We agreed to set sail, so you'd become the ruler of the deep sea?

Chapter 164 Emerald City, Guardian—The Fairy Tracy! (Please subscribe! Please vote!)
Beneath the ice layer, there is still ice!
This was the lesson that group of demon-patterned sea beasts taught Shaen.

And now, this city hidden in ice crystals undoubtedly proves his conjecture.

Looking down through the clear ice, you can vaguely make out the shape of the city.

The architectural style there was unlike any island or ruins that Shane had ever seen; it possessed an exquisite beauty that defied description.

The main hall, in shades of blue and green, stands in the center of the city, surrounded by other buildings like stars around the moon.

The house, seemingly made of white oak, is arranged in a beautiful layout.

The neat streets and the buildings arranged like tofu blocks make one wonder if the people who built this city had some kind of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

But it's undeniable.

Judging solely by Shane's aesthetic sense, the city itself is a fine work of art.

"This is... an elf city?"

Xia En's breath hitched slightly. This unique style immediately reminded him of a race that had almost disappeared from the Seven Seas.

This discovery left him deeply perplexed.

Legend has it that the Emerald City is the birthplace of the magic runes.

And magic runes are the technique that elves excel at.

Therefore, Shane subconsciously assumed that the Emerald City was the city of the elves.

But now it seems that this is not the case.

The true city of elves is hidden beneath the Emerald City!
If this news spread to the Seven Seas, probably not many people would believe it.

The problem is...

Why does this peculiar city layout exist?

Could it be that the Emerald City was built after the elven race was destroyed?

Or is this city a protective shield for the Elf City?
As Shane pondered these questions, he carefully observed what lay beneath the ice.

As you can see, in this city that is as exquisite as a work of art, some dark figures occasionally wander by.

The faces of these dark figures were not clear, but judging from the patterns that lit up on their bodies, they were clearly members of that "sea monster legion".

Moreover, these deep-sea monsters with magical patterns are several times more terrifying than the sea monsters on the surface of the sea, both in size and aura!
How long have they been wandering here?

Perhaps it has been hundreds of years, or perhaps thousands of years.

Even though the Elven race has been wiped out...

To this day, they still carry out the commands of their Creator, patrolling this sea and annihilating any newcomers who try to pry into the secrets of the past.

But the more this happened, the more intense Xia En's curiosity became.

"You won't let me see it, huh? I'm going to see it anyway!"

"Let me have access!"

That being said, Shane did not recklessly break through the ice to explore downwards.

He first found several Ember Humanoids to replenish the secret power in his magic runes before coming to the ice layer, using the heat to melt the solid ice, and diving into the depths of the sea.

Upon entering the ice layer beneath the ice, Shane suddenly felt the surrounding water temperature drop once again.

A slight chill seeped into Xia En's skin through the protection of the ship's soul power.

Xia En had no choice but to activate the magic runes on his body to fight against the icy seawater with the [Ember Secret Power].

That's when.

A huge black shadow seemed to sense the fluctuation of this mysterious power and slowly swam over, its massive body swaying.

Upon getting closer, Shane immediately recognized its race from its unique appearance.

White belly, black dorsal fin, oval white patches around the eyes...

Without a doubt, this is an orca!
This creature was already a top predator in the ocean, and after the mutation, it grew to over twenty meters in length, making it even larger than the original seal.

Strange magical patterns flickered on its back, emanating icy blue ice crystals.

As such a colossal creature swam towards them, even Xia En felt an immense sense of oppression.

It wasn't that he was afraid of the killer whale.

However, to deal with this guy, you have to use the [Giant's Bracelet] to transform into a giant.

The battle between the two giant creatures on the seabed was bound to attract the attention of other sea monsters, causing the dive to end in vain.

Another important reason is—

These created sea beasts don't have [Secret Sea Crystals], so why fight them to the death?

With this in mind, Xia En's thoughts instantly became clear.

The main purpose of this [submarine voyage] is to explore the secrets of this elven city; we must infiltrate, not unleash our full power.

