Versatile: Alternate World

The authoritative voice echoed in the place that will make anyone distinctively feel the pressure that they emit.

Everyone quickly prepared for combat but the two siblings stopped us.

"Everyone, be at ease. Lifera, it's us." Sera ordered also with a hint of authority in her voice.

I saw guards approach and appear before us. They looked like normal guards but they looked like golems to me. They are not looking like merfolk or a human or anything other than a golem due to how they move stiffly despite looking like people. Along with them is a handsome merfolk that I can only describe to have a bit of an arrogant-looking face. In my experience, these guys are the first people to get the girls and they are usually the playboy types. Still, who knows how this guy is.

"Wha! Sera-sama?! Li-sama? H-how come?" the authoritative owner of the voice stopped when Sera and Li stepped forward.

"Heh, we are back. What else?" Li smugly answered.

"This... this must be a miracle! Sera-sama and Li-sama returning is a sign that the gods have not abandoned us just yet!" He knelt down to the ground and burst out crying making my first assumption on him broken.

"Lifera, we need to go to the kingdom and announce our return," Sera ordered.

"I apologize Sera-sama but that shouldn't be the best course of action you need to do. If I didn't spot you all here and jump straight to the portal, you guys would never be able to see the light of the day again," the handsome merfolk, Lifera grit his teeth as he looked at the two siblings.

"What is going on Lifera?"

"This is not a good place to stay. If we loiter here more than we should, the enemies will find us here. Follow me. I will explain once we reach our destination."

Although he still didn't say anything just yet, Sera and Li seems to trust him so we decided to follow along. He snaps his fingers and all of the following golems have been reduced to dust before disappearing completely.

"How many years has it been since we were sealed?" Li asked.

"If you are talking about how many years have passed by after the sealing of the Ice Devilfish, it should be 300 years already since then. I made sure to count the years and days in case you two will be free from the seal. And I was right." Lifera smiled while looking at the two.

"Wha? 200 years? I heard merfolk has at best around 120 years at best to live. How the hell are you still alive if it already passed you to the point where you are old enough?!" Tina was bewildered.

"Please calm down, Tina-san. Lifera here is not a real Merfolk. Although he is part of the merfolk race, he is not a pure one. He is a half automaton. Half of his body is an automaton. All of the necessary things for him to stay alive are already converted to automaton parts. I don't know what changed these past few years when we are gone but he is still the same as ever," Sera explained.

"Your father has tasked me to guard this secret entrance and prepare for the two of you to return. Your father is hopeful that you two would still be alive and will return someday. And he was right. The two are here right now."

Soon, we arrived in a small closed space of the cavern. We went inside and we saw a similar portal of water inside the cavern's interior.

"Masters, I know it is rude, but would it be appropriate to bring the humans and the other species inside? They will drown once they are inside since they are not the same as us merfolks who can breathe underwater."

"Yes. They are fine to enter since they already received my blessings to breathe underwater," Sera explained.

"You gave the blessing to them? But they are humans and we are restricted-"

"Screw the rules, we are not even on the kingdom's grounds, why would we care about that? Anyways, may I ask if we are going inside the kingdom once we pass the portal?"

"No, this is a separate place made by your father a few years ago to be used as a refuge. I will explain carefully once we are inside."

Everyone followed suit by entering the portal. Entering it felt like you are dipping into the sea with your whole body submerging straight into the water without preparations. My instinct quickly tried to hold my breath but I quickly stopped it as I can breathe underwater. There is no need for me to hold my breath to enter the place. Everyone entered the water portal and we arrived at a place that looked like a view from what the divers underwater usually see on a sea filled with sea life. 

"This place is..." Sera was surprised as she looked around the surroundings.

"It's a bit of small size but this is the imitation of the reality of your father's home back when he was still a prince. This was his home before he became the king of the Kingdom of the Deep Sea," Lifera explained.

"So does that mean..." Li suddenly got serious.

"Come this way please," Lifera then lead the two.

"I'm sorry but can you please let us in private please?" Sera asked me for permission.

"No problem. We will stay here for the time being."

"Thank you."

I can easily tell that they are going to visit the grave of the former king. If it was already 300 years since the sealing of the two, it has been a long time since the former king has died.

"Master, this place is quite full of mana though I don't sense any particular danger around here," Atlas approached, giving the report of the surroundings.

"No dark mana of the demons here present?"

"Yes. I don't sense any of these traces here. Lucia-sama should also be back after she seemed to have found something of interest for her."

And just like what Atlas predicted, Lucia is indeed approaching me along with Tina and Lina following her.

"It has been so long since I felt something like this. The first time I experienced something like this would be during the time my father is still alive and usually uses his abilities."

"Care to elaborate? As much as I try to understand what you are trying to say, I am only a human that can't understand what you can feel. My senses aren't as sharp and sensitive as you guys," I pleaded.

"Oh, I apologize about that Master. Anyways, this place is made from primordial materials. Materials that previously existed during the time when the two goddesses are still interacting with all of the races of the world. I can't be wrong with it since this is also the same feeling I felt back then."

"Very astute, Madam. Based on your wavelength, you are from the era of the Primordial Gods, right?" Lifera suddenly joined in our conversation.

"H-how did you know?!" Lucia was surprised.

"Because I was also alive during the time the Primordial Gods still exists along with us. During that time, I am still a normal Merfolk that time which is why I know everything about what happened."

"How old are you anyway?" Atlas was curious after hearing the man reveal his origin.

"As much as I want to say it, I don't remember anymore. It has been so long since that happened and some of my memories are already forgotten as it has been so ancient. Although I still have some memories regarding the primordial times, only the most important things. Memories involving my real age and similar stuff are already overwritten by me so it is pointless to ask me about it."

"I didn't know this girl is part of the Primordial Era! I am always fascinated by them that I would do anything to learn more about them!" Li was fascinated.

"No wonder you are not the same hostile demons we usually encounter. That explains why. So you are part of the demons who existed way long during the Primordial Timeline. Perhaps you have also awakened?" Sera asked.

"I don't know if I should be afraid of how accurate you guys are."

"Well, it's not so surprising. There are several demons like you who have been put to sleep years ago and have awakened again during this timeline so I know you must be confused."

"Wait... does that mean, there are also other demon species like me who came from the primordial timeline?"

"Yes, but I don't know if any of them still has the same sanity as you," Lifera had a serious look on his face.

"What do you mean?" I frowned.

"Most of them who have awakened have decided to join the current demon force. I heard that they were forced to awaken by some demons and after they have awakened, they have been converted into the current demons and have turned hostile too.. You are the first one demon I have seen that seems to have not fallen to that tactic."