I, Guinevere, am going to crush you, you curry stick, today!

boom!

Three completely different, yet extremely similar, magical powers suddenly converged, and an indescribable pressure pressed down on everyone by the lake at that moment.

The sudden change not only affected the two combatants and the monster, but also made Sjuti and Percival, who were taking refuge a little further away, gasp for breath. The little girl covered her ears, squatted on the ground, her body trembling uncontrollably, and even her voice was shaking: "What...what happened!"

Stouti opened his mouth, but under the immense pressure, he couldn't utter a single syllable. Percival, who was a few years younger than him, also looked distressed, but he could still manage to speak: "It's... the... Trident of the Sea God."

"Finally, after thirty years, I've finally felt that familiar feeling again, hahaha! It's a pity my old brother is gone!" Perinoa spread his arms and laughed heartily. His body was covered in blood, and the spear in his hand was long broken, leaving only half a bare shaft.

The water-seeking beast, which was struggling to get up, suddenly froze. Its broad, flat head turned to the side, and countless tentacles wriggled in its mouth. A pale light suddenly shone from the depths of its eye sockets, which were only a narrow slit.

Lily slammed her sword into the ground with a backhand motion, took a deep breath, and then looked up at the distance: "Is that... the legendary Trident of the Sea God?"

……

It was a deep blue beam of light shooting straight into the sky!

Two other rays of light were mixed in: one a warm gold, and the other a relatively pale blue. The three different rays of light were inseparable and intertwined with each other. They seemed to be distinct, but they also had a subtle feeling of complementing each other.

……

Inside the pillar of light.

"That's really... a huge show of force."

Even standing in the midst of it, Guinevere could fully imagine how magnificent the scene must be. She looked up at the seemingly endless blue pillar of light overhead, then looked back—with a look that could only be described as utter astonishment—at Fisher in front of her.

"Speaking of which, I never expected that the Trident of Poseidon... was actually..."

The latter was currently enveloped in a cloud of water mist and suspended in mid-air.

The mist obscured the view, revealing only a vague outline of a body. Fisher had his eyes closed, unaware of his current state. But in Guinevere's eyes, the mist constantly changed shape, gradually transforming into a set of close-fitting dark blue armor.

Even knowing it might spoil the mood, Guinevere couldn't help but secretly add her own voiceover to the scene as she watched the gauntlets, leg guards, knee pads, helmet, and other protective gear appear and be put on Fisher, who remained completely asleep throughout.

"Thump! Clang! Clang! Snap! Bang!"

Fortunately, she didn't make a sound.

The next moment, Fisher opened his eyes—at this time, the dark blue armor was basically complete, from head to toe, everything was in place, making him look majestic, and he also had a wide cloak on his back.

He landed back on the ground with a "bang," then reached out and summoned a snow-white trident inlaid with large gemstones, which flew out of the lake beside him and landed in his palm as if summoned.

"It's amazing..."

Only after grasping the trident did Fisher seem to finally regain consciousness. He looked down at the weapon in his hand and the armor that had suddenly appeared, and suddenly, a gurgling sound came from his throat, as if he was trying to suppress his emotions: "This is it. When I was young, I saw my father use the Trident of Poseidon several times. It was this armor that suddenly appeared back then... Exactly the same, really, exactly the same..."

Guinevere scratched her cheek and suddenly felt that it was best not to interrupt at a time like this.

But considering the time constraints, she only waited about ten seconds, figuring the other person should have calmed down by now, before approaching. Just as she was about to speak, Fisher nodded: "I know. It's strange, but I suddenly seem to know how to use this Trident of Poseidon, and... some other amazing things. Now—"

The words stopped abruptly.

He clenched his fist, the gauntlets clicking, and a golden ring gleamed on the middle finger of his left hand.

As the armor took shape, the trident flew out of the lake, and the blue light pillar surrounding it gradually faded and disappeared. The man flicked his cloak and strode forward: "Time is limited, let's deal with the most urgent problem first."

The last sentence suddenly became very cold, as if it had no human emotion at all, and was icy and indifferent.

Guinevere was about to follow when she heard this sudden change in tone and was taken aback.

"Strange...it feels like...he's suddenly become a different person..."

After a moment's hesitation, he quickly followed.

The man strode forward to the lakeside, clenched his left fist, and pressed the golden ring against the gem on the trident. The gem's light shifted and changed, reflecting in the man's eyes like a die that had been thrown but had not yet settled.

A gamble.

he thinks.

"I declare——"

Holding the trident in both hands, he raised it in front of him and rested his forehead against it. The touch was icy cold, yet there seemed to be a faint warmth within, like a small flame in a swirling snowflake, unexpectedly warming his heart.

"This body of water is free of poison!"

The voice wasn't loud, but it carried with incredible clarity. Everyone present—even the residents of Plymouth—heard it. Those still asleep were jolted awake, while those who hadn't gone to sleep for various reasons frantically searched for the source of the sound.

