Ataraxia Abyss
Chapter 34: The true Warrior

In the southern sea, there are 2 civilizations that inhabit the sea, namely the Merfolk and the Drowned. Merfolk are half-fish humans who have the ability to breathe and make civilization in the ocean to guard it. While Drowned, are humanoid sea monsters who live in the depths of the ocean with the aim to rule the ocean.

For hundreds of years they fought, but the Drowned took the most unexpected step, raising the corpses of sunken sailors to be the undead who could fight in the water. Outnumbered Merfolk can't do anything, they're not strong to fight...

———

In the middle of the calm sea, there was a small boat inhabited by a young man. It was Regal, he took off the shrimp shell he cooked on the boat and threw out the shrimp shell. He then ate 5 shrimp and a strange seaweed that looked like it was alive.

After he finished eating, he immediately jumped up with Adamas and Gram which he bit in his mouth. As he swam deeper than the limits of diving humans, he could see a red cloud in the depths of the ocean. He entered the cloud, Regal could feel the taste of the cloud from his mouth and the smell, it was not a red cloud, but blood covering the ocean.

And after Regal escaped from that cloud of blood, he then saw the bottom of his ocean. A crack formed on the seabed, and the Drowned and his undead troops crawled out of it. The struggling Merfolks were eventually outnumbered by the Drowned. Seeing that Regal then took out the sword that was in his mouth and prepared to fight. Although as a human, but thanks to the shrimp and seaweed that he had eaten, Regal is now able to breathe in water and also swim like a Merfolk.

Although the duration was only 15 minutes, Regal made excellent use of his time. He exterminated the Drowned before him, one by one from Drowned beginning to die on Regal's sword. The Drowned who saw it instantly focused their attack, hundreds of Drowned and the corpses of the sunken sailors began to chase Regal.

But Regal's speed in the water was truly incredible to the point of beating the speed of the Drowned riding on a snake the size of an adult. Regal can avoid the spear and various kinds of magic directed at him, so that eventually the Drowned are too focused on Regal to realize that reinforcements from Merfolk have arrived.

The sound of trumpets from Merfolk sea shells echoed throughout the ocean, the Merfolk cavalry came with the half-horse and half-fish creature. The Drowned and their army of corpses began to thin out, while help from Merfolk continued to arrive. This made the sound of the trumpet of the Drowned clam start to echo.

An earthquake occurred at the bottom of the ocean, the crack where the Drowned came out of it turned even bigger, and from inside the crack appeared something that was unknown to Regal. A monster crawled out from the crack, a hammerhead-headed monster with six arms and 3 tails behind its body, the creature was almost like a whale. And right now he was looking at Regal with his eyes.

Regal who saw it immediately swam around him, the monster then swung its tail and tried to catch Regal. The three tails were so fast in the water, the Regal who avoided the tail of the monster could feel the water around him getting hotter due to the swing of the tail of the monster. Until finally the monster opened its mouth, Regal saw him trying to gather energy in his mouth, Regal immediately swam close to the undead.

Moments later everyone could not hear, as the sound of an energy explosion released from the monster's mouth blew away everything within a radius of 20 km from it. The monster could see nothing more in the darkness of the ocean. Eventually, he saw Regal on his right foot.

Before the monster could react, Regal quickly cut off the monster's three right legs and quickly cut off the monster's one left leg. Regal then swam in front of the fallen monster, the monster tried to fire the same burst of energy, but this time the energy was so great that it made the Merfolk and Drowned run away in fear,the Merfolks ran away from the cracks, while the Drowned ran into the cracks.

Seeing this Regal took the risk by activating his Foul Legacy. He then went before the monster while gathering energy within Gram. And after the monster was about to shoot, Regal quickly swung his sword from the bottom up. The monster was thrown very far away, it was more like the monster was hit hard than it was slashed, but killing the monster was not Regal's goal...

The monster was thrown back into the crack, where he and the Drowned came from with the monster that still had not detonated the energy in its mouth. Regal quickly moved away, but it was not due to the explosion from the mouth of the monster coming out of the crack and causing a powerful shock wave.

Regal was thrown very far away with a body full of wounds and broken bones. He was then saved by the Merfolks, all the Merfolks then looked towards the crack, no one had crawled out of it, the sea then felt very quiet.

Until finally the silence broke with the Merfolk cheering their victory. Regal who is currently injured and short of breath due to the effects of seaweed is almost exhausted finally brought again by the Merfolk.

———

Regal went to the Merfolk kingdom of Aegae. The place was covered by a dome that separated the water from their city, the residents there were not as Regal had imagined, they had human-like legs and could breathe without water like ordinary humans.

Regal is currently in the throne room of Aegae Palace. There he could see a large old man with a beard and long white hair in front of him. He is the current King of Aegae, King Neptune.

"First of all I thank you for saving us Merfolks from distress, King of Warriors..." Regal who was kneeling then replied. "It's my job as a Mercenary to run contracts even while living the stakes."

Neptune smiled and replied. "Committed huh? Rarely see it in a knight, especially in a Mercenary. But I like that..." Neptune flicked his finger and a servant directly walked into the throne room.

"As per agreement... The royal artifacts of Aegae Heart of Guardians and Aegis Shield are now yours." Regal then looked towards his gift, a beautiful blue crystal and a yellow crystal that emitted its own light. Both objects are heirlooms of the kingdom of Aegae, but Neptune decides to give them as a gift to save the Merfolk.

Although it looks detrimental, but these two objects are no more important than the lives of the Merfolk and the safety of the ocean. Regal stored the two items into the storage room and he finally stood up. "Then I go first, excuse me..."

"Well, make sure you use both artifacts well." In the end Regal left the kingdom of Aegae with two gifts.

———

Above the surface Regal looked at the two crystals closely. That Heart of Guardians was an artifact that if made into a ring then it would make the Aura that protected the body become so powerful that it made the body absorb only 40% from the damage inflicted by the enemy. This artifact was clearly more powerful than Adamas, but Regal had no plans to use it.

The Aegis Shield is quite similar. When this artifact is made into a ring, the wearer will be able to absorb magic from the opponent's attack to strengthen himself. With that weapon Regal can absorb the opponent's attack with Gram.

But Regal put the two crystals into Garmr's mouth, as well as Adamas' necklace. Regal then went to one of the trees there, Regal rubbed Garmr's head while saying. "I leave the rest to you..."

Regal then raises Gram in his hand. And with both hands of his own he stabbed his stomach through him, the Regal in pain was now suffering even more with Gram getting hotter and burning his own internal organs.

Regal ends up falling at the root of the tree, with Garmr as the last living thing he sees, and Gram being grim Regal has died...

...***...