Desperate

"I gained the ability to survive on land through your pact, so we only needed to activate Flesh Magic for a short stretch in the middle of the journey. We also ascended quickly, so you didn't feel the pact draining your life force."

So they only had to descend into the Abyssal Trench once before they could use Flesh Magic to force themselves to maintain a normal state? Theus understood. No wonder the Banshees of old had thought their people were cursed. There must still have been normal Banshees back then, but the moment they stopped using Flesh Magic, they would immediately turn into Swollen Monsters, or even burst apart.

The Banshees born later, meanwhile, never had the chance to dive into the Abyssal Trench. They were born looking like Swollen Monsters.

The Banshees gradually disappeared, while The Cursed eked out a miserable existence in this world.

Until Theus led them back to the Abyssal Trench.

"So, how are your people doing? Is your new home all right?"

"Not very well." Ash furrowed her brow. "In the past, all we'd heard was that the Abyssal Trench was a forbidden place for life. Under your guidance, we learned about water pressure. We thought that was what kept other creatures away, but then..."

Ash faltered. She tried to gesture with all six hands, but didn't do a very good job.

"Is there an enemy down there?" Theus asked tentatively.

"More than an enemy. It's something impossible to describe. Whenever it passes near us, my people feel oppressed, sick, out of control, and... mad."

"Can you drive it away?"

"No. We can't see it."

Ash thought for a moment, then spoke again. "Lord, we once heard that the Abyssal Trench had been polluted. We lost our home around that time. And the place where we live isn't even the deepest part of the Abyssal Trench. No one knows how deep it goes. The Pollution seems to come from below."

Pollution?

"What does Pollution mean?"

Ash shook her head. "I've only heard people use the word. I don't understand it either."

Theus pressed his lips together. He didn't quite understand what Pollution was. Judging by the word alone, it meant harmful substances had entered the environment, distorting normal conditions until life became impossible.

But what counted as harmful?

Plenty of things could cause hallucinations, nausea, and other symptoms, but those things were closer to "substances."

The Pollution afflicting Ash's people, according to her description, was more like a "living thing."

Had some kind of creature become the source of the Pollution, or had the Pollution... come alive?

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

Theus shivered involuntarily. The air wasn't cold, yet he felt as if he could sense some icy gaze from the depths of the sea.

He had a vague feeling that if the Banshees remained in the Pollution, something terrible would happen.

No. This couldn't go on.

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

Ash looked troubled. "I've thought about that too, but only the Abyssal Trench has water that deep and pressure that great. Once we come up, we have to maintain Flesh Magic at all times. Then..."

Then they would turn back into what they'd been before. Theus saw a glint of determination in Ash's eyes. She would probably rather die in the Abyssal Trench than become one of The Cursed, like a Swollen Monster.

But the Banshees' condition in the depths was clearly getting worse and worse. One day, they would cross some threshold and be completely assimilated by the Pollution.

Theus paced back and forth. One solution after another occurred to him, only for him to dismiss them. The Banshees needed such extreme living conditions—where could he find water pressure that high?

Water pressure, water pressure, water pressure...

Theus abruptly stopped. Looking at Ash floating on the sea, he smacked his forehead.

How had he forgotten about the Symbiotic Pact?

"Can you use a pact to survive on land?"

Ash's expression dimmed. "We can make a Symbiotic Pact with people on land and draw on their life force to sustain Flesh Magic, but... the ability each Banshee offers is the same, while the other party's ability varies."

Theus was taken aback. After asking her more questions, he finally understood what she meant.

When a Symbiotic Pact was made, it placed both parties on opposite ends of a scale.

The ability offered by the Banshees was fixed. A pact with any Banshee granted the same ability.

The ability offered by the other party, however, was random. They randomly gained one of the Banshee's abilities.

According to Ash, she had never seen two identical Symbiotic Pacts, even when both other parties belonged to the same species.

The Symbiotic Pact between Ash and Theus had given Ash the ability to survive on land. But another Banshee who made a pact with a human would gain a different ability.

The chance of gaining the ability to survive on land was close to zero.

"So, back then..." Theus realized something and asked in surprise.

"Yes, my lord. My plan was to make a pact, return to my people immediately, tell them about water pressure, and then dissolve the pact."

"What would happen to you if the pact were dissolved?"

"I'd die." Ash answered without hesitation. "Then all my life force would pass through the pact to you."

Theus's eyes widened. He remained silent for a long while.

He hadn't expected Ash to be so resolute. When he'd made the pact, he'd thought it might be a scam. He'd only taken the risk because he had the ability to descend into a vessel.

He hadn't realized that she, too, had decided to sacrifice herself without a moment's hesitation. If luck hadn't been on their side and she hadn't randomly gained the ability to survive on land, Ash's departure would have been a farewell forever.

Then perhaps a new species would have emerged beneath the Abyssal Trench, worshipping him as a god, while he remained completely unaware and carried on running Castel Island.

Was this fate? Theus was a staunch materialist, but even he couldn't help feeling lost for a moment at this almost predestined coincidence.

Steadying himself, Theus asked again, "Can the other Banshees make a pact with me?"

Ash shook her head, sorrow flickering in her eyes. "Your body... is too frail. You passed out just from making a pact with me. If I and another Banshee drew on your life force at the same time, you'd surely die."

The Banshees had never tried to have several of them make a pact with one person at the same time. Before this, the only ones they could make pacts with were Fishmen, who were quite frail too. A single Banshee could drain all their life force, let alone several.

As for humans... Ash didn't want to disparage the species. Her lord, Theus, was the most learned and kind being she had ever met, someone who could even rival a god. But when it came to physical strength and vitality...

Humans were even weaker than Fishmen.