Academic gathering with Lich colleagues

After my body was bathed in sunlight, my craving for warmth grew stronger. I hated the coldness of the seawater, but I loved his eyes and the emotions they held. This self-indulgence made me feel ashamed, so I often pretended to be indifferent or angry in front of him, building firewalls on my surface. But the flames had already burned into my heart, and I knew my bravado wouldn't last long.

I wanted to be with him. This beautiful dream gradually filled my entire life, and I became distracted in other areas, constantly searching for magic—magic that could bring mermaids ashore and give them legs. That fairy tale became my best entry point. After investigation, I discovered that the fairy tale about mermaids originated from royalty.

My father was very likely the one who spread "The Little Mermaid".

My heart pounded with trepidation, but I pretended to be nonchalant as I met my father. He sat on a bed of flesh atop a giant clam, majestic and robust, with a long, wavy beard. The look in our eyes was remarkably similar, but my father smiled more often than I did; his smile was kind and gentle. I didn't know who my mother was, but I knew she could never replace him in my heart. He treated me exceptionally well, and although my telepathic abilities couldn't penetrate the hearts of my own kind, I knew my father doted on me immensely.

"Father, are there really sea witches?" I asked, looking directly at my father with curious eyes.

My little princess, who is the sea witch you're referring to?

I pouted like a pufferfish, pressing my hands against the edge of the clam shell. The surrounding siren guards didn't seem to notice my indiscretion before the princess's throne, pretending they hadn't seen anything.

[It's that sea witch from the fairy tale! That wicked, bloated witch who looks like an octopus, the sorcerer who traded the mermaid princess's voice for legs. That evil woman who tried to overthrow the mermaid dynasty—does she really exist? I'm a little scared.] I secretly rejoiced. Losing my voice is nothing; I can still communicate telepathically. A voice that can only be used once in a lifetime—if I don't want it, I don't want it.

I thought my father would comfort me, revealing clues to cover up the truth. But my question caused his smile to vanish; his eyes fixed on me, a meaningful gaze that sent chills down my spine. I shivered, realizing my omnipotent father knew I had fallen for a human. If he knew, would he bless me, or stop me?

The sea witch lives in the trench beneath Mermaid Reef, my child. When you meet that noble lady, be careful what you say.

My father told me the location of the sea witch. It sounded like this mysterious woman was on good terms with him. Some fairy tales are indeed lies; the sea witch was probably a court sorceress. Overjoyed, I kissed my father's cheek and swam into the depths of the trench. My father had told me the truth about the sea witch; perhaps that meant he had agreed. I could be with him, with my father's blessing.

The beauty of my dream is right before my eyes, and even if icy currents surge from the depths of the trench, they cannot deter me.

I saw the sea witch, I saw her.

Her hateful gaze exuded coldness, and her massive body combined strength and beauty. She was not some ugly octopus; her beauty even made me pale in comparison.

The sea witch is a noble white dragon.

Bai Long opened her eyes, her arrogant aura making the seawater even colder. She looked directly at me, the disgust in her eyes gradually fading.

"Are you the Little Mermaid?" A haughty voice, like that of a noblewoman, echoed in my mind. I shrank back, feeling like an immature little girl.

Until pride prevailed over fear, I remembered my father's instructions and looked directly at the dragon.

"That's right! Great dragon, I am Princess Priscilla, the mermaid princess. I have come here to ask you for the magic to gain legs!"

White Dragon chuckled like an old witch, stretching his body, his eyes filled with excitement at seeing a toy.

[Growing legs? I have a way, but it comes at a price.]

I was already aware of this.

I'm willing to give up my voice, or something else. But! Don't expect to control me to threaten my father; I'm not some silly princess from a fairy tale!

The white dragon stared with its enormous eyes.

[Who knows...? The mermaid who came seeking me through fairy tales, my method isn't the sweet kind. I have a way to keep you on land. And the price you must pay is your future. This method, you, Priscilla, you will become the White Dragon Priestess. You will become my servant, my worshipper. My power will dragonify your body; you will forever grow legs and forever lose your fishtail. You will become an existence somewhere between a mermaid and a dragon, incompatible with either. You will forever lose everything.]

Those eyes held a cold, icy light.

Even so, do you still want to grow legs?

I raised a question.

Can I still dive into the deep sea and return to Mermaid Reef? Can I swim?

Yes, what do you think a Dragon Priest is? It's ascension, it's evolution! You will grow into a special individual surpassing your race, able to roam both land and sea, just like me.

What?! This is amazing!

【I want to! I am willing to become your dragon priest, your student, your follower! As long as you do not do anything to harm the merfolk and him, I swear to follow you forever.】

A massive, pale wing burst forth with light, illuminating the dark trench. I bathed in the light, undergoing a transformation, a rebirth. I was certain the white dragon's prophecy was wrong; my father would not abandon me for losing my fishtail, nor would he leave me because I was always by his side.

