CHAPTER 386: CHAPTER386-THE MERFOLK

Malkar was deeply torn.

No matter which choice he made, neither path was easy for him.

Almost without realizing it, his gaze drifted across the vast palace around him.

This was the palace that had belonged to him for countless years, the grand hall that symbolized his authority as the Emperor of the Abyss.

Yet, if he truly agreed to Daniel’s proposal, then this palace would no longer be his.

Even if Daniel left the building in his possession, the entirety of the Abyss would no longer answer to his commands.

But if he chose to refuse? Then Malkar feared he would not live to see the next sunrise.

Since the day of his birth, Malkar had never once left the Abyss.

He had spent his entire existence in this endless pit of darkness and filth.

There were times when he wondered—what did the world outside look like?

What would it feel like to bask in sunlight, to breathe air that was not choked with corruption?

The Abyss was the place he knew better than anything else.

He remembered every corner of it, every twisted cavern, every kind of foul creature that crawled through the shadows.

He could even recall each breed of abyssal beast with flawless clarity.

By all counts, Malkar had already occupied the throne of the Abyss Emperor for over a thousand years.

After wrestling with his thoughts for a long moment, he finally summoned enough courage to speak. His voice trembled slightly, cautious and probing:

"If I hand over the authority of the Abyss Emperor to you... would you allow me to join the human race? I... I want to see the surface world."

Daniel blinked at his words.

For a brief moment he was caught off guard, but his face did not show much surprise. It was only natural.

As long as Malkar wasn’t a complete fool, he would realize this was the only choice left to him. It was, in truth, his best possible option.

"This matter, I can agree to," Daniel replied calmly. "You may live on as a vassal of humanity and gain immortality under our protection. If, in the future, you believe your strength surpasses mine, then you too will have a chance to become the Human Emperor."

He deliberately drew a grand vision before Malkar, offering him a dream to cling to.

Yet upon hearing those words, Malkar’s heart only grew heavier with unease.

The promise of such a lofty future felt almost unbearable.

But even so, at the very least, it meant he would not die today.

"...Fine. Since things are as you say, then I will choose to live. I am willing to surrender my position as Emperor of the Abyss to you."

At last, Malkar made his decision.

Daniel stood nearby, nodding lightly, his tone indifferent yet absolute.

"Good. Then begin the transfer now."

In truth, making Malkar a vassal of humanity might not be the best idea for the human race.

In an earlier era, Malkar could have easily caused chaos within their ranks.

But the situation had long since changed.

Now, stripped of the Abyss Emperor’s blessing, Malkar was little more than a shadow of his former self.

His strength was no longer extraordinary.

And the humans of today?

They were no longer the weak race of the past.

At this point, even the average Awakener among them had reached SSS-rank, with their levels rising at an astonishing pace.

What right did Malkar have to provoke them?

Unless he was tired of living, there was no way he would dare.

Daniel was confident: although Malkar’s existence might create ripples, he posed no real threat.

A single fallen emperor, however cunning, could not destroy the foundation of humanity.

He gave the command. Hearing it, Malkar hesitated no longer.

He reached into his personal spatial vault and withdrew a glowing object—the Abyss Core.

[Abyss Core]

Effect: Whoever possesses this core will inherit the authority of the Abyss Emperor.

Clearly, Malkar was not attempting any tricks. He surrendered the relic with both hands.

Daniel grasped it, and in that instant he became the new Emperor of the Abyss, inheriting the ancient authority that came with the title.

With the throne came new privileges.

For the first time, Daniel realized he could move the Abyss itself.

With only a single thought, he could shift its location, as though dragging the entire realm across existence.

It was possible only because he now held the proper key.

A thoughtful expression crossed his face.

If he were to relocate the Abyss now, then both the Continent of Myriad Races and the Flesh Continent would be exposed to one another once more, without the barrier that had long kept them apart.

The moment that happened, war would be inevitable.

The creature known as Fleshheart had grown terrifyingly powerful.

Should the two continents collide, the clash between Myriad Races and Fleshheart’s forces would shake the world to its core.

Daniel had long observed Fleshheart.

He understood much about the entity, but killing it outright was another matter entirely.

Fleshheart had survived direct assaults from gods themselves, a fact that alone testified to its unmatched vitality and escape methods.

Daniel admitted to himself: defeating Fleshheart would not be overly difficult at his current level, but utterly eradicating it was close to impossible.

For now, humanity had only just acquired the protection of their racial blessing.

They needed time to grow. Stirring up such catastrophic battles at this moment would be unwise.

He had more pressing matters at hand. With that thought, Daniel summoned the mysterious key Mist had once gifted him.

The moment he used it, the entire Abyss trembled violently, as if reality itself was being shifted.

Far away, at the very bottom of the Storm Sea.

Daniel had long been investigating this region.

The seabed beneath the endless storm was not a simple ocean floor—it was an immense, boundless domain, stretching so vast that words failed to capture its scale.

The sheer enormity of the Storm Sea had exceeded even Daniel’s expectations.

He had deployed one of his clones to carefully probe its depths, hoping to find treasures, forgotten opportunities, or ancient remnants.

Yet even after prolonged exploration, he realized he had not even uncovered ten percent of the area.

It was during this search that his clone suddenly felt it: the aura of an ancient seal.

The sensation was archaic, timeless.

The seal radiated an air of tremendous age, as if it had endured countless millennia.

Daniel’s heart quickened. What could possibly be imprisoned within such a barrier?

Following the faint threads of energy, he traced the seal to its very heart.

The process was painstaking, taking over an hour of cautious navigation through dangerous currents and chaotic energies.

Eventually, he reached the sealed core region.

There, Daniel froze.

Unwittingly, he had arrived at the absolute center of the Storm Sea.

And waiting there was a sight he had never anticipated.

A figure floated amidst the chains—an exquisitely beautiful mermaid.

Her appearance was breathtaking, every movement of her slender arms, every ripple of her tail carrying an irresistible allure.

Yet the scene was not one of beauty alone.

For she was bound cruelly, countless dark-red chains piercing her flesh.

Each chain ended in barbed hooks that dug into her shoulders and her tail, tearing scales and flesh alike.

The sight was drenched in blood.

Even now, fresh streams trickled from her wounds, staining the water around her.

And yet, she lived.

Despite the agony and the relentless bleeding, her life force burned brilliantly, refusing to extinguish.

Even Daniel, hardened by countless battles, felt a chill creep into his chest.

Such a grotesque yet compelling vision demanded caution.

His instincts flared with warning.

Immediately, he activated his Eye of Insight, determined to see through the truth of the mermaid’s existence.