Chapter 91
Chapter 91
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: Into the Mermaid Kingdom
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Following the Mermaid Prince's guidance, Hae-jin plunged into the sea.
The players could speak and breathe freely underwater thanks to the mermaids who had come to greet them.
Of course, Hae-jin had no need for their help.
It was then, as the Mermaid Prince began to cast a spell on Hae-jin to enable speech and breathing underwater.
"Don't worry. Just guide me."
"You mean it's okay to just go as is?"
"Yeah."
"You're really saying just guide you?"
"Yeah."
At that moment, the Mermaid Prince inwardly ridiculed Hae-jin.
‘Outrageous. A mere human dares to enter the sea without our help? Fine, go ahead and suffocate to death. Won't even need to bother going to my father.’
With that thought, the Mermaid Prince moved the carriage carrying Hae-jin without casting any magic on it.
Splash-!
And so, the Mermaid Prince and the carriage he drove dove into the sea.
It was at that moment.
System windows suddenly burst into view.
[Title! ‘Ruler of Water’ activates.]
[Water attribute attack power increases by 200%.]
[Water attribute defense increases by 200%.]
[Water attribute resistance increases by 200%.]
[All water attribute-related stats increase by 200%.]
[You can move freely underwater.]
[Title! ‘Ruler of the Sea’ activates.]
[Sea attribute attack power increases by 200%.]
[Sea attribute defense increases by 200%.]
[Sea attribute resistance increases by 200%.]
[All sea attribute-related stats increase by 200%.]
[You can move freely in the sea.]
[Title! ‘Hero of the Mermaids’ activates.]
[All stats increase by 100% when mermaids are nearby.]
[All stats of nearby mermaids increase by 50%.]
[All stats of nearby mermen decrease by 50%.]
[Title! ‘Friend of Elraim’ activates.]
[You can command uncontracted water spirits.]
Various titles activated upon detecting the mermaid environment and unbound spirits swimming in the sea.
Startled mid-guidance, the Mermaid Prince froze.
‘What the...?!'
As a native of this world, he couldn't see system windows like players, but he could feel the sudden surge in strength from the ‘Hero of the Mermaids’ effect.
Just moments ago, on the way to the island to guide Hae-jin, he'd felt nothing, but now he was suddenly stronger?
Anyone could see it was Hae-jin's influence.
Not only that, the Mermaid Prince could see it too.
‘Unbelievable... unbound water spirits welcoming him like that?’
From the carriage he was driving, Hae-jin—not just moving freely despite being human—was playing with the spirits frolicking in the sea.
It defied belief.
But regardless, Hae-jin was enjoying the underwater view from the Mermaid Prince's carriage.
"Pretty."
The seabed painted a crystal-clear, breathtaking landscape.
If the sea viewed from the island before the Mermaid Prince's guidance had looked like emeralds scattered across it, the waters below resembled being inside a sapphire aquarium, shimmering with azure light.
Sunlight pierced the surface, casting rippling rainbows.
In this jewel-like underwater world, countless fish and spirits swam freely.
They showed no wariness toward Hae-jin—instead, they approached affectionately, acting like long-time pets.
For Hae-jin, it was truly an awe-inspiring underwater tour.
‘How long has it been since I last leisurely admired the sea like this?’
In truth, this wasn't Hae-jin's first time.
After all, he'd experienced the Trials' Arena twice before regressing into this cycle.
Through that, Hae-jin knew.
This was the last chance to enjoy such a serene sea vista in this section.
Even in the late Trials' Arena, there were sea or underwater battles.
But.
‘Those places lacked this peaceful atmosphere.’
In any case, beyond the sea itself, Hae-jin was surprised by the abilities he'd inherited from Joo-hyuk.
‘To think I can do this without mermaid support.’
Thanks to Joo-hyuk's memories, Hae-jin knew it was possible.
That's why he'd confidently told the Mermaid Prince no support spell was needed.
Still, there was a world of difference between knowing from memory and experiencing it firsthand.
Being able to move so freely underwater was astonishing.
While at it, Hae-jin watched the Mermaid Prince navigate.
‘Soon, the giant whale graveyard will appear.’
The giant whale graveyard.
He recalled it because it marked the point where they had to follow the straight path to reach the Mermaid Kingdom.
A single wrong turn would lead into treacherous depths.
Soon, Hae-jin spotted the massive whale bones embedded in the seafloor.
That was the giant whale graveyard.
The giant whale graveyard.
Not a corpse, but a graveyard of bones alone.
Passing it, three caves came into view.
Hae-jin knew exactly which one to take.
‘The middle one.’
As expected, the Mermaid Prince steered the carriage carrying Hae-jin into the center cave of the three.
