The sound of the water flowing around him grew louder and louder, and the light on [Night Watchman] also became increasingly bright. Shade no longer turned his gaze in response to the sounds in the water, instead concentrating on sensing the changes in the surrounding elements.
At some point, the laughter abruptly stopped, and the sound of the water gradually calmed.
Suddenly, someone tapped Shade's left shoulder from behind. He turned and was about to swing his sword, but his body stiffened beyond his control.
Soft white light illuminated his face, emanating from the skin of the young lady before him. Her skin was white as snow, carrying the warm luster of pearls. The lines of her shoulders and collarbones were soft and smooth, while her fiery crimson hair was not made of ordinary strands, but living seaweed-like locks that churned and flowed freely along the lakebed.
Her eyes held the deep blue hue of the sea, their shifting gaze carrying a hint of mystery and languor while clearly reflecting Shade's stiffened face. Her slightly parted lips were lushly colored, as though stained by the vivid hues of seabed coral. She possessed both a young girl's delicate beauty and the unique allure and aloofness of a Mermaid.
Yes, it was not some many-limbed monster, much less an evil thing with some unknown, grotesque mass connected beneath its head. What appeared before Shade was a Mermaid with deep blue scales. Her upper body was that of a crimson-haired young girl, while her lower body was a scaled fish tail. She bore no resemblance to any young lady Shade knew. Her current appearance was unfamiliar, yet that beauty was even more breathtaking than the stitched-together faces.
Crimson locks intertwined with the dark blue ripples at the lakebed, and a smile appeared upon