Xia En immediately concealed the magic runes on his body and swam into the orca's blind spot at top speed.

Furthermore, they moved closer to the buildings below.

At this point, the advantages of small size and high speed come into play.

The orca only caught a glimpse of a tiny black shadow in its peripheral vision, and the aura that had previously caught its attention vanished completely.

After looking around for a moment and finding nothing amiss, the orca swam away in another direction.

The city below.

A corner of a small courtyard.

Xia En stood up, thinking to himself, "It's really not used to suddenly switching to stealth mode..."

Soon, he turned his head and looked at the small courtyard beside him, a look of amazement flashing in his eyes.

I had only seen the rough outlines of these buildings from a high vantage point.

Now, being up close and right next to the houses allows one to truly appreciate their unique beauty.

Whether it's the murals on the walls, the intricate patterns on the railings, or the arrangement of flowers and plants in the courtyard, everything gives people a sense of "beauty".

Xia En sighed inwardly, "Legend has it that the elves walk the path of beauty."

"Like the [Path of Judgment], it is an ancient and mysterious path."

"...Hmm? Wait, flowers and plants?"

Xia En snapped out of her daze and looked at the blooming flowers and plants in the courtyard.

This is something that shouldn't exist on the seabed!
Not to mention, at this time, these plants are still fresh and have not withered at all.

Xia En couldn't help but reach out to touch it.

Only when he reached out did he understand what was going on.

ice!
The surface of the vegetation is covered with a layer of transparent ice.

It is the presence of this layer of ice that freezes the flowers and plants in the courtyard in their most vibrant moment.

Xia En quickly looked at other things in the courtyard.

As he expected, everything here was encased in solid ice.

This is why the wooden houses didn't rot and the metal railings didn't rust.

Clearly, this situation is not limited to this small courtyard.

You could say this city is a giant ice sculpture!

This immediately reminded Xia En of the town he encountered during his first dive in the Frigid Sea.

The two are so similar that they seem to have been made from the same mold.

"There's another possibility..."

Shaun narrowed his eyes and muttered to himself, "The source of the freezing cold wave that froze the town comes from this elven city!"

He had heard such a legend.

If you use the power of extreme cold, you can freeze living things in a very short time.

Therefore, this creature may not actually die, but will awaken when the ice melts.

Similar to a "cryogenic chamber" on Earth.

— Freeze those dying patients who cannot be cured by modern medical technology, hoping to awaken and cure them when medical technology is more advanced in the future.

From a certain perspective, this can be seen as believing in the wisdom of future generations and placing hope in the future.

Is the freezing of this elven city also an attempt by someone to save the elven race through this special method?

Shaun initially thought his guess was quite credible, but after a quick search of the surrounding houses, he dismissed it.

Because there isn't a single elf to be seen in the streets or houses around here!

In some houses, there are still clear signs that someone has lived there—

Frozen dishes and half-finished tea were laid out on the table.

A table slightly pulled back, books open to the light...

These scenes are as if people were living in this city one second and then disappeared the next.

Immediately, the entire city was affected by the cold wave and fell into a permanent freeze.

"What exactly is going on?"

Just as Xia En was puzzled, a petite figure quietly appeared behind him and questioned him.

"Hey! Who are you?"

Xia En was startled by the sudden sound and turned around.

He saw a palm-sized, winged humanoid creature staring at him menacingly, with an expression that said, "I'm super fierce."

However, with her petite size and pretty face, no one would be afraid of her, right?

When Xia En saw the little guy, he was also stunned for a moment.

Is this... a fairy?
As far as Shane knows, fairies are creatures that live alongside trees and forests.

Before the great flood, almost every dense forest was inhabited by fairies.

Another theory suggests that fairies and elves are natural partners, with a mutually supportive relationship.

However, in this day and age, perhaps due to changes in the environment, the number of fairies is becoming increasingly scarce.

The last time Shaen saw this creature was at an auction in the Chaotic Sin Islands.

But how could there be fairies beneath this icy sea?

And judging from her appearance, she seems to be able to live and speak normally in the seawater?
"Hey, did you hear me? I'm asking you a question!"

