[Vol. 7] Chapter 43: Final Battle: The Crossing of Two Paths
King Willipol let out a scornful laugh, clearly dismissing the so-called Pirate King's strategy with disdain.
"The Great Evil God of the Sea that now rules this [miniature world] was once an equal rival to the [God of the Azure Sea and Truth], the deity my people served. If [They] regains [Their] full power, in a world where the gods have withered away, what could possibly stop or oppose [Them]?!"
"Evacuation? Seeking refuge? What a joke! Every creature in this [miniature world] has already died countless times. They exist only as puppets, reborn under the power of the Evil God. Even The [Book of Truth] cannot predict what would happen if we attempted a mass escape. And even if we did flee from the Emerald Sea, then what?"
"The entire ocean is shrouded in the shadow of the Evil God. Once It awakens, crushing us would be as effortless as crushing ants! Where exactly are we supposed to run? Onto the land, where we'd be forced to grovel before other races in utter humiliation? Or do you suggest we risk everything, breaking through the [Storm Sea], leaving everything behind to chase after some unknown world that may not even exist?!"
"A thousand years ago, the Mingjiao tribe already compromised once, we already disappointed our God once. Back then, we were weak, helpless… all we could do was weep. And now, you expect us to throw away our dignity completely, to become pathetic, honorless wretches?!"
"If there's even a one-in-ten-thousand chance of victory. Even if it means standing and dying, even if it means the extinction of our entire race. I, Willipol, will protect our final dignity and faith!"
"Cough… ha… ha…"
Perhaps due to the unstable nature of his current form, King Willipol's emotions were getting harder to control. As his rage escalated, he finally paused, taking a moment to breathe and steady himself.
It was only then that Nitila, having finally shaken off the overwhelming fear of death, found the chance to speak.
Her expression was complicated. She no longer seemed as firmly opposed to her father as before, yet she still couldn't fully agree with him either.
"Even so… you can’t drag the entire sea and all its creatures down with you! They are innocent. They don’t know the truth. They just want to live peacefully. They’ve never harmed anyone. What's wrong with wanting to survive?"
"Tch. That's nothing but a woman’s soft-hearted sentimentality, just like your mother—"
King Willipol abruptly stopped mid-sentence, suddenly turning his head to glance in a certain direction. His lips curled in disdain.
"Hmph, you got here pretty fast… Did you really recover so quickly from last time?"
BOOM!!!!!!
With a deafening explosion, the stone door outside the chamber shattered into countless fragments. Several figures rushed inside one after another, quickly surrounding Willipol in the confined space.
"Princess! You bastard!!"
Seeing Nitila, who was hung in the air by the tentacles, with a pale face and listless expression, Alex was immediately furious. Without hesitation, he lunged forward, brandishing his steel trident, aiming to free the captive princess first.
But something strange happened.
Just as Alex got within a meter of her, an invisible force, something that seemed nonexistent yet undeniably real, instantly repelled him with tremendous force. He was sent flying backward, slamming hard into the chamber wall with a loud BANG!!!
"Uwaah! What the hell was that?!"
The thief girl, who had been about to charge forward alongside the queen, froze mid-step, startled by Alex’s abrupt crash. She hastily pulled back the foot she had just stepped forward with.
Beside her, Hongyan frowned slightly, her fingers subtly resting on the hilt of her sword.
They had fought their way through the enemy ranks to get here, but even as an elite force, they had suffered casualties. Upon reaching the chamber, they quickly realized that the space was too small for their entire army to fight effectively.
So, the main forces had been ordered to stay outside, holding off the waves of ghostly guardians swarming from all directions, buying time for their strike team to handle Willipol directly.
Because of this, not many people had entered the chamber itself. Aside from Le Qiaoqiao and Hongyan, there were only Rashid, Queen Anies, Alex, Silisa, and a few royal guards.
