American Comics: Something's Wrong with This Superhero World

Chapter 312 Arthur is Discovered

The next morning, Arthur, who had completely given up resistance the night before, went to court and hurriedly returned to his palace.

Arthur pushed open the door and saw Xiao Xian with his arms around Mera and Atlana respectively, the three of them sitting on a luxurious sofa. Xiao Xian gently stroked Mera's shoulder with his left hand, while his right hand affectionately encircled Atlana's waist. Both beauties nestled in his arms, their faces beaming with happy smiles.

Arthur, with no more resistance in his heart, slowly knelt down and respectfully said, "Master, I have already issued an order to all the ministers that I have been unwell recently, and the affairs of Atlantis will be handled by Queen Mera and Queen Mother Atlanna."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Xian nodded in satisfaction, a smug smile appearing on his face: "Very good, Arthur. You did a good job."

Arthur knelt on the ground, looked up at Xiao Xian, and respectfully asked, "Master, what are the next steps?"

Xiao Xian glanced at Arthur and said coldly, "You're still a bit of an eyesore in this imperial city. It just so happens that the Orihagan warehouse is being looted frequently. Starting today, you'll be in charge of guarding the Orihagan warehouse."

Using the magic array that Kamar-Tekki covers the entire globe, Xiao Xian had already located Black Manta and was using magic to remotely monitor Black Manta's every move.

Black Manta is now close to collecting the required amount of Orichalcum; the next task is for the royal bloodline of Atlantis to break the magical seal.

Unlike the movie, Arthur has no children at this time. If Black Manta wants the royal bloodline of Atlantis, he has to infiltrate the royal city. To this end, Black Manta devised a whole plan to obtain Arthur's blood.

However, following Black Manta's plan would take at least four or five years, and Xiao Xian didn't have the patience to wait that long. So he simply dumped Arthur in one of the Orichalco warehouses that Black Manta was going to attack tonight.

Upon hearing this, Arthur felt somewhat reluctant, knowing that leaving the capital would mean he would no longer be able to witness it in person. Nevertheless, he lowered his head and respectfully accepted, "Yes, Master."

Seeing this, Xiao Xian revealed a satisfied smile: "Since you've been so obedient, when you go to guard the area, next time we make a video call, I'll have AI blur out the images. You can see everything except the blurred parts."

Upon hearing this, Arthur was so excited he almost jumped for joy. He repeatedly kowtowed and thanked him, saying, "Thank you, Master! Thank you, Master!"

Atlana looked at Arthur and smiled, saying, "That's great, Arthur. Keep up the good work."

Mera then pleaded with Xiao Xian, saying in a sweet voice, "Master, I hope you can make the mosaic thicker and more numerous."

Seeing Mera's appearance, Arthur felt a pang of sorrow for his own predicament, but more than anything, he was stirred by a strange excitement at Mera's words. He knew that he had utterly fallen.

Atlana looked at her son, a pang of heartache flashing in her eyes, but she quickly regained her smile. "That's wonderful, Arthur. You must continue to perform well and not disappoint your master."

Upon hearing this, Arthur's face flushed crimson, not from shame but from excitement. Arthur said, "Mother, I will definitely obey Master's orders!"

Atlana smiled and pinched her son's cheek. "I'm so happy to see you've found your place."

Arthur was filled with mixed emotions, looking forward to the video call that evening while boarding an underwater submarine to guard the Orihagan warehouse.

The submarine sailed smoothly underwater. Images of Atlanna and Mera kept flashing through Arthur's mind. He knew he had been completely corrupted and had no desire to resist anymore.

The submarine finally arrived at the Orichalcos warehouse. Arthur stepped out of the hatch, and the garrison general, who was facing him, immediately knelt down in surprise and bowed: "Your Majesty, what brings you here?"

Arthur felt a pang of irony when he saw the garrison general kneeling before him and calling him king. He thought of his own subservience before Xiao Xian, how he had willingly become a slave, even to the point of pleasure, and couldn't help but smile bitterly. However, he maintained a facade of concern for the country and said solemnly, "The Orichalcos warehouses are being frequently looted. As king, I take this very seriously, and that's why I've come personally to guard this place."

The garrison general said gratefully, "Your Majesty, with you personally guarding this place, we will do our utmost to protect the Orihagan Warehouse."

