Chapter 151: Last one to the surface is an idiot
Deep beneath eleven thousand meters of ocean, where day and night were meaningless concepts lost in the eternal dark, Vince finally succumbed to the bone-deep exhaustion of battle and conquest. Beside him, Nerissa’s long caudal fin was loosely draped over his legs, her head resting against his chest, both of them lulled into a heavy, dreamless sleep by the warm hydro-currents circulating through her pearl sanctuary.
When Vince opened his eyes, the dark room was softly lit by the lingering purple glow of an unread System window hovering right before his face:
[NOTIFICATION: GENERAL NERISSA’S AFFECTION & RECOGNITION GREATER THAN 80%]
[AFFECTION STATUS: 100% — ABSOLUTE DEVOTION & SURRENDER]
[WORLD QUEST COMPLETED: TAMING OF NERISSA THE TIDE CALLER OF NETHROS]
> Primary Objective: Defeat the Abyssal Titan, retrieve the Tide Core, and subdue General Nerissa — [SUCCESS]
>[CALCULATING REWARDS...]
> Exp Received:+250,000 EXP (Level Up!)
> Title Acquired: [Sovereign of the Deep] (+20% stats when fighting in or near water environments; absolute command over aquatic beast-kin).
> Faction Status: Nethros kingdom added as a vassal territory under your dominion.
> Harem Link Established: [Nerissa (Siren General)] — Passive ability unlocked: [Siren’s Call: Hydro-Shielding] (Grants instant hydro-kinetic barrier during combat).
Vince smirked, feeling the subtle pulse of new power settling into his soul-matrix. Before he could dismiss the window, a secondary quest interface automatically expanded beneath it:
[ACTIVE QUEST: THE SOVEREIGN TRANSCENDENT ELIXIR]
> Ingredient 1/3: Astral dew essence (moriele) — [COMPLETE]
> Ingredient 2/3: Primordial dragon heart blood (Vetra) — [COMPLETE]
> Ingredient 3/3: Fish Scale (Nerissa) — [COMPLETE]
> [ALL INGREDIENTS ACQUIRED — BREWING SEQUENCE INITIATED...]
> Estimated Crafting Time: ...
Satisfied, Vince dismissed the glowing interface with a mental command. Now that his mission in nethros was officially complete, it was time to move. He began to gently shift out from under the covers, intending to leave the bed.
Instantly, two smooth, scaled arms wrapped tightly around his waist, and Nerissa buried her face deeper into the crook of his neck, pulling him right back down.
"Where do you think you’re going?" she murmured, her voice still thick with sleep, her caudal fin coiling possessively around his legs.
Vince chuckled softly, sliding his arm back around her bare shoulders and resting his hand over the warm, faintly pulsing Sovereign Crest on her hip. He didn’t push it. Instead, he stayed suspended in the soft sand bed with her for a long while, enjoying the quiet warmth until she was finally ready to face the day.
---
Side-by-side, Vince and Nerissa swam out of the private quarters and navigated the high-arched coral halls toward the citadel’s grand dining hall. Inside, a massive pearl-inlaid table stretched across the room, lined with dozens of carved seats and a single high throne at the head.
Vetra and Lyrielle were already seated near the middle, hungrily devouring a feast of roasted deep-sea kelp, spiced fish, and glowing coral fruits.
"Where have you two been?" Lyrielle asked, setting her wooden eating utensil down and narrowing her green eyes at them as they swam into the room.
Vince scratched the back of his head with a smooth, innocent grin. "Oh, you know... just checking out the new building structure. Making sure the foundations were solid."
"Right. Foundations," Vetra snorted, tossing a piece of fruit into her mouth with a sharp, wicked smirk.
They swam to their respective seats. As Nerissa glided past Lyrielle to sit near the head of the table, the subtle violet glow of the Sovereign Crest imprinted beneath her hip caught the elven scholar’s eye. Lyrielle froze, her pointed ears twitching as she stared at the purple crown symbol.
I’ve seen that exact mark somewhere before... Lyrielle thought to herself, her heart skipping a beat. But seeing the serene, contented look on the Siren General’s face, she kept the thought to herself and returned to her meal.
Throughout the breakfast, the heavy, stoic tension that had once defined Nerissa was completely gone. She spoke freely, sharing quiet laughs with Vetra and Lyrielle, completely integrated into the group’s natural dynamic.
When the meal concluded, Vince pushed back from the table. "Thanks for everything, Nerissa. But we’ve got to hit the surface now."
A fleeting shadow of sadness crossed Nerissa’s golden eyes. She looked down at the table, the weight of her duty as Commander keeping her bound to Nethros while he moved on.
Vince didn’t let her linger in the gloom. He swam directly up to her, reaching out to gently cup her chin, tilting her head up until her golden eyes locked onto his.
"Hey," Vince said softly, his deep voice leaving no room for doubt. "I’ll be back."
Nerissa stared into his eyes, her heart swelling. "Promise me."
"I promise," Vince whispered, leaning down to press a deep, lingering kiss to her lips.
Across the table, Vetra leaned back in her chair with a grin of absolute satisfaction, while Lyrielle looked away, her lips forming a comical, disgusted pucker. "Blehh..."
"Are you jealous, long-ears?" Vetra teased, nudging Lyrielle’s shoulder with her clawed elbow.
"No! I am most certainly not!" Lyrielle shot back defensively, a bright pink flush instantly creeping up to the tips of her pointed ears.
Vince parted from Nerissa and swam over, landing right in the middle of the two girls with a quiet chuckle. "Jealous of what?"
"Nothing!" Lyrielle squeaked immediately, puffing out her cheeks.
"Liar," Vetra laughed heartily. "She’s totally jealous because Nerissa got a goodbye kiss and she didn’t."
"I am not! Why on earth would I be?!" Lyrielle protested, her face practically burning red now.
Vince grinned, leaning in close toward Lyrielle with his lips hilariously pouted out. "You know, you can always kiss me whenever you want, Elle."
THWACK!
"Ouch! Hey!" Vince winced, rubbing his sore lip as Lyrielle smacked him across the face with the flat end of her wooden staff.
"Serves you right, you pervert!" Lyrielle huffed, though she couldn’t hide the affectionate sparkle in her eyes.
Before the banter could continue, Vetra shot upward into the open water column, her dragonkin tail lashing powerfully. "Last one to the surface is an idiot!" she roared, bursting into a streak of thermal speed.
"Hey! No fair!" Lyrielle yelled, kicking off the stone floor and channeling her elven wind-and-water magic to surge up directly beside Vetra, matching her speed almost instantly.
Vince turned back to Nerissa one last time, giving her a warm, comforting smile.
Then, he pushed off the ground.
Under the influence of his newly integrated Tide Core, Vince shot upward like a localized torpedo. The moment he caught up to the two racing girls, his body exploded into his massive, dark Dragon-Beast form, his broad physique cutting through the heavy ocean pressure as if it were thin air.
He glided effortlessly past them both, turning his scaled head back with a dark, triumphant smirk.
"Later, suckers!" Vince called out through the hydro-currents, rocketing toward the distant sunlight above.
"Show off!" Vetra and Lyrielle shouted in perfect unison, pushing their magic to maximum to chase him up the trench.
Down below, far behind them in the quiet abyss, General Nerissa stood on the high coral balcony of her city. She watched the crimson-and-black streak of his dragon form ascend into the light, her hand drifting down to gently rub the warmly pulsing Sovereign Crest beneath her hip.
She smiled softly into the dark water, knowing her Sovereign would return.