Chapter 370: Merfolk Kingdom!

Hope.

That single emotion remained with Seraphina long after Jax disappeared through the entrance of her residence.

For months, she had forced herself not to think too deeply about returning home after being captured by the Church.

Not because she had forgotten the Merfolk Kingdom. In fact, he opposite was true.

Seraphina remembered everything. The endless blue waters surrounding the royal palace. The gardens of living coral where she had spent countless hours as a child.

The great crystal towers stretching upward through the ocean, their surfaces reflecting sunlight from hundreds of meters above.

She remembered the members of her family, their voices, their smiles. and how welcoming they were

The way they would undoubtedly worry whenever she disappeared for even a few hours without informing anyone, and that had been before she vanished completely.

It had been so long, but now she had hope she'd reunite with them.

Seraphina slowly walked toward one of the enormous crystal windows and looked toward the distant skyline of Aeternum Noctis.

Somewhere beyond those streets, Jax was preparing for his journey. A journey she herself couldn't accompany him on.

Her fingers rested gently against the cool crystal, "Please be safe..."

She smiled softly, "And... please tell them I'm alright."

***

THE NEXT MORNING!

The sky above Aeternum Noctis remained painted in deep violet and crimson, the first sunlight slowly breaking across the horizon.

Jax stood alone on the same eastern balcony where he had spent the previous morning drinking tea.

Today, however, he wore clothing better suited for travel. A dark coat with enchanted boots and several magical artifacts concealed throughout his clothing.

Nothing excessive. He didn't particularly need excessive preparation, but there was no reason to be careless.

The ocean was ancient and mysterious.

Jax glanced downward, "That really should have been obvious."

He shook his head. The crystal pendant rested visibly against his chest. The orb attached to it shimmered faintly.

Jax reached for it and the moment his fingers touched the crystal, the magic reacted. A tiny current appeared within the orb.

It rotated once and then pointed. Jax's golden eyes narrowed as he saw the pointer directing him to the far west.

Toward the Western Varoza Ocean.

"Right."

Golden mana spread beneath his feet. Jax didn't immediately teleport. Instead, he looked back toward the sleeping capital, his Kingdom, and a smile touched his lips.

"I'll be back."

Then, space folded.

~SHHHHHHHH!~

Jax disappeared and the next instant, he stood high above the ocean. Wind crashed against his coat. Below him stretched an endless expanse of blue.

The Western Varoza Ocean.

From this height, it appeared peaceful with sunlight reflected across the waves. Great white clouds drifted overhead.

Nothing about the ocean's surface revealed what existed beneath it.

Jax looked downward and his expression became thoughtful, "The last time I came here..."

He remembered Astra, the hidden dimension, the enormous creature, the ruined city and finally Meridia.

Jax sighed,"I wonder what happens this time."

The pendant immediately grew warmer as though it had heard him, "Don't start."

The ocean naturally didn't respond and Jax descended. The wind around him changed. Golden mana surrounded his body as he approached the waves.

Just before reaching the surface, he vanished.

~SPLASH!~

The ocean closed above him.

Sunlight penetrated deep through the upper layers of the Western Varoza Ocean, illuminating the water surrounding him. Great schools of fish moved together beneath him.

Long strands of aquatic vegetation swayed gently with the current.

Massive shadows occasionally moved through the distant waters.

Jax floated silently, he reached for the pendant and the tiny orb immediately illuminated. A thin stream of light emerged from it. The stream curved forward and then disappeared into the depths.

Jax smiled, "Lead the way."

He began descending.

The upper ocean was peaceful.

The deeper he traveled...

The more that changed, sunlight gradually weakened, the bright blue waters darkened, temperature dropped, while the aquatic beasts around him grew larger.

Jax passed beside a creature resembling an enormous serpent covered in translucent scales. It was easily several hundred meters long.

The beast turned. Its enormous eye settled upon Jax but it didn't attack, perhaps sensing Jax's latent power.

The pendant continued guiding him. Jax traveled farther and farther. Eventually, the ocean became almost completely dark.

Ordinary eyes would have struggled to see anything.

