The Sunken Palace was no longer a cathedral of mourning; it was a riot of bioluminescent color. The walls, composed of living coral, pulsed with a deep, rhythmic violet that mirrored the heartbeat of the Sovereign. My three hundred Abyssal Myrmidons stood in two rows leading to the Great Hall, their new shark-skin plate gleaming. As I walked between them, they didn't just salute; they struck their harpoons against the floor in a rhythmic thunder that shook the very foundation of the trench.
[Active Multiplier: 500x 'Conqueror's Presence']
[Notice: The Sunken Palace has reached 'Ecstatic' stability levels.]
I led the way, flanked by So-Hee and Yuna, while Leticia—the former Leviathan—shuffled behind us. She was draped in a simple robe of white kelp, her eyes wide and darting toward every flickering light. To her, the world was no longer a series of cold equations to be judged; it was a sensory overload of heat and sound.
"This... 'celebration'," Leticia whispered, her voice like the shifting of tectonic plates. "It is loud. My skin... it feels like it is burning, yet there is no fire."
"That's called excitement, Leticia," So-Hee said, her tone softening despite her usual icy demeanor. She adjusted the girl's robe. "It's what happens when you stop being a statue and start being a person."
"She's a fast learner," Yuna added, though she kept a possessive hand on my arm. "But if she tries to 'judge' Jin-Woo's lap, I'm sending her back to the void."
We reached the center of the hall, where a table carved from a single block of translucent amber was piled high with delicacies. I tapped the system interface. I only had 100 million EXP left, but in the Greek Red Zone, that was still a king's ransom.
[Item Purchased: Ambrosia of the Abyss (Vintage Grade).]
[Cost: 80 Million EXP.]
[Effect: A wine that amplifies the 'Senses' of those who drink it. Temporarily merges the mana-circuits of the Sovereign and his guests.]
I poured four chalices of the glowing, golden liquid. The scent alone was enough to make the air in the palace feel thick and intoxicating.
"To the Sovereign!" Amphitrite announced, appearing from a pool of water in the center of the table. She looked at me with a hunger that had nothing to do with mana. "And to the end of Judgment."
We drank.
The effect was instantaneous. It wasn't just a buzz; it was a psychic bridge. I felt So-Hee's cold, calculated passion; I felt Yuna's jagged, obsessive devotion; and I felt Leticia's overwhelming, terrifying discovery of self.
Leticia gasped, her chalice clattering to the table. Her pale skin flushed a deep, rose pink. Her white eyes began to swirl with the same violet energy that defined my [Indecent Aura].
"I... I can feel you," she whispered, looking at me. "The heat. It is not a calculation. It is a... weight. I want it. I want more of the weight."
[Warning: Leticia is experiencing 'Sensory Overload'.]
[Relationship Evolution: Leticia (Thrall) -> Leticia (Novice Disciple of Desire).]
The banquet turned into a blur of sensory indulgence. The Myrmidons began a ritualistic dance outside, their harpoons creating sparks that illuminated the dark waters beyond the membrane. Inside, the music of the palace—a low, humming vibration of the coral—shifted into a tempo that matched our pulses.
Amphitrite leaned in, her watery body pressing against my shoulder. "The God of Chastity is watching from the stars, Jin-Woo. He sees his Auditor drinking your wine. He sees his Judgment turning into Joy. You haven't just defeated his monster; you've stolen his pride."
"That was the plan," I said, pulling Leticia closer. She was trembling, her hands tentatively touching the scales of my [King's Despair] suit.
"Is this... 'Indecency'?" Leticia asked, her voice trembling.
"It's the start of it," I replied.
I checked the system one last time before the night truly began.
[Current EXP: 20 Million.]
[Notice: A new 'Red Zone' has appeared on the surface. Location: Mount Olympus.]
[Message: The Goddess of Beauty is requesting your presence. The 'Game' has changed.]
I ignored the notification for now. The surface could wait. The Gods could wait. Tonight, the deep belonged to me, and I had a new Avatar of Judgment who needed to learn that some sins were worth more than salvation.