Due to an accident, Luo Ci opens his eyes to find himself transformed into a tiny mermaid no bigger than a thumb.

In this interstellar era, mermaids are renowned across the galaxy for their strength and ferocity. The Marshal leads his troops to this desolate wasteland planet, intent on exterminating the highly dangerous mermaid species.

But the next second, a thumb-sized baby mermaid hatches from its egg, clutching its underdeveloped little tail. With a soft tilt of its pink-haired head, it blows a bubble at them.

Marshal: …Strong and ferocious?

—

In the second world, Luo Ci wakes up to find himself as a palm-sized human baby, raised by a mad scientist in a beautiful glass greenhouse.

Though he lives a carefree life with plenty of food and comfort, it isn’t long before the place is raided by a mechanical army.

Luo Ci, terrified, clings tightly to his baby bottle and teething stick.

In this interstellar era, humans are an endangered species, while the brutal and cold-hearted Mechanical Clan dominates the galaxy as its undisputed rulers. Towering and ruthless, they lack empathy and despise weakness above all.

Until they encounter Luo Ci in that exquisite greenhouse—a tiny little thing, clutching a milk bottle.

“Permission confirmed—our Creator.”

Luo Ci: !!! Drops bottle in shock QAQ.

That day, an overwhelming fleet of colossal steel warships descended upon the planet—just to welcome their master home.

The entire galaxy trembles in awe: !? Are they declaring war again?!

—

In the third world, the entire realm is ruled by vampires, with all other races enslaved beneath them.

Yet, despite being the apex rulers of this world, the vampire descendants—who prize bloodline purity above all—have grown increasingly mixed over time.

For over 300 years, not a single pureblood vampire child has been born, driving the entire race to despair.

Until Luo Ci, nestled in a cradle, yawns sleepily. With tiny, undeveloped horns and crimson eyes—the mark of a pureblood—he flashes two little fangs in an adorable grin.

The vampires guarding his cradle erupt into euphoric cheers, some elders even fainting from excitement!

Thus, Luo Ci gains a legion of devoted servants, with elders constantly fighting over who gets to rock his cradle. But soon, he begins to notice something strange—their schedules are nocturnal, they carry pitch-black umbrellas even outdoors, and even his milk pudding and snacks are bright red.

Luo Ci smacks his lips and tilts his head in confusion: “?”

Something feels… off?

—

In the fourth world, global evolution has run rampant. Guild X, famed for its all-S-rank members, dominates 80% of the world’s “Gates,” controlling the global narrative with every move. They are the undisputed apex rulers, both revered and feared by other guilds.

Yet, even rarer than S-rankers are their compatible guides—no S-rank guide has ever appeared.

Thus, whenever S-rankers witness lower-ranked soldiers being pampered by their guides, they can only vent their violent urges by annihilating multiple “Gates.”

S-rankers are born powerful, warlike, and ruthless—especially toward fragile things.

Until one day, witnesses spot them emerging from a “Gate” with a fluffy Arctic hare baby in their arms, carefully swaddled in a blanket.

From that moment on, Guild X’s headquarters becomes even livelier, with frequent explosions sending shivers down everyone’s spines.

Other guilds & civilians: Is the world ending?!

A brave reporter risks an interview: What’s happening?!

Receptionist: Ah… They’re probably just amicably discussing who gets to keep the baby.

·Involved Worlds:

[Interstellar] Tiny Mermaid x Ocean Overlords

[Interstellar] Human Baby x Mechanical Clan at the Apex of Evolution

[Medieval Fantasy] Pureblood Vampire x Midcentury Rulers

[Sentinel/Guide] Arctic Hare x Ferocious S-rankers

[Modern] Paper Doll x Underground Black Emperor

[Xianxia] Mythical Beast Overlord x Three Realms’ Big Shots (Beloved by Gods)

[Cyberpunk] Tech Tycoon’s Youngest Son x Guardian Overlord

·Sweet, Fairytale-like Fantasy Light Novel—Featuring doting guardians + group pampering, overflowing with love, extreme fluffiness.

