The boundless azure stretched in every direction, the vast ocean opening up before him like an endless canvas of freedom. Lucian gradually lowered his flight altitude and cast "Greater Invisibility" upon himself. The Kotao merfolk altar lay on the seabed nearby.
The lower he flew, the stronger the briny stench in the sea breeze became, eventually carrying a faint touch of foulness. Lucian's Belt of Health activated instinctively, channeling an invisible force that repelled the sensation of filth. Upon the ceaselessly rippling azure, countless bubbles of deathly gray, pitch black, and murky green swelled silently. Once they expanded to a certain size, they burst on their own, dyeing their surroundings in matching hues that reeked of malevolence and chaos.
"The Contaminated Sea — similar to the Dark Mountains, riddled with spatial rifts, though smaller and more singular, all connected exclusively to the Endless
It was only when he used his authority as a member of the Arcane Review Committee to access the relevant files that he discovered the Affairs Committee had already completed a preliminary investigation of both the Contaminated Sea and the Kotao merfolk incident.
"Even though the intelligence on the 'Contaminated Sea' wasn't taken seriously back then — they only gave me one Arcane Point — in the end, I'm the one who benefits. Hmm, the Affairs Committee's efficiency is quite impressive. The advantages of belonging to an organization extend well beyond materials, arcane knowledge, and security…"
Lucian mused as he recalled the intelligence regarding the Kotao merfolk altar in the Contaminated Sea:
"…Kotao merfolk. Intelligent beings who worship the Ocean God Ambora. They possess innate talent spells related to water and illusion, and are formidable in underwater melee combat. They are widespread throughout the Storm Strait and the boundless ocean, having evolved from primitive tribes into a nation-state with altars as their core gathering points… The royal family is generally located at the Altar of the Heart of the Ocean, five thousand kilometers northeast of the Solaris Archipelago…"
"…The 'Ocean God' Ambora is rumored to have fallen into slumber since ancient times, never responding to prayers. Over the past thousand years, the priests' authority has been largely seized by the royal family, with their role reduced to a mere symbol of faith and honor. The priest-lineage Kotao merfolk are deeply dissatisfied with this, but lacking the strength to resist effectively, they have been unable to mount any meaningful opposition…"
"…Around May, early in the year 816. A Kotao merfolk altar in the Contaminated Sea secretly announced that it had received a divine oracle from the Ocean God Ambora, demanding that the merfolk faithful gather vast quantities of materials to open a hidden ruin beneath the altar and awaken Ambora, restoring the majesty of divine authority… Given the involvement of a 'deity,' the matter was submitted to the Supreme Council…"
"…January, year 817. The Kotao merfolk of the Contaminated Sea finished gathering the resources and began opening the ruin. Lord Brook, the Silver Moon Scholar
"The ritual failed. Ambora was not awakened, and Lord Brook and the others could not find Ambora's 'corpse.' However, the opening of the ruin did increase the Altar of the Ocean God's resistance to the sea's contamination, giving the priest-lineage power holders a sliver of hope. They believe the awakening actually succeeded, but that the Ocean God's long slumber prevented full recovery of power, which is why a true descent did not occur. With sustained offerings and worship, the Ocean God will one day restore ancient glory."
"Due to interference from the Kotao merfolk royal family, the Contaminated Sea altar currently has only two High Priests at the seventh-circle level, two seventh-rank Ocean Warriors, an 'Azure Guard' religious order of roughly a hundred, and several thousand devout merfolk faithful scattered throughout the sea region."
It was this intelligence that led Lucian to conclude the Kotao merfolk altar in the Contaminated Sea was the relatively simplest and easiest target. After all, when Rhein had infiltrated it previously, the altar had been guarded by a ninth-rank God-blessed Priest, nine high-rank powerhouses, three mid-to-low-tier Azure Guard orders, and substantial devout forces. But after internal strife and the royal family's interference and reassignments, the ninth-rank God-blessed Priest and five high-rank powerhouses had "returned" to the Altar of the Heart of the Ocean, while most of the devout merfolk and Azure Guard orders had been relocated under the pretext that the area's "contamination was too severe for habitation."
Another favorable factor was the Kotao merfolk's enormous appetite. The nearby creatures, corrupted by the Endless Abyss's aura, were extremely dangerous, requiring a high-rank powerhouse to lead every hunting expedition. Many times, only a single high-rank guard remained at the altar — and for Lucian, that meant if he seized the right opportunity, he could storm in boldly and leave at his leisure.
Lucian had initially worried that with the ruin opened and the awakening ritual having failed, Rhein's arrangements would no longer function. But Rhein had assured him there was no problem, and that the situation could even strengthen his Magic Circle. However, he ended with a slight frown: "Safety first. When you throw the Sphere of Filth into the altar, make sure to keep hold of 'Pale Justice.' This place does connect to the Endless Abyss, after all. When you activate the Magic Circle, it may alert some deranged, evil entities. While they cannot descend directly into the main world, they can still transmit a portion of their power through the connection and subject you to 'contamination.' The Halo of Dawn would actually provide excellent defensive effects, but since you've already taken Pale Justice, you should choose the most powerful option."
With both positive and negative assessments confirmed, Lucian settled on a plan: observe first, then choose his moment to infiltrate directly.
A wave crashed nearly onto Lucian's body, the stench of blood and rot overwhelming. A flatfish suddenly launched itself out of the water, snapping toward Lucian. This flatfish was nothing like a normal one. Its entire body was pitch black, lined with two rows of razor-sharp teeth, and it bore four pairs of infant-like arms that glowed with an eerie blue luminescence — a monster straight from a nightmare.
