Chapter 417: Atlantis
A First Look at the Ocean Kingdom
Inside the magnificent undersea palace, a piece of explosive news suddenly spread.
Nereus, the reigning King of Xebel, had actually invited two surface-dwellers to be guests in the deep sea!
Keep in mind that in the nearly ten-thousand-year history of Atlantis, no surface-dweller had ever come to the seabed as a guest. This was the first time.
The people remaining at the palace discussed the news intensely. The delegation from the Fisherman Kingdom, who were attending the King's meeting, were also deeply astonished. In the Atlantean view, surface-dwellers were seen as savage, crude, weak, cunning, and intellectually inferior life forms.
The standing of surface-dwellers in the hearts of Atlanteans was comparable to how humans view gorillas.
Would you invite a gorilla into your home as a guest?
Yet, it had happened. Everyone left the main palace hall, scrutinizing the "guests" who had traveled so far. Their eyes held a mix of curiosity, scrutiny, contempt, and disgust.
In fact, most Atlanteans had never left the deep sea in their lives. Their knowledge of surface-dwellers came mainly from oral accounts of elders and written records.
Passed down through generations, bad impressions accumulated while good impressions dwindled. In their minds, humans were still in the era of savages, barely clothed and drinking raw blood.
However, as news of the captured soldiers spread, the look in some eyes quietly changed. The entire Princess Guard was defeated by surface-dwellers, and Maria, who held the title of the First Female Warrior, was easily taken alive!
Are these still "surface-dwellers"?
How did they become so strong?
Under countless "expectant" gazes, three enormous Tiger Sharks with harnesses entered the distant view. The harnesses pulled a royal chariot, upon which sat King Nereus of Xebel.
Aside from the Fisherman Kingdom delegation, the other soldiers bowed in respect.
Following the King was Princess Mera, pulled by six dolphins. When the people looked up, their pupils contracted: the air bubble surrounding the Princess contained two other people.
A man and a woman, young, with somewhat tanned skin and strange clothes. These were the so-called "surface-dwellers."
In an instant, all eyes converged, sweeping over Luke Shaw and Carol.
"Mera, your place is so beautiful!"
Carol gazed raptly at the undersea palace, which glittered with azure light, and couldn't help but exclaim, "It's like paradise!"
The palace stretched over three kilometers long and wide, styled like an ancient Greek temple. From a distance, it looked like a gigantic, luminous pearl resting on the seabed. Up close, it was even more stunning. The palace was inlaid with huge blue-glowing gemstones. At the main entrance stood two merfolk sculptures holding tridents. A six-hundred-meter-long passage connected the entrance to the main palace, lined on both sides by warriors in golden armor. The railings behind them were embedded with pearls, jade, and gemstones of various colors. Some of the pearls were even larger than a human fist.
No wonder Carol's eyes were shining. What woman could resist such temptation?
Luke Shaw clicked his tongue under his breath. Atlantis is so damn rich, they pave their roads with pearls and diamonds.
Mera smiled and explained, "This is a military fortress near our territory. It's my first time here, too."
Carol's eyes widened.
"A military fortress? You're telling me this is a military fortress!"
"Yes, is there a problem?"
Carol fell silent, a million curses racing through her mind. Moments ago, she had inwardly mocked Mera as a bumpkin, and now she'd been thoroughly schooled. Luke Shaw, too, looked up, speechless.
A palace built with pearls and gems is a military fortress!
Alright, I am the country bumpkin here.
The group stopped at the main entrance of the "fortress." Nereus walked in first, followed closely by Mera, Luke Shaw, and Carol. The three of them were contained within air bubbles, which not only shielded them from the surrounding currents but also supplied oxygen.
The air bubble was created by a conch-like device, which Mera explained was Atlantean technology. Luke Shaw didn't understand it but felt it was incredibly impressive.
The air bubbles saved them a lot of trouble, and the pair didn't have to wear their battlesuits.
Passing through the corridor, they were met by a tall, magnificent hall. Even Luke Shaw, who had seen grand scenes, was dazzled. The giant stone pillars, too large for five adults to circle, were actually made of gold. The walls were studded with diamonds and jewels, and house-sized luminous pearls floated in mid-air, casting blue light that transformed the palace into a heaven.
This was outrageously opulent! They were inhumanely rich!
It turned out Mera was the true richest person on Earth. Whoever married her would wake up laughing every day.
Carol was even more overwhelmed, her eyes flashing with the brilliance of all the gems. She could barely walk.
Mera gently tugged her arm.
"Come on. I'll send you a few boxes later."
"Really?"
Carol's eyes shone. Luke Shaw cleared his throat, and she quickly restrained herself.
Many Atlanteans were secretly observing them. Seeing the couple's expressions, they curled their lips, silently cursing them as bumpkins.
An Unexpected Challenge
Upon entering the main hall, King Nereus spoke with several humanoid beings that strongly resembled fish. Afterward, these Fish Men approached Luke Shaw, speaking a language he couldn't understand at all.
Mera translated. "They are extending their greetings to you."
Carol couldn't help but ask, "Are they people, too?"
Mera explained in a low voice,
"There are seven great kingdoms beneath the sea. They are the representatives of the Fisherman Kingdom. They also carry the bloodline of Atlantis, but due to various reasons, their body structures changed, diverging from human form and developing toward fish."
Carol immediately understood and quickly said,
"Please extend my greetings to them as well."
Mera smiled and nodded. Just as she was about to speak, the Fish Man said something that instantly changed the expressions of the people around them. King Nereus's face darkened, and the guards gripped their weapons, their faces showing unspeakable shame and indignation.
Luke Shaw frowned, sensing something was wrong.
"What did they say?"
Mera shook her head slightly, stepped out of the air bubble, and communicated with the Fish Man. Judging by her expression, she was very angry. After a brief exchange, the fish-like individual suddenly entered Luke Shaw's air bubble and stood before him. After saying something unknown, he suddenly raised his trident.
At that moment, Luke Shaw understood: the Fish Man was issuing a challenge.
What the hell?
I'm a guest, invited to the host's house, and I'm being challenged?
Mera was extremely agitated, her expression distorted with anger. The Fish Man ignored her, staring intently at Luke Shaw.
Carol narrowed her eyes, deliberately lowering her voice.
"Should we take him out?"
Luke Shaw shook his head slightly and said to Mera, "What is this Fish Man saying?"
Mera gave a wry smile. "The representative from the Fisherman Kingdom heard that you defeated Maria and wants to challenge you."
"Maria is..."
"The one you seriously injured. She is the Captain of the Princess Guard and the First Female Warrior of Xebel."
So that was it.
A classic diplomatic move, though the exact situation still needed to be observed.
Carol said angrily, "We came here for tourism, not for fighting!"
It wasn't that she was afraid, but the situation was too sudden. They knew nothing about what was going on, yet they were challenged by a national representative. This kind of event seemed utterly abnormal no matter how you looked at it.
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