"Monster?" Evangeline’s eyes lifted at the corners, her red lips curving into a seductive arc.

Her fingertips curled slightly in mid-air. A strange GURGLE sounded from Shaw’s throat. Veins bulged on his neck as it was frozen by the cold frost, his breathing grew rapid, and his entire face quickly turned from red to purple.

Shaw’s bronze-bell eyes looked ready to pop from their sockets as he kicked his legs about wildly, struggling in agony.

The members of the Mer Clan held their breath, their eyes fixed on Evangeline, not daring to utter a word.

In the frozen space, the ocean currents had stagnated. Only the sounds spilling from Shaw’s throat echoed in the dead silence.

Evangeline’s red lips parted slightly. She exhaled a wisp of frosty white air and slowly stood up.

She glanced back at Rhea. The girl’s light-blue eyes were filled with blatant vigilance. When Evangeline looked over, Rhea even took an unconscious half-step back, her fingertips digging into the arm of a clan member beside her, utterly on guard.

She blinked slowly, her voice tinged with a faint indifference. "I didn’t intend to harm you."

"As for..." Evangeline turned her head toward Shaw. The Cold Frost Whip in her hand cut through the water, sweeping out with a bone-chilling cold. It sliced a frigid arc through the water, leaving an even thicker trail of ice crystals in its wake.

Shaw’s pupils shrank. He forced his great mouth open, but it was too late. Just as the faint outline of his beast form began to swell, the long whip wrapped around his throat. The frost spread like wildfire, covering his entire body in the blink of an eye.

In the Deep Sea, the subtle, crisp sound of spreading ice was clearly audible in the depths.

"Kill... kill..." A hoarse voice squeezed from Shaw’s throat as the layer of ice rapidly crept up his ferocious face. The last thing he saw was the female’s eyes, colder and darker than the Deep Sea itself.

Evangeline tapped the layer of ice with her fingertip. The frost-encased Shaw emitted a dull THUD THUD sound.

The corners of her lips curled up. As she lifted her gaze, the Cold Frost Whip once again flashed out like lightning.

The Megalodon Beastmen who had heard their leader’s last words and were about to erupt into a frenzy were engulfed by the extreme, icy aura before they could even let out a roar. In an instant, they were all frozen into ice sculptures.

Evangeline caressed her long whip with her fingertips and glanced at the lifelike ice sculptures. Her voice held a mix of seduction and laziness. "Tideborn Beastmen are certainly less trouble than Terrestrial Beastmen."

The stagnant ocean currents formed a natural cage.

’These Tideborn only have brute strength. Since they’re all Aquatic Beastmen, their power is drastically reduced away from a water source. They can’t even use a fraction of their abilities. Dealing with them is hardly a hassle.’

Evangeline turned back nonchalantly, meeting the frozen gazes of the Mer Clan Beastmen.

They were rigid and dumbstruck, as if they still hadn’t processed the scene before them.

Evangeline’s fingers brushed across the tortoiseshell table. She casually picked up a Conch from the tabletop, weighed it in her palm, and then, with a flick of her finger, sent the Conch flying in an arc. It accurately struck the group of frozen Megalodon Beastman sculptures.

"CRACK—CRACKLE CRACKLE—"

"CRASH—"

The crisp shattering sound was exceptionally clear. In the next second, the lifelike ice sculptures collapsed with a roar, clattering to the ground in pieces. There were no struggles, no screams, not even a single drop of blood.

Evangeline retracted her long whip and cast a cool glance at the Mer Clan Beastmen, who were still frozen in place.

"It’s over."

As soon as she spoke, the chill in the Deep Sea rapidly dissipated. The Mer Clan Beastmen felt the stagnant currents around them begin to flow again. The piercing ice crystals floated lightly upwards and vanished, restoring tranquility in the blink of an eye. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"Where is Danton?" Evangeline twirled a strand of hair that drifted in the current, her gaze landing on Rhea.

