Alisha cursed at Xia De in a state of high agitation.
In the next second, a loud bang rang out, and she could no longer make a sound.
Xia De pinned her head, planting it back into the ground. With a cold expression and an icy tone, he said:
“I have no interest in becoming a god, nor do I have any interest in ruling the world.
“I just want to live my own life.
“Every now and then, I'll take on some quests, go on an adventure, compile my adventure journal, and then go home.”
A cold glint flashed in Xia De's eyes, and the strength in his hand tightened, making Alisha feel as if her head would burst like a watermelon at any moment.
In a disdainful tone, he continued to speak to Alisha:
“Besides, you are nothing more than a pseudo-god. You ascended to godhood using external power. Though you seem to possess boundless might, you are merely a vessel for divine power.
“Just a vessel for that god.”
With that, he applied a bit of force, pulling her head out of the ground. Meeting her murderous gaze, he said expressionlessly:
“Now, tell me your purpose for coming to this place.
“A friend of mine mentioned that the mermaid race resides in the Northern Sea. They rarely set foot on land, let alone travel all this way, so far from the Northern Sea.”
Alisha showed no fear whatsoever. Instead, she parted her lips, her face filled with smugness as she shrieked crazily at Xia De:
“It's useless! My form is no longer confined to a physical body.
“The entire Bezerlati Lake has become a part of me. As long as the lake water remains, I am immortal!”
Having said that, she channeled the divine power within her body, intending to turn into water and escape.
But immediately after, her expression shifted. She actually couldn't turn into water to escape.
“Oh, that? Why don't you guess why the other creatures in the lake seem completely unaffected despite us fighting for so long?
“Because I set up a barrier way back when you were advancing!
“Inside this barrier, you can perceive things on the outside, but your divine power, your consciousness, and everything else cannot escape by even a fraction!
“After all, I still want to try Bezerlati Lake's local delicacies. I can't let you ruin them!”
Xia De grabbed her by the hair, forcing her face up. Meeting her incredulous gaze, he spoke in a low, mesmerizing voice:
“Come on, look into my eyes now, and tell me everything honestly.”
As their gazes locked, a faint purple shimmer glowed within Xia De's dark eyes. His voice sounded like a demon's whisper, carrying an intense hypnotic power.
The light in Alisha's eyes gradually dimmed. Her furious expression slowly turned serene, making her resemble a puppet.
Cold and emotionless.
“I stole the sacred artifact of the mermaid race. I was hunted across the Northern Sea, so I fled all the way here before they could even react.”
“The sacred artifact, the coral crown?”
“Yes. I read in the secret archives of the mermaid race that this crown once belonged to a god, and it contains his immense power.
“To restore the glory of the mermaid race, I wanted to obtain the power within it.
“I once told a close friend of mine, but not only did she disagree with my views, she even had a massive argument with me in a futile attempt to dissuade me.
“From then on, we became strangers.
“Afterward, I remained calm on the surface while waiting in the shadows for many years. Finally, I found an opportunity and took the chance to steal the sacred artifact of the mermaid race.”
“Restore the glory of the mermaid race? I remember Hilia saying that the mermaid race is a major clan in the Northern Sea, and they haven't declined!”
Alisha sneered disdainfully:
“A major clan? Hahaha! That is nothing but a fig leaf to cover up their own weakness.
“A thousand years ago, the Demon King waged war against the entire continent. The Northern Sea, being closest to Demon King Island, was the first to fall. The mermaid race suffered a massacre at the hands of the Demon King's army, and countless experts of our race perished. The only survivors were mermaids whose strength peaked at Tier Six at best.
“I was born during that era. I can never forget that humiliation. The demon race kept us as pets. When they were happy, they would toss us a bone; when they were displeased, they would humiliate and beat us at will!
“Later, the Northern Sea was liberated, the Demon King's army was wiped out, and the mermaid race finally gained their freedom.
“However, having suffered heavy losses under the massacre of the Demon King's army, the mermaid race became one of the weakest races in the Northern Sea at the time.
“Later, after meeting the greedy, arrogant, and lustful Hero, the mermaid race offered him vast amounts of treasure and beauties in exchange for his protection. Only then did we gain the time to recuperate.
“Later generations beautified this by claiming they were moved by the Hero's bravery, voluntarily offering treasures, and forging a deep friendship with him.
“In truth, that Hero was no different from the Demon King, just as greedy toward the mermaid race, except the Hero coveted beauty.”
Xia De stared with wide eyes, his mouth forming an 'O' shape as if he had just heard some shocking news.
“What an absolute bombshell. I never expected the stories about the Hero I grew up hearing would have an insider's version.”
A brilliant light seemed to erupt in Xia De's eyes, his inner gossip-loving soul burning fiercely. Then, as if thinking of something, he sized up the resentful Alisha from head to toe.
His gaze lingered on her azure fish tail for a moment. With a peculiar expression, he thought to himself:
The mermaid race indeed has a very high standard of beauty. Although Alisha isn't as beautiful as Hilia, she can still be considered a beauty. It's not surprising that the Hero fell for the mermaid race.
It's just, well... how did they... you know...
That Hero really had quite a heavy taste.
After evaluating the Hero's taste in his mind with mixed feelings, Xia De shook his head, tossing these stray thoughts to the back of his mind.
“Continue.”
“Yes.
“To restore the mermaid race to its former glory, I trained diligently. However, my progress was always slower than those who fawned over the Hero.
“Over nearly a thousand years, I only reached Tier Seven. If not for some fortuitous encounters in my early years, I would have probably turned into a pile of dry bones in the ocean long ago.
“I hate it!
“So, I frantically began searching through the secret archives of the mermaid race, hoping to find a way to quickly increase my strength.
“Later, when I saw that the coral crown—which is now merely a symbol of the queen in the clan—actually contained the power of a god, I set my sights on it.
“However, because of my age, I could no longer run for queen. Thus, I trained an apprentice, hoping to make her the queen so that I could study the crown legitimately.”
At this point, Alisha's face contorted, filled with hatred. Looking like a malevolent spirit from hell, she shrieked:
“But she betrayed me!
“She, whom I treated as my own flesh and blood, like my very own daughter, betrayed me!!!
“She withdrew from the competition midway through the selection process and joined the camp of her opponent—the apprentice of my former friend!
“Later, I wanted to find an opportunity to kill that traitor, but that girl was protected so well by her that I had no choice but to give up.
“Eventually, I found an opportunity to snatch the coral crown. To prevent my friend, who is at Tier Eight, from finding me, I fled all the way inland, ending up here.”
“What about the magical beasts and humans in the lake?”
With a frenzied smile on her face, Alisha said:
“The seal within the crown requires a sufficient amount of life energy to be undone.
“Therefore, I bestowed upon those lowly mortals the honor of accompanying me on the stairway to godhood!”
Xia De released the mental hypnosis he had cast on her. Then, under her terrified gaze, he spoke softly:
“Hmm, quite an inspiring story.
“But you killed people and caused a dangerous disturbance. The Adventurer's Guild noticed this, issued a quest, and I accepted it.
“If it had been anyone but me—even another adventurer, or the old Guild President, that big dummy who just reached Tier Eight—they might not have been able to catch you.
“All I can say is that you're very unlucky.
“So, to complete my quest, I must ask you to die.”
Having said that, noticing that Alisha seemed to be making a move with her hands, Xia De's eyes grew even darker. He smiled amiably:
“Oh, by the way, don't bother begging for mercy. I never forgive anyone who tries to kill me!”
Then, under her despairing gaze, his lips parted slightly as he softly muttered:
“Black Prison.”
Rate on N.U.
