Chapter 150: The Queen of the Sea Possessed by Xi Nian
Near the coastline.
Inside the towering waves strong enough to destroy a town or mountain, a breathtakingly beautiful woman moved swiftly through the raging sea.
She looked around twenty-six, at the very peak of a woman's maturity.
Her bright crimson hair flowed like seaweed in the water, and her slim, elegant figure was wrapped tightly in a green-scaled battle suit.
Perhaps because she had rarely been under the sun since birth, her exposed neck, hands, and face were as pale and flawless as pearls freshly taken from a seashell. The shimmering light reflected through the water made her glow with a radiant luster, as if her skin itself held the essence of the ocean.
Especially at her chest.
The green-scaled armor covered most, but still revealed a glimpse of snow-white curves that conveyed the vast beauty of the sea itself.
Her exquisite face and perfect figure made it easy to imagine that if her long legs were replaced with a fish's tail, she would embody every legend and fantasy humans had of a mermaid.
…
"Orm… that man actually went this far."
Mera shot forward through the massive tidal wave, glancing sideways at the devastated human town beneath her.
She had always known Orm schemed to ignite war between Atlantis and the surface world, but she never thought it would happen so soon—too soon to even warn Arthur, the King of Atlantis who lived on land.
"I must find Arthur quickly. Only he can stop this war…"
Mera muttered anxiously, but just then, she felt a chilling sting at the back of her neck, as if something had pierced her.
"Hm?" Mera frowned, instinctively looking back while raising a hand to touch her neck.
"…Just my imagination?"
She shook her head, swimming onward at full speed. Her arms and legs pressed close together, her figure sleek and swift, like a green arrow slicing through the ocean.
But only a kilometer further—
From deep within her body, inside her very mind, a boy's voice suddenly rang out with clarity:
"Who are you?"
"Who!?"
Mera froze in shock, her white palms raising slightly. The surrounding seawater instantly retreated outward, forming a bubble of dry space in the middle of the storming wave.
Though the great tsunami raged all around, her little air pocket was eerily calm, as if controlled by some mysterious force.
"I know who you are now, Mera."
"The daughter of King Nereus of Xebel. Fiancée of Orm, Atlantis's temporary ruler. Not only do you possess the abilities of an Atlantean—living freely in the deep sea, moving at great speed underwater—but you also have a unique power: controlling water's form, density, and hardness."
The boy's voice echoed softly in her mind, then mused:
"So… Atlantis still exists beneath the sea after all."
"Who are you? How do you… know all this about me?!" Mera cried out in fear, scanning her surroundings.
"No need to look. I'm inside you," Xi Nian answered plainly. "As for how I know—well, you told me."
The shocking information left Mera reeling. She stammered: "You… inside me? And when did I ever tell you anything?"
"Before I answer you, answer me first."
Xi Nian's voice continued in her mind:
"Tell me, was this tsunami caused by your side?"
Mera's instincts screamed that the entity inside her was dangerous. She snapped back: "I don't know!"
Xi Nian paused thoughtfully, then said with a faint smile:
"So it was Orm, your fiancé. As Atlantis's current acting ruler, he's the one trying to start an all-out war with the surface."
"How do you know that?!" Mera clutched her head in pain, realizing in horror:
"You're reading my thoughts!"
"This isn't reading—just sharing," Xi Nian replied calmly.
Having fused the Devourer power from Xiao Huang and the symbiote's parasitic ability, Xi Nian had anchored himself within Mera's body. Her innermost thoughts were like an unlocked chest that he could open freely.
Of course, if he chose to deepen the symbiosis, allowing complete control of Mera's body, then his own thoughts could also be exposed to her.
That was the risk and reward of symbiosis: shared strength, but also shared secrets.
Which was why Xi Nian usually avoided possessing others, especially strangers.
If not for the need to uncover the truth behind the tsunami—and his spider-enhanced mental fortitude ensuring his mind wouldn't collapse under multiple abilities—he never would have chosen to parasitize Mera.
"So… you're aligned with Orm's side?" Xi Nian asked, nudging her thoughts to probe deeper.
"Of course not!" Mera struggled, gritting her teeth. "Get out of my body now!"
"…So it's true," Xi Nian realized, drawing from her thoughts.
Mera, like Vulko the counselor, was not part of Orm's war faction. They did not hate humans but instead supported the firstborn prince—Atlantis's lost heir.
The child of the previous queen and a human.
Arthur Curry.
Aquaman. A member of the Justice League.
Mera and Vulko wanted Arthur to return to Atlantis, reclaim the throne from Orm, and prevent the war.
But Arthur, haunted by his mother's death, continued to reject Atlantis.
…
"If Aquaman himself doesn't want to return, why bother him?" Xi Nian muttered.
"No matter what, it's his responsibility!" Mera snapped coldly. "You know everything now. Leave my body!"
Xi Nian fell silent, thinking.
Leaving Mera would mean putting faith in Aquaman. Hoping Arthur would awaken, defeat his brother, and stop the war.
It sounded good. Aquaman was a hero after all.
But Xi Nian had never been one to leave hope in another's hands—especially when Orm's tsunami had already threatened his life directly.
This time, he would not stand aside.
"What's happening…"
Mera's eyes widened as black liquid oozed from her skin, coating her battle armor, reshaping itself into a dark suit.
A white lightning bolt appeared across her chest, a spider insignia on her back, with writhing black tendrils flickering in and out.
Her muscles tightened, power coursing through her body, her strength and durability skyrocketing far beyond her natural limits.
At the same time, she realized in horror she was losing control of her body. Her spirit was being pushed aside, unable to command the symbiote-empowered vessel.
The Devourer's power from Xiao Huang, the symbiote's parasitism, Mera's hydrokinesis—
Three incompatible powers fused together, stabilized only by Xi Nian's spider physiology.
Their thoughts intertwined, yet control shifted.
The blackened Mera opened her eyes—completely under Xi Nian's command.
"What are you going to do?" Mera cried out in panic within their shared mind.
"Don't you already know?" Xi Nian replied, steering her body through the deep sea like a crimson-black lightning bolt, faster than she had ever moved before.
Mera's heart pounded like crashing waves. She could already feel his intent.
This time… the ocean itself would tremble.
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