Becoming a God Starts with Acting-Chapter 398: Turbulent Seas (5)

Nana narrowed her eyes at the princess. With that expression, it was obvious she didn’t believe a single word the girl said.

Besides, just look at that so-called princess. There was nothing about her worthy of Nana’s trust.

The princess kept the smile on her lips, her eyes glossy, her voice soft and melodious. "I am Athena." As she spoke, the fins on her tail shifted, gradually turning from pink to deep blue. "First Princess of Aqualon, mistress of illusion."

While speaking, she gently lifted her hand. Shimmer weave gathered into bubbles that drifted through the water, then burst, transforming into countless duplicated images of Athena surrounding them.

Nana tightened her grip on the sword in her hand. The other sword had already returned to her side, and her guarded stance didn’t relax even a little, especially when the illusions began moving toward her.

They opened their mouths, identical in every way down to the curve of their smiles. "Do not fear, adorable human. You should be grateful to be invited here. I merely do not wish for you to die meaninglessly." They spoke in unison, then glanced at one another.

One illusion drifted close to Nana’s ear, blowing out a sweet-smelling breath. "You’re already struggling this much just against me. Do you really think you stand a chance against Aqualon’s queen? How pitifully naive, ha ha."

Nana swung her arm without hesitation. Her sharp blade sliced through the water, leaving behind a streak of light, cleaving the closest illusions cleanly in two.

Their forms twisted for an instant, then dissolved into countless sea-foam bubbles and vanished.

Like a domino effect, the remaining illusions began to shatter as well, a bizarre and unsettling sight. In the blink of an eye, Nana stood alone in the space.

Right after, the surroundings shifted. The floor solidified beneath her feet, and Nana found herself back in the original room. Except now it looked neat and pristine, bearing none of the traces from her previous fight with Athena.

At that moment, Athena was sitting on the bed, her tail resting lazily behind her, the pale-pink fins swaying gently with the water.

She looked at Nana and spoke softly. "Now that the formal greeting is done, shouldn’t you tell me your name as well?" As she said that, she covered her chest, pretending to be frightened. "And could you please stop holding your weapon like that? You’re genuinely scaring me."

Nana didn’t see even a hint of fear on Athena’s face. She didn’t put her weapon away and went straight to the point. "What do you want to say?"

Athena narrowed her eyes at Nana, then suddenly asked, "Where is your companion?"

Nana frowned, saying nothing. Athena smiled again. "Come now, I’m not going to eat anyone. At the very least, I have no intention of eating a human at the moment. It’s just that your friend had better not be seeking out the queen unless he wishes to die pointlessly."

Nana spoke quietly. "Whether he lives or dies has nothing to do with me."

Athena raised a brow, suddenly licking her lips, her voice laced with amusement. "That scent... how cruel..."

Athena spoke without context, then her expression abruptly turned serious. "I’ve always been sensitive to the emotions of all kinds of creatures. When the conditions are right, I can even glimpse their memories, or sometimes their thoughts. And I’ve noticed something strange about my mother, Queen Thalassa, recently."

Knowing Athena had finally gotten to the main topic, Nana focused. Hearing that, she couldn’t help but frown. "You mean that’s the reason she imprisoned Elder Nicole?"

Athena smiled. "It might be more than imprisonment. She intends to kill Nicole, you, and that companion of yours as well."

Not giving Nana a chance to respond, Athena continued, "Everything started when humans approached the sea, but I realized something more. The queen’s fury seems... amplified. She has decided to drown the entire land." 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Hearing that, Nana couldn’t help but furrow her brows, finally recognizing the severity of the situation.

Athena laughed. "Of course I would be delighted with such a decision, if the queen were truly stable and had a legitimate plan. But she seems like she only wants to upend everything. Perhaps in that night of rage, something took advantage of her. As the oldest and loneliest being in the sea, perhaps the ocean truly holds profound meaning for her."

Nana let out a cold laugh. "Anyone who dares threaten the land doesn’t deserve sympathy."

Athena scoffed. "It’s you foolish Humans who brought this upon yourselves, dreaming of conquering the vast ocean, yet all you’ve contributed to it is a pile of waste."

Nana remained silent.

Athena continued, "Either way, at the very least we’re on the same boat right now. I hope you’ll cooperate with me to stop the queen."

"But how, and with what? You yourself said the queen is unbeatable." Nana spoke directly. Her original plan had only been to rescue Elder Nicole. She was combative, yes, but not foolish.

Athena placed a finger against her lips and smiled. "There are always secrets. Do you see the tower behind the palace? As long as we can bring the queen there, we’ll have a way."

Nana was doubtful. "We?"

Athena nodded. "Yes. Her own royal children who carry the responsibility of preventing her from making disastrous decisions."

Nana was truly suspicious, or perhaps the entire story was simply too hard to believe. "You’re all just... going against the queen because of your judgment?"

Athena cast her a brief glance, her eyes dark and deep, carrying a strange madness within them. "Not judgment. A verdict. My words are never wrong."

"Come." Athena said, then began leading the way.

Nana watched Athena’s tail fins drift farther ahead, then finally quickened her pace to follow.

She did not fully trust Athena, but she needed to keep moving. For now, she could only take things one step at a time.

And that tower behind the palace, clearly... Silvanus was there.

...

Silvanus followed silently behind the maid, her tail fins paddling through the water and leaving behind rippling bubbles.

The tower looked close, but once they started moving, he realized just how far away it truly was.

They passed through what seemed to be the busiest area of Aqualon, until the lights gradually disappeared. The water shifted from blue to dark blue, swallowed by the shadows. Only a few types of plants continued to emit light. The ground beneath them was pitch black, cast with faint, ghostly silhouettes from the pale glow above.

But the main source of light here came from the grass growing out of the ground. They were small, thinner and longer than grass on land, but grew densely, almost covering the entire area. More importantly, they glowed with a silver-white radiance, like moonlight, illuminating the path ahead—yet failing to brighten the surrounding waters.

The water around them was dark and gloomy. Even if something lurked out there watching, they would never know.