(~˘▾˘)~~(˘▾˘~)
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The earth-shattering battle has finally come to an end. Mera had thought that with David's displayed strength, he might not be able to match Karathen after entering the waterfall, but he could at least manage to escape with her life.
She never expected the current scene.
Karathen had been roughly dragged out of the deep-sea lair by David, and then he was subjected to a one-sided brutal beating, leaving him heavily injured.
David stood in the void, looking down at Karathen to make sure he had lost consciousness and had no strength left to fight. Then, with a remote gesture, he clenched his fist.
Beneath the depths of the sea, inside Karathen's lair, a golden aura flowed from the corpse seated on the throne, and the golden trident in its hand also emitted a brilliant golden light, trying to resist the gravitational force that enveloped and controlled it.
[Anger from the remnant soul of the First Atlantis King +15...]
"You dare to prevent me from obtaining the trident? Since the person is dead, don't come out to cause trouble again," David said.
But with a mere pinch from David across the void, the raging power was like extinguishing a fragile golden flame. After the struggling golden light emitted a mournful cry, it dissipated into nothingness.
The corpse shattered into dust and scattered into the seabed with the current.
The golden trident pierced through the seawater and flew into David's hand.
Under the sunlight-like radiance, the dispersed water mist in the air refracted the light, creating a rainbow.
David held the radiant Trident of Neptune, standing in mid-air like a god.
"He actually got the trident!"
Mera, who was in the water like a mermaid, looked up at that figure with a complicated and shocked expression.
Everything was just as David had said, he always knew where the trident was, but he hadn't bothered to retrieve it until now, and when he did, he obtained it effortlessly.
'No twists, no cost, not even shedding a drop of blood, and he's got the trident guarded by the deep-sea monster, Karathen in his hands.'
"Now that you have the trident, what do you plan to do next?"
David flew to one of the broken lands left from the island. Mera and Atlanna walked ashore the island plate from the sea, and Mera couldn't help but ask with her voice trembling.
"You seem quite nervous?" David replied, fiddling with the trident in his hand as he looked at her.
The material of this Trident of Neptune was surprisingly sturdy, and he couldn't move it with his physical strength alone. It was comparable to an ordinary divine artifact and gave him a familiar feeling.
'Amazonian metal?'
He suspected that the so-called Trident of Neptune might have been the broken remnants of the Poseidon weapon from the battle of the gods, which had been recast by the Atlanteans into this trident.
"You've proven that you possess the power to overturn the seas and your target is the Atlanteans themselves. As a princess of Atlantis, why wouldn't I be nervous?" Mera admitted, biting her lip.
She was even a bit scared, looking into David's eyes as if she were staring at an underwater super volcano that could erupt and destroy everything at any moment.
"I prefer conquest over destruction.
As long as your people submit to me obediently and don't resist to the end, I won't cause a massacre," David said while making a tentative swing with the trident, addressing both of them.
In an instant, a strong wind rose, and the vast sea churned as he swung, creating waves hundreds of meters high that crashed into the sky.
"The Trident of Neptune contains the power to conquer the seas..."
Seeing this astonishing scene, Atlanna looked at the lost trident of her ancestors with mixed emotions and recited legends about the trident's power.
She saw the artifact her people had lost for thousands of years, but unfortunately, it was now in the hands of an outsider, and there was no chance of reclaiming it from this terrifying young man.
The Trident of Neptune was like a conductor's baton for controlling the seas. With it, one had the power to mobilize the ocean.
However, despite possessing such an extraordinary artifact, David didn't seem particularly enthusiastic about it, and he casually smacked his lips in disinterest.
In his view, this was rather ordinary. With his ability to manipulate gravity, he could achieve the same effect with a simple gesture.
To put it simply, couldn't Mera also control water flows? Wasn't the so-called Trident of Neptune just an enhanced weapon version of Mera?
"The Trident of Neptune has been lost for many years. My people have considered it a legend,"
David's tone was consistent as before as if he were stating facts. But Mera no longer saw him as arrogant because she had witnessed and experienced David's god-like power. He had the power to make anything happen.
Could it still be considered empty boasting if he could easily accomplish it?
"Although it's a symbol of supreme authority, the legend has always said that obtaining it would make you the next ruler of the Seven Seas. But if you think that just by having it appear, Orm would give up the throne, and all Atlanteans would kneel and submit, that's probably not realistic..."
Mera's tone carried no trace of sarcasm, and her face even showed a hint of concern, her tone hesitant.
She worried about what would happen if her people refused to submit to David and offended him.
"It's okay; I'll give the Atlanteans a chance.
However, if I defeat their king and their armies, and they still refuse to submit, don't blame me for being ruthless," David said, glancing at both of them with a relaxed tone.
Because for him, dealing with them wouldn't take much effort.
Of course, if the Atlanteans still refused to submit, he wouldn't engage in widespread slaughter either. He would simply construct an unprecedented deep-sea prison to lock them all away.
Let them do nothing but resent him powerlessly in the dark abyss, which would provide him with emotional points.
But David's casual words made both Atlanna and Mera's hearts tighten as they watched the figure playing with the sacred artifact of their clan as if it were a newly acquired toy.
They couldn't suppress their growing panic.
Whoosh!
Dark clouds gathered, the world darkened, a storm erupted, and a massive waterspout raged over the sea.
David waved the trident, familiarizing himself with its powers, and finally found something interesting.
The ability to create and control sea storms at will was something he couldn't do for the time being.
'At least this trident isn't entirely useless.'
While he didn't expect it to enhance his own strength, he wanted the moral righteousness that came with possessing it.
'Even though this kind of moral righteousness sometimes has no real effect, it's most suitable for shutting people up.'
In the future, the Atlanteans might have thoughts of rebellion against his rule, but they wouldn't be able to say anything because he had gained the recognition of the Trident of Neptune, making him the destined Lord of the Seven Seas.
"Alright, it's time to leave!"
Ignoring the anxious pair, David finally figured out how to exit the pocket dimension.
With a gesture of the Trident of Neptune, power was projected, and a familiar blue vortex appeared over the ocean.
A gravitational field enveloped Mera, and David carried her into the sky.
"Wait a minute, there's still a Queen!"
Mera couldn't help but shout as they were about to enter the teleportation vortex.
She noticed that Atlanna hadn't been lifted into the air by David's power and was still standing on the broken island.
"Did I say I was going to take her with us?" David glanced at her.
Mera had been his chosen one to handle political affairs and maintain Atlantis' stability in his absence.
'Mera still has many immature aspects and weaknesses. She has a relatively weak will and significant vulnerabilities. She would be willing to compromise for the sake of the citizens and subjects.
The former Queen of Atlantis, who has suffered betrayals and experienced many hardships in life, is different.'
With a final glance at Atlanna, who had a grim and desperate expression, David controlled the gravitational field and flew into the teleportation vortex, disappearing from view.
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(~˘▾˘)~Don't forget to send your power-stones!~(˘▾˘~)