Chapter 166 - The Ocean Master
Noah was seated in the back of a large golden killer whale that serenely swam towards an extravagant castle that shone with lights in the distance.
The one that had been referred to as Ocean Master sat in front of him, surrounded by two Atlanteans letting out waves of power at the Mythical rank. This was the current ruler of Atlantis, an Atlantean one rank higher than the beings Noah had come across with before.
The Ocean Master in front of him let out a wide smile as comfortably sat and let out waves of power at the PHANTASMAL rank. This was the level of power that Noah set as a goal before he finished his journey in the Lost World. He still didn"t have even the slightest idea of just how hard it would be to achieve it though.
"You must have met the late King Neptune when you finished your procedure on the last floor, so I"m a.s.suming you"ve heard the secrets that even many higher-ups in Atlantis aren"t yet aware of."
Noah nodded as he continued the conversation with King Zaonn. The King talked in a fairly light tone that reduced any tension in the sea and made everyone feel comfortable. The large whale they were on came to a stop close to the grandiose underwater castle as they got off and swam towards it. A tremendous amount of guards and advanced weaponry surrounded the luxurious castle on all sides.
"I know you must have your own goals and aspirations, and I just wanted to get to know you before understanding how you will move from now on."
King Zaonn kept a smile on his face the entire time as he pried more information. Noah thought for a bit before replying.
"I came across a group of Cultivators in the City of Aquicadis some time back who were prepared to murder everybody in sight with no remorse."
His body turned around from the castle they were going into as he looked at the many buildings of light below him before continuing.
"I want to make sure that groups like that do not stand a chance to bully us even more. I want to make sure they can never even come close to the Trident of the Sea."
His words were those of conviction as he finished and looked back at the Ocean Master that had s.h.i.+ning light shooting out of his eyes.
"Haha good, good! Those elected as Seekers always make their way to the dangerous locations where King Neptune"s Trident might be hidden as soon as they undergo the infusion of the Golden Serum. Before you go, let me give you more information and things that would be of benefit to you, and ultimately to Atlantis if you are successful."
The Ocean Master was very laid back as he led Noah into a neat room inside the castle. The room had a bubble that blocked any water from going in surrounding it, the inside filled with doc.u.ments and what looked like blue screens as the King brought him in and closed the door behind them.
"Come, let enjoy ourselves first and get to know each other a little bit more. I"ll fill you in on the current state of affairs later, and the positions of the main enemies to look out for before you head out."
He clapped his hands twice as Atlanteans dressed in suits brought in a wide variety of food while he began debriefing Noah.
The forces of Demons had spread out wide, their legions concentrated in the danger zones around the sea as they searched for the Trident of the Sea. Squadrons would occasionally come across underwater cities and cause conflict, but unless both sides wanted to face heavy damages, they would not start an all-out battle.
When the ruler of demons, Baal, schemed to corner King Neptune with the aid of cultivators, they were all heavily injured and had to retreat to heal for years because of it. Now that they have returned, they only played the game of looking for the treasure as they spread their forces outwards from where the battle with King Neptune took place.
A few months back, two underwater cities had been completely destroyed just for Baal to get the confirmation that the Trident was not in the hands of Atlantis. This lead to a period of extreme tension and anger as Atlantis increased their progress of finding Seekers powerful enough to survive the dangers of the sea while looking for the old King"s Trident.
"Many Seekers have been crowned until now. A few made it back alive with no positive results in their search, but even more faced destruction and were never heard from again."
The Ocean Master gulped down the red drink in his cup as he said this.
"Our cities are protected by the Sea"s Blessing, and the creatures of the deep do not ever come near us to attack. Even the demons and cultivators will think twice before launching an all-out attack on Atlantis, our defense systems here being highly developed. But out there, in the dark waters, we lose that protection."
He finished his drink as he looked at Noah closely.
"You are one of the finest Seekers I have seen, being able to descend all the way down to the last floor of the Aqua Tower. I hope you find success and regain our honor, bringing the treasure of the sea back to the rightful hands of the Children of Atlantis."
Noah nodded with a serious expression, even though he had plans of his own. The Ocean Master stood up and went towards a stack of thick files as he looked through them.
"Will you be starting with the most dangerous zone first?"
"Yes, the information makes it likely that I will find even more clues in the Abyssal Zone. It should have been one of the last regions that King Neptune could have gone to."
The Abyssal Zone. Lying in the depths of the sea and filled with atrocious creatures. What exactly waited for him in this location?
"Be careful. Here is the map that those who have gone there and back have been able to put together, it should prove useful. And before you go, let"s have you visit the armory. We have the latest versions of Plasma Guns and Golden Battle Suits for you to choose from."
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The world continued to move, with many beings moving towards their own goals. In one of the darkest zones of the sea where many would be terrified to be alone, a girl that didn"t look to be older than 18 was floating in the dark sea while humming. She had on a dark gothic dress as she swam along the dangerous waters without care.
She floated like this for a few minutes before movement could be felt near her, causing her to open her eyes while yawning and look for the source of the movement.
A few meters away from her, a humongous figure of Megalodon had appeared. Rows of sharp teeth that seemed to form into a smile broke out of The Meg that was releasing an oppressive air of power. This was a beast that struck terror onto many Atlanteans and Merfolk that ever visited waters of these depths, a fearsome creature that loved to torture its prey before ultimately swallowing them whole.
The girl in the gothic dress looked at the appearance of this Megalodon that was tens of times her size as her eyes shone with fascination.
"Well h.e.l.lo, little fish."
Her eyes that were darker than the waters around her smiled, as hundreds of thousands of s.h.i.+ning green lights appeared and began to eclipse the waters all around them, the terrifying smile of the Megaladon"s face becoming wiped off entirely.