I spent several days with the white dragon, learning dragon language and powerful magic to control ice and water. I have been transformed. Although the white dragon treats me as a dragon priestess, a student, she still refuses to tell me her name. I don't quite understand, but it doesn't matter. Now, I want to see him and hold him in my arms forever.

The ocean currents submitted to me, and I became a more powerful princess of the sea. I set foot on land and headed towards the place where we first met. The transformation over the past few days has temporarily separated us, but I have a feeling that he will be waiting for me there, just as he was when we first met.

As I stepped onto the shore, I saw him, sure enough, on the protruding rock. Those eyes that had once gazed at the ocean were now looking directly at me; without telepathy, I could read his love. With a smile, I walked step by step to his side, sat down, and placed my hand on top of his. I cleared my throat and, using the voice bestowed upon me by the dragon priest, produced a sound almost identical to that of the white dragon.

Why are you staring at me?

Just like in a fairy tale, he used his clumsy mouth to say what I wanted to hear.

“I love you, Principes.”

【I love you, Principes.】The complete overlap of our telepathic connection intoxicated me like fine wine.

We grew closer, and the increasing intimacy between our hearts made me understand that strange place I had once cared about. He often sat in that spot because the sunsets there revealed a unique rainbow, a breathtaking and mysterious light that haunted his dreams. That rainbow was like the vibrant scales on my body. The special person who attracted me had, unknowingly, already been drawn to me. Like fate, our destinies were already intertwined.

He is not a prince, but he is my husband.

Chapter 784 Cold Reality

The ocean currents were violently torn apart, and the pristine white figure became a unique, raging wave plunging into the deep sea. The tides continued to freeze into ice flakes, and an ice storm churned the ocean's tranquility, plunging into the depths along with the figure.

Mermaid Reef lies at the deepest part of the ocean, a place devoid of light, where visibility depends solely on the mermaids' night vision. Now, it is even darker. Roaring snow crashes into the mermaid's palace, and amidst the falling ice shards, the former mermaid princess, filled with rage, storms into her father's territory.

Mermaid Reef knows no day or night, but the palace here is unusually deserted. No guards are in sight; this kingdom adorned with coral and pearls resembles a dead city. Priscilla scoffed, nothing stood in her way, and her brief moment of relief was quickly swallowed by rage.

The princess, returning home to visit her family, was like a devastating force. Priscilla stepped into the main hall and saw the majestic figure seated on the throne. Tears welled in her eyes, freezing into ice crystals before merging with the sea. With each step, she left indelible icy marks on her father's palace.

Why? Why! Her heart ached as if being torn apart. She stared at the kind figure, her body trembling, transforming from an arrogant lady into a sorrowful child. Why did you lie to me!

The Mermaid King slowly raised his arm, a kind smile appearing on his face, just as before. But in Principes' eyes, that unchanging smile appeared hypocritical and malicious.

Welcome home, my beautiful child.

No longer touching the throne as intimately as before, Princess stood beneath it, her fingers piercing her palms, blood seeping into the water.

"Why did you lie to me? It was a blessing! A 'mermaid's blessing'? A 'deep-sea blessing'?" Priscilla's face was pale. The thought of his twisted form made her heart ache so much she almost fainted. "That's my lover, your son-in-law! If you hate him, please don't lie to me, don't torture him like this! Why did you do this! Why!!! Turning him into a twisted, deformed monster, why did you make my lover suffer a torment worse than death?!"

These words acted like a switch, causing the Mermaid King to stop smiling and, like a mechanical NPC, begin a new dialogue.

"So it's already finished, my daughter. You've blessed my son-in-law. What a pity, I wanted to meet him."

"I won't let you touch him!!!" Priscilla instinctively retorted, her tone sharp and full of hostility. She had given her lover the "Mermaid's Blessing," a magic her father had taught her, a unique spell that allowed land dwellers to adapt to the ocean. And yet, because of this magic, he had become a howling mass of flesh, a hideous monster.

Princess then realized how little she knew about her father. And now, the Mermaid King was about to tell her more about the reality.

Honey, do you know how mermaids reproduce?

The Mermaid King gazed lovingly at his daughter, but in Principality's eyes, those eyes were filled with madness.

Mermaids originated from the deep sea; we are its inhabitants, servants of God. Our life form differs greatly from that of land dwellers; we are the survivors of evolution. Mermaids do not possess the ability to reproduce sexually. Our abilities are closer to our Lord: assimilation and contamination. We cannot reproduce, but we can create mutated clones through corrupted containers. With just one seed and one container, we can multiply into a race.

Princess staggered backward, looking at her father in horror, and she understood what he meant.

[Born of love and nourished by pain, our blessings can transform other lives into "eggs of despair," vessels for breeding mermaids. My Principes, you, and my people, are all my children. Would you like to see your "Mother"?]