The fairy stared at Xia En warily: "I noticed you when you broke through the ice!"

"This is the Emerald City of the elves, and we cannot allow outsiders like you to run rampant here!"

Xia En's lips twitched.

The little fairy has quite a presence.

However, it wasn't that he didn't want to speak, but rather that he couldn't.

The Conch Necklace can only be used for communication with sea creatures, and obviously cannot transmit sound to this fairy's ears.

Shane pointed to his mouth, then shook his head, trying to explain in sign language.

Fortunately, the sea sprite was clever enough to quickly realize: "Oh right, you can't talk..."

"Wait a moment, I'll be right back."

As soon as she finished speaking, the fairy flapped her wings and disappeared from Xia En's sight.

Shane: "..."

Isn't this little guy afraid he'll run away?

It's hard to say whether she's just too naive or has too little experience communicating with others.

A moment later, the little fairy returned to Xia En and huffed and puffed as she took out a seed as big as her head.

"Here, eat this, and you should be able to talk in the sea."

Xia En didn't stand on ceremony and simply took the seed and swallowed it.

Since he was just a projection, he wouldn't die even if he acted recklessly, so he naturally became much bolder in his actions.

The seed transforms into a cool energy the moment it enters the mouth, spreading throughout the throat.

You have swallowed the "Seed of the Sea Sound"!

[Unlock the ability "Underwater Conversation"!]

Xia En opened his mouth and tentatively asked, "Hello?"

Normally, the stagnant seawater would hinder the sound from spreading, but it allowed the sound to diffuse outwards, making the sentence clearly reach his ears.

"so amazing……"

Xia En was pleasantly surprised.

Communication in the ocean has always been a significant challenge for him.

The previous [Seashell Necklace] and [Underwater Sound Generator] could only be used in specific areas.

At this point, the newly unlocked ability means that he can now communicate underwater.

And all of this is thanks to just a tiny seed!

"Hello."

With a serious expression, the fairy said to Xia En, "My name is Tracy, and I am the current guardian of this Emerald City!"

"Now, tell me honestly what your purpose is!"

protector?
The Emerald City of the Elves?
Xia En thought of what Tracy had said earlier.

Although this city is also named "Emerald," it is completely different from the city above that was covered by volcanic ash.

The inhabitants here are indeed true elves!

But now, why is there only this one fairy who calls himself a "guardian" left here?

Xia En asked curiously, "Besides you, are there any other fairies or elves in this city?"

Upon hearing this question, Tracy's face stiffened abruptly.

But she quickly cheered herself up and said, "That's right, I'm the only one left! But so what?"

"I am Her Majesty the Queen's personally appointed guardian!"

"As long as I'm here, I will protect this city until I complete my mission!"

Hearing this, Xia En felt a sense of admiration.

It has been at least a thousand years since the extinction of the Elven race.

This seemingly petite fairy has been guarding this cold and lonely seabed all by herself, which is no easy task.

Xia En said earnestly, "You've worked very hard."

Upon hearing this, Tracy's voice sounded somewhat happy: "Really?"

"Yes."

Tracy lowered her head shyly, her wings fluttering slightly behind her.

Xia En asked curiously, "But speaking of which, what exactly is the mission you've been given?"

It seemed that the conversation had greatly increased Tracy's favorability towards her, because she didn't press Xia En about what he wanted to do there, and instead spoke frankly.

"Her Majesty the Queen has asked me to wait for someone."

“…Who?”

"A person who can melt the oldest ice."

Trish looked Xiaen up and down, and finally, after careful and lengthy consideration, she spoke.

"Come with me, I'll take you somewhere."

After saying that, she swam towards the center of the city.

Xia En's heart skipped a beat, but he didn't ask any more questions and quickly followed Cuixi's footsteps.

Not long after.

A magnificent, exquisite, and solemn hall came into Xiaen's view.

An exceptionally thick, cold layer of ice covered the outside of the palace, blocking the door leading to the hall.

(End of this chapter)