The cool seawater surrounded Yu Deng. The waves gently pushed against his back, carrying an impatient feeling, as though urging him to hurry inside.
The actual merfolk leader had been pushed several meters away, about four or five meters from Yu Deng. Ulysses looked at the innocent little princess and suddenly curled his lips into a smile, amusement filling his eyes.
As the leader who had been refused entry, Ulysses felt no anger at all. Instead, he could only sigh at how his little princess really was the most beloved treasure. Even this ocean happily acknowledged the little princess and wanted to offer its authority to him.
At the entrance of the Abyss of the Deep Sea, Yu Deng was still dazed.
"Don't push me…" Yu Deng waved his hand, trying to make the seawater stop pushing him from behind.
Yu Deng had no idea what this Abyss of the Deep Sea actually was. He could only look at the seawater before him and seriously remind it, "Besides, did you get the wrong person? I'm not the merfolk leader. Ulysses is the leader!"
The seawater pretended not to understand what Yu Deng was saying. The currents circled around him, affectionately brushing against his cheeks.
Yu Deng was bewildered for a moment. Then he simply turned around, swished his fish tail, and swam over to the actual merfolk leader, reaching out to grab Ulysses by the arm.
"Ulysses, why are you just standing there? You're the leader!" Yu Deng looked up at him impatiently. "The seawater here seems to have mistaken me for you."
The merfolk leader lowered his eyes and looked at the obedient and beautiful little princess. He explained on behalf of the seawater, "This ocean did not mistake you. It probably simply believes that Deng Deng is more suited to become the leader of the underwater kingdom and govern this ocean."
Yu Deng: "?"
That couldn't be right.
Could a human really become the leader of the merfolk race? Calm down. His fish tail had an expiration date!
A pleased smile appeared in the merfolk's sea-blue eyes as he coaxed him, "Being acknowledged by the ocean isn't a bad thing. Whether or not the little princess becomes the leader, you are still an existence recognized by the Abyss of the Deep Sea—the ocean will always stand on your side."
Of course, that was assuming the mutation of this ocean could be brought under control.
Yu Deng shook his head. Somehow, that actually sounded pretty good…
Yu Deng stopped dwelling on it and pulled Ulysses toward the entrance.
The seawater faintly expressed its dislike toward the current merfolk leader, but in the end, it still brought the two of them into the Abyss of the Deep Sea.
—Rumble.
The stones at the entrance closed once again. Light flickered across the surface of the rocks, guiding them along the path into the depths.
Yu Deng narrowed his eyes, trying to adjust to the light inside. The passageway of the Abyss of the Deep Sea was somewhat narrow. Huge rocks emitted a dim, eerie red glow, and Yu Deng swam downward along the passage, truly entering this mysterious Abyss of the Deep Sea.
After swimming for roughly three to five minutes, the space before Yu Deng suddenly opened up.
The Abyss of the Deep Sea was enormous. Uneven rocks surrounded the enclosed space. Various strange and precious gemstones were casually piled around and embedded in the rocks, shimmering with a faint glow.
At the very center of the Abyss of the Deep Sea was a structure resembling an altar. Floating above it was a mass of blue-violet material, shaped like both a heart and a flame.
The only imperfection was that the surfaces of the gemstones were somewhat gray and dull, while the light emitted by the blue-violet substance was also faint, giving the entire space a slightly oppressive atmosphere.
[Ding. Player Yu Deng has entered the special scene: Abyss of the Deep Sea.]
Yu Deng's eyes widened as he stared without blinking at this strange space hidden deep beneath the sea. He murmured, "What an amazing place… But how am I supposed to learn more about things here?"
"Don't rush."
The merfolk gazed down at the Abyss of the Deep Sea from above. A few seconds later, he took Yu Deng's hand and slowly descended with him, landing beside the altar.
Yu Deng curiously looked at the blue-violet object. "What is this?"
"This is… the heart of the Abyss of the Deep Sea." The merfolk leader gently explained, "The Abyss of the Deep Sea is the core and will of the ocean. It is the source of the ocean's authority, and the power possessed by the merfolk leader originates from here. This heart contains the power of the Abyss of the Deep Sea."
The merfolk gazed at the flame-like heart, which was noticeably dimmer than it had once been, and his voice lowered.
"Ever since something went wrong with this ocean, the Abyss of the Deep Sea has been affected as well."