Priscilla collapsed to her knees, vomit freezing with her tears. Her once proud and revered lineage had begun with flesh and blood as chaotic as his now. A princess? Born from filth, there were no princesses. Mermaids were man-eating monsters. The love she thought was pure had been born from such a depraved body. Her wicked father—his voice echoed again. Priscilla hated that voice, yet she didn't know how to deal with him. He was indeed her father, and he truly loved her unconditionally.

My child, you and your vessel are complete. Produce the next generation of mermaids.

[Shut up!!!] Rage filled his chest. Imposing malice on his lover was undoubtedly a mistake on his part. [I will not repeat this filthy bloodline like you! I will not let your filth continue! You monster!!!]

That's your freedom, my child.

The Mermaid King spoke calmly as he rose from the clam's fleshy bed, stepped out of the shadows, and smiled gently at his beloved daughter's terrified gaze. Behind him, at his lower body, only twisted, grotesque tentacles churned in the seawater.

We mermaids are indeed pitiful losers. God gave us life, yet we cannot escape Him, our Lord, no matter how hard we try. Our lives exist only for our downfall. My personality is falling, my beloved. Lord, you are coming back. We will eventually descend into madness, becoming your flesh, your food, your toys. My other offspring have already fallen, so I removed them, hoping to see you one last time in the way you would like. But I failed, my little princess. I'm sorry, I finally abandoned reason, wanting to see you closer.

The Mermaid King descended the steps shakily, his steps slow as if he were still.

You have gained the power of the dragon; you have become my hope. My dear.

The Mermaid King stretched out his tentacles, while Priscilla retreated in disgust. The Mermaid King seemed to understand something, standing on the steps with a smile, murky tears streaming from his eyes.

You've grown up, my daughter.

Farewell, my dear.

In the deep sea, a white light appeared. Priscilla looked upwards, and she understood. She swam rapidly like a swordfish, howling hoarsely in the sea.

"No, no, no! Stop! My teacher! Haku!!!"

At the very top of Mermaid Reef, a dragon spread its wings, its body bursting forth with a white light that illuminated the deep sea. She brought divine pronouncements, the power of destruction, solemnly declaring in the dragon language amidst the tides—a language imbued with the power of another king, capable of revealing all that lies in the ocean.

My name is Alicia, daughter of the Father of All Dragons and the Devourer Yemotar.

This body and this power are the Earth King's counterattack against the deep sea.

I am the Frozen Wings, the enemy of the deep sea, and here I unleash the will of the Great Dragonfather.

[Servants of the evil god, with your putrid malice, die!!]

The End of Permafrost

"No!!! No!!! No!!!!"

The light of the dragon's breath engulfed the dark Mermaid Reef.

Chapter 785 The Continuation of the Mermaid

The dragon broke through the water's surface, its casual breath turning the seawater into ice. The white dragon roared contentedly, scattering frost as it flew towards the land.

Behind the white dragon, the frozen ice suddenly burst open, and Principes rode the wind and snow, her wings made of ice and snow making her look like a small white dragon.

"Alicia!!!" The dragon priestess's eyes were bloodshot as she unleashed several bursts of magic to catch up with the flying white dragon. She had survived the destructive breath, as the sole survivor. The dragon priestess's assimilation had given her excellent resistance to the frost breath of the same origin; on the other hand, the white dragon had deliberately avoided her.

The frost trident pierced the dragon's belly, and Principes stirred up a blizzard, colliding fiercely with the white dragon.

"You took everything from me! You will pay for it!!!"

The shared power diminished her rage considerably; the ice blade missed its target, and the white dragon parried the attack first. Alicia's eyes were icy as she unleashed her claws, tearing apart the ice wings on her dragon priest's back. An arrogant tone echoed in the gale as she was controlled by the dragon and plummeted to the ground. Blades of air scraped against her icy armor, but the white dragon's voice was even more piercing.

"Just like I promised, this is the price you pay for 'getting legs'."

A powerful surge of magic struck the ground, and a surging wave of cold air whipped up vast glaciers. Alicia released her grip; her dragon priest was embedded in the ice, and her murderous gaze only deepened the white dragon's smile.

“From the very beginning, I have been unable to tolerate mermaids, you disgusting race. Why do you think I would share my power with you, 'Princess'? I have made a pact with your father, the leader of the mermaid race. I will grant mermaids true freedom, and they will assist me in fulfilling my mission. I was born to be the destroyer of the deep sea, and your father, being filthy, has whimsical ideas. It's quite amusing. I respect his ideal of escaping the deep sea, and you are his only request, my only mercy.”

Upon hearing Alicia mention her father, Principes was enraged. She gripped the ice spike piercing her shoulder blade, oblivious to the crimson ice flowers blooming beneath her feet.

"True freedom? You turned them into ice shards! Buried forever in the sea!"

The white dragon's breath made Principes feel cold, and more importantly, the ice binding her became even stronger.

“Death is a release, the only way he can be free. He did everything a king should do: shelter his children and preserve the fire. Isn’t that a perfect ending? To die as a mermaid, not as a monster, to die under the dragon’s breath, is his honor.”