my body broke out cold sweat.

'I'm going crazy. What's the use of coming up with these theories now? Even if I wrote a shocking thesis based on the deduction that merpeople can assimilate with humans, it could not change the fact that I have been genetically mutated! There is no meaning to these theories! They can't change my physical state back to how I was!'

I didn't want to become a mermaid and stay on these islands forever with these barbaric merpeople. I wanted to go back to being a student with my parents by my side.

'Calm down, Linda! You must stay calm!'

The current phase of changes didn't compromise my human appearance too much. I could still think of ways to stop the mutation. The only way to do that was to inject me with a serum to prevent the mutated cells from growing.

'Yes! I have to leave this place. I can't have any further contact with Dicken. As long as I can make it back into the lab, Peter and the others will definitely help me find a way to suppress this virus ! I must believe in science!'

The moment I had made up my mind, I calmed down miraculously.

It was true that I was turning into one of them, but panicking would not solve anything. I was the only one who could save myself from this.

Therefore, I carefully climbed to the cave entrance and looked toward the sea. But I couldn't spot Dicken's figure. Perhaps he had gone to feed somewhere in frustration or had matters to handle pertaining to his clan. Either way, his absence had only reinforced my intentions to flee from this place.

I quickly made my way back into the cave and toward the hole that Dicken used to store his memorabilia. To my delight, I found that it was not short of items I could use. I immediately packed several pieces of exploration equipment that I might've needed, like a rusty but still functional knife, a looking glass, a compass, and a small bottle of vodka that was still sealed, which I could use as a disinfectant. I even found a ship crew uniform. I bundled all the items together in a piece of canvas before fastening it onto myself.