Volume 6, Chapter 66 -Bonus Chapter: Sorrow of the Evil Sea (Part I)

Crimson Sovereign Calendar, Year 999. Three months after the evil gods’ destruction of Visas, the Shenluo Empire’s former capital. Deep within the Azure Sea (note: later to become the Abyssal Sea, the Abyssal Lord’s base of operations) — an underwater canyon ringed with coral reefs.

Ice-cold seawater, thick with the stench of blood and the fading echoes of curse power, lapped against the cracked coral walls. Polana lay curled in a cave at the canyon’s deepest point, her long pink hair soaked and matted, clinging to her ashen cheeks and neck. Her violet eyes still held the last dregs of murderous rage and a pain she could not bring herself to accept.

She pressed a hand over the wound in her chest — still seeping blood, carved there by Bai Lianyue’s sword technique. The cold agony spread through her veins with every breath, dragging at her viscera, until she couldn’t hold back a cough that brought up a mouthful of purple-black froth. It dissolved into dark tendrils in the surrounding water and slowly faded.

“Big Sister… wh— why…?”

She ground out the words through clenched teeth, her voice scraped raw as though sand had been dragged across it. Anger and bewilderment churned in her violet eyes.

“She’s the one who gave me this power to take revenge… so why did she suddenly turn around and protect those humans? Why did she come after me?! Wasn’t it her mission to wipe out all those people…? Big Sister… what are you even thinking?! ”

The screams still echoed in her ears — her kin, slaughtered and fed to the Corrupted Beasts in the Shenluo Heretical Tribunal. Molo’s obscene laughter. The soldiers’ cold gunfire. Scene after scene, branded into the depths of her soul. It was Bai Lianyue who had reached out to her at the brink of death, given her the power of vengeance — who had transformed her from a Sea Priestess at humanity’s mercy into the Abyssal Lord, capable of summoning world-drowning tsunamis, commanding Corrupted Beasts, and reducing heaven and earth to ruin.

She had believed they were kindred spirits. Allies scarred by humanity, united in the desire for revenge. Yet the moment she led her newly awakened Vassals of Sea, poised to devour every city in the Shenluo Empire’s southern territories — Bai Lianyue had appeared.

At first, Polana had even surged forward in excitement to greet her… but what met her was merciless ice-blue sword qi.

What made it even more unbearable was who stood behind Bai Lianyue in that moment — humans. Shenluo’s humans. Bai Lianyue had struck her down in order to protect them.

“Big Sister!!! What are you even trying to do?!”

Polana’s fist slammed into the coral wall. Fragments splintered and scattered through the water. Her voice cracked with the edge of tears — less anger, now, than the anguish of betrayal.

“You gave me this power to take revenge — so why are you trying to stop me?!”

She couldn’t understand it. Big Sister had always been so much crueler before; the humans who’d died by her hand were beyond counting. So why, all of a sudden… had she gone over to the humans’ side? Had something broken loose in Big Sister’s head?!

Even if she was a little slow on the uptake most of the time, she couldn’t be this slow, could she?!

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Polana couldn’t make sense of it. The rage and indignation in her chest rolled like magma, setting her entire body trembling.

Just then, a faint disturbance rippled through the water beyond the cave entrance — accompanied by a familiar, reverent call:

——”My Lady Priestess! Have you returned?”——

?!

Hm?

Polana startled. She reined in the curse power leaking from her body and struggled to push herself upright against the wall. Following the current, she peered outward — and saw dozens of familiar figures approaching with cautious care. They were survivors of the sea folk: Sirens who had lost their fish tails and were barely maintaining human form through sheer spiritual power; shark-kin with scales stripped away and bodies covered in wounds; fish-kin clutching young children to their chests, their eyes terrified yet lit with a fragile, desperate hope.

These were the remnants of her people — those who had survived the Shenluo Empire’s slaughter by fleeing to this deep-sea canyon. They were also the kin she had once sworn to protect, in her life as a Sea Priestess.

It was for their sake — to cover their escape to this last sanctuary — that Polana had been captured by humans in the first place.

“My Lady Priestess! You truly have returned!”

At their head was an elderly Siren, bent low in a respectful bow.

“We sensed the fluctuation of your aura and came to look. At first we thought it was our imagination… we never dreamed it would really be you. Really and truly you!”

With the elder’s words, the rest of the sea folk crowded forward, their eyes full of reverence and need.

“My Lady Priestess — are you hurt?”

