Ignoring all the shock displayed by the sea sirens, Lucian's calm, unhurried gaze swept over them one by one, as though their astonishment had no bearing on him whatsoever.
Fortunately, the Titan he had just replicated did not consume much of his energy because, apparently, for an Emanator of two Paths like him, replicating a Titan with River God was simply far too easy, almost effortless to the point of being trivial.
Realizing this, he decided to attempt large-scale replication instead, intending to determine whether there was a limit to the quantity he could sustain in a single instance.
"Ladies of the sea, watch closely."
*Buzz!*
Centered on Lucian, an invisible energy wave with a far broader and more imposing range suddenly spread outward like ripples, layer upon layer expanding across the sea, and in an instant, it completely enveloped the entire area where the sea sirens were gathered.
*Whoosh!*
Light flared sharply as countless figures appeared out of thin air beside every sea siren, materializing almost simultaneously as if called forth by an unseen command.
Densely packed and nearly shoulder to shoulder, they filled the visible sea as far as the eye could see, extending across the water's surface in an unbroken expanse, and all their forms were strikingly identical to the originals down to the finest detail!
However, the additional sea sirens shimmered with two distinct metallic sheens—one was brilliant, dazzling gold that reflected the light in radiant flashes, while the other was bold, noble silver that gleamed with a cold, imposing luster, resembling two sculpted armies forged entirely from pure gold and pure silver.
At the sight of their gold and silver replicas, all the sea sirens were so shocked that they could not describe it in words, their expressions frozen as their mouths hung open wide enough to fit a conch shell inside.
"W-Wow... a gold, shiny me!"
"C-Can they talk?"
"Oh, it's made from the gold humans love the most? Amazing!"
One after another, the sea sirens exclaimed in overwhelming shock, their voices overlapping into a rising tide of astonishment that seemed to drown every one of their hearts.
Helektra, standing close beside Lucian, also had two gold-and-silver replicas of herself, their forms gleaming faintly under the ambient light as if breathing with quiet life.
However, her two replicas apparently shared the same thoughts as Helektra, as shown by how they immediately leaned closer toward Lucian, their movements almost eager, and insisted on pulling his arm away from Helektra's grasp to link arms with him.
'Hmm, so the replicas can feel what the original feels, too? Guess I'll gotta watch out for that later.'
Seeing the behavior of Helektra's replicas, Lucian silently noted this detail to himself, his gaze lingering on their synchronized reactions for a brief moment.
'I was clearly the one who came first…'
Meanwhile, Helektra, feeling a little wronged, complained inwardly as she gazed at her two replicas, who were already trying to shove her aside from Lucian, their identical expressions making the situation even more frustrating.
Lucian, not noticing Helektra's feelings, looked at the instantly formed 'gold-and-silver sea siren army' before him, the vast number of figures reflecting shimmering light in layers, then casually glanced at Phagousa's two replicas as well.
"Mm, no pressure... Replicating tens of thousands of sea sirens costs even less than a Titan."
He muttered quietly to himself, his tone relaxed, before turning toward Phagousa and Helektra, who were still standing there in a dazed state, clearly not having fully processed what had just happened.
He then raised his hand and pointed toward the distant, surging black tide that churned ominously on the horizon, its dark mass rolling and twisting as if alive.
"Next, all you must do is sing," Lucian said calmly, the corner of his mouth curving upward into a casual arc, his voice steady and unhurried, carrying an inexplicable confidence. "As long as you keep singing the same song, you won't get hurt. Alright, now it's time to clean up this filthy stuff."
And so, with his words as the trigger, all the sea sirens soon split into three groups and went to purge the black tide under the lead of the three Ocean Titans, their formations orderly and deliberate.
Under his instruction, some sea sirens were specifically assigned to sing and stack buffs, designating the song they were singing as the background music for BGM, their voices layering together into a resonant, continuous harmony.
Now that they had such excellent preparation, how could this possibly be a loss?