For demonic creatures, seeing through invisibility was an innate ability!
Lucian snapped out of his thoughts and turned his gaze upon it.
The demonic flatfish burst apart into countless motes of light of various colors, reverting to its pure elemental form and rapidly dissolving into the surroundings.
"May, year 816 — received Ambora's oracle. That wasn't long after the collapse of Maskelyn's 'Grand Cruciform' maze at all… This place really is connected to the world of the dead…"
Suppressing his questions, Lucian cast upon himself a suite of spells — "Water Breathing," "Underwater Movement," and various techniques to conceal his aura and tracks — before slipping gently into the sea.
Seawater pressed in from every direction, swaying and shimmering in a dreamlike haze. Following the intelligence and the map's guidance, Lucian swam swiftly toward an underwater cave. The Kotao merfolk were not deep-sea creatures; they lived at depths of only a few dozen meters, among reefs, rock walls, and clusters of seaweed.
Bizarre fish of all shapes swam past Lucian, each radiating an aura of corruption. He could see them locked in chaotic battles with one another. After half an hour, Lucian spotted a cave guarded by two fish-headed, humanoid monsters.
…
Three days later, having confirmed the Kotao merfolk's patterns of activity, Lucian knocked unconscious a merfolk that had been hunting nearby, transformed into its appearance, and dragged a seven-segmented demonic sea serpent behind him. Boldly, openly, he entered the altar cave — the one place where both ordinary and greater invisibility were useless.
Snap. The moment he rounded a corner, Lucian tossed the sea serpent into an empty nest, subtly adjusted the merfolk disguise's facial features, gripped his Frost Longsword, and dissolved into a flickering afterimage. Dodging and weaving, carefully concealed, he advanced toward the altar.
The Altar of the Ocean God Ambora was adorned with vast quantities of tidal stones, their crystalline surfaces shimmering with an ethereal, dreamlike beauty. Beneath the altar, a gray merfolk coated in greasy oil sat hunched — its scales had lost all luster, faded to a dull, lifeless white.
Suddenly, atop the altar, a tall, imposing merfolk statue blazed with a pale blue glow, illuminating the "strange merfolk" who was rapidly approaching.
"An unfamiliar merfolk has infiltrated? Are the royals still not giving up, still trying to uncover the Ocean God's secrets?" High Priest Brant snarled inwardly with seething resentment.
Seeing the infiltrator was nearly at the altar's doorstep, Brant turned to the dozen-odd Deep Blue Guards around him and ordered: "Once he enters this cavern, coordinate with the Magic Circle to capture him. I want to interrogate him thoroughly about what the royals are after!"
"His speed is only second-rank Ocean Warrior level, but he's carrying quite a few magical items — putting him around fifth-rank in overall capability. Don't be careless."
"Yes, Your Reverence, High Priest!"
The dozen Deep Blue Guards grinned viciously as they watched the scene. This wretched merfolk who had forsaken the god had truly picked the wrong time — he'd stumbled right into the High Priest's daily prayer period. Was he actively seeking to be discovered?
Of course, once he drew close enough to the altar, the alert Magic Circle would trigger regardless and alert the nearby High Priest, but walking so foolishly into the trap was still almost comical.
The furtive figure crept into the cavern. The seawater suddenly turned dark green, carrying an intense paralyzing sensation that sapped one's strength. Surrounding him were over a dozen Deep Blue Guards at the Great Knight and Knight level, accompanied by over a hundred illusory Ocean Warriors conjured by the Magic Circle, sealing off every exit.
"Truly audacious — relying on stealth magical items to infiltrate the altar!" High Priest Brant's dark crimson eyes watched the god-forsaken fallen one with icy contempt. He made no move himself. Dealing with this caliber of merfolk warrior hardly required him to act personally, let alone fully activate the altar's power.
Suddenly, a crystalline halo of light radiated from the infiltrator's body, and a blizzard exploded into the cavern.
One by one, the Deep Blue Guards were frozen in place. If not for the merfolk's natural resistance to cold, at least half of them would have been killed outright.
The frost aura spread with terrifying speed. The illusory Ocean Warriors crystallized into ice and shattered where they stood.
Even Brant, when engulfed by the blizzard, couldn't help but shudder, frozen rigid for two seconds.
"Damn it! Could the royals have sent an assassin to kill our strongest fighters and destroy the altar?!" A mid-low-tier warrior had suddenly revealed himself as a terrifyingly powerful mage. In that moment, Brant was filled with panic and fury — had the royals truly descended to such madness?
The fish-man mage beside him had already become an ice sculpture. But on Brant's robe, a layer of azure mirror surfaced, deflecting all the frost.
"Activate the altar at once!"
"I am also a high-rank powerhouse!"
Just as Brant shook off the sluggishness and his confidence returned, planning to use the altar to fight back against this surprise attacker, he froze in shock — the merfolk intruder now held a magic staff inlaid with a sunstone.
Brilliant light blazed forth. Brant felt the scene around him shift — night descended, stars materialized in the sky!
"A specialized maze spell? Is this a ninth-circle powerhouse?!" Brant cried out in terror.
Since maze-type spells didn't directly threaten one's life, and he'd been slowed by the frost aura for two full seconds, many of his defenses either failed to activate in time or proved entirely useless.
"It's over… the altar is destroyed… the royals have become this decisive and ruthless…"
"I have become a sinner against the Ocean God…"
…
Lucian had deliberately exposed himself to lure Brant into complacency, then seize the initiative — trapping him in "
Five minutes. That was more than enough time to activate the Magic Circle and leave at his leisure!