Chapter 117.2 Merfolk Shore
Arlon gazed at the young man before him, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes.
Malicious, unadulterated, audacious… This person who claimed to be a loyal servant of his little brother seemed like a distorted creation.
Mr. Ruan was a loyal servant of the Merfolk King. Trying to tame him was futile, as both eloquent persuasion and offering incentives had no effect.
Song Yan lowered his gaze. “Merfolk have a history of cannibalism among their own kind. Similar to their genetics and dynasties, they might experience a restoration at an unexpected juncture.”
Arlon wasn’t accustomed to respecting the freedom of speech of weaker creatures, but today he had the patience to let him finish his words.
“We need a guide, someone to lead Mr. Ruan into betraying the Merfolk King. Of course, he’ll refuse,” Song Yan touched the leaves above his head, “Mr. Ruan’s loyalty to the Merfolk King is as strong as this big tree. You can shake the tree all you want, but it simply won’t fall.
“…but as long as I can make the leaves rustle like this, I have a way to rot the roots.”
Song Yan opened his palm, revealing his ability without holding back.
“I can become a mirror. The more absolute something is, the more the person looking into the mirror will harbor doubt.”
The【Philosophical Mirror】could make the user question rules. Mr. Ruan, as a crucial NPC, adhered to the most prominent rule of【Loyalty】.
Loyalty to the Merfolk King, aiding in its awakening, was the innate mission of higher-level merfolk.
“…Forcing a mission upon someone is like building castles in the air. The Merfolk King hasn’t appeared for a hundred years. What can he offer these subordinates? It’s just a spiritual solace.”
Unlike the person he admired, who taught him the essence of survival step by step. That was true individual devotion with a foundation.
“With my current abilities, perhaps I can’t completely shake it, but once the roots rot, you just need to give it a push,” Song Yan clenched his fist, trembling as he spoke, “then everything will naturally fall into place.”
Arlon habitually thought about smoking, but restrained himself. His lips curled up, “You have a plan? I’ll go shake the tree accordingly.”
Song Yan drooped his eyelids and whispered, “Destroying a monster involves both the physical and mental aspects.”
Although his words were extremely cruel, when he spoke, it was as natural as drinking plain water.
True spirits that originated from objects were easier to deal with compared to other true spirits. This was a consensus among players because, in traditional beliefs, they lacked adaptability and were considered rigid and uninteresting.
But within the realm of true spirits, all true spirits least wanted to interact with true spirits born from objects.
【Not mentally stable.】
This was the unified evaluation given within the realm of true spirits.
The cold wind blew in waves, dissipating Song Yan’s whisper quickly into the wind. Arlon looked towards the direction of another dormitory building, “A good suggestion.”
……
The concert was a grand ceremony, with mentors taking turns in charge.
Mr. Ruan had never had a turn in the past, despite his active efforts every year.
By some twist of fate, he unexpectedly got it this time. Thinking he had suffered an assault from a merfolk, the principal relaxed his usual vigilance.
The only downside was that the concert was a joint responsibility. He couldn’t kill the other mentor now, or it would arouse suspicion.
As he walked towards the table to pour water, Mr. Ruan pondered how to make the most of the opportunity the concert offered. Unless he was in class, he wouldn’t control his innate thirst upon returning to his dorm.
Just a couple of steps into his walk, his footsteps suddenly halted, and the color of his skin changed. Unfortunately, before transitioning into webbed claws, a powerful force pushed his slight body forward, causing him to collide heavily with the table. Mr. Ruan let out a muffled groan of pain. In the next moment, a blade-like spiritual storm shattered his shirt. This force was incredibly precise. His skin remained intact, but the friction left behind trails of blood.
“I’ve torn your clothes apart. Shouting your throat sore won’t do any good.”
As his shoe soles met the floor with a muted thud, reminiscent of the drop in atmospheric pressure brought by an uninvited guest, Arlon’s voice remained composed, “The latter statement isn’t bad at all. Why don’t you continue calling for your King?”