·The baby is a cub in every world—a rare, endangered treasure. He has a lot of admirers, but he only likes the male lead.

Chapter 1

Planet BK723, southern fringe of the Federation Star Territory.

Silence.

An impenetrable darkness enveloped everything.

A viscous, clinging fluid covered his bare skin, submerging most of his body. Yet, it didn’t feel uncomfortable—instinctively, he knew this fluid was nourishing and protective.

He couldn’t open his eyes, only managing to stretch slightly from his curled-up position. Lazily, he stretched, his fingers brushing against the walls of the enclosed space.

The surface was damp and soft, like a membrane. The air carried the briny scent of seawater. Strangely, he found this environment soothing, as if lying on the most luxurious, plush bed—safe enough for a peaceful nap.

He couldn’t remember how long he had slept.

In this dark, enclosed space, resting on the wet "bed," he always succumbed to drowsiness. Occasionally, Luo Ci would wake from his deep slumber and attempt to touch the "walls" of his confinement, only to realize just how cramped it was.

As he fumbled around, his fingertips accidentally brushed against his leg—slimy and soft… and a tiny tail?

Wait, a tail?

He struggled to open his eyes but failed. Instead, he groped blindly at the tail. It was smooth and supple, coated in a layer of mucus, yet still distinguishable as small and underdeveloped, its scales still incomplete.

At first, when he felt the scales, Luo Ci thought he might have turned into some kind of reptilian creature. But when his fingers traced the delicate, translucent fin veil at the tip of the tail, that assumption was quickly dismissed.

His heart hammered wildly as fragmented memories surfaced—hazy recollections of being young, afflicted with an incurable illness, and likely having failed to be resuscitated.

Now, here he was, conscious again. Anxious, he flicked the tip of his tail, burning with the need to find a mirror to see what he had become.

He poked at it again.

Soft. Surprisingly pleasant to the touch. Luo Ci examined it carefully but still couldn’t make sense of it. A milky membrane covered most of his body, the mucus clinging to him restricting his movements to some degree.

His struggles grew more vigorous, his tail tip tapping rhythmically against the egg wall.

Suddenly, a low, rumbling boom reached his ears. His ear fins twitched as he strained to listen, but the noise vanished as quickly as it had come. In the darkness, senses were amplified, and Luo Ci wondered if he had imagined it.

After exhausting himself with no answers, the limited energy of the hatchling took its toll. He grew drowsy again.

Finding a comfortable position, Luo Ci curled up and drifted back into a heavy slumber.

……

The Federation's vast star territory was home to countless planets—named yet unexplored. BK723 was undoubtedly one of them.

As a planet on the fringes of the star territory, it was an unexpected honor to receive a visit from the Federation Legion today.

Warships completed their wormhole jump above the planet, their prows emitting dozens of scanning beams. In an instant, the entire planet’s surface was mapped—its terrain, mineral resources, and any signs of life compiled into data and relayed to the flagship.

Half an hour later, the flagship hovered over predetermined coordinates.

After scanning the planet, the Federation Legion quickly realized that landing sites were scarce.

The planet’s surface was almost entirely covered by ocean.

Even Totsuka, the seasoned deputy of the Legion’s vanguard, who had traveled to numerous planets and completed countless missions, found this planet’s water coverage unusually abundant from his perspective.

With practiced efficiency, Totsuka divided the planet into sectors, methodically organizing teams to investigate each one.

Amidst the deafening roar of engines, a towering storage silo rose from the flagship’s back, dozens of small, sleek reconnaissance ships with aerodynamic hulls arcing gracefully out of its bays to carry out their missions.

Once the assignments were dispatched, Totsuka couldn’t help but glance toward the center of the flagship, where a figure dominated the central command seat.

Clad in form-fitting tactical gear, the man was imposing even in repose, his presence exuding an almost palpable pressure.

His eyes shut, his chiseled jawline stood in sharp relief, accentuated by the faint pulsing of veins at his temples—as if he were enduring something unbearable.