Jax's golden eyes didn't struggle. His vision adapted effortlessly to the darkness. He continued descending through a vast underwater canyon.

The pressure here was tremendous. Enough to crush ordinary creatures instantly.

Jax barely noticed and then, the pendant's warmth intensified.

He slowed.

"Are we close?"

The orb illuminated, a gentle blue current emerged. This time, it pointed downward and Jax followed.

The trench beneath him continued opening, then suddenly, the entire ocean changed.

Jax stopped, "...Interesting."

An enormous wall stood before him. At first, he thought it was simply another underwater cliff. Then he looked closer.

The wall stretched farther than his senses could immediately measure. Ancient stone covered its surface. Not natural stone, but artificially constructed.

Massive pillars rose from the ocean floor. Some were broken while others remained perfectly intact. Ancient symbols had been carved across their surfaces.

Jax floated toward one. His eyes narrowed, "Merfolk."

The symbols were ancient, but the pendant responded immediately. The orb illuminated and one of the carvings began glowing.

Then another, and another. Blue light spread across the enormous wall. The entire structure awakened.

Jax watched carefully as nothing attacked him. Instead, the water directly before him began moving, folding as an enormous circular passage slowly appeared.

Beyond it, there was nothing, only darkness.

Jax folded his arms, "That seems trustworthy."

The passage continued widening and the pendant grew warmer.

Jax sighed as he saw this, "Alright."

He entered. The moment he crossed the threshold, everything changed.

The ocean disappeared. For one brief instant,Jax felt himself traveling through something that wasn't quite water.

His body passed through an enormous magical formation. An enormous amount of runes surrounded him, inspecting him vigorously.

Every layer of his existence. Jax could feel the defensive formation examining him. Then the pendant responded.

Meridia's mana expanded and the defensive formation immediately stopped. Jax heard something.

ACCESS RECOGNIZED.

The sensation disappeared and Jax emerged on the other side. His eyes widened slightly, "...Well."

Before him, an entire kingdom existed beneath the ocean.

The Merfolk Kingdom

Jax remained motionless. For perhaps the first time since arriving in Terra, he genuinely needed several seconds to process what he was seeing.

The Merfolk Kingdom stretched across an enormous underwater valley. A translucent barrier enclosed the entire region.

Not to keep water out, as the Merfolk were perfectly comfortable beneath the sea. The barrier existed for protection, and inside it, civilization flourished.

Thousands of structures rose from the ocean floor. Some were constructed from white stone. Others had been grown from living coral.

Immense crystal towers stretched upward through the water, their surfaces glowing with every color imaginable.

Enormous roads wound between districts.

Merfolk swam throughout the kingdom.

Some possessed beautiful fish-like tails.

Others wore enchanted equipment that allowed them to move comfortably outside the water.

Massive sea creatures carried cargo through the city.

Giant turtles moved slowly between residential districts.

A group of manta rays carried passengers toward distant towers.

Jax slowly smiled.

"Now that's impressive."

The pendant's warmth faded slightly.

As though its job had been completed.

Jax looked down at it.

"Thanks."

He continued floating.

Then, an alarm sounded.

~WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!~

Jax stopped as the sound echoed throughout the kingdom.

Immediately, movement changed.

Merfolk guards appeared as powerful mana signatures approached from every direction. Jax folded his hands behind his back.

"I was wondering when that would happen."

The first guards arrived. They carried elegant spears formed from an unknown blue metal. Their armor resembled overlapping scales. Every single weapon pointed directly at Jax.

"HALT!"

Jax did and one guard moved forward.

"Identify yourself!"

Jax looked around.

"You know, a certain someone said this pendant would give me unrestricted access."

The guard's expression immediately changed hearing the word pendant, "What?"

Jax reached beneath his coat and the pendant emerged. Blue light reflected across the surrounding water.

The guards froze as several recognized the symbol immediately from an ancient rule that had been passed down for generations amongst the Merfolk Royal Guards.

One whispered, "That..."

Another guard's eyes widened, "That is the Primordial Goddess's blessing."