"Helektra, you stay by our benefactor's side and ensure his safety. Remember, your task is the most important."
Before setting out, Phagousa specifically assigned Helektra this task, their tone leaving no room for refusal.
With that, Helektra's gold-and-silver replicas all followed Phagousa's gold-and-silver replicas into battle, their figures moving in unison, leaving only two people remaining at the square—or rather, one human and one sea siren, standing quietly amid the vast, open space.
"Lucian, you're incredible. Is this the power from beyond the sky? It's even stronger than the power wielded by a Titan."
Hearing Helektra praise him, Lucian looked at her, then smiled slightly, his expression calm yet faintly amused.
"Do you wanna hear my story? About adventures beyond the sky."
"I do!" Helektra exclaimed with a bright smile, bobbing her head up and down repeatedly like an excited child, unable to conceal her eagerness. "Can you tell me?"
Her words were cautious, yet her eyes were already brimming with anticipation, fixed firmly on him.
"Well then, let's start with the Aeons."
In the end, with nothing urgent to do, Lucian sat on a cushion fashioned from a giant seashell, its smooth surface gently supporting his weight, and told Helektra about matters beyond the sky, speaking at length of distant events and unfamiliar truths to broaden her horizons and deepen her understanding.
Needless to say, after the script ended and she became his follower, she would likely retain the memories of this conversation, and with that clearly in mind, she would be better prepared to deal with the Flame Reaver and Lygus when the time finally came.
Just like that, the two talked for a long time, their voices blending softly with the quiet currents, until at last, faint songs of triumph drifted over from afar, carried across the sea.
"They're back!"
Helektra jolted, her body tensing slightly as she turned her gaze toward the distance, toward where the singing that proclaimed the queen had successfully repelled the black tide resounded across the vast expanse of the sea.
Surprisingly, the battle ended in only a few hours.
It was honestly understandable.
With the gold-and-silver sea siren army, combined with an additional two Ocean Titans, their advance was effectively unstoppable, sweeping forward with overwhelming momentum. Moreover, with the invincible field from the BGM layered on top of that already overwhelming force, this battle felt as easy as nothing more than a casual outing.
As a result, all the black tide and its creatures were unable to deal any damage at all and could only be devoured one after another by the three Phagousas, vanishing into the depths without resistance.
Now that the crisis of the black tide was resolved, vast stretches of the sea returned to clarity, and sunlight once more pierced through the water, scattering warm, dappled patches of light throughout the depths and illuminating the once-shadowed seafloor.
Seeing this, all the sea sirens cheered with joy, their voices ringing bright and clear, and soon swam in circles around Lucian, happily circling around him again and again. Like a massive vortex, trails of multicolored bubbles linked together in long, shimmering strands, encircling him at the very center.
"Big brother! Thank you!"
"You saved the queen! You saved all of us!"
"Our hero!"
As praise filled with sincere gratitude rose one after another, the sea sirens eagerly brought out their treasured glowing pearls, lustrous shells, and even garlands carefully woven from seaweed, then shoved them into Lucian's arms with all their might, as if afraid he might refuse.
Surrounded by their overwhelming enthusiasm, Lucian felt a bit helpless as his vision filled with colorful sea sirens pressing in from all sides.
Fair skin, delicate collarbones, smooth navels, slender waists, crimson lips—he could only think that there were simply too many tempting sights, all of them dazzling and blurring the eye.
Who could possibly refuse a group of beautiful and passionate women?
Helektra was squeezed in among them as well, pressed close beside Lucian, her small face flushed red with excitement, her eyes bright as she basked in the moment, feeling immensely proud.
Phagousa, on the other hand, silently watched all this from the side with a complicated gaze, their expression subtle and difficult to read.
In their gazes, there was relief at having survived the ordeal, as well as awe at Lucian's overwhelming power, but more than that, there was a rare honesty born from finally letting go of something long held within their hearts.
