Evangeline gently traced the patterns on the Conch with her fingertips. The current stirred her long hair.

Coral Cetus hid behind Stellan, peeking and peering into the Reef House.

When her gaze fell on the lazily lounging Evangeline, she let out a sigh of relief. But the next moment, her eyes swept over the dismembered corpses scattered across the floor, and she couldn’t help but shiver, her fingers tightening their grip.

She had still underestimated this "friend" she’d made on land.

An eerie silence filled the room, so profound that even the faint whisper of the current was clearly audible.

Coral Cetus could even hear her own frantic heartbeat. She couldn’t help but soften her breathing.

But she had never been the type to hold back, and she quickly grew restless.

Curiosity grew in her heart like wild seaweed. Coral Cetus was desperate to know what had just happened in the Reef House. She couldn’t resist secretly tugging on Stellan’s arm, her eyes shining with astonishing brightness, clearly urging him to take her inside.

Stellan’s brow furrowed sharply, and he gave her a slight shake of his head. This was no time for games.

Coral Cetus looked disappointed, as if she’d been deflated, but she still stood on her toes, stubbornly peering inside.

Perhaps her movements were too big, for she finally startled Rhea, who had been as taut as a bowstring.

She turned to look at Coral Cetus and Stellan. Her stern expression softened slightly, and she beckoned to Coral Cetus.

Light suddenly flashed in Coral Cetus’s eyes. With a little SWISH, she slipped out from behind Stellan’s blocking arm, moving gracefully before Rhea and calling out politely, "Clan Leader."

When she and Stellan had formed their Contract, Rhea had not yet come of age. Now, however, she was a Clan Leader in her own right.

Rhea was clearly an old acquaintance of Coral Cetus. She gently took her hand and said, "I heard you and Stellan went to the Terrestrial Beastman trading assembly. Why are you back so soon?"

The end of her sentence curved up slightly, all the irritability she had shown toward Evangeline now completely restrained.

At the mention of this, the smile on Coral Cetus’s face froze. She couldn’t help but steal a glance at Evangeline, then quickly lowered her eyelids, her lashes casting an uneasy shadow below.

Rhea’s expression stiffened. Her face suddenly turned cold, and she let go of Coral Cetus’s hand.

She whirled to face Stellan, her gaze as sharp as a blade, her voice thick with overwhelming fury. "You’re the ones who brought her here?!"

Stellan’s throat bobbed. Meeting Rhea’s piercing gaze, he slowly nodded.

Rhea’s expression was grim. She said, enunciating each word, "Give me a reason."

Coral Cetus suddenly took a deep breath and darted in front of Stellan in a single bound.

She spread her slender arms, looked at Rhea’s furious expression, and said in a small voice, "Clan Leader, I’m the one who promised Evangeline. She said... she said she could let..."

At that tense moment, a current surged outside the Reef House.

Montague returned, riding the waves. His face was alight with triumph, and as soon as he entered, his voice boomed like a great bell. "Clan Leader, the Megalodon Tribe has been driven completely out of Mer Clan territory! We’re safe!"

With this declaration, the fear and tension that had been building in the hearts of the Mer Clan beastmen washed away.

’Finally,’ Rhea thought, her tense shoulders suddenly relaxing, her spine curving slightly. ’We defended it.’

But Montague suddenly seemed to remember something. He turned to look at Evangeline, then back at Rhea, hesitating. "Clan Leader..."

Rhea waved her hand, a trace of weariness in her expression. "You all leave first. I’ll speak with her alone."

’Evangeline’s appearance is just too deceptive,’ she thought. ’I can’t let my clansmen stay with her. She wants to know about her Brother, doesn’t she? Fine, I’ll tell her. I’ll make her give up all hope!’

Coral Cetus scratched her head, the pearls in her hair tinkling with the movement.

She couldn’t let the Clan Leader misunderstand Stellan. After a moment’s thought, she made up her mind and raised her voice. "Clan Leader, I wasn’t finished with what I was saying! Evangeline said she can restore the Young Clan Leader’s Star Pattern and let him return to the Deep Sea!"

A dead silence instantly fell over the Reef House. The current seemed to freeze once more.

Rhea’s pupils trembled, and a monstrous wave of emotion surged in her eyes. Her gaze snapped to Evangeline. Her voice shaking, she bit out each word, the end of her question trembling. "Restore his Star Pattern?"

Montague also sucked in a sharp breath, the muscles beneath his Scale Armor instantly tensing.

’She’s Evangeline?’ he thought, following Rhea’s gaze in disbelief. ’That female from the Fox Clan in the Oasis Tribe? How is that possible? She’s clearly a Mer Clan beastman!’

Evangeline stood up, the warmth gone from her expression, her features veiled in a detached coldness.

"So, where is Danton?"

Rhea shuddered and staggered back half a step, as if she had suffered a tremendous blow.

Coral Cetus rushed to support her, but seeing Rhea’s deathly pale face and trembling lips, she couldn’t help but feel confused. ’This doesn’t look like joy,’ she thought. ’Why does it feel more like despair?’

"Clan Leader?" Stellan frowned, a bad feeling suddenly rising in his heart.

Evangeline looked at the devastated Rhea and frowned. She moved in front of her, her fingertips digging so hard into Rhea’s shoulder blades they nearly broke the bone. Her voice was laced with ice. "Where in the world is Danton? Did something happen to him?"

’If something had happened to Danton, I would have felt something.’

’Besides, ever since I entered the Deep Sea, the Contract Mark on my waist has been faintly burning. I must be close to Danton. It’s clear that after he left, he really did find Rhea. He must be hiding on some island in these waters.’

Rhea’s lips trembled. It was as if a thousand words were stuck in her throat, but she couldn’t speak.

Montague looked up at her, his eyes dimming. He said in a low voice, "The Young Clan Leader... went to the Demonsea Abyss."

"The Demonsea Abyss?!"

Coral Cetus and Stellan’s faces changed drastically. Even their sharp intakes of breath were tinged with a tremor, their voices nearly shrill.

Alarm bells instantly went off in Evangeline’s mind. Her voice was like forged ice. "What is the Demonsea Abyss?"

’The original owner of this body was a Terrestrial Beastman. Although she had a Tideborn Beast Husband like Danton, she had no feelings for him. Naturally, she had no interest in the Deep Sea where he had lived and had never paid it any real attention.’

’However, judging from Coral Cetus and Stellan’s reactions, the Demonsea Abyss was clearly not a good place.’

Coral Cetus swallowed hard, her voice trembling so much it was off-key. "The Dem... Demonsea Abyss... is home to the Siren clan..."

Stellan’s eyes were bloodshot. He grabbed Coral Cetus’s wrist and took over. "Sirens are born with the power of a Witch, but it wasn’t granted by the Beast God. It’s a curse, a vicious curse!"

His voice grew cold. "This power, which far surpasses that of ordinary beastmen, makes their lives incredibly short."

"It even prevents them from leaving the Demonsea Abyss. Rumor has it... rumor has it that Sirens can help people fulfill their wishes, so there are always some beastmen willing to trade their lives for a Siren’s boon."

At this, Stellan closed his eyes, his lashes trembling. His words came out with great difficulty. "The Sirens can indeed help beastmen achieve their wishes. But those who come out of the Demonsea Abyss rarely last more than three to five tides before they silently turn into seafoam, not even leaving a corpse behind."