Before Totsuka could voice his concern, the man’s eyes snapped open, his gaze carrying physical weight, locking onto him with precision.

"Everything arranged?"

"Yes, sir," Totsuka responded with military precision. "All sectors have been assigned. Only one remains."

"Then let’s go."

Preliminary scans had revealed the planet to be almost entirely an ocean planet. Strangely, no life forms were detected—save for one faint, flickering vital sign.

Thus, Totsuka had dispatched teams to other sectors, reserving the area with the lone vital sign for Marshal Helunen himself. He knew the Marshal’s command style—this was a mission he would handle personally.

The Light Elevator extended from the warship’s side, and a heavily-armed squad descended in formation.

"Gods…"

After half an hour of searching the suspicious zone, Totsuka inhaled sharply at the sight before him.

The entire journey had been unsettling. Even knowing the planet was lifeless, something felt profoundly wrong. At first, they assumed the planet’s environment was too hostile—but they soon realized their mistake.

The climate was mild and humid, perfectly habitable. Pristine, unpolluted oceans stretched endlessly, and the islands’ natural beauty could easily rival any top-tier resort.

One crew member muttered under his breath, "I’d bet anything this place, if developed, would outshine that overhyped ‘Ocean’s Eye’ ranked number one."

Totsuka agreed. And that was precisely why the eerie silence unnerved him so deeply.

Water was the wellspring of life. Planets rich in water usually teemed with biodiversity.

Yet this perfectly habitable ocean world lay before them—beautiful, serene, and utterly lifeless.

Every nerve was wound taut. No one dared relax. A chilling possibility loomed: What if this planet hosted a supremely dominant, ruthless apex predator? One so lethal it had eradicated all other life?

Especially considering their mission’s objective—to eradicate the merfolk.

It was impossible not to suspect that the planet’s deathly silence was the work of merfolk.

But how did they know merfolk were here?

The century-long scourge of invasion had spanned over a century. Back then, the Federation had planned to establish a spatial jump station here as part of their defenses. But the moment the survey team arrived and had their first encounter with the merfolk, their starship was torn asunder. Only by fleeing in emergency pods did they barely escape with their lives.

News of the incident exploded across the Federation, sparking immediate public outcry. Merfolk were infamous throughout the galaxy—brutal, savage, and classified as a high-risk species. In their heyday, they had ravaged countless planets. Yet, for the past century, they had seemingly vanished.

During the war, the Federation had no resources to spare for investigation. Afterward, with legions exhausted and no desire to provoke the merfolk’s wrath, the matter was shelved—under the pretense of preparing defenses for the next inevitable invasion.

Only Marshal Helunen had not forgotten. He had taken the initiative to lead his Legion to BK723.

If a peaceful agreement could be reached with the merfolk, well and good. If not… expulsion or extermination were the only options.

Including Totsuka, nearly everyone was convinced the planet harbored merfolk—ones so utterly ruthless and cold-blooded they had wiped out all other life.

"Beep..."

Helunen released a metal probe, its smooth spherical body opening an optical sensor to survey the scene from above.

Whatever it saw, the probe emitted a sharp warning tone before flying back to Helunen's shoulder.

Following the optical sensor's guidance, the group arrived at an expansive thermal seabed, where a massive and stunning coral reef cavern, mostly submerged underwater, came into view.

Among interstellar species, some aquatic species preferred laying eggs in coral caves or seaweed. Yet, even for their experienced observers, they had never encountered such an awe-inspiring coral reef cavern before.

Thermal springs surrounded the area, their flowing currents continuously providing stable warmth for the egg.

Just how large was this coral reef cavern?

Their flagship, already the largest warship recorded in the Star Alliance archives—ten times the size of the Federal Head of State's palace—was paled in comparison to a single small thermal spring vent near the cave, which was nearly the size of three warships combined.

Inside the coral reef cavern, innumerable black pearls and fine, soft sand covered the ground.

A thumb-sized black pearl would be a priceless treasure on the black market, but here, each pearl was larger than their fists. At the center lay a milky-white egg.

The sole life signature detected by the optical sensor originated from there.

