Derek instantly reacted. He punched forward with everything he had at the eel coming right at him. The mana in his body responded. The force of the punch sent a surge of water toward the eel, but the creature was faster than expected. It dodged the blow with a swift, fluid motion, its massive body coiling as it prepared for another strike. Its body moved far more freely than the fist.

Derek’s heart raced as the eel lunged again, its pale, unblinking eyes locked onto him. He had no time to think—only to act. He threw another punch but just as his punch was halfway through the water, the eel's massive body spasmed, its attack cut short. In a blink, the creature was torn apart—its shimmering, serpentine form sliced into a dozen pieces by dark, razor-thin tendrils that had erupted from the merwoman’s hand.

The water clouded with the creature’s blood, its severed pieces drifting lifelessly. Derek froze. The sheer power of the merwoman's attack once again left him speechless. She stood there, her expression unchanging, the dark tendrils retracting into her hand as if nothing had happened. But her gaze was locked on to him with a strange glint in her eyes. "Let’s keep moving." She started swimming further into the glowing mountain.

Derek shook off the shock and followed her. The others did the same. The group, though rattled, reluctantly swam after her, their movements slow and careful, fearing the mountain’s hidden dangers. The strange light from the corals bathed everything in an eerie glow, making the shadows seem alive. Something could come right at them at any second.

Thankfully, they didn’t have to look over their shoulders for long. The merwoman stopped by a cave entrance nestled between two towering rock formations. Its dark, jagged edges were covered in glowing moss, casting a faint green hue that seemed to pulse in rhythm with the flickering corals outside. “This way.” She gestured for them to follow as she disappeared into the shadows of the cave.

Derek hesitated for a moment, eyeing the pitch-black opening. The others exchanged uncertain glances, clearly as unsettled as he was, but they had little choice. Whatever dangers lurked within had to be better than staying exposed in the open waters, where creatures like the eel could strike at any moment. He took a deep breath and swam forward, leading the group into the cave.

As they swam deeper, the cave widened into a cavernous chamber, and they finally touched dry land—or rather, wet, slippery rocky land. The feeling of solid ground beneath his feet was jarring after so long in the water. Bioluminescent algae clung to the cave walls, casting an eerie, soft glow that bathed the chamber in an unnatural light. It shimmered off the slick, moss-covered rocks, making the space feel more alien than ever. The quiet was deafening, broken only by the occasional drip of water echoing through the chamber.

“This place should be safe for now,” the merwoman said, her voice echoing slightly in the chamber. She turned to face them, her dark eyes again locked on Derek. The next second, the protective water bubbles surrounding each of them popped, leaving Derek and the others gasping for air in sudden panic. The panic subsided as everyone realized that they could breathe well without any issues.

Derek shot a wary glance at the merwoman who was still locked onto him. The way her eyes stayed on him, unblinking and intense, made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Even the others noticed this odd behavior as they shifted uneasily, casting nervous glances between Derek and the merwoman. The atmosphere in the cave grew tense.

To make matters worse, the merwoman slowly started slithering toward the group, more specifically toward him. Derek swallowed hard, trying to calm his racing heart. What the hell was happening now? Before he could even think of anything, the merwoman was already standing right in front of him. She took another step closer, her face just inches from his now. And then, she bowed.

“My liege.”

Derek blinked, utterly dumbfounded. He stood frozen as the merwoman bowed low before him, her long dark hair drifting with the movement, her glowing scales casting a faint light that shimmered in the eerie cave. For a moment, he thought he’d misheard or misunderstood. His mind raced, trying to make sense of what was happening.

“Liege?” Derek’s voice cracked, the word barely escaping his throat. The others in the group exchanged bewildered glances, clearly as lost as he was. What could she possibly mean?

The merwoman straightened, her intense gaze never leaving his. “Yes,” she said, her voice low and reverent.

Derek could barely process what was happening. His pulse raced, and his breath caught in his throat. “What are you talking about?” he managed to ask, his voice shaky and confused. A part of him wondered how she was able to understand him. Did she too have the same skill as him?

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On the other side, the merwoman’s gaze remained unwavering, her expression filled with certainty. “You are the one foretold. The heir to the true power that governs the seas. The mark is upon you, whether you realize it or not.”

Derek stared at her, trying to wrap his mind around her words. The rest of the group looked just as bewildered, their faces etched with disbelief and fear. He doubted if they actually understood her but he would bet a good amount that her mannerisms were enough to shock them to the core.

