Bai Xing's speculation was brought up by the king at the intercountry meeting. Its reliability has been confirmed by Grey, so it was no longer a speculation. It was a discovery.

As the king promised, he never mentioned anything about the mermaids and Sea Kingdom. Instead, he only said there was a possibility of the area being a home of a massive sea creature that they weren't aware of. The disappeared ships could possibly get swallowed by it and the wrecked ones were destroyed by it.

That kind of theory would never be accepted in the modern world with how absurd it was, but the participants of the meeting easily believed it. Hence, they agreed to test whether Bai Xing's calculation was correct or not.

They spread the information to the merchants and drew them a safe route to travel. As a result, for the past weeks, no disappearance has occurred.

To celebrate the joyous occasion, the king decided to throw a banquet. In addition, Bai Xing's status was changed to the palace's honored guest. Replacing his position as the prince's personal aide was a girl the prince found stranded at the beach.

She couldn't speak, but she was very fair and beautiful. Her every movement flowed like clouds and her gait fluttered like butterflies. Her eyes were aquatic blue, and her hair was raven black.

Bai Xing looked at her from the balcony as she accompanied the prince strolling in the garden. He turned to Grey.

"Let's go?"

Grey nodded.

They headed to the port and boarded the ship they bought. It wasn't too big, but it was enough for the two of them to travel comfortably and safely. Bai Xing already learned the basics of how to sail a ship recently specially for this occasion, so they set off without a hitch.

"With our current speed, we'll reach level 1 zone in 5 hours or so." Bai Xing approached Grey at the deck after adjusting their course.

Grey held his waist. Not long after, the ship gradually moved faster, making Bai Xing's blue cloak dance with the wind. If one didn't know, they would think the ship was engine-operated.

Bai Xing peered down and saw that the waves were the cause. They rolled and pushed the ship forward with great force.

Bai Xing glanced up at the ship's sail which got pitifully pushed back, "…"

Should he just roll them back up?

As if reading his thought, the ropes and sails of the ship suddenly moved, tucking themselves in.

Bai Xing knowingly looked at Grey. Grey only kissed him in reply.

They arrived in level 1 zone in 2 hours.

"Is there any…magical plants that can let humans breathe underwater?" Bai Xing wondered.

Should he try messaging M right now to ask for diving equipment? He tried not to disturb him too much since he didn't know how busy he was in processing the world or how difficult it was. But from how rushed he chatted, he must've had his hands pretty full.

"No need." Grey answered.

"?"

"My body fluid is in you. You can already breathe underwater."

Bai Xing blushed.

S-Somehow…how Grey said it made him feel embarrassed.

Grey climbed up the plank and reached out his hand to Bai Xing.

Bai Xing accepted it after taking off his boots and cloak. He was pulled up and both of them jumped down to the sea.

He carefully opened his eyes and found that the seawater didn't sting his eyes at all. He could see and hear everything clearly. And as Grey told him, he could also breathe just fine.

Once his eyes were fully opened, he was dazzled by the sight in front of him.

Grey's legs were replaced by a long silver tail ornated with pearls. Each scale shone magnificently with the fin at the end as fine as a fairy feather silk.

Grey offered his arm and Bai Xing wrapped his around it tightly. Right after, Grey whipped his tail and they bolted off.

The sea was dark and bleak. The plants and corals didn't have any vibrant colors. The former looked withered while the latter looked no different than worthless rocks.

As they go further down, Bai Xing could see bits of corpses and wreckages littered around. He was already mentally prepared, but he couldn't be fully unbothered.

After diving for a while, they arrived in front of a rock cave. Bai Xing turned on the flashlight from his phone but still couldn't see what was inside.

"The sea witch's dwelling." Grey said.

Bai Xing nodded, and they went inside.

A few meters from the cave mouth, they entered a spacious room. It was deserted with moss growing here and there. One side of the cave wall was carved and hollowed as a shelf. Rows of jars and bottles of different materials and shapes lined there. At the center of the room was a huge cauldron with unknown blackish-green liquid inside it. Carcasses of dead sea worms scattered on the sand floor.

Bai Xing searched around but didn't find anything in particular that could be the power source. There were many disgusting things inside the jars and bottles, but none of them gave off any ominous energy.

He shook his head to Grey.

They left the cave and headed to the Sea Kingdom where the Underwater Palace was.

Once they entered level 3 zone, mermaids started appearing in their path. Unlike Grey, their tails were all rough, dull, and looked queasily slimy. In addition, their skin was bluish and soggy. They have bulging eyes and sharp fins as their ears.

In the sea, Grey was the most radiant of all beings and things. It was as if the god of sea himself has arrived to give salvation to his people.

When the mermaids saw Bai Xing they instantly shrieked in craze and rushed to devour him.

Grey straightened his posture. His eyes glowed and the sea stirred. Whirlpool spiraled fiercely around him and Bai Xing. It gradually got bigger and faster, mercilessly swallowing the mermaids around them.

After none of them was left in the vicinity, Grey lifted up his palm.

"Eyes." Grey instructed.

Bai Xing understood and quickly closed them.

Grey clenched his hand to a fist. Instantly, the mermaids exploded in the whirlpool. It turned black from their blood with fleshes and innards mingling and spinning in it.

He lowered his hand and the whirlpool gradually moved down. The sea bed beneath them cracked and split open. The whirlpool entered the crack along with the disgust it carried. When everything has entered, the sea bed closed again.

"You can open them."

Bai Xing opened his eyes to see everything has been cleared. Though he was curious as to what Grey did, he has a feeling that it was better not to ask.

"E-Excuse me!"

They heard a girl's voice calling out. Bai Xing turned to the source and indeed saw a female mermaid swimming towards them.

"!?"

Bai Xing has only laid his eyes on her for a second when his vision was tightly covered by Grey's hand. But he saw it…

He didn't think mermaids really go around naked.

"…!"

Bai Xing swiftly slapped his hand to Grey's eyes and covered them.

Just because you're both mermaids, don't think I will let you see a naked female mermaid!!

Grey, "…"

His lips faintly curved into a smile.

The female mermaid reached in front of them. She was confused by their act but didn't take much mind to it.

"Good sir, I don't know who you are, but I beg you to save our kingdom from the curse." She cried to Grey.

"Curse…?" Bai Xing asked.

"It's my sister. She turned our kin to savages and even murdered our family," the female mermaid sobbed, "I escaped and managed to preserve my life, but father, mother, my sisters, and even queen dowager…"

Bai Xing was stunned. This girl…She must be one of Little Mermaid's sisters.

"How are you sure that it's your sister who caused this?"

"I saw it. She sacrificed the sea witch and our family along with the humans she collected behind our backs. She then sang, her voice so heavenly and alluring but will corrupt whoever listened to it. I plugged my ears from the hymn as I ran away. When I returned to check…it has become like this."

Bai Xing frowned.

The possibility of the power source being the Little Mermaid's voice went higher. But the prince told him that she couldn't speak. He and Grey have been avoiding being seen by her, so he couldn't really confirm it himself.

"Tongue."

Bai Xing was enlightened.

It could work if the virus cut Little Mermaid's tongue and made it a power source. He also remembered now that in the original story, the sea witch cut it off to use it as a material to make the transforming potion. But here, the virus was more likely to transform itself.