She was a mermaid.
Not the cartoonish kind he had seen online. She a Soul stirring woman with long silvery hair that drifted through the water-filled air like moonlit threads.
Pale white skin, Hourglass figure, and shimmering Ocean blue eyes.
She looked at him in away as if she had been waiting forever.
When her lips curved into a soft smile, his heart nearly collapsed.
"Welcome, Your Grace. I have been waiting for you forever."
Arlan blinked. His brain refused to function for a moment.
"Your… what?"
"Your Grace?"
He looked behind him, thinking maybe someone else had appeared. But no. The Palace courtyard was completely empty.
She swam forward, her body gliding through the air as if submerged in water. Each movement was elegant and precise and beautiful.
Arlan instinctively step back.
"I- I think you have the wrong person," he whispered.
His words came out embarrassingly. The sound echoed down the Palace like a trembling confession.
The mermaid smiled again. Softer than before.
"You are exactly what fate led you here." She placed a hand over her heart. "I am Princess Naida Tideborn, The Guardian of Sea God's Palace. I am here to welcome you as the next Sea God."
Arlan felt the blood draining from his face.
He could barely process her beauty, let alone her words.
His voice shook:
"No. I am not a god. I am not an heir either." "I am just a gamer. A nobody. A mistake people want to forget."
Her face darkened, as if she was hurt by his words.
"You are not a mistake, Your Grace," she said quietly. "The Aquabyss Domain itself recognized your soul. The ritual reached across reality to find the one who matches the Sea God's essence. And it chose you."
She moved closer. Far too close for Arlan's comfort.
Arlan could see his reflection in her eyes.
The same ugly face and body. He hated it.
He hated that reflection.
He hated that this beautiful princess was forced to look at it.
She reached out slowly, watching him with patient eyes.
"May I touch you?" she asked.
Arlan hesitated. No one had asked him that before. Not at school. Not at home.
He nodded slightly, unsure and trembling.
Her fingertips brushed his cheek.
Warm. Soft. Gentle.
It shocked him so much that he forgot to breathe. No one had touched him with kindness in a long time. Not since childhood. Not since everything changed.
His eyes became burry, before he could stop them. He quickly looked away, ashamed.
Naida's voice softened even further. "Your Grace, you carry a deep loneliness. And the ocean grew sorrowful in your rhythm."
Arlan shook his head.
"I do not belong here. I am not strong. I am not brave. People in my world hate how I look. They laugh when I walk. They whisper when I pass. Why would a god pick someone like me?"
The Sea God's Palace was quiet. Except for the distant buzz of flowing magic.
Naida lifted his chin gently so he would meet her gaze.
"Its because,— the Sea God was once like you."
Arlan froze.
"He was born human. He was also weak. Fragile. Hurt by the world. But the Abyssal Domain saw his true heart. It saw strength hidden beneath his wounds, just like yours"
She stepped back slightly and then lowered her head until strands of her silvery hair touched the marble floor.
"I, Naida Tideborn, as the 21st guardian of the Sea God's Palace, welcome you, Master Aegis. The one chosen to inherit the Sea God's authority."
Hum!
Instantly, a powerful blue light burst beneath his feet, radiating outward across the glossy plaza.
Buzzz!
He looked back to see a massive golden Tower, engraved with a majestic Trident on its surface, appearing instantaneously and stood majestically. It buzzed with otherworldly energy, dwarfing the palace columns before stabilizing.
"What is this?" Arlan asked, shocked by the sheer scale and palpable power emanating from the structure.
Naida's eyes reflected pride.
"That is the Sea God's Tower, Your Grace.
From today, this Divine Treasure belongs to you. It will help you gain the powers that once belonged to the previous Sea God."
Woosh...
As she finished speaking, the colossal golden Tower shrunk rapidly, compressing its size until it was small enough to be visible and land gently on Arlan's palm.
Ding!
Another notification flashed, but this time, it was impossible to ignore.
[ Realm Notification! ]
[ Sky Lord Aegis has Obtained a Divine Grade Treasure ]
The notification was transmitted not just on Arlan's screen, but to all the Sky Lords across the Eternal Sky Realm.
The Global Chatbox immediately erupted into wild chaos.
[Admin_01]: WHAT?! A Divine Grade Treasure ALREADY? We are just starting right?!
[FallenPaladin]: DIVINE TIER?! We're getting rusty swords and this guy gets a Divine Treasure? Motherfucker, This isn't fair at all!
[xX_GamerDad_Xx]: Who is this Aegis? Is he somekind of big shot? This is NOT how a survival game should start!
[ #Unfair #Cheater ]
[Firestarter]: AEGIS, WE BEG YOU! If you can talk, please send help! I am surrounded by giant scorpions!
[TheArchitect]: Interesting. May I know this Great Lord's name?.
[EternalWarrior]: I'm going to find this guy and take that Treasure! Where are you, Aegis?!
[ThreeBautifulPrincesses]: @Skylord Aegis; Where are you handsome? Can we meet?
[ 99+ ]
Arlan stared from the miniature golden tower in his hand to the chaotic stream of messages. He had unexpectedly became the center of global attention and global jealousy.
"What would you do now, Your Grace? Will you cower away, or take destiny in your own hand?" Naida asked, her expression serious yet expectant.
Arlan looked down at the miniaturized pulsating golden tower in his palm, then back at the frantic messages scrolling across the global screen.
And surprisingly, the choice was now very easy.
He straighten his posture, inhaled the strangely refreshing luminescent water and made his decision.
The 'Meatball Danji' of Earth was gone. He had a divine mandate, and a once a lifetime chance.
Why would he waste this chance?
He internally vowed to change. From this day forward, he would be known as Aegis, in both mind and body. He would become someone his past self could never have become.
A Ruler.
Someone the world would look up with fear and respect.
With a single whisper, the miniature golden tower disappeared inside body.
Aegis then glanced at Naida, with a look that completely belied his previous inferior personality.
"Naida, " He commanded. "Tell me everything about the Sea God's Tower. How does it work, and what is the first step I must take to claim the power that now belongs to me?"