Derek swallowed hard, his mind reeling from the merwoman's words. Could he secretly be some genius? One could argue that he once was a swimmer of great potential and was a perfect candidate for this sort of thing but only Derek knew how unrealistic that was.

Sure, he was great at swimming before his injury but that had taken a whole lot of dedication and hard work from him. He was not born with it and definitely not some sort of chosen one.

He wanted to scream, to tell her that she had the wrong person, that he wasn’t the "heir" she claimed he was. He was just a regular guy, a nobody, stuck in this nightmarish situation, trying to survive like everyone else. But even as panic clawed at him, he knew he couldn’t afford to say that—not now, not to her.

What if she didn’t believe him? Worse, what if she did and then he was useless? He'd seen the kind of power she wielded. She could tear him apart just like she had with the eel, without a second thought.

Instead, Derek forced himself to speak calmly. “I don’t know what you're talking about,” he began cautiously. “But if you think I’m this... ‘heir,’ then what do you expect me to do? I’m not sure I have the power you think I do.” He knew he was pushing the limits and he knew his act would be exposed if he wasn’t too careful but he had to do it. He wasn’t even lying all that much. He waited for a moment and then went in for the kill. It was either go big or go home time.

“Is there any way you can help me become more powerful?”

Thankfully he seemed to have cut the correct wire to defuse the bomb. The merwoman’s face immediately changed revealing a more relaxed and satisfied expression. The intensity in her eyes softened, and she stepped back slightly.

“Yes, my liege,” she said, her voice filled with conviction. “There is much I can teach you. The power of the seas is vast and ancient, and it recognizes its rightful ruler.” She glanced at the others in the group, who still stood frozen, wide-eyed with uncertainty, before turning her gaze back to Derek. “But you must first awaken the dormant strength within you. It lies deep, hidden by doubt and fear, but I will help you bring it to the surface.”

Derek sighed inwardly, trying to process what she was saying. Did he really have some hidden power? Was he really supposed to be this “heir” she spoke of? Or was this all just some insane delusion that he had stumbled into? Either way, the merwoman was serious, and at this point, he couldn’t afford to question her too much.

“I... I’m willing to learn,” Derek said carefully, still not entirely sure what he was signing up for. “But what does that involve? What do I need to do? I should probably level up first?”

“Yes, the levels. The fake heavens cannot be avoided for the time being. So it is better to use it for our benefit. And once you are strong enough, you can even overthrow the fake heavens.” The merwoman’s lips curled into a small, almost triumphant smile.

Yup, she was completely delusional.

Derek was sweating inside. Sure, whatever you say. One minute he was barely surviving, and now he was somehow part of some grand rebellion against cosmic forces? Why not? He nervously nodded in agreement.

"Yes," the merwoman said, her tone sharp with determination. "You will grow stronger, harness the power of the sea, and rise above the shackles of the system. But for now, we must be patient. You need to learn, to understand your abilities, and—"

She paused, glancing toward the cavern entrance as if sensing something. Her eyes narrowed, and her muscles tensed, ready for another potential threat.

Derek followed her gaze but saw nothing in the dim glow of the cave’s moss-covered walls. "Come," she said abruptly, breaking the silence. "We can’t linger here. There is a place where I can teach you—far from the eyes of those who might stop us. But we must move quickly. Time is not on our side."

Without any warning, she once again dove into the water and swam right back into the depths of the ocean. “Uh…” Derek awkwardly scratched his head. The merwoman was forgetting something crucial and he wasn’t sure if he should remind her. For a moment he wondered if he should simply let her leave and not call her but thinking about where he was, he quickly changed his mind.

“Hey, can you make the air bubble around the head again?” He called out. “We can’t breathe.”

The merwoman paused mid-swim, turning back with a bemused expression. "Ah, of course," she said, as though realizing something that had slipped her mind. She flicked her wrist, and instantly, the same protective water bubbles formed around his head.

Derek let out a sigh of relief, feeling the familiar, gentle pressure of the water encapsulating his face, allowing him to breathe beneath the ocean once again. Only this time it was more gentle and transparent. "Thanks," he muttered under his breath, wondering when it was the right time to ask her about teaching him this particular magic skill. After all, this single skill made the difference between life and death in these depths.

Seeing that the monster was in a hurry, he decided now was not the time and quickly dove back into the waters. “Hey! What the hell!” Someone shouted from behind and Derek turned to see that he was the only one with the protective bubble around his head.