But beside the lake, under the watchful eyes of several people, the ghastly green venom seemed to be separated from the original lake water by an invisible force the moment those words were spoken. Drop by drop, it floated into the air, forming a green sphere the size of a human head, which was still expanding and contracting, as if it were alive.

The man in dark blue armor pointed into the distance, and the green sphere of venom suddenly exploded, but not a single drop fell back into the water; instead, they all vanished without a trace midway. He turned around, trident in hand.

"I declare——"

He addressed Avank in a flat, monotone tone.

The water-seeking beast seemed to sense the threat and growled repeatedly, but its body, which had just been knocked to the ground by Perinoa, could not struggle to get up for the time being. In the battle just now, although the old man and Lily had worked together to suppress the monster, they could not cause any damage no matter what they tried.

It seemed to know this too, so from beginning to end, even though it was being completely overwhelmed by one side, it did not show any fear. But at this moment, as soon as the man in armor and holding a trident turned around, Avank suddenly struggled to stand up with unprecedented momentum.

Moreover, the direction of its struggle was not an attempt to launch an attack, but rather a plan to escape, to flee from an opponent it had previously disregarded.

But the man was one step ahead, raising his trident, the jewels and golden ring on it flashing with a streak of light simultaneously:

"Nightmare creations should not exist."

The struggles grew increasingly violent. Avank raised his neck high and let out another shriek. Four more powerful black ripples swept out in succession, but before anyone else could react, the man spoke again, his tone still flat and devoid of any emotion:

"—Go back."

Only at the very end, a fleeting hint of sadness flickered in those vacant, emotionless eyes, vanishing without a trace.

……

The black ripples, still halfway through their journey, all paused, silently disintegrated, and returned to their purest form of magic.

Avank only had time to let out one last pitiful cry, like a lament, before the pale light in his eyes went out and his long neck collapsed.

Its enormous body swayed a few times, then with a splash, it plunged into the lake and never resurfaced.

P.S.: I'm writing this really smoothly, here's another chapter!

There is no fourth chapter!

Chapter 106 Mananan

The cool night was like water, and the moon was like a hook.

The astonishing pillar of light that pierced the heavens and earth gradually faded and disappeared. Standing atop the cliff, Dreem withdrew his gaze, a trace of fear still lingering on his face: "This is... the legendary Trident of Poseidon. The power I felt just now almost killed me..."

"Hey, you're someone who's somewhat famous, don't you feel ashamed to say something like that?"

A mocking voice came from the young man beside him, but he didn't seem to care, simply shaking his head: "Seventy percent of Dreem's reputation comes from those eyes, and the remaining thirty percent... beating up those deadbeat drunks isn't much of a feat. Besides, what kind of skill do you expect from a guy who's run a tavern in an alley for decades?"

"what."

The young man chuckled softly, clearly not intending to discuss the topic seriously. He wore a light leather armor, casually slung a long spear over his left shoulder, and his belt was adorned with a jumble of odds and ends: a water pouch, several short daggers, a few suspicious herbs, and so on. A standard-issue sword was tucked diagonally into his other arm. He looked nonchalant, like one of those opportunistic speculators who were all the rage these days, wandering around hoping to strike it rich.

"To be honest, if I didn't know your identity, I'm afraid I would really mistake you for that kind of rat in the gutter." Dreem stroked his chin, looked him up and down a few times, and clicked his tongue.

The young man rolled his eyes at him: "Come on, put your hands on your chest."

"What?"

"Do as instructed."

Dreem hesitated, then placed his hand on his heart: "And then?"

"Now, Mr. Derek, swear to the last vestige of your conscience that you will not lie, and then answer me, has there ever been such a handsome 'gutter rat' in this world?" After saying this, the young man even raised his hand and brushed his bangs aside.

The innkeeper, equally stern-faced, replied, "Of course. And it's right in front of me right now."

"It seems that not even a trace of conscience remains in your heart. Amen, may the Lord have mercy on you—"

One of them solemnly drew a crooked cross on his chest, the other looked at each other, one pressed his thumb down hard, and the other raised his hand and made a throat-slitting gesture. A few seconds later, they burst out laughing at the same time.

"Alright, enough joking around. It's time to get down to business. See those real mice?"

As he uttered those words, the deep blue pillar of light vanished completely, night fell once more, and the world was plunged into darkness again. The young man lazily swung his spear a few times, the gleaming blade flashing with cold light in the air. A cold wind swept over him, and Drem rubbed his temples, turning his head once more to gaze into the distance: "Wait a little longer, wait a little longer..."

"It will be too late if we wait any longer."

"Long-winded."

Amidst the occasional bickering, various images flashed through the innkeeper's deep brown eyes: hazy mist, large rocks, a few lines of footprints left in the soil, insects crawling on leaves, ants coming and going... While waiting, the young man squatted down, plucked a few wild grasses, put them in his mouth, chewed them a few times in boredom, and then spat them out: "So bitter!"