In the next moment, Phagousa swam up before Lucian, their movement drawing everyone's attention, making all the sea sirens fall quiet as they instinctively parted to make space for them, their eyes turning toward Phagousa.
In an instant, the atmosphere shifted, turning solemn and silent.
Phagousa took a slow, steady breath, then spoke up.
"My little fishlings."
As they spoke, Phagousa's gaze slowly swept across the young, innocent faces of their Titankin, lingering on each expression as if to memorize them.
"What I said before…"
"About the feast on land…"
Suddenly, Phagousa's voice carried a faint trace of bitterness, heavier than before.
"It was all a lie."
As soon as these words fell from Phagousa's mouth, a sudden uproar erupted among the sea sirens.
"A lie...?"
"Mother?"
"What does the queen mean?"
Every sea siren burst into commotion, their voices overlapping as they looked at one another in disbelief, unable to accept what they had just heard, while Helektra stood frozen, staring at Phagousa in shock.
Seeing their reactions, Phagousa's expression remained calm, almost eerily so, as if they had already anticipated this response.
"I could not resist the black tide, and I could not see the future."
"I could only use lies to give you… a reason to live."
"A… false hope..."
Phagousa's gaze finally fell on Lucian, steady and unshaken, filled with resolve and a quiet entreaty.
"But now…"
"I have seen hope, a true hope."
"King of humans, I now know your name, Lucian."
Phagousa's tone became incomparably solemn, carrying a weight that pressed down on the air itself.
"You possess power beyond our imagination, power that can easily withstand the black tide and protect all my little fishlings, which is something I cannot do… even if I gave everything I have."
Right after saying this, Phagousa's eyes slowly swept over their so-called fishlings, lingering on each face as if committing them to memory.
"So..."
Phagousa paused for a brief moment, as though gathering their resolve, then bent their noble waist deeply toward Lucian in a gesture of solemn humility.
"I humbly ask you to take in my little fishlings, to grant them… a measure of shelter, a lingering shred of hope amid this chaotic and unforgiving world."
As these words fell, Phagousa raised their head once more, revealing eyes that carried a desperate and unguarded plea.
"If not for you, I would surely have died here today, and perhaps even triggered towering tsunamis, bringing disaster to countless beings on land and sea alike."
"I am willing to honor you as king, and all of us will follow you without hesitation."
"I hope you will accept us..."
Phagousa's words plunged the entire square into a heavy, deadly silence, leaving all the sea sirens utterly lost for words as the weight of the declaration settled over them.
Was their queen truly stepping down?
And offering a human as their king, at that?
For their sake?
Helektra covered her small mouth in shock, her fingers trembling slightly, but a trace of understanding and conflicted acceptance flashed through her eyes.
Truth be told, she understood Phagousa's painstaking intentions all too well.
If Lucian had not intervened today, Phagousa would certainly have fallen, and only endless waves of sea sirens throwing themselves forward, one after another, could have barely cleansed the black tide.
If the black tide came again next time, what would they possibly do?
Without Phagousa, the Ocean Titan, standing at the forefront, how many of her sisters would have to die, sacrificing themselves just to resist it?
Given this, it was no wonder Phagousa was so resolute, even desperate, in wanting to keep Lucian by their side.
Lucian fell silent, his gaze lingering on the deeply bowing Phagousa before shifting to the pure-looking sea sirens gathered around him, their eyes filled with both confusion and quiet expectation as they watched his reaction.
He had to admit that this Titan truly possessed both courage and foresight, able to perceive that he could indeed, without much effort, protect all the sea sirens if he so chose.
"...Your kindness and enthusiasm have moved me."
Lucian finally spoke after a brief moment of contemplation, a solemn expression gradually settling over his face as his voice carried a measured weight.
"I'll be honest—sheltering your fishlings for a lifetime without worry is effortless for me."
"As you wish, from this day forward, I'll be the king and protector of your fishlings."
===
[A bonus chapter for every 500 Power Stones.]
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