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My name is Tiberius, and I'm the current wizard of the Merman Tribe. While our Merman tribe is formidable and known as the overlords of the South Sea, our lifespan is only a little over a thousand years. This is a far cry from the tens of thousands or even millions of years of lifespans of the Elves and Dragons.

I was very dissatisfied. It was clear that mermaids were no worse than them, so why couldn't they have lived for thousands of years longer? Some of the long-lived giants in the sea could live for thousands of years. After all, mermaids are an intelligent race!

I like to study spells, and one day I suddenly had an idea: maybe the mermaids can use spells to prolong their lifespan?

I started to study it right away. The previous wizard had left behind a lot of raw materials and historical materials.

Why is it that I have been researching this from over 200 years old to over 800 years old, but have gained nothing in these 600 years?

I have to admit that lifespan is something that the gods had already determined when they created them, and they cannot change it.

I kind of want to give up.

However, one day, I accidentally thought of the legend about the source of the River of Death recorded in the historical documents of the mermaids.

If I could go to the place where the gods lived, maybe I could make a breakthrough.

It was originally just a ridiculous idea. After all, no one in that race knew how dangerous it was there.

However, the more I thought about it, the more feasible it seemed to me, and in the end I really wanted to go.

I made all the necessary preparations, taught all my knowledge to the next wizard candidate, and went to the source to have a look.

The River of Death is a natural dividing line, separating the territories of the Elves, Humans, and Orcs. Its swift current and icy cold waters also create an insurmountable barrier. Originating in the far north, carrying the chill of the glaciers, the river rushes southward, ultimately merging into the turbulent South China Sea.

Even if I am not the strongest warrior of the mermaid tribe, I am at least the overlord of the ocean. I decided to start from the estuary, go upstream and head straight to the far north.

The river water was so cold that it seemed to freeze even my soul.

The rocks at the riverbed were jagged and uneven, their sharp edges rubbing against my tail, causing waves of pain. But the mermaid's scales were as hard as iron, protecting me from serious injury. Even so, each collision with the rocks fatigued me, and I had to remain vigilant to avoid being swept away by the current.

The upper reaches of the River of Death are the most dangerous place, where the water flows more turbulently and the water temperature is lower, as if even time can be frozen.

I have experienced countless life-and-death tests in these waters. Every time, I felt that I was about to be taken away by the god of death, but in the end, I survived by chance thanks to my tenacious will and the protection of God.

The closer you get to the source, the lower the cliffs on both sides become.

To be on the safe side, I found a safe cliff and went ashore.

The mermaid's spell allows me to disguise myself as a human, so that even if I encounter a human by chance, it will not arouse their suspicion. Besides, I cannot let other races know the secret of the mermaids after they leave the water.

Wrapped in a cloak, I walked along the River of Death and through the snow-capped mountains of the far north.

Unexpectedly, they actually encountered humans on the way.

There were four of them, with two wizard-dressed figures standing in front of the two young men, seemingly their bodyguards. The two young men were clearly of higher status and more respectably dressed. Even though this place was hundreds of kilometers away from the human territory, they seemed well-fed and well-clothed.

The older youth, seemingly sensing a glance from the blond youth beside him, took the initiative to greet me. "Hello, my name is Victor Darius, a noble from Seraphis. Here are my friends. We're planning an expedition to the source of the River of Death. I'm curious where you're from and how you made it through this dangerous place."

I had no intention of making close friends with them. Humans are cunning and scheming. I simply said, "I was lucky to survive."

The two young nobles seemed interested in having me go with them. I didn't know why they were so enthusiastic, but since we were going to the same destination, it was inevitable that we would run into each other again. It would be better for us to go together and avoid danger. So I agreed.

We headed north, crossing countless snow-capped mountains. The sun rarely appeared here. Another month must have passed before we finally reached the source of the River of Death.

Everyone says that it is a forbidden area, with no way out.

However, since I have spent eight months to get here, I naturally will not back down and will go forward resolutely.