Arthur nodded and pretended to inspect the warehouse. He then instructed the general to strengthen defenses and ensure everything was in order. Arthur then went to his temporary quarters within the warehouse and used magic to create a protective barrier to prevent eavesdropping or interference with his video calls that evening.

As time passed, night gradually fell. Arthur's mood grew increasingly tense and expectant. He silently prayed, hoping that the video call would bring him more joy.

"I wonder when my master will contact me," Arthur muttered to himself.

Just then, the communicator suddenly rang. Arthur jumped in surprise and quickly pressed the answer button.

"Hello, Master?" Arthur asked cautiously.

Xiao Xian's familiar voice came from the other end of the phone: "Arthur, can you see?"

Arthur was so excited he almost jumped up. "I can see! I can see!"

He held up his phone, and the screen showed Xiao Xian, Mera, and Atlana. Mera was wearing an alluring red nightgown, while Atlana wore an elegant white dress; both of them had sweet smiles on their faces.

Arthur stared at the screen, his heart filled with complex emotions. Seeing the two women he loved so deeply looking so happy filled him with a sense of contentment and bliss.

Night fell, and the atmosphere outside the Orichalcos warehouse suddenly became tense. Black Manta, wielding two dark tridents, lurked in the shadows and launched a swift attack. Caught off guard, the defenders quickly descended into chaos, and despite their desperate efforts, they were overwhelmed by Black Manta's immense power.

The garrison general inside the warehouse watched in horror as the technologically advanced Atlantean soldiers were harvested and felled by the Black Manta Rays like wheat.

Realizing the urgency of the situation, the garrison general immediately tried to contact Arthur. However, the communication devices failed to connect, and he became extremely anxious, rushing to Arthur's room for help.

The garrison general arrived at Arthur's room, pounding on the door and shouting, "Your Majesty! Enemy attack! Please come out immediately!"

However, the door was tightly shut, and no matter how much the general knocked, there was no response from inside. Arthur was intently watching the video of Xiao Xian, Mera, and Atlanna playing cards.

The garrison general attempted to use water magic to breach the door, but the magic seemed to be blocked by some powerful barrier and failed to work.

Just then, Black Manta silently appeared behind the general, his dark trident gleaming with a chilling light. He sneered and thrust forward, the trident piercing the general's heart. The general's eyes were filled with terror and resentment; blood gushed from his mouth, and he was then flung aside by Black Manta, collapsing to the ground, his life slowly fading away.

Black Manta slowly walked to the door, raised its dark trident, and stabbed at the magical barrier. The power of darkness instantly tore the barrier apart.

Black Manta carefully shattered the barrier and slowly opened the door, preparing for a possible attack from Arthur. However, when he finally pushed open the door, the scene before him took him by surprise.

He saw Arthur kneeling on the ground, his eyes filled with fervor and adoration, shouting into the video, "Master, go for it!" On the screen, Xiao Xian, Mera, and Atlana were happily playing Dou Dizhu (a card game), and Xiao Xian, the landlord, was very strong, with Mera and Atlana being beaten back and forth.

Black Manta was stunned. He couldn't reconcile the subservient Arthur before him with the murderer who had brutally killed his father. The Aquaman he remembered was a powerful and ruthless warrior, but now he seemed like a submissive slave.

Although Black Manta had no recollection of who Xiao Xian was in the scene, he was definitely not Arthur's father. However, Black Manta knew very well who Mera and Atlanna were: one was Arthur's wife, and the other was Arthur's mother.

Black Manta couldn't fathom that Arthur, who didn't even care about the warehouse's defenses, was actually hiding in his room, kneeling on the floor, watching other men play cards with his wife and mother, and even cheering them on.

What really got Black Manta off his feet was that the video Arthur was watching was even censored, making it impossible to see the crucial parts.

Arthur sensed the presence behind him and turned to see Black Manta standing in the doorway, holding the Dark Trident. His expression changed drastically, but a hint of excitement flashed in his eyes, which only deepened Black Manta's confusion.

Black Manta sneered, stepped into the room, a mocking glint in his eyes: "Arthur, it seems you've become hopeless. You actually knelt here, cheering on the man in the video playing cards with your mother and Mera?"

