Evangeline pulled out a chair, raising a curious eyebrow.

The chairs on the deep seabed were hewn from reef stone, their rough-hewn surfaces saturated with the faint, briny scent of the ocean.

She settled into the seat with unhurried grace, not even deigning to glance at the furious Rhea. Instead, her gaze slid toward Shaw, red lips curving into a smirk. She tilted her head slightly, her long hair drifting slowly with the current.

"Did the Megalodon Tribe go to all this trouble just to make the Mer Clan your vassal?"

She blinked, her long lashes fluttering slowly in the viscous ocean current. Each movement stirred tiny eddies, a faint, palpable resistance in the water.

A glint flickered in Shaw’s eyes. His gaze lingered on her bewitching features as his voice softened, carrying the deep, muffled resonance of the abyss. "No, I came in good faith."

"The Deep Sea Sandwurms are breaking through the fissures of the Abyss. It won’t be long before they sweep across the entire Norfell Sea." Shaw paused deliberately, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"Right now... I doubt your Mer Clan could even scrape together a squad of warriors capable of holding their steel forks steady."

"Alllying with our Megalodon Tribe is the smart choice. Wouldn’t you agree?"

Shaw’s voice was oily and cold, less like a great shark and more like a sea serpent coiling around its prey.

Evangeline’s eyes were half-lidded, her gaze drifting nonchalantly over the Megalodon leader’s face—one that looked like it had been battered by the currents. A playful smile touched her lips as she tapped a finger on the tortoiseshell table.

’His features all seem to have a mind of their own, but he’s certainly got a silver tongue.’

"An alliance? Tch, a fine way to put it! It’s just an excuse to absorb us."

"All of you, get out! The sight of you standing on the Mer Clan’s territory is nauseating!"

Rhea’s light-blue eyes blazed with fury. The force of her voice sent ripples through the water, washing over Evangeline and Shaw with pure disgust. "The Mer Clan will fight to the last drop of blood before we ever bow our heads!"

Shaw’s gills flared as a laugh escaped him. "Such tragic stubbornness."

Evangeline acted as if she hadn’t heard Rhea at all; not so much as an eyelash trembled.

She leaned forward slightly, her seaweed-like hair fanning out around her. A crescent-moon smile graced her red lips as she asked, intrigued, "When you spoke of changing who would form the Contract... you weren’t by any chance referring to me, were you?"

Shaw was clearly growing impatient. He shot Rhea an irritated glance before turning his attention back to Evangeline.

"Of course. Shouldn’t the most beautiful female of the Mer Clan be matched with the strongest warrior of the Tideborn?"

Shaw cracked a wide grin, the Eight-star pattern on his forehead seeming to glow. "Little maiden, would you be willing to represent the Mer Clan and ally with our Megalodon Tribe? I will form a Contract with you."

"Once that’s done, the threat the Deep Sea Sandwurms pose to the Mer Clan will become the Megalodon Tribe’s problem."

Hearing this, Rhea, who stood to the side, knitted her brow into a tight knot. A wave of nausea rose in her throat, as if she had swallowed a dozen rotten fish, and her gaze grew even more disgusted.

Even though she hated Evangeline to the bone—so much so that she wanted to kill her with her own two hands!

But to see her Brother’s partner being coveted by this reeking pack of Beastmen from the Megalodon Tribe... her stomach churned with bile. Her knuckles dug so deep into her palms she could feel her nails bite, but she couldn’t suppress the suffocating tightness in her chest.

However, as Rhea stared at Evangeline and Shaw, her expression gradually smoothed out, and her lips even curled into a cold sneer.

’Suddenly, she thought, perhaps letting this Contract happen wouldn’t be such a bad thing. This Shaw probably had no idea that the woman sitting before him wasn’t some ravishingly beautiful Merfolk, but a Piranha!’

’A Piranha so ferocious it would skin you alive and rip out your tendons!’

The more she thought about it, the more Rhea couldn’t help but feel a thrill of anticipation. When Shaw, courting death, finally approached Evangeline, would this vicious female rip a chunk of flesh right off him? Would he be devoured until not even his bones were left?

Evangeline tapped the table, then suddenly smiled, shaking her head at Shaw’s feverish gaze.

"I’m afraid not. I have certain personal preferences when I choose a Beast Husband. The most important one is... looks. I’m sorry, but you really don’t meet my requirements. So, I refuse."

Upon hearing this, Shaw’s expression froze. He clearly hadn’t expected such an answer.

Rhea, standing behind Evangeline, was stunned for a moment before letting out a derisive snort.

’It was true. Evangeline was a demanding female.’

’As ruthless as she was, she was incredibly picky when it came to her Beast Husbands. Rhea had seen them—every single one was devastatingly handsome, as if only the most perfect males were worthy of her cold, hard heart.’

"Heh, you Mer Clan females... you’re really..." Shaw hissed, the words forced through his teeth. His lips twisted into a hideous sneer, his burly frame tensing abruptly as the killing intent in his eyes became almost palpable.

His voice turned frigid as his powerful muscles bulged, his eyes glinting with murderous intent.

His eyes were locked on Evangeline, like a bloodthirsty Ferocious Beast eyeing its dying prey.

After a moment, Shaw grinned and slammed a coarse palm down.

"Since there’s nothing left to say, then..." Shaw licked his teeth, a predatory light flashing in his eyes. "I won’t be so polite. Once I drag you all back in chains, things won’t be as simple as a Contract."

’He would imprison all these females, torturing and breaking them one by one!’

’After these females bore him young, he’d pass them on to the warriors of his tribe. They’d keep breeding, generation after generation. Breed enough of them, and you’re bound to get a few decent pups, right?’

The more Shaw thought about it, the more excited he became, his pupils constricting sharply.

Rhea’s expression changed. She sharply raised a hand, signaling for the other Merfolk to fall back with her.

Her slender fingers had already closed around the hilt of the bone knife at her waist, her eyes fixed warily on Shaw.

Evangeline remained reclined in the reef-stone chair, idly twirling a lock of hair around her finger. She didn’t even bother to lift her eyelids, as if the muscle-bound Shaw was nothing more than a tedious joke.

Suddenly, she let out a soft chuckle. Slowly, she lifted her chin, a dangerous light swirling in her almond-shaped eyes as her lips curved into a cruel smile. "Little shark... if there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s threats."

As she spoke, Evangeline’s gaze turned impossibly cold.

She placed her slender hand flat on the tortoiseshell table. In an instant, a bone-chilling cold erupted from her palm, spreading out inch by inch. Frost crystals raced across the table’s edge in the blink of an eye.

The entire dwelling transformed into a translucent ice cavern. Even the ocean currents froze in place.

The suspended icicles reflected her chilling profile. Horror dawned on the faces of both Shaw and Rhea.

In the surging tides, a Tideborn Beastman could shatter mountains and cleave stone; after all, the sea itself was their source of power.

But when the currents froze solid, they were like Skywings with broken wings. The speed and strength the Tideborn prided themselves on were sealed away. In the blink of an eye, seventy percent of their combat power was gone.

In this extreme cold, even breathing became a struggle. How could they possibly fight?

Shaw’s pupils constricted violently, the blood draining from his face in the frigid air.

He stared at Evangeline and bellowed, the veins on his neck bulging. "Impossible! How can a Witch have this much power? You’re not from the Mer Clan! What kind of monster are you?!"