Fairy Tale Survival with Ability Copying

"How are we splitting the spoils?" Levi asked, forcing himself to stop thinking about the Magic Mirror Queen's butt and return his attention to reality.

"We'll share all knowledge. As for everything else we find, we'll discuss it as we go. The guiding principle is fairness—equivalent exchange," Barbara replied. After a brief pause, she continued, "However, if we find any Divinity inside the mermaid prince's tomb, and there's more than one portion, I'll give you a share. If there's only one, then it belongs to me. I'll make it up to you in other ways."

Barbara looked at Levi with an expression of absolute seriousness—the likes of which he'd never seen from her before.

But Levi's attention had already been completely captured by the word Divinity.

"There's Divinity inside the mermaid prince's tomb?" The very name sounded extraordinary. His eyes lit up, only for a strange look to cross his face a moment later.

He already knew that Serena's ancestor was the cursed mermaid prince from The Fisherman and His Wife.

If that mermaid prince possessed Divinity...

Then why had he been cursed in the first place?

Levi couldn't make sense of it.

Seeing his confusion, Barbara explained, "Only possibly."

"The reason the mermaid prince came to land in the first place was to obtain Divinity—the Sea God's Divinity," she said.

"The Sea God's Divinity?" Levi frowned. "I'm no expert on this, but... if it's the Sea God's Divinity, shouldn't it be somewhere in the ocean?"

The corner of Barbara's mouth twitched.

"Normally, yes. But the descendant of the Sea God who possessed that Divinity... met with a little accident."

Now Levi was genuinely intrigued.

"Can you tell me about it?"

"This is a secret I spent many years researching and uncovering," Barbara replied.

"Fair enough." Levi shrugged indifferently.

Yet Barbara continued anyway.

"But after telling you this much already, there's little point in hiding the rest."

She paused before saying, "A war broke out in the ocean."

"The Sea God's descendant who possessed the Sea God's Divinity was hunted down."

"So... they fled to the mainland as well."

"Where?" Levi immediately asked.

"I don't know." Barbara shook her head. "Perhaps the mermaid prince found them. Perhaps he didn't."

"Either way, we'll only know after we open his tomb."

"All right." Levi nodded. "One last question."

"Why are you telling me all this? I mean... you didn't have to."

"The wind told me you're a good person. More importantly, over the past week I've looked into your territory in the Mist Swamp. I've also seen the people living in your Floating Cloud City. You're even willing to take in a Half-Werewolf."

"I think you're someone I can trust."

"That said..." Barbara's expression grew solemn. "If we really do find the Sea God's Divinity inside the mermaid prince's tomb..."

She left the sentence unfinished.

Levi understood.

He simply nodded.

"I'd like the chance to observe."

"You may."

Barbara agreed without the slightest hesitation.

"What exactly is Divinity used for?" Levi asked again.

"When you reach—I'm saying if you reach—the level of a Sixth-Ring Legendary Wizard," Barbara said, her eyes flickering faintly, "only two paths will remain before you."

"One is to continue walking the path of wizardry."

"The other is to absorb Divinity and become a Divine One... a demigod... ignite your Divine Flame... and raise your Divine Kingdom..."

"You want to become a god?" Levi asked, studying her.

Barbara met his gaze before answering calmly, "I simply want to walk farther along this path."

Levi remained silent for a moment.

He was deeply interested in both the mermaid prince's tomb and this so-called Sea God's Divinity.

At last, he smiled.

"Then... here's to a successful partnership."

Barbara hesitated briefly before replying, "...Here's to a successful partnership."

(The Sea God's Divinity... this is going to lead into another fairy tale connected to the sea!)

...

Having reached an agreement, the two of them did not depart immediately.

Instead, they remained where they were for several more days, waiting until both had fully recovered before setting out for the coast.

Both possessed the strength of Fourth-Ring Wizards, each with their own unique abilities.

Levi's status as a Fourth-Ring Wizard was admittedly a bit of a sham.

Barbara's, on the other hand, was the real thing.

The two sped across the land at astonishing speed.

The lush greenery gradually disappeared behind them, replaced by dark coastal reefs as howling sea winds carried the heavy scent of salt across the shore.

In less than half a day, Barbara led Levi to the coastline.

Looking into the distance, he saw the sea stretching endlessly until it merged with the sky.

The boundless deep ocean churned with towering waves that crashed against the reefs with thunderous roars.

"This is the place," Barbara said.

"When the mermaid prince returned from the deep sea to the shallows, he still chose not to return to the deep sea before his death."

"Instead, he built his own tomb beneath the stretch of sea where he first came ashore."

"Even so," she added, turning toward Levi, "the tomb isn't exactly shallow."

"Can you handle it?"

Levi nodded calmly, confidence shining in his eyes.

"Good. Then follow me," Barbara said.

She activated the power of the Mermaid Bloodline Sigil on the back of her hand. A pale blue glow enveloped her body, allowing her to breathe freely underwater without relying on any other means while also protecting her from the immense pressure of depths exceeding a thousand meters.

Like an elderly mermaid returning home, Barbara dove into the sea and swiftly descended into its depths.

