The underwater city was vivid, with mermaids, tritons, and small sea beasts everywhere. It was a magical place, something Damian never thought he would find.

Most impressive was that a few mermaids and tritons explored other tower levels. Not all levels, a few only, and the only ones who could do that were the high-ranked, like Kaia, the daughter of the triton king. But still, Damian thought that all living things were trapped inside their respective levels, but that was not true.

"That's our sacred lake and where our protective beast lives. It guards the exit to the next floor, and this beast returns from the dead, so it's basically immortal," Kaia said.

After Damian recovered and felt good enough to walk around without Marilla freaking out, saying he had to rest, he went to the area leading to the next tower level.

That was where the others who betrayed him, Radagak included, would have to go and win against the beast to reach the next stage. On the other hand, Damian had the goodwill of Kaia and Marilla and the triton king, so the beast guarding the place did not attack him and could leave at any moment.

Obviously, he did not. What would be the fun of that? They tried to kill him and almost succeeded, so why should Damian go easy on them? No way in hell that would happen.

"Are you planning on killing them?" Kaia asked in an indifferent tone.

She was not fond of the idea of killing someone, but she also heard what happened from both Damian and Marilla and if Damian wanted to take revenge and kill them, she nor any other mermaid would say a word.

Damian could do almost anything with the support of the triton king's daughter and the king, and no one would say a word. Marilla was also a respected member of the city and one of the few that could leave for other tower levels, so her support meant a lot too.

"Yeah, I don't know how many of them, but I am sure as hell going to kill some, especially the one behind the betrayal plan!"

There was no way Damian would let that go, and when he confirmed his intentions, both Kaia and Marilla felt it was understandable, and they would do the same if they were in his situation.

After they got close to the sacred lake, a creature emerged from it! It was a slender fish, but its face looked nothing like a fish but more like a snake! Its body was blue, except for its belly part, which was white.

The creature was gigantic compared to the tiny mermaids and tritons, and even the buildings inside the city looked tiny. Only Damian, in his giant form, would come close to its size, but the beast would still win over him in that regard.

It instantly gazed at Damian when it left the water, but when the beast noticed he was with Kaia and Marilla, it asked, "Is he a friend?"

"It speaks?!"

A female voice came out of the creature's mouth, catching Damian off guard. Not that powerful and intelligent beasts couldn't speak, but these were rare, and Damian had yet to find one up to that point.

He only communicated with beasts through a mental connection, so it was way different than the beast moving its mouth and speaking aloud to everyone.

"Never heard a gorgeous woman like me speak? Young people these days..."

The first contact with the beast went great for Damian, but he knew that was only because of his friendship with the mermaids, or else that snake-fish lady would attack him on sight.

"Can he pass through when he wants to? But there's something else he wishes to discuss with you," Kaia said.

"Oh?"

"We came here from the dungeon, and me personally from the outside world called Earth. The humans exploring the Skyfall Tower with me betrayed me, leaving me to die. I would be dead if it weren't for Marilla and Kaia. So, can I help you win against those humans when they arrive here?"

"The dungeon... Earth..."

The creature wasn't surprised when it heard the name Skyfall Tower, but it looked as if it was trying to remember something when Damian said the words dungeon and Earth, yet for some reason, it was impossible.

Damian noticed the strange behavior, patiently waiting for the creature to say something, as he was a guest there, unwilling to be rude before that majestic creature.

Then, something unexpected happened! The beast looked at Damian and said, "I need to speak with you in private. Don't freak out," wrapping its tail around Damian's body and pulling him deep into the sacred lake.

Everything happened fast, and Kaia and Marilla were confused about why the beast did that. Still, if it said they would only talk, then the two mermaids believed in it, unwilling to go against the majestic beast that had been protecting their city since the beginning of times.

Not even the mermaids or the tritons had ever spoken in private with the beast, and indeed no one had entered the sacred lake before! Was Damian special? That passed through Kaia's and Marilla's minds, yet there was no way to know the answer; only time would tell.

Damian and the beast went together deep into the sacred lake. The lake was more prominent than he expected, having a cave underneath covered by the same bubble around the city, so it was protected against the water.

That cave was where the beast lived, and Damian could not help but notice how it looked inside, with a wooden cabin and even a farm. It was not something one would expect from a beast, and when he looked at the beast again, it had turned into a human!

The form was that of a tall woman with long white hair, slender legs, and golden eyes, still that of a snake. Her skin was flawless, as white as a snowflake, giving Damian vampire vibes.

She was gorgeous, and each movement of hers had elegance behind, grace, like a queen. There was a table outside her tiny cabin, where she led Damian.

"Wait here, I will bring us tea made of Felix Lefacius."

"Made of that? Well, thanks."

Damian had no idea what that was but accepted nonetheless, patiently waiting on the table till she returned with the tea, pouring him a cup of tea.

"How can you look like a human?" Damian asked.

"I am powerful, that's why. How is the tea?"

Damian sipped it, "delicious. But why did you bring me here? Only for tea and show me your house?"

He could not help but look down as he spoke with her, looking at her two visible mountain peaks as she wore a long seductive purple dress that showed much of her body.

"I feel connected to you for some reason, and after you said those things about the dungeon and Earth, I remembered some things."

"Like?"

Damian was getting curious as he heard her.

"The creator of the tower was once my master. I am a mere spirit here, and he told me to give something to the person of my choosing, and I choose you!"

She got up from the wooden chair, entered her house, and left with something in her hands. Damian knew what that thing was: an egg!

"Like I said, I am a spirit here, and that's why I cannot die and will forever be the guardian of this tower level. But this egg, I- I feel this is where my real body is, and I want to give it to you!"

Damian was not expecting that and couldn't quite understand what was happening. He had guessed that the bosses in each level were like spirits, as they kept returning even after getting killed, like monsters inside a game.

But that egg? That egg she held looked real, and a real beast was inside. He did not know what to do or if he should accept it.

"This is my final wish. I have to give this to someone before it's too late. Please, accept it!"

The way she said, or more like begged, made Damian unable to refuse her offer, despite not knowing why she chose him over anyone else. Was it because he was the first to arrive, or something else?

Damian gently grabbed the egg, placing it inside his spatial ring. The lady snake looked pleased after he accepted it, relieved.

"Thank you! What can you tell me about these people who betrayed you?"

~~~~

When they returned from the sacred lake, both Kaia and Marilla wanted to know what they spoke down there, but that was their secret, so both mermaids did not push it further to not infuriate the beast.historical

Damian explained to her what happened in detail, and she was more than happy to help him deal with those humans, even saying, "Let none of them live!"

"Look, captain Radagak, the tunnel led us to an underwater city!"

When Damian heard a voice and the name, he smirked, ready to implement his plan!