A little Siren girl with twin tails pushed her way to the front. Her pink hair was a shade lighter than Polana’s, her eyes a clear, pale violet. She was one of the sea folk girls Polana had poured every last ounce of strength into protecting during the battle — Linore, a dear child of the Priestess’s Hall. Now she held out a sea pearl that glowed with a soft blue light, extending it toward Polana with careful hands.

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“My Lady Priestess, I have a Sea Spirit Pearl! It can heal wounds — please, use it!”

Looking into the girl’s guileless eyes, feeling the warmth of her kin gathered all around her, Polana felt the anger and grief in her chest dissolve in an instant, washed away by a wave of warmth. She reached out with trembling hands and accepted the cool pearl. Its gentle restorative energy spread from her palm inward, easing the pain at her wound just a little.

Right. She still had people to protect.

Once, she had been powerless — forced to watch her kin be slaughtered, to eke out a wretched existence inside the Tribunal, bartering her songs for what little reprieve she could buy them.

But this was different now. Big Sister had given her strength. Had made her an evil god — a being who could command storms and rule Corrupted Beasts, who could shake the heavens and unmake the earth.

She was no longer that weak, helpless Sea Priestess. She could protect these survivors. She could avenge the kin who had died. She could build a home for the sea folk — a place where they would never again be oppressed by humans.

At that thought, light rekindled in Polana’s violet eyes. The pain and hatred she had endured felt, at last, like they had meant something. She raised a hand and wiped the blood-froth from the corner of her mouth, and for the first time since gaining this power, she smiled — a smile that was genuinely her own. It carried the impishness of a young girl and the quiet authority that had always belonged to a Priestess.

“I’m fine. Just a minor injury.”

She raised the Sea Spirit Pearl and drew out its spiritual energy — repairing her own wounds, then splitting the remainder outward to settle over the injured folk around her like a warm embrace.

“From now on, with me here, no one will ever hurt the sea folk again.”

Her voice was steady and certain, carrying an authority that brooked no doubt — utterly unlike the timid Sea Priestess she had once been.

“Every debt the Shenluo Empire owes us, I will reclaim, piece by piece. Every human who has ever harmed the sea folk — I will make them pay the price!”

The sea folk around her first showed surprise — for the Polana of old would never have spoken such words.

But after a brief moment of stunned silence, they seemed to feel the unmistakable, extraordinary power radiating from her. One by one, their faces broke open into fierce, exhilarated joy. Long-suppressed cheers rippled low and deep through the dark water.

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Linore clapped her hands with delight.

“This is wonderful! With My Lady Priestess here, we never have to fear humans again!”

Polana looked at the happy faces of her kin, and felt a satisfaction she had never known before fill her chest to the brim.

This was what she wanted. To protect the ones she cherished with her own strength. To ensure her people would never be oppressed again.

She clenched her fist and felt the surging curse power within her…

This time, I will definitely… fulfill the duty a Sea Priestess owes her people!! Not have them protect me… but me protect them…

Yes!

Polana silently cheered herself on.

However —

Just as she was about to lead her kin back to their base, a strange, low murmur rose in her mind without any warning. The voice was cold and hoarse, as if it came from the very bottom of an abyss, carrying with it an insidious, coaxing power:

——”Protect your kin?…… Heh heh……. that is no responsibility of yours……”——

?!!!

Polana went rigid all over. She looked around instinctively, only to find the sea folk still celebrating, apparently hearing nothing.

“What… what is that voice?”

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She challenged it inwardly, channeling her curse power on guard, trying to drive out the eerie murmuring.

But the voice clung like a parasite to bone, continuing to resonate through her mind:

——”Evil gods are born from hatred and corruption……”——

The whisper drew nearer and nearer, as if it were breathing directly into her ear.

——”Your purpose is to annihilate all living things……. to purify this rotting world……. including……. the weak of your own kind……. gathered at your side……”——

The whisper worked on her like an incantation, eroding her consciousness without cease.

Her head erupted in splitting pain. She could not stop her hand from flying up to press against her temple.

??!

No —

What — what is happening??!!

As the headache began, the curse power within Polana spiraled out of control, violet energy boiling through the seawater around her and forming one whirlpool after another. Her eyes began to glaze, growing hollow —

——”My Lady Priestess!! What’s wrong?!! My Lady Priestess!!”——

The anxious cries of her kin reached her — and then Polana’s consciousness plunged into darkness.