Desperate Situation

"I gained the ability to survive on land from your contract, so I only needed to activate Flesh Magic for a short stretch in the middle. Since we ascended rapidly, you didn't feel the life force being drained by the contract."

In other words, as long as they descended into the Abyssal Trench once, they could use Flesh Magic to forcibly maintain a normal state? Theus understood. No wonder the Banshees of the past believed their race was cursed. There must have been normal Banshees back then, but the moment they stopped using Flesh Magic, they would immediately turn into Swollen Monsters, or even explode and die.

As for the Banshees born later, they never had the chance to dive into the Abyssal Trench, so they were born looking like Swollen Monsters.

The Banshees gradually vanished, and The Cursed eked out a miserable existence in this world.

Until Theus led them back into the Abyssal Trench.

"So, how are your people? Is the new home alright?"

"Not very well." Ash frowned. "In the past, we only heard that the Abyssal Trench was a forbidden zone for life. Under your guidance, we learned about water pressure, and we assumed that was why other creatures dared not approach, but later..."

At this point, Ash faltered. She tried to gesture with her six arms, but it wasn't very effective.

"Are there enemies inside?" Theus asked tentatively.

"Not just enemies, but an indescribable existence. Whenever it passes near us, my people feel oppressed, nauseated, out of control, and insane..."

"Can you drive it away?"

"No, we cannot see it."

Ash thought for a moment and spoke again: "Lord, we once heard that the Abyssal Trench was polluted. That was when we lost our home. Furthermore, the place we occupy is not the deepest part of the Abyssal Trench. No one knows how deep it truly is, and that pollution seems to be coming from below."

Pollution?

"What do you mean by pollution?"

Ash shook her head: "I have only heard the term; I do not understand it either."

Theus pursed his lips. He didn't quite grasp what pollution meant. Taken literally, it meant harmful substances had mixed into the environment, distorting normal conditions to the point where survival was impossible.

But what could be considered harmful?

There were indeed many things that could cause hallucinations or nausea, but those were more akin to "matter."

Yet, in Ash's description, the pollution her people suffered from was more akin to a "living thing."

Had some creature become a source of pollution, or had the pollution itself... "come alive"?

If the pollution had come alive, would it seek food, or would it seek to... pollute more living beings?

Theus shivered involuntarily. The temperature was not cold at all, yet he felt as if he were being watched by a chilling gaze from the depths of the sea.

He had a vague premonition that if the Banshees remained in the "pollution," something terrible would happen.

No, this could not go on.

"Ash, is there any way for the Banshees to leave the Abyssal Trench?"

Ash wore a troubled expression: "I have thought about this, but only the Abyssal Trench has such deep water and such immense pressure. Once we come up, we must maintain Flesh Magic at all times, and that..."

That would mean turning back into their original forms. Theus saw a flicker of determination in Ash's eyes; she would likely rather die in the Abyssal Trench than become a Swollen Monster-like member of The Cursed again.

But beneath the Abyssal Trench, the condition of the Banshees was clearly worsening. One day, they would cross a certain threshold and be completely assimilated by the "pollution."

Theus paced back and forth, methods appearing in his mind only to be dismissed. The environmental requirements for the Banshees were too high; where could he find such high water pressure?

Water pressure, water pressure, water pressure...

Theus's footsteps suddenly stopped. He looked at Ash as she floated on the sea and slapped his forehead hard.

How could he have forgotten about the Symbiotic Pact?

"Can you survive on land through a contract?"

Ash's expression dimmed: "We can sign a Symbiotic Pact with humans on land and drain their life force to maintain Flesh Magic, but... the contract provided by every Sea Siren is the same, yet the other party is always different."

Theus was taken aback. Only after questioning her carefully did he understand what she meant.

When a Symbiotic Pact is signed, both parties are placed on opposite ends of a scale.

The ability provided by the Banshees is fixed; the ability gained from signing a contract with any Banshee is identical.

However, the contract ability provided by the symbiotic partner on the other end of the scale is random—one randomly gains a certain ability from the other.

According to Ash, she had never seen two identical Symbiotic Pacts, even if the other party belonged to the same race.

The Symbiotic Pact signed between Ash and Theus provided Ash with the ability to survive on land, but another Banshee signing a contract with a different human would gain a different ability.

The probability of also gaining the ability to survive on land was near zero.

"So at that time..." Theus asked, startled by a sudden realization.

"Yes, Lord. At that time, my plan was to return to my people immediately after signing the contract, tell them about the water pressure, and then break the contract."

"What would happen to you if you broke the contract?"

"Death." Ash answered bluntly. "Then all my life force would be transferred to you through the contract."

Theus opened his eyes wide and remained silent for a long time.

He had not expected Ash to be so resolute. When the contract was signed, he had thought it was a scam, and only took the risk because he possessed the ability to descend into vessels.

He never imagined that she had decided to sacrifice herself without hesitation. If not for his good luck in randomly obtaining the ability to survive on land, Ash's departure back then would have been a final farewell.

And perhaps a new race would have emerged beneath the Abyssal Trench, worshipping him as a god, while he remained completely unaware, continuing to manage his Castel Island.

Is this fate? Theus was a staunch materialist, but faced with such a fateful coincidence, he couldn't help but feel lost for a moment.

Steadying himself, Theus asked again, "Can the other Banshees sign a contract with me?"

Ash shook her head, a trace of sorrow appearing in her eyes: "Your... physical body is too frail. You fell unconscious just from signing one contract. If another Banshee and I were to drain your life force simultaneously, you would certainly die."

The Banshees had never attempted to have multiple Banshees sign a contract with a single contractor; primarily because the only beings they could contract with before were Fishmen. Fishmen were also quite frail, and a single Banshee could potentially drain all of their life force, let alone multiple Banshees.

As for humans... Ash did not want to belittle the human race. Her lord, Theus, was the most learned and benevolent being she had ever encountered, perhaps even comparable to the gods, but when it came to physical strength and the vitality of one's life force...

Humans were even weaker than Fishmen.