Chapter 175: The Merfolk (2)
Kukulitan seemed lost for words. He had no idea how to respond to Ketal’s introduction. If Ketal were just an ordinary barbarian, there would have been no reason for him to come here with the Inquisitor of the Sun God and a mage from the Mage Tower.
He could have just stayed with the other sailors in the cave until everything was resolved. And yet, Ketal stood before him as if that simple introduction was all that was needed.
Sensing Kukulitan’s confusion, Aquaz offered a reassuring explanation. “He’s much stronger than you’d expect. In fact, he might even be more helpful than either of us.”
“I-Is that so?” Kukulitan asked her, suddenly looking at Ketal with new interest.
Does he have some hidden strength? Kukulitan wondered. He could only sense a minuscule amount of Myst within Ketal, but Aquaz’s confidence was enough. There had to be something special about him.
Whatever the truth, Kukulitan bowed gratefully. “Whatever the case, you’re here to help us, and I am deeply thankful.”
With the introductions over, it was time to discuss the real issue. Ketal asked Kukulitan, “So, what exactly happened here?”
Kukulitan let out a heavy sigh and began to explain. “We were just an ordinary merfolk city—peaceful, just like any other.”
They traded with humans and went about their lives. Pirates were always a problem, but living at the bottom of the sea kept them mostly safe. Occasionally, it was a hassle when their supplies didn’t make it, but it wasn’t a major issue. They just saw it as a human problem and left it at that.
Their lives were calm, peaceful, and unhurried. The merfolk believed they could live out their whole lives that way, without fear or upheaval. But that belief was shattered.
“Beneath our city, deep within the abyss, there is a Demon Realm,” Kukulitan explained.
“The primates that live and breathe deep within the sea...,” Ketal noted.