The egg was only the size of a palm, appearing even more pure and flawless against the backdrop of black pearls. Under the light, its faint pink hue shimmered like iridescent crystal, a color so ethereal that no human could replicate it—so mesmerizing that no one could tear their eyes away.

The optical sensor circled the egg three times before issuing a critical alert—the life signs within the egg were critically weak, as if they could vanish at any moment.

Totsuka deduced that, judging by the state of the coral reef cavern, it had once been fully submerged. Over time, perhaps due to a drought period, this underwater garden had gradually surfaced, bringing the mermaid egg with it. Many of the black pearls beneath had dried and become brittle under the sun, and the mermaid egg was likely in serious peril as well.

He couldn't look away. "Sir, what should we do?"

They had come searching for an adult mermaid, but instead, they found a mermaid egg—one in peril.

In such cases, the Star Alliance generally held two divergent philosophies. The first was intervention and rescue, especially for rare species' offspring.

Mermaids had not been seen for many years. Even during their active era, few had ever laid eyes on one. Though mermaids were classified as dangerous species, they were undeniably a rare species. Based on the probe's preliminary assessment, if this was indeed a mermaid egg, it would fall under interstellar rescue laws.

The second view was to respect the natural order of life—to leave it untouched, as survival was ultimately a matter of natural selection.

But the mermaid egg was so beautiful, and the optical sensor had issued a crisis alert, indicating its life signs were precarious. Totsuka couldn't bring himself to abandon the egg here alone.

Helunen frowned slightly, carefully analyzing the surroundings. Based on his experience, this lifeless planet had shown no signs of other life activity for at least a year.

Even if the little mermaid managed to hatch on its own, it wouldn't survive long without a food source.

He bent down, pressing a fingertip lightly against the eggshell. It was delicate and pliant, but thankfully not too dehydrated.

"Take it."

Totsuka let out a relieved breath. "Yes, sir!"

He handed his weapons to his teammates, removed his coat, and with painstaking care, gently cradled the mermaid egg in his hands. Every step he took was deliberate, fearing he might accidentally damage it.

The mermaid egg was extraordinarily beautiful, like an exquisitely crafted work of art. Under the sunlight, a soft glow even shimmered along its shell.

The squad members were battle-hardened soldiers, veterans of countless battles, yet faced with this tiny mermaid egg, their tough hearts melted. They couldn't help peeking at it or lightly touching it.

Totsuka reveled in his teammates' envy, thinking—if even the egg was this stunning, how breathtaking would the little mermaid be after hatching? No wonder everyone was so taken with it—even the Marshal seemed fond of it, even making an exception and allowing it aboard the ship.

The moment the words left his mouth, he realized he had accidentally voiced his thoughts aloud.

On the Light Elevator, the tall man paused and glanced sideways. "Once aboard, keep it away from me. I'm not interested."

Chapter 2

The reconnaissance team began returning to the main ship. After compiling their findings, Totsuka reported to Helunen.

Totsuka remained calm and professional during his report: "No signs of other lifeforms have been detected on the surface. However, at a depth of a thousand meters in the ocean, we found abrasion marks. Similar irregular markings were discovered in multiple deep-water areas. Currently, without specialized equipment, we cannot determine what caused them."

Helunen closed his eyes slightly, processing the intel repeatedly. "What about pollution levels?"

Totsuka's voice betrayed surprise: "Strangely, no pollution was detected at all. It seems Bahai hasn't invaded this place."

A century ago, the alien contaminant Bahai invaded through a rift in the Star Domain, igniting the hundred-year Star Domain War.

Nearly all star systems at the edge of the Star Domain were eroded by Bahai, especially those in the frontier systems—all fell. Yet this ocean world, undoubtedly located at the edge, remained pristine and undisturbed, showing no signs of invasion.

Was it too remote for Bahai to notice?

Or was there some reason it bypassed this planet?

Totsuka asked, "What do you plan to do with this planet?"

Helunen gently massaged his temples, calming the surging mental turbulence before speaking slowly, "This is exceptional."

