The seawater within the merfolk kingdom was actually somewhat special. The currents were almost like air and would not easily wash away substances clinging to the skin, leaving Yu Deng feeling sticky all over.
After all, Ulysses' fluids were not only inside him; a layer of frost and snow also covered his outer skin, and the water carried a faint fishy scent.
The merfolk leader's gaze lingered over the little princess, his eyes filled with satisfied pleasure.
"Baby… mine." Ulysses lowered his head and gently pecked the pretty, flushed face of Yu Deng.
His collarbone, the side of his neck, his chest, his thighs… the little princess had already been kissed and licked all over by the merfolk, leaving reddish marks behind.
"Mmm… No, no biting me anymore!"
Yu Deng weakly pushed the bad fish away. He blinked, and through his hazy vision, he noticed that the merfolk's bedchamber had changed.
The walls of the originally dazzling crystal palace had transformed into rocky formations from the depths of the sea. Coral and deep-sea pearls gave off a faint glow, while the surrounding space appeared extremely deep and secluded, resembling a place of confinement hidden within the deep sea.
"Ulysses…" Yu Deng was extremely startled and somewhat frightened. "Did we fall into the sea? How can you still run around at a time like this?! You… Aren't you afraid someone will see us?!"
They had gone from the merfolk kingdom all the way to the bottom of the sea… The commotion was simply too earth-shattering!
The merfolk leader paused for two seconds, amused by how cute Yu Deng's reaction was. He patiently explained, "No, we're still inside the merfolk palace. We haven't fallen into the deep sea."
Yu Deng asked in confusion, "Then why does everything around me look different?"
"It's a kind of illusion, one of the merfolk's innate powers. During mating season, merfolk can transform their surroundings into the deep sea."
Every merfolk had once imagined sinking into the deep sea with their partner, wanting to entangle themselves with their beloved within an underwater prison. Through generations of evolution, this ability had eventually developed.
Ulysses waved his hand, and the illusion dissipated, returning the surroundings to the appearance of the crystal palace.
Yu Deng breathed a sigh of relief, only to discover that the merfolk was once again affectionately holding him and kissing him.
"Little princess, stay with me in the deep sea." The merfolk poured out words of love, inviting his beloved princess to become a member of the underwater kingdom. "I will love you even more than this ocean does."
Yu Deng gazed into the merfolk's dark-blue eyes and could not help asking, "Ulysses, why do you like me? We only just met…"
Yu Deng would occasionally wonder why the merfolk liked him. It was not just the merfolk—even his other quest targets always liked getting so close to him, making him cry again and again.
He knew he was very good-looking and that lots of people liked him, but they had not known each other for very long… Sometimes, he still found it confusing.
"There are simply too many reasons to like the little princess. You are the most beautiful, the cutest, and the most wonderful. You deserve to have everyone's love." The merfolk answered softly, his somewhat cool-toned voice sounding surprisingly gentle.
"As for the time…" Ulysses pondered for a moment before answering seriously, "I'm sorry. I don't seem to be able to explain it either, but I think it must be instinct."
His love and desire were overwhelming. He wanted intimacy and wanted to possess Yu Deng exclusively, yet he could never bear to hurt the little princess in the slightest. Ulysses could not explain why he felt this way, but he knew that his feelings for the little princess were genuine.
Yu Deng tilted his head. "Is that so…?"
Were his other quest targets also like the merfolk?
Yu Deng forced himself to stay awake and met the merfolk's gaze for several seconds. He could not quite describe what he was feeling, but hearing the merfolk's explanation suddenly filled his heart with a peaceful sense of security.
Under the influence of those emotions, sleepiness soon overcame him. Yu Deng slowly wrapped his arms around the merfolk's waist and nestled against his chest.
"I want to sleep."
Ulysses' heart practically melted from the little princess's unintentional show of affection. He gently held the little princess in his arms and coaxed him, "Sleep. I'll watch over you, baby."
Yu Deng stubbornly forced himself to stay conscious for a moment and made sure, "The other merfolk are okay now, right?"
"They haven't lost control again. Sleep peacefully, little princess."
Yu Deng fell into a deep sleep.
Over the past few days, he had been moving between different fantasy races, and he had been put through so much each time. Although magic could eliminate his physical fatigue, the exhaustion of his mind was unavoidable.
...
However, merfolk in mating season were just as difficult to deal with as dragons. Before long, the surging desire that had finally calmed down began to rise again.
The merfolk leader barely managed to restrain himself for several hours, allowing the little princess to sleep peacefully for a while. Then he leaned down once more and kissed the little princess's lips, gently and slowly pecking at them, while his fish tail swayed restlessly in the water.
