CHAPTER 693: THE HEART OF THE WEEPING SEA GOD

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Cedric didn’t care about the confusion of the entourage.

He walked closer to the mysterious thing wrapped in a whirlpool with calm steps. He felt no fear, no trepidation, or hesitation as he did so.

Once he got close enough, he paused. And then, the whirlpool dissipated. The churning waters calmed down, revealing what it hid.

It’s a massive piece of flesh, pulsating at a constant beat. It didn’t look like one, but it’s most definitely a heart. And each pulse it beats is what determines the flow of the waters here.

This...this is the real core of the Howling Depths. It’s the closest and most guarded secret, one that many sailors, pirates, and tourists tried to uncover only to fail.

Cedric tracked it down simply by following the flow of the real current, not the ones that everyone else believed them to be.

He closed his eyes and tried to commune with the heart with his soul. He kept his emotions neutral, slightly friendly, even. He greeted the heart politely, making sure that it doesn’t feel threatened.

Cedric then heard a tapering sobbing sound from within it. And then, his consciousness was pulled into a spiritual space all of a sudden.

Here is where Cedric learned everything he needed to know about this heart; its history, the reason why it was left here, and why it’s constantly crying.

"The Heart of the Weeping Sea God," Cedric muttered after his consciousness returned to his body; his voice was loud enough for the entourage to hear him.

That’s its name: the Heart of the Weeping Sea God.

The Weeping Sea God wasn’t human. She’s a mermaid princess who fell in love with a human. She’s a native of this world and was its darling. She was blessed with fortune and luck during her birth and was destined to achieve great things should she desire it.

Alas, because her life had been smooth since her birth, her destined tribulations scarred her deeply. She’s been enamored of a human that’s already married and has a loving family. She could only look at him and love him from afar, staring enviously at his wife, wishing that it was her instead.

She wanted him bad. She was even willing to be his concubine despite her majestic status and the outrage of her council. But even so, the man remained unmoved. He had no feelings for her, only for his wife. He was a devoted man, one that would not bend under any pressure.

His attitude caused her to feel heartbreak and admiration. She didn’t force her desires anymore and simply decided to move on instead.

But if that’s the extent of her tribulation, then it couldn’t be rightfully called one. So of course, it didn’t end there.

The man’s family was killed. He survived but just as a husk of what he was previously; his heart died with them. He craved revenge, and in some sick and twisted event, he started resenting the mermaids.

He trained, learned, and became skilled. And then, he began hunting them down, one by one. He swore that he’d kill every single one of them and offer their tails to the graves of his family to comfort them in the afterlife.

The man didn’t work alone; he had the help of the Killer Orcas—the rivals of the Mermaids and the true masterminds behind the deaths of the man’s wife and children.

They used him as a tool to eradicate the mermaid race from the seas and make them the true overlords.

The worst part is that it worked like a charm. The man, despite being weaker and less skilled and a lesser being compared to his enemies, became a sharp tool that the orcas used to gouge the hearts of the mermaids.

And that’s because the Mermaid Princess repeatedly allowed the man to get away with his actions. She tolerated everything he did, allotting his actions to his overwhelming grief and hoping that one day, he’d see the truth.

This caused the mermaids to resent their princess, thinking that she’s driving them to extinction because of her obsession. They rebelled, fought against the man and the orcas, and forced the mermaid princess to join the man instead.

Alas, the man was so consumed by his grief and loss that he’s all out of mercy and capability of reason.

In the end, even under the Mermaid Princess’ protection, he died miserably, but not after inflicting a grievous wound on the mermaid clan’s vitality. The orcas, finding that he’s outlived his purpose, decided to get rid of him. They even mocked him upon his death.

And on his last breath, the madness that the orcas bestowed upon him that clouded his vision was finally dispelled. Unfortunately, it’s all too late. He died with overwhelming regrets and sins. He became the man that he swore he’d never be.

He even dragged the poor mermaid princess down with him.

She, of course, tried to save him. Going through hell and back just to revive him. Alas, her efforts fell short. She was only able to have one final conversation with his soul. A closure to this ridiculous madness.

That’s when she began to weep.

Her grief and sadness were so overwhelming and consuming that they moved heaven and earth. Her tears overflowed, causing the volume of the sea to grow uncontrollably. And to make matters worse, this event lined up with the period when she reached the height of her potential.

The mermaid princess became the most powerful creature in the seas and this entire realm. Yet all of her power made her unable to bring back the one thing that she wanted.

It was also too late for her to regret. The mermaid clan was no more. Even if there were some that survived, they all probably hate her to the core for betraying their kind.

And so, she could only weep. She cried because of how unfair the heavens were. She grieved the death of her beloved and his family. She wept for the miserable fate of her kind. And she hated how the heavens cruelly manipulated lives like this.

Her emotions made her strong, so much so that her grief and indignation erased and replaced the will of this realm’s heaven and earth.

That’s how she became the Sea God.

But even after getting all this power and realizing the manipulation of fate, the mermaid princess knew that it was too late for her to do anything.

So, she made a vow. She will continue weeping for the rest of time. She will cry for every life that has been manipulated by fate. It’s her self-inflicted torture and penitence for all her sins.

At the same time, she will do her part as the Sea God. She will remain in the place where the man died, spending the rest of her living days on the side of the grave she made for him. This place shall be her throne and castle, and she built a heart around it, one that resembled her and her beloved’s heart, beating as one for the rest of time.

It will stay here, hidden from prying eyes and anybody with ill intent. It will also serve as the heart of this realm, the one that will decide the flow of the current and will care for all the living creatures born in this realm.

That’s the story of how this realm became plunged underwater. It’s the result of the heaven-defying power of the mermaid princess who became the Sea God.

Her existence isn’t a secret to the creatures of this realm. They know her, and they’ve long since forgiven her. The reason why they’re wary of tourists is to protect her. After all, the Sea God was their only protection against the cruel struggle of the outside world.

With her here, even the foreign races would have to think twice before recklessly charging in. Because in the realm, the Sea God was absolute. Even Empyreans had to be cautious and respectful to her when they were here.

She was the big secret of this realm, the real core of this world.

All of this information was also shared with Cedric’s entourage. Whatever they do with this information will be up to them. Cedric just didn’t feel like ignoring them until the end.

Cedric bowed politely to the heart. With his curiosity satisfied, there’s nothing else that’s worth his attention.

And so, he marched back to the submarine. Ignoring his entourage, who are all still digesting the explosive information they just learned.

Cedric ignored their little discussion. He really doesn’t care what they think. He just marveled at everything he had discovered so far and was content with his decision to visit this place.

Before long, he felt the submarine resuming its course. The acting captain asked him if he wanted to visit other places. Cedric refused and ordered them to return to the cruise. He was more than satisfied already.

The secret realm faded from their perception once they were out of it. None of them could hear the Weeping Sea God anymore, but they will never forget that she existed.