"The merfolk leaders of every generation were able to communicate with the will of the ocean here in the Abyss of the Deep Sea. But ever since the mutation began, I haven't been able to communicate with this ocean for a very long time."
Yu Deng let out a small "Ah." "Then… what should we do? Does that mean I can't ask it questions either?"
Ulysses turned around, took his hand, and guided it toward the flame-like heart.
"This ocean really likes the little princess. Perhaps it will be very willing to communicate with you."
After saying that, the merfolk leader released his hand.
Yu Deng looked blankly at Ulysses, then at the flame. After thinking for a few seconds, he tentatively touched the heart of the Abyss of the Deep Sea.
At first, the blue-violet, flame-shaped heart showed no reaction. Several seconds later, it gently trembled twice. Its shape slowly changed, vaguely forming a heart shape toward Yu Deng.
The will of the ocean, which was unwilling to pay attention to the merfolk leader, showed a willingness to communicate with the little princess.
Yu Deng's eyes lit up. He quietly asked the ocean, "Are you sick? Can… can I understand you?"
The seawater began to sway much more vigorously. The currents gently wrapped around Yu Deng and, while they were at it, secretly touched his fish tail.
The scene before Yu Deng's eyes began to blur, as though he were being dragged into the memories of the ocean.
However, Ulysses kept a firm grip on his hand, making him feel slightly less afraid.
Yu Deng cautiously opened his eyes and saw the ocean as it had once been.
It was a vast, deep-blue sea. The seawater was crystal clear. Merfolk and schools of fish swam happily through the water, while quite a few merfolk leaped above the surface and swam toward the ships of the human kingdom, happily chatting with the humans.
The sunlight was extraordinarily bright, and every face was filled with happy, joyful smiles.
Yu Deng even saw dragons flying through the sky above the ocean. On the distant shore, a group of beastmen ran past, looking just as carefree.
Without a doubt, it was an incredibly beautiful scene, as though nobody had a single shadow hanging over them.
If this existed in real life, it would be the kind of scene that could only appear in a fairy tale.
Was this… the continent of Eralzea in the past?
Yu Deng stared blankly at the scenes.
After a while, the scene suddenly changed.
Starting from a certain day, wisps of black mist began emerging from people's bodies. It gradually spread across the land and ocean, seeping into every corner. An overwhelming sense of despair and suffocation rushed toward him.
In an instant, Yu Deng heard countless voices.
He couldn't make out what these people were saying, but he could feel the emotions coming from them.
Pain. Anger. Every dark and unbearable emotion imaginable.
It was exactly like those people who had lost control a few days ago.
"…Mm."
The current gently brushed across Yu Deng's forehead, causing the scenes to vanish in an instant.
Yu Deng took a moment to recover from the memories of the ocean. Then he sensed a sorrowful emotion within the flowing water.
"Ulysses… was it that black mist that caused the mutations? What was that?" Yu Deng's thoughts were a mess. He turned around and asked the merfolk leader.
Ulysses had also seen the scenes from before.
Directly witnessing the changes that had occurred to the continent of Eralzea had destabilized the merfolk's physical condition. The unpleasant emotions and power had also stirred up a certain restlessness within him.
Ulysses suppressed his discomfort and answered Yu Deng, "I'm sorry. I don't know. But before the mutation, we had never experienced such suffering."
Yu Deng seemed to understand, yet not quite.
He pursed his lips and asked the Abyss of the Deep Sea again, "I also want to know… what exactly is the Dreamheart?"
This time, Yu Deng did not see any other scenes. He only felt the current gently stroking the top of his head.
What did that mean…?
Yu Deng was very confused. He couldn't understand what the ocean was trying to tell him.
This conversation seemed to have exhausted the ocean's strength.
After giving the little merfolk princess a head pat, the blue-violet flame sank into silence and no longer responded to them.
Ulysses wrapped an arm around Yu Deng's shoulders. "Let's go, little princess. We should head back."
…
Yu Deng felt that he hadn't stayed in the Abyss of the Deep Sea for very long, but only after leaving did he realize that it had already become dark again.
He and the merfolk leader returned to the underwater kingdom and swam into the leader's bedchamber.
Yu Deng's mind was filled with a tangled mess of thoughts as he struggled to organize the background information of the instance.