Yu Deng opened his sleepy eyes. "Mm? Ulysses… what are you doing? I'm still so sleepy."
The merfolk pleaded, "Baby, help me a little more, okay? I'm really uncomfortable right now."
"Mm, okay…"
After being coaxed by the merfolk, Yu Deng did it with him twice more. However, the merfolk leader was very gentle and did not make Yu Deng feel uncomfortable.
Yu Deng was a very dedicated player. Even while dazed and hazy, he still remembered that he needed to complete his special quest. Lying against the merfolk's chest, he skillfully recited the conditions of his special quest:
"Ulysses, are you willing to form a contract with me? I mean the kind where you'll listen to me and submit to me from now on."
"Of course I'm willing, little princess. I am willing to support you and follow you just as this ocean does." Ulysses was not lying. As he answered, pale golden light already began to appear between them.
"However, if I form a contract with you, baby, can you stay by my side?"
Yu Deng answered honestly, "Ah, I can't promise that."
Hearing this answer, the merfolk was clearly somewhat disappointed. "You can't…?"
Anxiety and fear intertwined with his pathological possessiveness, making the merfolk almost lose control of his power. His pupils took on an icy, inhuman quality.
Yu Deng did not notice the subtle change in him. After thinking for a moment, he quietly added, "But if you don't agree, Ulysses, I might die. And… and we might not be able to see each other again in the future."
The merfolk immediately tensed, his aura growing even more somber. He pulled Yu Deng into his arms and murmured, "Little princess, you absolutely will not come to harm."
And absolutely must not… become unable to see each other.
As the merfolk's words fell, pale golden light connected the two of them, and the mysterious contract was officially formed.
[Ding. Congratulations, player, on completing the special quest: Merfolk Leader Ulysses.]
Phew… Another quest completed!
The fantasy-race quest targets in this instance were so cooperative.
Yu Deng was very satisfied with the obedient merfolk. He let him swish his fish tail and fill him with his special anatomy.
...
After the merfolk's mating season finally subsided, Yu Deng fell asleep again. When he opened his eyes once more, it was already noon the next day.
Yu Deng was still somewhat groggy from sleep. He was held in the merfolk's arms in a daze and ate a few pieces of fresh, tender seaweed fish slices. After filling his stomach, Yu Deng finally began to feel better.
He remembered the clues he had not finished asking about the previous night and shook Ulysses' finger.
"Keep telling me about it. I mean the beastman race, and tell me about the other things too. The people in Sturitt never tell me anything."
The merfolk leader showed absolute patience toward his beloved partner and explained everything one by one.
"The beastman race consists of many kinds of half-beast people. Their tribes are scattered, and the strongest beastman serves as their leader. They have also been affected by the mutations recently. Unrest broke out among the different beastman groups, and they eventually replaced their leader."
That method of rule really did sound rather beastlike…
"Beastmen and merfolk actually have little interaction with each other. After all, our territories do not border one another, and merfolk rarely set foot on land." Ulysses continued, "The conflict between the beastmen and the human kingdom is much more pronounced."
Yu Deng blinked. "Huh? The Kingdom of Sturitt?"
Why did it feel like every fantasy race hated the human kingdom?
"Yes."
The merfolk leader looked at the surprised little princess. His expression was obscure as he slowly said, "Little princess, be careful of the King of Sturitt, who is your father in name. The grudge between the merfolk and the human kingdom originates from him. However, he placed a forbidden spell on me, so I cannot tell you anything more specific."
Yu Deng quickly memorized the merfolk's warning.
There was even a forbidden spell…
It was probably a restriction imposed by the instance. System 01 had said before that instances could place restrictions on NPCs to increase the difficulty of clearing them. But the queen had also warned him before to be careful of the old king.
Yu Deng thought for a few seconds.
"Oh, right, Ulysses. Didn't you say last time that there were still some merfolk who hadn't fully recovered?"
"Mm. Their condition is rather complicated."
"Can I go see them?"
The merfolk leader paused for a few seconds. "Of course. However, their attitudes may be rather unpleasant. Baby, don't take it to heart."
With some confusion, Yu Deng followed Ulysses to a building that resembled a hospital.
After entering through an entrance made of coral, Yu Deng saw seven or eight merfolk bound to a cluster of coral, while two other merfolk were busy suppressing them.
The moment these merfolk saw Yu Deng's human legs, the redness in their eyes became even more pronounced, and they let out sharp roars. However, their hatred was not directed at Yu Deng personally.
Yu Deng pursed his lips, took out his scepter, and silently made his wish, trying to treat the merfolk.
A warm, gentle light flashed. The redness in the merfolk's eyes faded somewhat, and they were able to greet him intermittently.