The forbidden area is located on the top of a majestic snow-capped mountain. The peak of the mountain is towering into the clouds. The clouds seem to be a barrier between heaven and earth, separating warmth and cold, life and death.

The top of the mountain is covered by thick clouds all year round, making it difficult for sunlight to penetrate. Only a few rays of light occasionally shine through the gaps in the clouds, illuminating the snow on the top of the mountain.

Those humans hesitated for a moment and then followed me up the mountain. I didn't care. The answer I wanted was right in front of me. What happened to them had nothing to do with me.

The younger nobleman no longer cared about being reserved and climbed very quickly with a look of great concentration, almost trying to break through the clouds before me.

I won’t go into detail about what I experienced in the forbidden area.

After all, I didn't find a way to extend the lifespan of the mermaids, but the two human nobles seemed to have found what they wanted. They cheered and made a mess of the bookshelf.

I have also read those books, and I feel that they are all spells that require the right time, place, and people to complete.

In short, these are things that are extremely difficult for humans to master, so I ignored them.

I originally thought that everyone would live in peace until we left the forbidden area.

Unexpectedly, when I was going down the mountain, one of their wizards approached me and reached out to push me into the River of Death.

I was indeed too weak after leaving the water, and there was no time to cast spells to save myself.

With the idea of ​​dying together, I dragged the wizard along and fell into the River of Death.

Before falling into the river, I was knocked unconscious by the rocks on the shore and then fell into a coma.

Fortunately, I am a mermaid and don’t have to worry about drowning. When I woke up, I found myself in the gap between two rocks. It was pitch black all around and I couldn’t see anything.

When I surfaced, I found myself near the Forgotten Mountains and the Valley of the Wind. I calculated the time and estimated that I had been unconscious for a week.

I didn't find any trace of the wizard nearby, and thought that he might not survive. After all, the River of Death has always been a place that humans cannot cross.

At that time, I was just feeling lucky and wondering how lucky I was to have survived this journey.

Similarly, the behavior of the human race also made my impression of them plummet to the bottom. We clearly have no conflicts, not even contradictions, but the human race can secretly harm their "fellow race" without any psychological burden. How ridiculous.

Dragging my wounded body, I finally returned to the mermaid tribe's territory and returned to my own hut.

Perhaps my body is gradually entering an old age state, and it will take me nearly a hundred years to recover from some of the hidden injuries.

Today, Osina came to me and mentioned a race - the orcs, an intelligent race that was born only a hundred years ago.

I calculated the time. How could there be such a coincidence? It was almost the same time as they left the forbidden area.

A new intelligent race hasn't appeared on the continent in eons, yet it happened to be born just as we were entering and leaving the forbidden area. This couldn't be a coincidence.

Moreover, I don’t think that human wizards are capable of mastering the spell to curse an entire race. Wouldn’t the world be in chaos if that happened?

For some reason, I thought of the wizard who fell into the River of Death with me.

Could he still be alive? With something from the forbidden area?

If it were the spells in the forbidden area, it might be possible. I suddenly felt a little regretful that I should have stopped those humans at that time.

Afterwards, Osina told me about the similar conditions between the elves and the mermaids over the past hundred years, and I became alert.

Those humans must have brought something incredible out of the forbidden area! I firmly believe it.

I probably only have a hundred years or so to live. I hope I can resolve this matter within my lifetime and make up for the mistakes I made.

The human race has been putting pressure on the elves, mermaids and orcs one after another. Their ambitions must be huge, and the world may be in turmoil in the future.

After Osina left, I swam to the surface of the sea. The stars were bright tonight and the moon was high in the sky.

I stared at the twinkling stars, trying to read the world's warning.

In the sky, the unfavorable aspect between Mars and Saturn seems to foreshadow impending difficulties.

But in this adversity, the light of Venus reveals hope, heralding the appearance of a savior.

In times of crisis, an unexpected helper will lend a hand and help him resolve the crisis.

I think the helper should have appeared.