With the unsightly Megalodon Beastmen gone, her expression softened. Her voice was imbued with the unique ethereal quality of the Deep Sea, making her seem like a completely different person from the ruthless killer of moments before.

Rhea’s pupils contracted. The shock in her eyes receded like a tide, replaced by surging hatred. She glared fiercely at Evangeline, her voice furious. "Don’t think I’ll be grateful just because you dealt with the Megalodon Tribe’s Beastmen and helped the Mer Clan! How dare you ask about my Brother? Now, get out of my tribe!"

Rhea was so agitated that her face flushed red, the pearls in her hair clinking together.

Evangeline’s expression grew cold. Her tone was calm but left no room for argument. "I may wish to make it up to Danton, but that doesn’t mean I will endlessly tolerate your insolence. If there is a next time, I can’t guarantee I will be as polite as I am now."

As she spoke, the corners of her long, narrow eyes flicked to the side, where the shattered remains of the Megalodon Beastmen still lay.

’How could I have forgotten? This female was never a kind person. She has become a Witch, possessing the power to annihilate an entire tribe.’

’If I refuse to cooperate, I’m afraid the entire Mer Clan will end up just like the Beastmen of the Megalodon Tribe!’

’I am Danton’s Sister. I can die for him, but my people are innocent.’

Rhea took a deep breath. Looking at her trembling clan members, she said in a low voice, "All of you, leave first."

The words had barely left her mouth when the door to the dwelling was thrown open. The Megalodon Tribe Beastmen standing guard outside barged in. They had ferocious megalodon heads, looked utterly menacing, and bared their sharp teeth.

The leader of the group, an Eight-Marked Beastman, narrowed his eyes and barked in a rough voice, "Leader?"

Rhea stared at this Eight-Marked Megalodon Beastman, her hands clenching unconsciously at her sides.

The strongest of the Mer Clan now was merely a Six-star Beastman. They were no match for him at all.

Rhea’s gaze darkened, and she couldn’t help but turn to look at Evangeline.

Her expression was indifferent. She sat leaning back lazily, her crimson Fintan swaying gently, stirring up tiny whirlpools in the water. She didn’t even bat an eyelid at the Megalodon Tribe Beastmen who had burst in.

"Hiss— They..."

The Eight-Marked Beastman’s pupils shrank abruptly as he stared fixedly at the shattered corpses all over the floor.

’The leader was on par with me in strength, he even became an Eight-Marked Beastman before I did. And now, he’s just... dead?’

Rhea took a deep breath and stepped forward, past her clan members.

Her back was ramrod straight. Pointing at the frozen fragments on the ground, she said in a low, firm voice, "Your leader is dead. Now, take this chopped meat and get out of our Mer Clan’s territory!"

The warriors of the Megalodon Tribe stood frozen, all turning to look at their Eight-Marked leader.

’Our leader was invincible. He led the Megalodon Tribe to dominate the Norfell Sea. And now he’s been reduced to a pile of minced meat, without even a sign of a struggle?’

’Could it be that the weak Mer Clan has some powerful trick up their sleeves now?’

The Megalodon Tribe’s Eight-Marked Beastman’s gaze drifted unconsciously to Evangeline. She hadn’t said a word, her entire demeanor casual and at ease, as if the intruders were nothing more than a few insignificant strands of seaweed.

His Beast Eyes flickered constantly, his gill slits flaring. His gaze shifted back and forth between Evangeline and the shattered, icy corpses on the ground. His body twitched involuntarily. Finally, his claws clenched tight, and he turned and left without a single word.

The warriors of the Megalodon Tribe retreated after him like a receding tide, not daring to make a sound.

’They were both Eight-Marked. Now that one leader is dead, a position has opened up.’

’Is it really necessary to avenge his so-called leader?’

’This floor of shattered corpses is nothing more than the perfect stepping stone for me to claim the leader’s position.’

As the Megalodon Tribe Beastmen left, Rhea still didn’t dare to let her guard down. She looked up at Montague by the door. The moment their eyes met, Montague silently flicked his green Fintan and slipped into the shadows.