Deep One Legion!

North Ridge City, South Bay Port.

Night had fallen, and a light drizzle began to fall from the sky.

A fishing boat passed by, and the fishermen aboard shook their heads as they looked toward the harbor.

"Who knows which big shot went and bought out the whole of South Bay? Now we don't even know where we're supposed to unload our catch."

"Oh, quit complaining. Didn't they pay you?"

"Money only lasts for a while..."

"Just take things as they come."

"Huh, what's that?"

"Looks like a person?"

One fisherman picked up his binoculars and saw a dark green figure floating on the distant sea.

"Maybe... that's not a person?"

"Wait, it looks like it's coming over?"

"Th-This...!"

"What is it?"

"So fast... what the hell is that?!"

The fisherman beside him snatched the binoculars and looked out over the water, where a splash was speeding straight toward them!

"Holy shit... is that a fish?"

"A fish?"

"At that speed, it's more like a motorboat!"

"It's here!"

Splash!!

A spray of water erupted as a dark green figure shot up from beneath the sea and landed directly on the deck!

"That's..."

"My God, a Merman?!"

The Fishman twisted its neck, then walked toward the crowd. Everyone backed away at the sight of it, and some even raised their harpoons!

The Fishman revealed its claws and casually slashed, cutting the harpoons in two!

Bang!

One man collapsed onto the deck with a bang, terrified. "Just one hit and..."

The Fishman looked at him, walked over, and pressed both hands against his temples before smashing its forehead against the man's!

"Awuwaxia Kamogdos."

The Fishman chanted a strange phrase, then shoved the man aside.

At first, the man did not understand what was happening, but then his body began to convulse and twist. "Urgh... argh!!"

Crack!

His bones grew and shifted out of place, while green scales began devouring his skin!

Sharp fins and hooked claws grew from his body. In the blink of an eye, he had turned into a Fishman!

The fishermen were so terrified that their legs went weak, and they all dropped to their knees to beg for mercy.

But the Fishman ignored them and reached for the next person.

It first pressed both hands against the man's temples, then slammed their foreheads together. "Awuwaxia Kamogdos."

"Argh!"

Another man convulsed and, moments later, transformed into a Fishman.

The crowd could no longer hold themselves back and jumped overboard to flee!

The Fishman waved a hand. "Bring them back."

As soon as it spoke, the two transformed Deep Ones rose to their feet like Walking Corpses.

They then leaped into the water to capture the fleeing fishermen.

"Hmm... now that I'm no longer the only Deep One, I deserve a more special title."

"For example, Sea King."

The Fishman turned, sat in a chair with one leg crossed over the other, and quietly waited.

Under the sea.

A group of people fled for their lives, but how could they possibly outrun Deep Ones?

Underwater, the speed of the Deep Ones was unquestionably terrifying!

One Deep One instantly grabbed a man by the ankle and violently dragged him into the depths. "Hahaha, stop running, Old Liu. Join us!"

"Get away from me, you water ghost!"

"You're blub blub..."

"Hahaha, after turning into this, I feel invincible!"

"Come on, become one of us!"

"With this power, we can conquer the sea!"

"...Become one of us!"

One person after another was dragged back onto the boat.

There were fifty-six people in total. Without exception, every last one of them had been dragged back by the two Deep Ones.

Seeing this, the Fishman stood up and began transforming the remaining people into Deep Ones as well.

This time, they no longer had the strength to run.

"Awuwaxia Kamogdos."

The sky gradually cleared, and dawn appeared.

A ship loaded with monsters docked at South Bay Port.

Surrounded by the Deep Ones, the Fishman spread its arms and returned to human form beneath the sunlight.

After its second evolution, the Fishman had gained an abdomen like that of a Black Forktooth Fish.

It could hold objects ten times larger than itself inside it. Naturally, the Fishman applied this ability in a more specialized way.

It used it to store water.

It did not need to urinate through its reproductive organs. Any part of its body could expel or absorb liquid.

Whenever its body needed moisture, it would automatically absorb the water stored in its abdomen.

As a result, its Fishman transformation had become controllable.

A thin membrane had formed over the surface of its skin, isolating it from rainwater, so it would not transform even if it got wet.

As long as it directed the water in its abdomen to seep into its skin and other parts of its body, it could transform into a Fishman anytime, anywhere.

When it wanted to undo the transformation, it simply absorbed all the water in its body back into its abdomen.

At the same time, the Fishman's ability to cry had also become somewhat controllable.

Aside from that, it had gained a certain degree of regeneration, as well as the ability to create followers like Queen Bee.

Its followers could also return to human form, but just as it had before, they had to be completely isolated from all water.

"Children, from this day onward, this will be your home."

"I have only one requirement for you: obey my orders."

"Any questions?"

One Deep One stood there blankly for a moment. "Well... I have a wife and children."

The Fishman suddenly turned to look at him. "Then have them join us too. How about that?"

The Deep One immediately shut his mouth.

"Listen carefully. In this world, you may do anything you want, but you must never defy me or that Lord."

"That Lord is...?"

"God."

South Bay Port, noon.

Queen Bee and Raven looked at the more than fifty humans before them and nodded.

"Not bad. You came prepared this time, Number 002."

The Fishman's gaze was cold. "I can't disappoint Lord Aus again. So this time, no matter what happens, I will not underestimate my enemy."

Raven nodded. "You made the right choice."

"Our target has joined forces with the police, and they even established a Supernatural Existence Investigation Group."

"Well, it was specifically made to deal with us."

"That Lord didn't offer any opinion on the matter. He must be testing you. After all, you're the only one among us to have undergone a second evolution."

The Fishman pondered for a moment. "Then this still isn't enough... I need more. At least two hundred thousand Deep Ones."

Queen Bee's eyes widened at the number. "Two hundred thousand? Are you planning to attack the United Nations?"

"The opponent you're facing is only a tiny police station with fewer than a hundred people."

The Fishman turned around. "That was what I thought last time too, and I paid a bloody price for it. This time, I have to be cautious."

Upon hearing that, Raven transformed into a young girl and burst into laughter, clutching her stomach. "Are you some kind of overly cautious hero?"

"What's that?"

"An anime I happened to watch a couple of days ago. The protagonist is a man so cautious that even I found him terrifying when I thought about it."

"The villains in it were ridiculous too. They actually went straight to the beginner village to block the entrance!"

"What kind of villain does that?"

Blocking the entrance to the beginner village...

Number 002: Deep One (Second Evolution)