The descent into the Mediterranean was not the violent, ear-popping plunge I had expected. As the living ship, The Pearlescent Maw, slipped beneath the surface, the water didn't touch us. A shimmering, bioluminescent membrane stretched across the deck, filtering the seawater into breathable, ozone-scented air. Outside that thin veil, the ocean turned from a bright turquoise to a crushing, midnight blue.
I stood at the prow, my hands gripping the coral railing. The golden Minotaur stood behind me like a silent statue, its purified armor reflecting the dim light of the deep-sea flora. Below us, my three hundred Spartan thralls sat in rows, their bronze shields stowed, watching the passing leviathans with a mixture of terror and religious awe.
"You're remarkably calm for someone currently sinking to the bottom of the world," So-Hee said, joining me. Her [Crystalline Silk of Boreas] was pulsing with a soft, rhythmic light, reacting to the immense pressure outside.
"I've learned that when a Goddess invites you to her house, the floor usually stays under your feet," I replied. I looked at her, noting the way the deep-sea pressure made her mana-signature more condensed, more potent. "How are the men?"
"Terrified," she admitted. "But your [Touch of the Conqueror] has replaced their fear with a need to impress you. They'd charge a Kraken if you gave the word."
Yuna appeared from the shadows of the mainmast, her eyes glowing with a feral violet light. "There are things out there, Jin-Woo. Big things. They're following the ship. I can taste their hunger."
[System Notification]
[Location: The Abyssal Trench of Amphitrite.]
[Environmental Effect: High Pressure (Mana density x5).]
[Warning: Local fauna are attracted to 'Divine Indecency'.]
"Let them follow," a voice echoed through the deck.
Amphitrite emerged from the water-log of the mast, her form now solidified into a regal woman with skin the color of pearls and hair made of living kelp that drifted upward as if she were still submerged. She wore a gown of jellyfish membrane that was almost entirely transparent, shifting color from soft pink to deep electric blue.
"My pets are merely curious," the Sea Queen said, her liquid eyes fixed on me. "It has been centuries since a man with such... vibrant energy has graced these halls. Most heroes who come to the sea are dry, stoic bores."
"I've been called many things, but 'dry' isn't one of them," I said, leaning back against the railing.
I opened the System Store. If we were going to survive the Sunken Palace, I needed to ensure my "Caravan" wasn't just a liability.
[Accessing Mythic Store: Aquatic Specialization.]
[Item Purchased: Aegis of the Trench (x300).]
[Cost: 400 Million EXP.]
[Effect: Transforms standard Spartan gear into 'Abyssal Plate'. Grants water-breathing and 500% mobility in submerged combat.]
I snapped my fingers. A wave of golden and teal energy swept across the deck. The Spartans' bronze armor dissolved, replaced by sleek, dark-green plate made of what looked like hardened shark skin and enchanted shells. Their spears elongated into harpoons tipped with shimmering mana-crystals.
[Unit Evolution: Spartan Legion -> Abyssal Myrmidons.]
[Indecency Multiplier Increased: +150x (Thrall Synergy).]
Amphitrite let out a soft gasp, her watery form rippling. "You spend mana as if it were sand, Little Conqueror. Do you have so much to spare for mere footmen?"
"I invest in my assets," I said, walking toward her. The [Mirror of Narcissus] buff was at its peak here, fueled by the mana-density of the deep. "And I have a feeling the 'sustenance' you mentioned earlier isn't just mana."
The Sea Queen smiled, and the ship groaned in response. "The Sunken Palace is not just a home, Jin-Woo. It is a machine. It feeds on the desires of those within it. If the desires are strong, the palace grows. If they are weak... it collapses and drowns everyone inside."
She pointed ahead. Out of the darkness, a city of bioluminescent coral emerged. It was a sprawling, gothic cathedral of the deep, lit by giant glowing jellyfish tethered to the spires like living lanterns.
[New Zone: The Sunken Palace of Desires.]
[Condition: Maintain 'High Desire' levels to prevent structural collapse.]
"So-Hee, Yuna," I called out. "It seems we have a job to do. We need to keep this place standing."
"I have plenty of desires, Jin-Woo," Yuna whispered, her shadow-claws tracing a line down my arm. "Most of them involve you, a locked door, and no interruptions."
So-Hee's eyes flashed with a cold, competitive fire. "If the palace requires desire to stay upright, then I suppose I'll have to show this 'Queen' exactly how much passion an Ice Queen can harbor."
As the ship docked at a pier made of giant whale bones, I felt a new notification vibrate in my mind. It wasn't from the system. It was a direct mental link, jagged and cold.
[Direct Message: God of Chastity.]
[Message: Enjoy your underwater brothel while it lasts, Degenerate. I have contacted the 'Leviathan of Judgment'. It does not feel desire. It only feels the hunger for justice. It is coming for your palace.]
I looked out into the dark void beyond the city lights. Something massive—something that dwarfed the ship and the palace—was moving in the distance. A single, colossal eye opened in the dark, its iris a cold, unforgiving white.
I turned to Amphitrite, who seemed to have felt the shift in the currents.
"Your palace is about to be tested, Queen," I said, my hand resting on the hilt of my intent. "But don't worry. I've always been good at handling big, stiff things that think they're better than me."
I spent another 200 million EXP on a new skill: [Oceanic Dominance].
"Let's show this Leviathan that the deep belongs to the Pervert Hunter now."