Totsuka understood the meaning instantly.

Over the past century, they had visited too many corrupted, broken worlds.

Bahai survived by parasitism, carrying lethal pollutants that, even in death, would corrode soil and water sources as toxic waste. Although the Star Alliance had temporarily resolved the crisis of Bahai's invasion, almost no part of the Star Domain remained unpolluted.

It had been too long since they last saw a planet with such azure skies and pristine waters, making this ocean world all the more precious.

But if word got out, enterprising corporations might develop it into a tourist destination, destroying its ecological balance.

Helunen ordered, "Notify them to temporarily block the jump gate leading here."

"Yes, sir!" Totsuka acknowledged, then glanced at the time as if in a hurry. "Do you have any other orders, sir?"

Helunen rested his chin on his hand and waved dismissively.

Totsuka immediately straightened his jacket, saluted, nodded to the guards, and swiftly exited through the main cabin door.

"This Totsuka is an interesting one," Helunen remarked idly. "I used to complain about him pestering me about my health all the time... Where did he go?"

A guard replied, "Sir, he probably went to see the mermaid's egg."

The mermaid's egg.

Helunen had heard about it recently. His proud legion seemed utterly bewitched by a single mermaid egg, with countless members finding excuses to visit the main ship just to see it.

During breaks, if one didn’t hurry to secure a good spot, the aquarium would be surrounded by crowds three-deep—even Totsuka couldn’t squeeze in.

Helunen stood up. The moment he opened the main cabin door, a clamor assaulted him:

"...Let me see!"

"You've had fifty seconds—it's my turn now!"

"Here, there's still room for one more!"

...Disgraceful.

To think the soldiers he had trained himself would carry on so shamelessly over an egg.

Military discipline clearly needed tightening.

Helunen felt his temples throbbing again. He turned and strode toward the commotion.

Without much effort, he found the little mermaid egg placed in an aquarium at the center of the crowd.

Resources on the battleship were limited, yet they had somehow managed to find a suitably sized tank.

"Whoosh—"

The hall's light door slid open. A man in a white lab coat entered, wire-frame spectacles perched on his nose, followed by an assistant carrying a bag full of instruments.

The newcomer barged in, wiped his glasses, and demanded immediately, "Where’s the mermaid egg?"

Helunen interrupted him, "Yivain."

The man in the white coat was Yivain, a professor at the Biological Gene Research Institute under the Federal Research Center. He had once accompanied Helunen to the front lines, and the two were on good terms.

After discovering the mermaid egg, Helunen had contacted him—first to confirm the egg's identity, and second to see if Yivain could assume responsibility for it.

Yivain happened to be in a nearby star system and arrived quickly. As a long-time researcher in biology with a near-obsessive interest in rare species, the moment he stepped onto the battleship, his eyes locked onto the mermaid egg.

Helunen knew it was no use talking with him in this state, so he ordered the area cleared to allow Yivain to conduct his examination unimpeded.

The moment Yivain saw the egg, he went rigid before snapping to attention. Recovering, he rushed to the glass tank, pacing around it feverishly while uttering breathless praises.

Helunen frowned, barely tolerating the outbursts, but his patience wore thin. "Well?"

Only then did Yivain collect himself slightly.

He was afraid Helunen might kick him out—something the ruthless commander was entirely capable of—so he motioned for his assistant to bring out the instruments and ran comprehensive diagnostics of the egg through the glass.

Soon, he verified Helunen's hypothesis: "It is indeed a mermaid egg."

Helunen wasn’t surprised, but Yivain’s next words said gravely, "But I can’t take it with me right now."

"?"

Yivain’s gaze remained glued to the egg, his tone thick with reluctance. "The institute’s acquisition protocols still need to be followed. I’ve submitted the application, but approval might take some time."

Helunen lapsed into weighted silence.

Yivain roughly guessed his thoughts. Helunen would soon return to the homeworld to prepare for the senate session—a reason why he spent most of the year in the border star systems but always returned for three months annually.

This meant Helunen would have to take the mermaid egg back to the homeworld and care for it himself.