"…Little Princess."
Yu Deng came back to his senses and discovered that the merfolk leader's tail was pressed against his own.
The thicker fish tail flexibly wrapped around Yu Deng's tail, gently rubbing against it.
Yu Deng turned his head and noticed that Ulysses' expression was very calm, the usual look commonly seen on the merfolk's face.
But his eyes were dark and heavy, as though a terrifying storm were brewing inside them.
"Ulysses…?" Yu Deng looked at him for a few seconds before quietly calling out, "What's wrong?"
"Little Princess, my scales are very hot."
The merfolk leader stated this matter-of-factly as he took Yu Deng's hand and guided it down to the scales beneath his lower abdomen.
"It's probably because I was affected by the power of the Abyss of the Deep Sea."
All of the merfolk's scales were burning hot. The particularly special scale was especially scorching, its edges slightly raised, almost as though they might burn the little princess's delicate skin.
The last time Yu Deng had washed that scale, he had already learned what it represented. Now that Ulysses had guided his hand there, Yu Deng hurriedly tried to pull away.
But Ulysses held his hand tightly.
"You—you should calm down yourself. Just like yesterday. You'll be fine tomorrow, right?" Yu Deng said incoherently.
The merfolk leader's breath was scorching hot, and a hint of blood appeared in his eyes.
He pulled Yu Deng into his arms and said helplessly, "What should I do, little princess? The situation is different from yesterday. This is a sign that a merfolk is entering mating season."
Yu Deng stammered, "Ah… merfolk have mating seasons too?"
"Too?"
The merfolk narrowed his eyes.
"Deng Deng, do you know who else has mating seasons?"
Yu Deng was completely unaware of the danger. He answered the merfolk straightforwardly, "Oriel. The leader of the dragon race."
Merfolk: "…"
Tsk.
Ulysses fell silent for a few seconds. Then, both sourness and gritted irritation in his voice, he answered Yu Deng's previous question.
"Of course merfolk have mating seasons too, little princess. Could you help me?"
Yu Deng recalled being worn out by the fantasy species and instinctively moved backward.
Waaah, the stamina of fantasy species seemed unusually good. They also had all sorts of strange preferences and instincts.
The dragon race was like that. Would the merfolk be the same?
At that moment, the dragon who had gotten to the little princess first happened to contact the merfolk leader.
—Yu Deng sensed an energy fluctuation appear beside him. He looked around and saw a faint glow a short distance in front of Ulysses. The light went out again a few seconds later.
Yu Deng blinked. "Huh? What was that just now?"
It was magical communication from the dragon leader.
Ulysses rejected his rival's communication with hostility and irritation, but his rival was persistent. Clearly, he wouldn't give up until he saw the little princess.
The merfolk leader lowered his head and stared at Yu Deng.
After a few seconds, he suddenly changed his mind.
He pulled the little princess completely into his arms and accepted the magical communication from the dragon leader.
A transparent screen appeared in front of Yu Deng.
On the screen, Yu Deng saw the black dragon.
He curved his eyes into a smile and greeted the dragon, "Huh? Oriel?"
The giant dragon's gaze fell upon Yu Deng, and the agitation in his eyes faded slightly.
"Little princess, so you were taken away by that fish."
Yu Deng blinked. "I am in the sea right now."
Seeing how familiar the two of them were with each other, the merfolk leader silently clicked his tongue again in his heart.
He wrapped his arms around Yu Deng and affectionately rested his chin on Yu Deng's shoulder before speaking to the dragon on the screen.
"Lord Smelid, why have you contacted the merfolk race?"
"It has nothing to do with you. I only want to find the little princess."
Seeing the princess he loved in the arms of the merfolk, the giant dragon became jealous as well.
He remained silent for a moment, unable to tell whether his next words were concern or a subtle display of pride and provocation.
"Little princess, I failed to protect you, which is why you ended up falling into the sea. I made you sore that day. Are you feeling better now?"
Made you sore…?
Yu Deng stared blankly for two seconds before realizing what the dragon meant.
His face flushed as he answered vaguely, "I think so…"
After hearing the dragon's provocation, the merfolk's aura instantly became heavy and oppressive.
The instinct of a merfolk in mating season surged uncontrollably at that moment.