Violet seemed to have noticed something along the way and vanished like a magician’s trick. Since she had given advance notice, no one was particularly surprised. However, with their strongest fighter temporarily absent, they had to be even more cautious in battle. After all, everything in this place felt far too strange.
Queen Anies cast a quick glance at Alex, who was being helped to his feet by the royal guards. He was still coughing, looking a bit dazed, but thankfully, he didn’t seem to be seriously injured. Yet, instead of rushing to rescue her captured daughter, the queen remained composed.
Holding her scepter, she stood tall and regal, locking eyes with her husband. A man whose body had been largely replaced by writhing tentacles, making him barely distinguishable from the ghostly beings haunting the outside world.
She showed no surprise at his appearance, and her demeanor remained as calm and steady as ever.
"Mother, Father wants to—!"
"Don't worry, I already know."
Raising a hand to reassure her immobilized daughter, Anies stepped forward, showing no fear.
"Willipol, so this is the path you've chosen in the end."
The former king of the Mingjiao tribe, the man who was once closest to her, gave a faint smile. He slowly ran his fingers over the blank cover of the [Book of Truth], his deep, shadow-filled eyes carrying a rare trace of warmth.
"Anies, are you really going to stand against me, the king? What a joke. You think this ragtag group of weirdos can stop a god’s arrival?"
As if she had just heard the most disgusting and absurd thing in the world, the queen furrowed her brows deeply.
"‘King’? You still dare to call yourself a king?"
"The king of who? The Mingjiao? The countless beings of the Emerald Sea?"
Her voice turned cold and sharp, cutting through the air like a blade.
"Willipol Mingjiao, from the moment you fell into madness, when you abandoned the royal palace, summoned those deep-sea phantoms, and turned your blade against your own people, you were no longer fit to rule this sea!"
"A true king bears responsibility and courage. A king does not give up at the first sign of hardship, running away like a stray dog! A king does not pin all their hopes on some unknown monster, nor conspire to slaughter their own subjects. And a king does not try to murder his own daughter!"
"I am the rightful ruler of our people, bearing the great responsibility of our people. For years, I have done everything in my power to protect our kin, and now, I have come personally to eliminate the true source of this disaster. And yet, you still dare to arrogantly call yourself a king in front of the true ruler of the merfolk?"
Queen Anies’s voice dripped with scorn.
"Willipol, I never realized before just how thick-skinned you truly are."
"You—!"
Willipol's expression twisted in anger. He let out a bitter laugh.
"Fine, fine! You really haven’t lost your sharp tongue, have you, Anies..."
Being publicly berated or rather outright mocked by the queen left Willipol visibly shaken. But what truly struck him was the expressions on the faces of the Mingjiao royal guards. As they listened to their exchange and pieced together the truth, their gazes turned to him, filled with shock and growing disappointment.
For a moment, Willipol faltered. The commanding presence he had tried to maintain wavered under Anies’s pressure.
But he was still a king. No matter what he had become, the pride and discipline he once held had not entirely faded. Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself and gave a slow, deliberate nod.
"You’re right."
His voice was calm, yet resolute.
"I am no longer fit to call myself a king. A sinner, a madman. Call me whatever you want. The moment I chose this path, I abandoned everything I once was."
His gaze swept across the room, as if searching for something, some confirmation, some reaction. But whatever he sought, he did not find. His eyes flickered with momentary hesitation before something inside him hardened.
Taking a step forward, he declared.
"I'll be honest with you. The ritual is almost complete. Nitila, with her pure royal blood, will become the perfect vessel for the god’s descent! This is the only way for the Mingjiao tribe to atone for its mistakes, to balance the power of the awakening evil god!"
Before anyone could react, his body began to break apart, melting away like wax, transforming into countless writhing tendrils that surged outward in all directions.
A monstrous, inhuman roar echoed through the chamber as the nightmarish mass lunged toward them.
"Come, then! You gutless cowards who bow before the evil god. If you have the strength, try and stop me!!!"