A nuisance. A godsdamned nuisance.

Yivain ventured a glance at Helunen’s expression. "I promise I’ll come for it the moment the application is approved."

He pledged again.

After roughly three minutes of silence, Helunen finally said flatly, "Very well. Make it so."

Yivain let out a held breath.

He had legitimately worried Helunen might consider it beneath him and jettison the specimen.

Yivain put on special gloves and carefully cradled the mermaid egg in his palms, turning it this way and that, his eyes shining with wonder, as if wishing to etch every tiny pattern onto his heart.

Helunen couldn’t quite understand his fanatical enthusiasm and headed to the flagship to review the day’s military reports.

With border defense facilities under reconstruction, his oversight was required at every site. When he returned, he found Yivain still in raptures… having spent hours staring at an egg without growing tired of it?

Noticing Helunen’s return, Yivain came back to himself and coughed lightly. "Ah, I was so excited I nearly forgot to mention—mermaids are extremely sensitive to temperature and prefer humid environments. The ship’s current temperature is too high for the egg."

Hearing this, Helunen tilted his head slightly and shot him a glance. "I don't believe you came unprepared."

Indeed, Yivain had planned ahead.

His assistant pulled out a small, transparent, rectangular container from the bag—no bigger than his hand—with a metal device on the side to regulate temperature and humidity.

Yivain handed it to Helunen. "I was in a hurry, so this is the only one I could find, but it'll do for now."

"Also, it’s best to provide a quiet environment for the egg. It might help the little mermaid feel more secure."

Though Yivain longed to stay longer, he still had ongoing research projects and was usually swamped with work. This trip had required special leave, so after lingering with palpable reluctance by the egg for a while longer, he finally had to leave under his assistant’s urging.

As Yivain packed up to depart, Helunen ignored him, his gaze settling on the egg instead. After a moment’s consideration, he decided to relocate it. Since a quiet environment was necessary, the main hall was no longer suitable. It would be better to take the egg to his own quarters—that would also keep the noisy brats from disturbing it.

His mind made up, Helunen had just picked up the egg when his communicator lit up. Opening it casually, he found Yivain had sent over a pile of mermaid-related documents. "I went through the whole federal database and even consulted several Star Alliance experts to compile this. Give it a read when you can."

"Oh, and I know a few shops favored by aquatic species—"

Catching Helunen's piercing stare, Yivain scrambled up in a fluster. "Ah, it’s getting late! Must be going!"

Helunen had assumed Yivain would take the trouble away, but instead, he’d brought even more complications.

Placing the egg into the container, Helunen pressed fingers to his temples.

Yivain had rambled on without even specifying the ideal temperature and humidity for the egg. Sighing, Helunen pulled up the documents and adjusted the settings according to the notes.

Who knew the information would prove useful so quickly?

His gaze lingered on the egg, lying peacefully in the transparent vessel, and Helunen couldn’t help but foresee the endless troubles ahead.

"...Pampered little creature," he muttered.

The fact that the mermaid egg was now housed in the marshal’s quarters had many would-be admirers sighing in disappointment.

But the ship soon grew busy again as other survey teams returned to report. After logging the planet’s detailed data into the system, the flagship slowly ascended, leaving the starry void behind.

Yet the planet did not remain silent for long.

A colossal shadow gradually loomed over the skies once more, blotting out the sun. Massive pillars descended from the heavens, making thousand-meter peaks seem insignificant.

Desperate searching around the coral caves sent tremors through the seabed, shaking the earth and stirring tsunamis that surged kilometers high.

A deafening roar of fury erupted, powerful enough to awaken long-dormant volcanoes.

In an instant, the rage spread through biological links, shattering the peace across countless water worlds. Oceans churned, waves raged, and fury spread uncontrollably—every aquatic planet now lashed by towering tides.

Upon discovering the empty spot where the egg had once lain, a thunderous bellow shook the planet. The vast coral cave was reduced to dust, and from above, deep, claw-like gashes scarred the seabed thousands of meters below. "Un...for...givable."