"Leader… and this human… thank you. We weren't trying to frighten you just now."
Yu Deng shook his head, indicating that he did not mind.
However, he now understood clearly that these merfolk, just like the dragons, were still at risk of mutating again.
［Good. After ten hours, I finally get to see Baby again.］
［What can I say? The merfolk are a little more considerate than the dragons last time. They didn't bully Baby for quite as long… Lowering the bar.jpg］
［This is an infinite-flow channel!! You bunch of bad dogs, what are you doing to our beautiful and kind Deng Deng wife?!］
［Every time I watch Baby treat these NPCs, it feels like I'm watching a merciful god. Baby's greatness speaks for itself!］
Yu Deng chatted with them for a while before slowly swimming out of the coral.
He still could not figure out why mutations had appeared on this continent, nor did he know where that legendary Dreamheart actually was.
There was another very important question, too…
This was an A-rank difficult instance. Although the clues he had gathered so far were rather abstract and scattered, he had not felt any obvious difficulty.
Well, perhaps he had simply been protected too well, and the danger had already descended somewhere he did not know about.
"Tongtong, could this instance still be hiding other dangers…? Infinite instances love tormenting players like this."
System 01 tactfully replied:
[Your understanding of instances is very thorough. However, Host need not worry too much. You are already doing very well.]
"Okay…"
Wait, he had the magic mirror!
He could ask the magic mirror one question…
Hold on, where was his magic mirror?
Yu Deng finally remembered his magic mirror item. However, he did not see it in his system inventory, and his expression went blank for a moment.
He urgently racked his memory of everything that had happened over the past few days.
Finally, he remembered—
He seemed to have left the magic mirror in his room in Sturitt.
"Tongtong, I lost the magic mirror…" Yu Deng asked his system for help. "Could someone else take the magic mirror?"
[Host, please don't worry. The magic mirror item is already bound to you and cannot be taken by other players.]
With his own system's assurance, Yu Deng felt a little more at ease. However, without the omniscient magic mirror, he could only sort through the plot himself for now.
Yu Deng turned around and glanced at the merfolk kingdom's hospital.
How strange.
Why was he unable to completely cure these NPCs? It didn't matter which race they belonged to. In other words, what exactly was the power causing these NPCs to mutate?
Something that could not be completely dispelled, something that kept recurring, something that meant they would face the risk of losing control as long as they remained alive…
He had an idea.
Could the power behind these mutations actually originate from the NPCs themselves?
Yu Deng felt that he had grasped the most crucial point. His thoughts began moving a little faster as he tried to follow this line of reasoning.
Judging from the instance's background story and the clues he had gradually gathered over the past few days, this continent had once been beautiful and dreamlike.
The creatures living on this continent had known neither pain nor sorrow. They had always lived in happiness, in a beautiful world that seemed straight out of a fairy tale.
But humans, as well as other highly intelligent fantasy races, should naturally possess the full range of emotions and desires.
Could they really never experience negative emotions?
Yu Deng felt that they probably did.
Perhaps everything had once been beautiful, but all it would take was something to trigger those hidden forces, and another side of them would be revealed.
Yu Deng's thoughts gradually became clearer.
He seemed to… already know what this instance was about.
If his reasoning was correct, then could the mutational power that made people lose control and turn into terrifying monsters originate from the dark emotions within these NPCs themselves…?
And perhaps the missing Dreamheart was the existence that had once suppressed those dark emotions.
Then, what about his quest targets?
As leaders of their respective fantasy races, could their conditions be even more severe?
Just as Yu Deng thought of this, he suddenly heard the electronic announcement of the instance system.
[Ding. A third player has triggered an additional quest. All other players, please work hard to clear the instance.]
[Ding. A player within the instance has completed their exploration of the instance's storyline.]
[Ding. Ding. This instance has now been active for seven days.]
Yu Deng perked up his ears as he listened to the series of announcements from the instance system.
He pondered the long buildup of the instance and felt that this sequence of events seemed strangely familiar…
Could it be about to increase in difficulty?
[Beep—beep—Data confirmation in progress. Parameter adjustment in progress—Attention, all players! This instance will enter its second phase in thirty minutes. Please prepare accordingly.]
Yu Deng: "…"
Wah, he knew it.
He had not been in the infinite world for very long, yet every time he entered a difficult-level instance, nine times out of ten, it would undergo a second difficulty upgrade.
He really was an unlucky little guy.
However, Yu Deng was no longer as panicked or frightened as he had been at the beginning. He could even quickly start thinking about how to deal with the situation.
Wuwu, people really did grow when faced with adversity.
[Notice: Number of surviving players within the instance: 7.]