A cold, pale face of Mr. Ruan bore a profound intent to kill. Unless absolutely necessary, disturbing the slumbering king would only invite his displeasure.
“Feeling pretty frustrated, aren’t you?” Arlon held his neck. “In truth, you barely have the power to fight me, but you’ll just have to endure.”
If he unleashed his full firepower, the entire dormitory would become aware of the presence of a merfolk.
Being fierce didn’t mean lacking intelligence. Arlon first hinted that the Merfolk King couldn’t provide enough protection to his followers, then he only needed to guide step by step.
The faculty dormitory was quite spacious, and Mr. Ruan favored a vintage style. Arlon sat on a crimson sofa, his tall legs elegantly crossed against the cushion, “As the Merfolk King awakens, I’ll go into hiding. Guess whether he’ll scour the world seeking vengeance for you?
“…Even if he finds me, will the Merfolk King even intervene?”
The answer was negative.
As long as Arlon didn’t provoke actively and chose to stay far from the Merfolk Shore, the Merfolk King wouldn’t engage in time-consuming efforts.
“The pinnacle of worship is to replace. If you devour the Merfolk King, perhaps you’ll become the new king,” Arlon said with a smile.
Unlike Song Yan, merfolk operated under an animal-like hierarchy of strength. The concept of ‘surpassing the superior’ might seem absurd at first, but upon closer inspection, it became feasible. Song Yan and Wen Shi were in a safe zone, as what Song Yan aimed to replace was the true spirit, not Wen Shi.
“You… dream on.” Mr. Ruan controlled the moisture in the air, causing the glass to freeze and shatter. The shards didn’t fly out as expected. Like him, they were held in place by the potent spiritual force.
An invisible force compelled him to raise his chin. Mr. Ruan faced the mirror. The mirror captured a partial scene of the corner of the sofa, but regrettably, he could only see part of the man’s figure in it.
“I won’t go too far, at least not to the extent of you calling me king…” Arlon’s words were vulgar, yet his gaze was ice-cold. “Kill me, skin me alive… to achieve these fantasies, you’d need the power of the Merfolk King.”
The pent-up spiritual energy from acting recklessly left Mr. Ruan with no outlet. His joints turned pale as he bent them. In the end, he took the risk and released some of the merfolk’s power, but it proved futile.
Just as Arlon had said, full force was the only way.
With this bit of strength, Mr. Ruan could at least lift his arm. He shattered the mirror reflecting his humiliated face, as if breaking it along with the reflection inside. A sense of satisfaction bloomed inside him.
Each step was perfectly aligned with the plan.
The curve of Arlon’s lips widened as the mirror shattered. Soon, a new one would be needed.
Even if the other party might not want to look into a mirror for a long time, it was a necessity of life. The marks on his body, characteristic of merfolk… whether they were well hidden or not, all depended on the mirror to confirm.
Suddenly, Arlon stood up. Mr. Ruan’s body tensed, and the gradually intensifying pressure made it difficult for him to breathe.
Buzz.
Just at that moment, Arlon’s phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID before answering the call.
“Hello.”
The call was from Wen Shi. Upon returning to the dormitory and not finding his big brother, Wen Shi’s initial reaction was: No!
His second reaction was: Oh, no!
Mr. Ruan didn’t know what the person on the other end of the call said. He only heard the person behind him speak with a slightly indulgent tone, “Busy.”
He tried to seize this opportunity, and struggled desperately to escape. Shreds of his shirt lay beneath his feet, becoming increasingly wrinkled as his efforts continued. His tenacious resistance ultimately concluded with himself once again prone on the table.
In Arlon’s eyes, the brain was the most sensuous and sensitive part of the human body. He used his psychic power to heighten the prey’s sensory perception to the extreme, while he himself walked over to the window, calmly reaching out to catch the strands of rain drifting in.
“It’s chilly tonight. Remember to cover yourself with a thicker blanket.”
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