"Oh, I just stepped over there."

Although most of his attention was focused on observation, Dreem still managed to steal a moment to add a comment.

"Thank you so much for reminding me!" the young man replied through gritted teeth.

"You're welcome."

The innkeeper smiled kindly. But before the other party could retort, his expression changed, and he suddenly revealed a somewhat strange smile: "Found it... Just as Miss Guinevere guessed, in addition to the envoys in the open, Your Majesty has also prepared a hidden hand."

"Nonsense, it's not some grand scheme." The young man curled his lip. "If we can't talk things out, then of course we'll just resort to brute force... Even a three-year-old knows that."

"And another thing that's easy to think of is that if the King intends to have these people ambush Prince Fisher and seize the three treasures, their skills are certainly not lacking. It's not that I look down on you, although you do have some ability, are you really not afraid of anything going wrong if you fight against so many people? It's better to be safe and bring a few helpers..."

Dreem looked at the young man.

But then he saw the other person turn around gracefully, shoulder his gun, and leave behind a dashing back view: "You forgot, I've always valued my life very much. If I dare to agree to help, it's because I'm more than 70% sure of success."

"But in my opinion, you seem to have been blinded by beauty and suddenly lost sight of your own worth."

The young man reached the edge of the cliff, squatted down again, first bracing himself against the edge with his hands, then picked up a small pebble and tossed it down. "Please, just two stupid girls with no breasts or butts. Maybe some people like that, but I'm definitely not one of them. Speaking of which, the one nicknamed 'Fire Crow' is alright, at least she's big and perky..."

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Just then, Dreem coughed loudly a few times. Knowing what he meant, the young man couldn't help but roll his eyes: "I know, it's just that woman you're having an affair with. Alright, it's time to go catch the mouse. Where's the location?"

"There."

The innkeeper pointed and added, "About 300 meters from here, near a rock, there are four people... Also, I've explained many times, her and I are not in the relationship you imagine!"

The tall, middle-aged man paused, then suddenly blushed slightly. "Of course, I mean, of course... it might happen in the future. But it mainly depends on whether the other party is willing... Hey, wait, I've been wanting to ask you this since earlier, are you planning to jump off from here...?"

The words have not yet fallen.

In the distance, there seemed to be a barely audible sound of gravel falling to the ground.

Without further hesitation, the young man exerted force and leaped off the edge of the cliff. The wind howled, and when Drem quickly arrived and looked down, even with his eyesight, it took him almost a minute to find the figure who had landed safely and was running away quickly.

"Ok."

After a moment, he shrugged: "Good luck, or... at least you'll be left with a whole body."

……

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Avank's enormous body fell into the lake and remained there for a long time. The splashes and loud noises gradually subsided, leaving only the sound of the wind echoing like a sob.

The man clad in dark blue armor slowly lowered his trident, his eyes indifferent, devoid of joy or sorrow. His aura had vanished without a trace. At this moment, it was hard to equate him with the man who had just displayed strange and eerie abilities, defeating the water-seeking beast—whose power had been temporarily ineffective against Perinoa and Lily—with just two commands.

The girl who had been jogging behind him slowly stopped. She stood by the lake, while Lily, Perinoa, and Percival, who had just taken cover, approached from the other side, but all maintained a certain distance from "Fischer." In the quiet atmosphere, something seemed to be brewing.

"Who are you?"

A scrutinizing gaze. Even though Guinevere and Fisher had only met once, they could tell that the person who had taken control of this body and spoke those two sentences in a commanding tone was someone else entirely—and that person seemed to have no intention of hiding it from the very beginning.

The man looked at him coldly: "If that's your wish."

This is a completely nonsensical answer.

Guinevere was taken aback.

But Perinoa suddenly interrupted, laughing and taking a few steps forward, punching "Fischer" on the shoulder: "Long time no see, Mananan, do you still recognize me!"

"You are……"

The man called Mananan frowned slightly—his first reaction displaying human emotion: "This magic…you are Perinoa." But this doubt vanished in an instant, his expression returning to its blank look as he asked in a cold tone, "Why have you aged so much? Is it a curse?" He paused abruptly, a flicker of realization crossing his eyes:

"I see, this body is not Pelles'—it seems he has already paid the price."

"He's gone mad."

Two voices rang out almost simultaneously, overlapping each other.

Perinoa shook his head: "The body you're using now is his son, my nephew, named Fisher. Unlike his father, this kid doesn't have much talent, so don't possess him for too long; it's about time to return it to his body."

"I see."

Muttering to himself, Mananan lowered his head, looked at his empty palm, then gazed at the trident he held in his other hand, his eyes lingering for a moment on the gleaming gem: "Since I am here, it means that Pelles' last wish has been fulfilled."

“I don’t know what wish Peres made to you in the end—probably no one in the world knows anymore—but now, we have something we need your help with,” the old man said.