Pirate Kingship-Chapter 623 - 443 Secret Realm: The Little Mermaid’s Bubble Dream_2

Byron nodded with satisfaction. Truly worthy of me, to succeed in using 'Life Alchemy' on my first attempt. The Prince of Night Demons really does have an advantage with forbidden knowledge on such similar paths. After advancing to the Fourth Order and eliminating the side effects of other forbidden knowledge, it became immediately compatible.

Originally, when Byron held the Third Order "Pirate Treasure Chest" Promotion Ceremony, he inherited the forbidden book 'Life Alchemy' from the great pirate Flint. The other treasure seekers who accompanied him only obtained inferior versions with severe side effects, able to reap a mere pinch of the Philosopher's Stone byproduct only by transforming into grotesque cicada-men. Flint's 'Life Alchemy' was the version of Black Sorcery suitable for study. Similar to the knowledge from the Holy Grail of Blood series, its origins also lay in humanity's inherent 'Transformation.' Using either a person symbolizing 'Transformation' or 'Blood of Transformation' as the raw material, one could brew the Blood of Immortality, the Panacea, or synthesize the Philosopher's Stone. The Philosopher's Stone of 'Greedy Worm Mamon' focused on material transformation, while the Panacea of 'Mother of Creation Lilith' focused on bodily transformation. And the renowned 'Human Transmutation' accommodated both pathways.

Now that Byron was a Mythical Creature, using this school of Black Sorcery no longer burdened him. He no longer needed to worry about accidentally becoming raw material for the Philosopher's Stone, as had been a possibility before.

Byron casually tossed the Philosopher's Stone, activating the Black Sorcery version of cloning, 'Blood Altar Flesh Jar.'

HUMMM—!

In a flash of Divine Light, four identical, burly figures landed on the deck. They were two meters tall, with bronze skin, and possessed the strength of Second Order Transcendents from the moment of their creation. Byron hadn't used his closely associated 'Bloodline River' and had even randomized their internal genetic sequences to ensure absolute safety, guaranteeing that even if something went wrong, it wouldn't affect him in any way. Knowing this could be a precursor to the Great Flood that drowns The Pantheon, no precaution was too excessive.

Byron then dispatched four Undead Servants from the Mad Hunt Legion to possess them, and members for a suicide squad were instantly created. They looked exactly like normal living people and could be mass-produced; even if they died, it would cause no heartache.

Byron waved his hand grandly and commanded, "Clone army, advance!"

"Yes, Master!"

The leading clone bowed its head in obedience and, without hesitation, dived into the icy, bone-chilling seawater, swimming with remarkable grace toward the seven-colored bubble barrier.

Then, its body suddenly stiffened.

And it just... GLUB GLUB... sank.

Its limbs flailed and its face turned purple as it literally drowned.

The officers were stunned into silence. It was rare to see their Captain miscalculate, and though they wanted to laugh, they dared not make a sound, which made their restraint all the more uncomfortable.

Byron raised his hand to reclaim the Undead Servant's soul that had separated from the body, his expression gradually growing solemn. Physically robust, and with the soul of an old sea dog who had dealt with the ocean his whole life; by all rights, holding his breath for ten minutes should have been no problem at all. Yet he drowned just five seconds after entering the water? This drowning seems to stem from a rule, completely unrelated to actual swimming ability. Though this is just a precursor, it already carries a hint of how The Pantheon were drowned.

Luckily, this clone suicide squad member hadn't died in vain. As Byron ascended to the Fourth Order, the observation range of his [Nautical Logbook] had further increased, allowing him to read Hidden information from anything within his sensory reach. He had just used this suicide squad member as a medium to obtain a crucial piece of information from the Secret Realm.

The [Nautical Logbook] then displayed new information:

"Secret Realm: The Little Mermaid's Bubble Dream.

Now you are a Little Mermaid, longing to meet the handsome prince you've been dreaming about. How could you possibly not pay a 'trivial' price?

First Rule: Only Merfolk and marine creatures will not drown in this sea."

The Secret Realm he had descended into seemed to be a fairy tale widely known across the North Sea Region. It was created a few years prior by a [Writer] from the Hall Sequence of the Alborg Kingdom, part of the Bay Folk Nation of the Kalmar Union. Legend had it that he received the inspiration while exploring the collective subconscious of the Bayfolk with the transcendent Spirituality of a [Writer], then adapted a real event into the fairy tale, which was met with critical acclaim.

Could it be that I'll actually encounter a Little Mermaid here?

SNAP!

Byron snapped his fingers. The second suicide squad member dove into the sea, having not only switched its species but also conveniently changed its gender. Its upper body was that of a dark-skinned woman, and its lower half was a blue fishtail. Byron chose this form purely because he couldn't bear to send an orthodox Mermaid to her death; this variant eased his conscience considerably.

This exceptionally robust "Mermaid" finally managed to approach the colorful bubbles and leaped into them. Through her eyes, Byron could finally see the inside of this Secret Realm.

The Glacial Archipelago was still a frozen landmass, exceedingly vast—at least 50,000 square kilometers, equivalent to one-fifth the territory of the Kingdom of Hightens. Influenced by the rules of the Secret Realm, a prosperous kingdom had appeared here, featuring a magnificent castle by the sea, villages large and small, and snow-capped mountains. It closely resembled the Bayfolk Nations of the Old Continent's Northern Territory, yet its precise archetype couldn't be identified.

However, before Byron could see if there were any people, the "black mermaid" plopped onto the ground with a SMACK. Her fishtail thrashed a couple of times before rapidly desiccating into a pitch-black, dried salted fish.

The ink on the [Nautical Logbook] updated just in time:

"The Little Mermaid must pay a price for every step forward.

By sacrificing her beautiful singing voice (tongue), she can gain the ability to walk freely on land."

Thus, the third black mermaid approached the colorful bubbles, preemptively sticking out her tongue. As her tongue vanished in a puff of green smoke, she, aided by the rules of the Secret Realm, regained legs to walk on land. She landed lightly, finally able to observe this Bayfolk-style mystical kingdom closely.

For some reason, Byron instantly felt that the fairy-tale castle on the seaside bore a striking resemblance to his own Sorenburg. The inhabitants here included both dark-skinned natives of the Southern Continent and white-skinned immigrants from the Old Continent, but their total number was far less than expected—probably only forty or fifty people. Each person wore a silver Holy Emblem. The emblem depicted Bayfolk warriors on ships amidst raging waves, piercing a leaping giant whale with sharp harpoons.

From this image, it was evident that it represented the Fifth-Order Pseudo-God [Whale Hunters]. And these people were most likely his devout followers and Priests.

I've found them, but the situation seems a bit tricky.