Huh? It was even announcing this kind of data?
Seven people…
Yu Deng counted on his fingers.
He knew that there was himself, Song Shiyu, Ke Qi, Xiao Pang, and the fish-headed player. That meant there were still two players he had never encountered, scattered somewhere across the instance map.
The player forums had previously compiled statistics showing that an A-rank instance usually had around fifteen to twenty players participating together.
In other words, this instance had already lost more than half of its mid-to-high-level players.
Looking at it this way, even the first phase had actually been extremely dangerous.
What would the second phase be like?
Yu Deng could not predict it. He could only nervously check all his skills, items, and equipment, trying to simulate the dangerous situations he might encounter.
Thirty minutes passed in the blink of an eye.
Yu Deng faintly heard a cracking sound, as though a barrier had shattered.
[Ding. This instance has officially entered its second phase.]
[Attention, all players. After entering the second phase, NPCs in each area will no longer be restricted and may move freely. Players, please handle your relationships with NPCs carefully.]
Yu Deng immediately became alert and looked up at the surrounding merfolk.
The merfolk leader, Ulysses, did not appear to have changed much. His pupils were simply darker than before, and the fin of his tail was somewhat tense.
The other merfolk, however, had changed much more noticeably. There were no longer smiles on their faces, and blood vessels were beginning to show in their eyes.
They had clearly been temporarily treated before, yet after the second phase began, it seemed they were going to become terrifying again.
Yu Deng's mood sank somewhat.
Boom—!
Thunder resounded above the surface of the sea. The previously calm waters surged into enormous waves, while dark clouds covered the sky.
Although Yu Deng was still beneath the sea, he could feel the disturbance.
He abruptly looked up, but all he could see was the heavy seawater, making it impossible to tell what was happening above.
"Ulysses, I want to go see the surface."
The merfolk silently looked at Yu Deng and slowly nodded.
"Okay."
The merfolk swam extremely quickly. After more than ten minutes, he brought Yu Deng up to the surface.
The light outside was gloomy, and the low-hanging sky seemed as though it were about to collapse.
Yu Deng looked around for a moment before suddenly seeing several enormous black shadows dive down from the sky.
They were dragons.
On the distant land, two groups whose appearances could not be clearly seen were also rushing over.
With the advantage of their flying speed, the dragons were the first to reach the sea.
The giant dragon leader at the front immediately spat flames at his romantic rival, only for the merfolk to expressionlessly raise a wave and extinguish them.
"Little princess, will you come back to the dragon territory with me?" The giant dragon leader looked at Yu Deng and anxiously invited him.
Yu Deng blinked. "Huh? Right now?"
The merfolk wrapped an arm around Yu Deng's waist and leaped above the surface, letting the currents support them as he coldly attacked his rival.
"The little princess is my partner, an existence recognized by the ocean. He has no need to go to the clouds."
Several merfolk surfaced nearby and nodded vigorously, making the dragons in midair furious.
Amid their shouting, various spells began bombarding one another. Both sides were trying to prove that the little princess belonged to them.
At this moment, the two groups from the land also arrived.
While listening to the conversation between his two quest targets, Yu Deng spared a glance toward them.
He discovered that one group seemed to be NPCs from the beastman race. They were using magic to step onto the surface of the sea.
The other group was driving a magical ship that was already rapidly approaching him.
Oh, they were Sturitt's royal guards.
The captain of the royal guards spotted their own princess being fought over by the merfolk and dragons from a distance and was so frightened that his soul nearly left his body.
"Little princess—!"
The guard captain shouted with such heart-rending desperation that Yu Deng jumped.
Standing beside the guard captain was the little princess's personal knight, Song Shiyu.
Yu Deng met Song Shiyu's gaze.
Two seconds later, Song Shiyu leaped into the air, stepped across the waves, and arrived before Yu Deng. He bowed and apologized.
"I'm sorry, Your Highness the Princess. I'm late. May I take you back?"
Yu Deng blinked. "Hm?"
In the distance, the guard captain slowly broke into a smile and relaxed as he sat down.
Thank goodness.
With this knight here, the little princess would definitely be able to return to the Kingdom of Sturitt…
Only to see that knight raise his head and extend an invitation to the little princess.
"As the leader of the beastman race, I guarantee your safety. So, may I invite you to the beastmen's territory?"
Yu Deng stared at him in surprise.
"The beastman race?"
Wow, his knight was actually the beastman leader?
On the ship in the distance, the royal guard captain, who had just sat down, sprang back to his feet.
"???"
What are you all doing?!
Who are all of you?!
Merfolk, dragons, beastmen—what is going on?!
You fantasy races don't have your own princesses?!