Chapter 752: The Royal Hunt
Lyra and Coralia led them through the gleaming city. The Sea People continued to stare, but no one interfered. They arrived at the base of the largest structure, a palace of white coral that looked like a frozen tidal wave. Guards in polished shell armor stood at attention, tridents held straight. Their sharp eyes locked onto Nox and Dorran, but a nod from the sisters made them step aside.
Before entering, Lyra turned to them and held out two small, pearlescent objects shaped like seashells.
"Here. Put these on. They will translate for you."
Nox took one. It was cool and smooth, clearly designed to fit snugly in the ear. He placed it on, and Dorran, after a moment of hesitation, did the same.
"These are rare," Coralia explained. "Only a few of us can speak the surface tongue. We learned from ancient texts. This will be easier."
They entered the throne room. It was vast, with a crystal dome ceiling that displayed the dark ocean above. At the center, on thrones of pearl and obsidian, sat the rulers.
But it wasn’t an old king and queen. The man on the main throne was young, perhaps in his early twenties. He had sharp features, hair the color of dark seaweed, and an air of relaxed authority. The aura radiating from him was immense, a physical pressure that filled the chamber. Nox, who had faced dragons and armies, felt his knees buckle slightly. Dorran grunted, bracing himself against the crushing force. It was like trying to stand in a hurricane. This man was far beyond level 100, his power so dense it was suffocating.
The young king watched them struggle, a faint, amused smirk tugging at his lips. After a long, testing moment, the overwhelming aura vanished, retracted as quickly as it had appeared.
Lyra bowed her head. "Your Majesty, King Thalassar. We present the surface-dwellers, Nox and Dorran. They claim to be Beast Tamers."
The king’s eyes, deep and calculating blue, settled on Nox.
"Beast Tamers," he repeated, his voice calm yet resonant. "A class lost to the surface. And you come for the Silent Goddess."
His gaze shifted to Dorran and the shark hovering nervously behind him. "The beast is proof enough of your claim, I suppose."
Nox straightened his shoulders, masking his unease. There was no way he could tell them that Terra had personally asked him to take the statue, so he decided to approach it differently.
"The statue is part of the Beast Taming legacy," he said firmly. "We have searched for it for ages. Fortunately, we stumbled upon it by coincidence. If His Majesty does not mind, we would like to take the statue and leave peacefully."
King Thalassar leaned back on his throne. He was silent for a while before speaking.
"I will not let you take it just like that. It has been a part of our world, a piece of our history, for longer than your kingdom has existed. If you wish to remove it, you must earn it. You must prove yourselves worthy of such power."
Nox met his gaze, slightly perplexed. "How?"
"That is for me to decide," the king said with a dismissive wave. "For now, you are my guests. You will be treated with respect. Do not make me regret it." He looked to Lyra and Coralia. "See them to their quarters."
They were led from the throne room, down a corridor into a spacious chamber. The walls were living coral, soft to the touch, glowing moss providing light. Sleeping pads of woven kelp lined the room. It was clearly a guest chamber, not a cell.
Once alone, Dorran let out a long breath. "His aura... I’ve never felt anything like that."
"Me neither," Nox admitted. "But he’s not treating us like enemies. Yet."
"What’s his game?" Dorran asked, settling on a pad.
"He’s curious," Nox replied. "And he’s testing us. The ’prove your worth’ thing is a classic power move. We just need to play along for now."
The next day, Lyra arrived alone. "The King has granted you freedom to move within the city limits," she said. "I can show you around, if you wish."
Nox agreed. Dorran stayed behind, saying he wanted to try communicating with his shark in the quieter setting.
Nox and Lyra left the palace, gliding through the city. The scale of Aqualaria was staggering, stretching for miles in every direction—a bustling, vibrant metropolis under the sea.
"Your kingdom is impressive," Nox commented as they passed a market where vendors sold glowing fruits and intricately carved shells.
"It is home," Lyra replied simply. After a while, she pointed toward the city’s edge. Beyond it, the water darkened, and a massive, dense forest of giant kelp and twisting coral formations began, stretching into the endless gloom. "That is the Abyssal Kelp Forest. It is vast—some say as large as one of your surface continents. Many powerful creatures dwell within. It is where our best warriors train."
"Looks dangerous," Nox remarked.
"It is. But it is also where one can gain great strength." Her eyes flicked to him. "Would you like to hunt? The outskirts are relatively safe. It would be a good test of your abilities here."
He was curious. He needed to understand this environment, and fighting was the best way to learn.
"Alright. Let’s go."
They entered the forest’s fringe. The light dimmed, the water grew colder. Strange, bioluminescent plants cast eerie glows. It wasn’t long before they were attacked. A pack of six-legged, crustacean predators with razor-sharp claws scuttled out from behind a rock formation.
Nox didn’t hesitate. He summoned blades of ice and hurled them with precision. The creatures were fast, their shells tough, but his spells pierced through. He darted through the water, using [Demonic Wing] for sharp, sudden movements. Lyra watched quietly, her expression analytical.
Within minutes, the predators were dead, their bodies drifting toward the seabed.
[Ding! You have received a large amount of experience points]
He grinned. The experience was significant. This place was a grinding paradise.
"You fight well for a land-walker," Lyra noted. "Your magic adapts to the water."
As they moved deeper, she spoke again. "In one week’s time, there is a great event: the Royal Hunt. It takes place deep within the forest. Warriors from across the kingdom compete. The winner gains a grand prize and is granted two favors from King Thalassar himself."
Nox’s eyes lit up. This was it. His chance. Not only could he win the right to take the statue, but he could also claim another favor—maybe an alliance, maybe knowledge.
"What kind of favors?" he asked, trying to keep his tone casual.
"Anything within the King’s power to grant," Lyra said. "Weapons, treasures, titles... or boons."
"Would retrieving the Silent Goddess be considered a boon?"
She looked at him for a moment before nodding. "It would be the greatest boon a surface-dweller has ever asked for. But to win the Royal Hunt... you would be competing against the strongest warriors of Aqualaria. That is no small feat, especially for a surface-dweller like you."
Nox watched a massive eel-like creature slither through the kelp in the distance, then murmured to himself, "I need that statue, Lyra. And it sounds like this is the only way I’ll get it without starting a war."
"Hmm... then your major concern should be how to join the competition in the first place."