Every cell in Ulysses' body screamed at him to drag his beloved princess into the depths, entwine their fish tails together, and kiss him in the heavy seawater that was almost suffocating, so that the little princess would never again show mercy to another male.
Alongside the merfolk's instincts came an uncontrollable desire to destroy.
Was he really inferior to that four-limbed dragon?
Why was the little princess willing to show mercy to that dragon, but unwilling to share pleasure with him?
What if he killed those other irritating beings and destroyed those annoying lands?
Would that allow him to keep the little princess by his side?
[Ding—ding—A violent energy fluctuation has been detected. A strong destructive impulse has been detected. Player Yu Deng, please complete the special quest as soon as possible!]
The Main System had appeared relatively rarely in the past two instances, so Yu Deng was actually a little unaccustomed to hearing it again.
He responded perfunctorily, "I know. Besides, I've already completed one special quest, so stop rushing me."
The merfolk raised his eyes and looked coldly at the dragon on the screen, returning the provocation in kind.
"Lord Smelid, the little princess is doing very well in the sea. We're getting along quite happily."
"Perhaps it won't be long before little merfolk are born into the merfolk royal family. Unfortunately, the dragon race cannot enter the waters, so I'm afraid you won't be able to see them."
The giant dragon's pupils instantly turned scarlet, and his tail smashed the rocks behind him.
Yu Deng looked at one and then the other, instinctively trying to smooth things over and draw a hopeful picture.
"Oriel, I'm going to stay in the sea for a few more days, okay? But I'll definitely return to Sturitt."
That way, they could still see each other.
As he spoke, Yu Deng even grabbed the merfolk's fingers and gave them a little shake, an affectionate gesture without words.
The little princess's soft voice calmed both rivals down. However, the merfolk had already finished provoking his rival and didn't want to see him anymore, so he simply ended the communication.
In the final second before the communication ended, Yu Deng's beautiful light-blue fish tail appeared on the screen.
Dragon: "…?!"
The screen disappeared, leaving only Yu Deng and Ulysses in the palace.
In just a few minutes, Ulysses' scales had become even hotter. His sea-blue eyes had turned dark blue, as though he wanted to devour the little princess whole.
Yu Deng couldn't help shivering. He awkwardly moved his fish tail backward, retreating.
"Y-You're not allowed to bully me."
The merfolk stared intently at the retreating little princess.
Suddenly, he remembered Yu Deng's behavior over the past two days.
On his very first day in the deep sea, the little princess couldn't bear to watch the merfolk suffer in pain and had used the power of his authority to save everyone. The little princess never refused the merfolk's banquet invitations and had even agreed to help them resolve their predicament.
—Clearly, Yu Deng was someone who was easily soft-hearted.
The merfolk leader was well-versed in the tactic of advancing by retreating.
He lowered his eyes and spoke gently, "If Deng Deng doesn't want to, I won't force you. When you leave, just close the door for me, okay?"
Yu Deng looked at him suspiciously. "Really…?"
"Mhm. It's fine. Although it will be somewhat uncomfortable, I can probably get through mating season by myself."
Ulysses pretended as though he truly didn't care. He slowly increased the distance between them, looking as though he would simply let Yu Deng leave.
Yu Deng slowly swam toward the door, but couldn't help turning his head for one last glance.
He saw the fierce and terrifying merfolk curled up on the shell bed. The scales on his fish tail were spread out, the muscles in his arms were taut, and prominent veins could be seen on the backs of his hands.
Ulysses looked like he was in a lot of pain…
Yu Deng immediately stopped leaving. Clinging to the doorframe, he hesitated before asking again, "Ulysses, are you really going to be okay…?"
But the merfolk leader seemed not to hear him. He didn't answer, only letting out painful breaths.
Faint traces of blood dispersed through the seawater. Yu Deng didn't know where the merfolk had injured himself.
Yu Deng agonized over it for a long while.
In the end, he slowly swam back to the shell bed.
He poked Ulysses.
The next second, he was pulled into a pair of strong arms.
"Little Princess, does this mean… you're willing to help me now?"
The merfolk's gaze seemed unfocused. He looked up at the little princess, his voice low—a pitiful plea wrapped in an inconspicuous coaxing tone.
Yu Deng stared into the eyes of this seemingly miserable merfolk for several seconds. He frowned and wrestled with the decision for a long time before finally speaking softly.
"Okay… I can help you. But—but only once!"