Entering the cave, Hae-jin recalled the path.
‘Right, middle, middle, right, right, middle?’
Right, middle, middle, right, right, middle.
After entering the cave and proceeding, branching paths of three appeared repeatedly.
What Hae-jin recalled was the correct sequence for those forks.
The cave, filled with ink-dark blue like spilled into clear water, followed the directions Hae-jin remembered.
Deeper in, the gloom of black and blue began to brighten gradually.
Light was filtering in from somewhere.
The Mermaid Prince pressed on nonchalantly.
It made sense.
It was a route he traveled often.
The same for Hae-jin.
Though only his third time, Joo-hyuk's inherited memories held countless experiences from repeated regressions.
Soon, the cave exit appeared.
No sooner had they passed it than exclamations erupted from all around.
"Wow."
"Oh?"
"Insane!"
"Look at the scenery!"
"It's massive!"
"Whoa, what's this!"
Exclamations rang out everywhere.
Hae-jin looked around.
He saw thousands of mermaid carriages converging on one spot.
Mermaids had brought countless players through various cave entrances.
Thus, numerous players headed toward the Mermaid Kingdom.
The sprawling city of the Mermaid Kingdom stretched out like an underwater metropolis.
Seeing people marvel at it, Hae-jin smirked.
‘Yeah, first-timers always react like that.’
Hae-jin hadn't been immune either—just restrained.
The Mermaid Kingdom, reached by piercing the sea, had an enchanting allure.
The carriages parked neatly in rows before a castle at the kingdom's heart, built in blue and white.
From the orderly parked carriages, mermaids helped players disembark and guided them.
To where the earlier arrivals had gathered.
Hae-jin was no exception.
After parking steadily, the Mermaid Prince looked at Hae-jin.
"Please step out now, Hae-jin-nim."
"Shouldn't you open the door? The other mermaids politely open doors too."
"Urgh, but I'm a prince..."
"Humans are gods. And you?"
"...A moron."
"So what should you do?"
"I'm sorry. I'll open it for you now."
"Yeah."
In the end, the Mermaid Prince politely opened the carriage door for Hae-jin and even guided him out.
Under the Mermaid Prince's guidance, Hae-jin looked around.
Players stood in neat rows, one per mermaid.
Mermaids in armor blending blue and silver, tridents in hand, alongside players.
Passing them, Hae-jin moved forward as guided.
Arriving ahead, Hae-jin saw them.
Those greeting him.
Kwon Na-ye, Lee Sang, Manager Kim.
Three people, plus one more at the front.
Hae-jin knew who the non-party member was.
‘The Earth Wizard.’
Thus, Hae-jin glanced at the Earth Wizard.
The Earth Wizard met his eyes and bowed his head in greeting.
In truth, no one knew what the Earth Wizard looked like.
He always wore a hooded robe.
Even in Joo-hyuk's memories from countless regressions, there was little info on him.
In those memories, he wandered in a robed, hooded figure that hid his face, never speaking a word, communicating only with nods or shakes.
Thus, locking eyes with Hae-jin, the Earth Wizard simply nodded in greeting.
Hae-jin responded with a grunt of acknowledgment.
Anyway, the Mermaid Prince who'd brought Hae-jin tried to place him next to Manager Kim.
"Just stand here for now."
"Why are we all lined up like this?"
Hae-jin asked why the players and mermaids were standing in formation.
He already knew the reason.
He just wanted to gauge the Mermaid Prince who'd guided him.
The Mermaid Prince answered.
"You'll know soon enough."
Speaking as if it were a secret.
Hae-jin replied nonchalantly.
"Soon? Your parents gathered us to help fight the mermen, right?"
"That's..."
His expression screamed, *Why ask when you already know?*
But unable to retort, Hae-jin pressed.
"Am I wrong?"
"You're right. Why ask when you know?"
He seemed to wonder why Hae-jin would ask when he clearly knew why the players and mermaids had gathered.
Hae-jin answered curtly.
"Just."
"Urgh."
Perhaps realizing he couldn't win against Hae-jin, the Mermaid Prince groaned.
Hae-jin then asked when the Mermaid King and Mermaid Queen would appear to proceed with this Trials' Arena event.
"So, when will the Mermaid King and Mermaid Queen show up?"
"I was just about to go inform them."
"Yeah?"
"Yes."
At his words of going to summon them, Hae-jin asked.
"You?"
"Me?"
"Yeah."
He wondered what status the Mermaid Prince who'd guided him held to be fetching the Mermaid King and Queen.
Pointing at his own face with an index finger, the Mermaid Prince said.
"I'm the firstborn."