Levi, meanwhile, stood on the shore and stretched lazily.

Then, consuming his Magic Power, he activated a spell within his Sea of Souls—one he had rarely used in recent years.

Polymorph: Vortex Lord.

It was the Frog Curse, or rather the Frog Polymorph, that he had obtained from The Frog Prince. After repeated improvements, it had evolved into its current form. Once cast, it transformed him into a Third-Order aquatic magical beast—the Vortex Lord.

Although the Vortex Lord's combat ability couldn't compare to Levi's favorite transformation, the Human-Faced Demon Owl, that was only true on land.

In the ocean...

The Human-Faced Demon Owl was nowhere near the Vortex Lord's equal.

A sphere of light enveloped Levi's body.

His form seemed to melt before being completely reshaped.

His human skin disappeared, replaced by dense, hard, deep-blue scales that could withstand crushing pressure and relentless abrasion, perfectly protecting him from the terrifying weight of the deep sea.

His limbs transformed into powerful fins built for explosive bursts of speed and effortless movement through the abyss.

A massive spiral-patterned tail fin sprouted from his back, while black currents naturally swirled around his body.

His facial features shifted, and his eyes became deep vertical pupils capable of piercing the darkness of the ocean floor and detecting every movement around him with perfect clarity.

Within only a few breaths, Levi's transformation was complete.

He had become a Third-Order aquatic magical beast the size of a small hill—

The Vortex Lord.

With a powerful leap, Levi plunged into the sea.

It felt as though a fish had returned to its natural home.

The seawater no longer restrained him. Instead, it became his ally.

He swam without the slightest resistance, manipulating the surrounding currents at will.

In the dark waters, he spotted Barbara's figure, enveloped by the power of her Mermaid Bloodline.

With a thought, he surged toward her and quickly caught up.

Barbara noticed the enormous magical beast approaching from behind and nearly attacked on instinct, immediately preparing to wield the power of her Mermaid Bloodline.

"It's me," Levi quickly said.

"You can do that too?!" Barbara exclaimed in astonishment.

But this was good news.

It meant Levi wouldn't be a burden. He might even prove to be a tremendous asset beneath the sea.

She gave him one long, searching look before turning around and continuing her descent into the ocean depths.

Levi followed closely behind.

As they descended deeper and deeper, the sunlight faded with startling speed.

The surrounding waters grew ever darker.

Only scattered patches of glowing deep-sea algae and tiny bioluminescent plankton emitted faint points of light, barely illuminating the waters around them.

For either Levi or Barbara, however, the darkness posed no obstacle.

Both could clearly see everything before them.

The fantastical world hidden beneath the sea unfolded in all its splendor.

A vast forest of enormous multicolored coral stretched across the seabed for thousands of miles.

Corals of crimson-gold, deep violet, sapphire blue, and pale pink rose from the ocean floor. Some resembled towering spires, while others bloomed like gigantic flowers, layering together into a dreamlike underwater landscape.

Schools of glowing fish darted between the coral formations, leaving shimmering trails behind them like scattered stars drifting through the deep.

Towering forests of giant seaweed, each frond stretching dozens of meters long, swayed gently with the currents.

Their dense foliage formed labyrinths beneath the sea, concealing countless large fish within.

Yet perhaps sensing the presence of either Levi or Barbara, none dared reveal themselves.

Levi also spotted a set of ruins deep beneath the sea.

Broken walls and collapsed structures lay scattered across the ocean floor.

Only shattered stone pillars, ruined mermaid statues, and weathered ancient carvings remained, silently recounting the glory that had once existed there.

Now...

It was nothing more than dust left behind by history.

This wasn't their destination.

Not far beyond the ruins lay a vast underwater trench resembling a massive canyon.

Barbara and Levi continued downward.

They had already reached a depth of 3,000 meters.

An ordinary person would have been crushed to death long ago.

For Levi and Barbara, however, it remained well within their limits.

The two entered the trench and continued descending.

Near the bottom of the chasm, at a depth approaching 5,000 meters, an immense, perfectly flat ancient seabed plain came into view.

Here, the seawater stood completely still.

Every trace of marine life had vanished.

The silence was unnerving.

Even the sound of the ocean currents had disappeared entirely.

"We're here," Barbara said, her tone carrying a hint of complicated emotion.

"The mermaid prince's tomb was built in this very place."

"Where?" Levi asked.

His hill-sized Vortex Lord form settled onto the ancient seabed as he looked around.

Yet no matter where he searched...

He saw no sign whatsoever of the tomb.

Barbara opened her mouth to say something—

But before a single word could leave her lips, a sudden upheaval erupted without the slightest warning.

The entire deep-sea expanse shuddered violently.

The dark waters surrounding them instantly warped, faded, and reformed.

Before either of them could react, the world around them had undergone a complete transformation.

"What is this?" Levi frowned.

Barbara's voice echoed beside him.

"Be careful. This is an illusion. But any injuries you suffer inside it will become real."

---

I will post some extra Chapters in Patreon, you can check it out. >> /TitoVillar

---