Having his secret discovered, Arthur felt a mix of slight despair and inexplicable excitement. His remaining shred of pride compelled him to immediately end the video call, and he argued, "Black Manta, you don't know the truth. It's not what you think."

A mocking glint flashed in the black manta ray's eyes: "No, I see it clearly. You not only feel ashamed, but you're also happy. Do you really enjoy this humiliation?"

Arthur vehemently denied it: "No, that's not it! Don't talk nonsense, I was just... role-playing."

Black Manta sneered, looking at Arthur with a glint of pleasure in his eyes: "Stop pretending. Your disguise is laughably clumsy. I originally wanted to kill you, but the way you are now is more pathetic than death. Perhaps letting you live, watching your wife and mother being controlled by others, is the best punishment for you."

Upon hearing this, Arthur felt both ashamed and strangely excited and thrilled. He couldn't control his emotions, and a blush rose to his face. In fact, he didn't feel sorry at all; on the contrary, he felt very happy.

Black Manta continued, "However, my master's resurrection requires your blood, so I'll capture you first. Once I've used it all, I'll send you back so you can continue kneeling and calling me master. Of course, I'll be generous; I can let you watch it live. I'll play cards with Mera and Atlanna right in front of you."

Hearing this, Arthur was filled with rage. He stood up abruptly and roared, "Shut up! You bastard! I won't allow you to touch them! Only the master can play cards with them, I can't! You're asking for death!"

Black Manta looked at the angry Arthur and sneered, "You're even more excited than when I was cursing you. You really are a slave. But the more you resist, the more excited I get! I'll prove I'm a better master for you."

Arthur could no longer tolerate Black Manta. Humiliating him was one thing, but humiliating Xiao Xian was absolutely unacceptable. Arthur gritted his teeth, drew his golden trident, and roared, "Black Manta, today it's either you or me!"

Black Manta sneered, brandishing his broken Dark Trident in two, and assumed a fighting stance: "Come on, now that I possess the Dark Trident, I'm not necessarily afraid of you!"

The two clashed swiftly, the golden trident and the dark trident colliding in the seawater with a deafening roar and violent ripples. Arthur swung the trident with all his might, launching a rapid attack on Black Manta.

Arthur's trident aimed straight for Black Manta's chest, but Black Manta dodged to the side, avoiding the attack. Taking advantage of the moment, Black Manta swung the upper part of his dark trident, violently sweeping it across Arthur's waist. Arthur quickly retreated, narrowly avoiding the blow.

After dodging, Arthur quickly turned around and swung his trident at Black Manta's shoulder. Black Manta blocked with his backhand, and the two tridents collided again, sparks flying. Black Manta used the momentum to leap and kick Arthur in the chest, sending Arthur staggering back several steps.

After retreating, Arthur, still unwilling to give up, steadied himself and charged forward, his trident drawing an arc as it aimed directly at Black Manta's neck.

Black Manta didn't retreat but advanced, separating the two pieces of his dark trident. His right hand used the staff part to block the golden trident, while his left hand used the fork part to stab Arthur in the abdomen.

The black manta ray was too fast, and Arthur could only barely dodge it in time, leaving a shallow wound on his abdomen.

Seeing Arthur injured, Black Manta's eyes flashed with smugness. He continued his attack, each strike aimed at Arthur's vitals, while Arthur gradually became overwhelmed. After a short while, Arthur was panting heavily, sweat dripping down his face, and his hand gripping the trident began to tremble.

Taking advantage of Arthur's fatigue, Black Manta suddenly unleashed its power, delivering a powerful blow to Arthur's trident. Arthur's golden trident was sent flying, crashing heavily to the ground. Black Manta swiftly moved forward and struck Arthur's chest with the upper part of its dark trident. Arthur grunted and flew backward, slamming heavily against the wall.

Arthur struggled to his feet, but his body wouldn't obey him. His vision went black, and his consciousness began to fade. Black Manta slowly walked up to him, sneering, "This is much easier than I thought, Arthur."

After saying that, Black Manta struck Arthur hard on the back of the neck with the lower half of his Dark Trident. Arthur felt a sharp pain, then lost consciousness and fell heavily to the ground.

Black Manta looked at the unconscious Arthur, nodded in satisfaction, hoisted him onto his shoulder, and turned to leave the room.

(End of this chapter)