«↓ Congrats! ↑»
«↓ You have earned a Unique Power [View] ↑»
«↓ Unique Power: Aqua Dominion ↑»
>> You govern all water within sight and can bend it into any form you wish.
>> You can summon creatures made from ice to attack or help you in defense, e.g., a Spectral Leviathan.
>> You can shift between liquid form and frozen form.
>> Generally, you can use water in any imaginative form you wish.
With my index finger pressed on my lips, I stared at the air, amazingly, as those around me would think.
But, I was busy with the system's notifications, and the Unique power the sword has granted me... isn't it overpowering?
Possessing the ability to perform all that was mentioned in the description was wonderful, but it wasn't without its cons — I will need to be a hoarder of mana.
'Over to the title.'
«↓ You have earned a New Title [View] ↑»
«↓ New Title: Thalassic Monarch ↑»
>> You are the ruler of the Sea.
>> Allows you to summon the aura of a King and grant dominion over Sea Beasts.
>> When in use, whatever attack words you speak become a spell.
>> And much more.
'Thalassic Monarch? Hmph, I never expected to gain such a title. But what can I say, the system is very generous.'
«↓ More points have been relinquished to your stat ↑»
As if my stat points were refilling, all stats completed to their limits as supposed as an Adept Lv. I mage.
«↓ T.S.P: 900 [+397] ↑»
« Congrats! You have leveled up. »
Another space appeared besides the stats, and still.
« T.S.P: 1,350 [+450] »
« You have leveled up amazingly ↑»
«↓ Rank: Expert [Lv. I] ↑»
>> Due to your current level, some changes have been made to your status.
« ...Stating Changes... »
>> Attunement Feature has been revoked.
>> Affiliation Potential [+5 Slots] available.
>> Power has been hybridized into your Unique Power.
« ... »
« ... »
«↓ Name: Mobix Seafrost ↑»
«↓ Title: The New Being, Shadow Master, Thalassic Monarch ↑»
«↓ Affiliation: 1 | Seafrost [+4 Slots available] ↑»
«↓ Rank: Expert [Lv. I] ↑»
«↓ Power: Aqua Dominion [Unique] ↑»
Finally, the system went through with its words earlier by revoking the Attunement Feature, not even limiting it.
'It seems better don't it, than having to worry that I would never fill in the space provided by that feature.'
All the while I was busy going through the notifications, I didn't know I had unknowingly activated and was enveloped in the aura of Thalassic Monarch.
The presence distorted the air around to feel like that which came from an infinite surface of a deep, frozen sea.
Of course, behind me, a majestic royal figure had formed, hovering slightly above my head, visible enough to onlookers.
At its presence, the ice floor on which the trio was standing began to melt. The only one among them who was able to struggle against the meltdown was the water magic wielder.
Yet, they finally drowned in the water, down to the floor beneath their feet.
Since the water above was artificially created by the girl, I waved my hands at it and it disappeared, leaving the stone slab, which now appeared taller than it was under ice.
Now, I stood high above the trio, while they were in a shallow abyss.
Having noticed my presence, the water and dragon demon knelt and paid heed to my honor. The dark-haired girl didn't flinch, but instead mustered the courage to repeat her question.
"Who are you? What are you? And, what have you come here for?"
By now, my Monarch aura had vanished, and with a gesture of my hands, the other two girls rose to their feet.
I blinked at the revolt among them and shifted my gaze to the wheel carrying the five orbs in the air.
"I've come to take what's rightfully mine. As you can see, there's no need to fight anymore," I said, with my hands folded behind my back.
One after another, the trio responded to my request.
"The demon Master had foreseen this day."
"He is the all-seeing being."
"You left us at the disposal of his captivity."
I squatted with one knee on the floor and looked below.
"That's why I've come to grant you salvation," I said, my voice as calm as ever. "But how will I be able to accomplish this without a knowledge of your names?"
The girls looked at each other as if thinking it twice, but the dark-haired girl took the lead again.
"How can you expect us to tell you who we are when you've hidden yours?"
"Fine. Fine. I'm Mobix, the ruler of the sea and everything that borrowed my aura," I said and rose, venturing towards the direction of the magic orb.
The trio showed me what they were capable of by flying out of the abyss back to the same surface as I. But they didn't attack me anyway, even as I stood directly below the wheel bearing the Mana Plants.
Although, they weren't attacking, they hadn't given up yet on letting go of the Mana Plants. I was also not planning to collect it yet.
However, I learned their various names.
The dark-haired girl happened to have gotten a bloodline from the wolves.
Her name: Vera Wolves.
The golden-haired girl got hers from a dragon race. Her name: Bonnie Draconis.
And the last but not least among them... I'm quite not too sure of her race, but her name—
Her name happened to be Lovina Slytherin.
'Vera Wolves, Bonnie Draconis, and Lovina Slytherin are all fitting for my Harem. That is why I have planned to only collect these Mana Plants with their approval.'
With my hands still folded behind me, I took some steps forward toward their direction.
"Vera, you said that the all-seeing master of yours had foreseen this day?" I asked, curious.
"Yes."
Then, Bonnie and Lovina, with a changed voice that mechanically resonated.
"And so goes the prophecy: a silver-haired boy shall come on the assigned day in search of these treasures I'm bestowing under your protection, Vera Wolves."
"Oh, ohh. Your demon Master is such a good guesser," I muttered, turning to meet Muna, who now stood beside me, flanked as well by Linda.
"Did you say that the Demon Master knew about the Mana plants?" Muna asked.
Only when she asked this question did I stop being full of myself.
It was strange how the demon Master knew about the Spatial tear, not talk of the Mana plants.
The only person who knew about it was my vanished father, Muna... then, Linda and I. Except for the four of us, any being except these trio who were captives of my father's hunt could only raise suspicions.
"No, you're joking, right?" Muna grimaced, as if her facial expression was going to hide the doubt in her mind.
She too suspected the same thing as me.
The trio looked at each other again, and Vera stepped forward.
"It's been over a decade since I was trapped in this Spatial tear and made to protect the Mana plants. Master, who never forsakes his followers, was able to find me out and used it to his advantage."
"The creator of this tear was very powerful and had vanished for the betterment of all demons."
Hearing her second statement, relief washed over me. And I felt the same did for Muna.
"Knowing that I would one day get tired of holding onto the wheel, he left and returned with Bonnie and Lovina to serve as supporters," Vera continued.
"As at that time, we were still in our various beast forms until Master, with his intrinsic powers, transformed us to our humanoid forms. But, it was left with a con."
I listened attentively as Vera narrated her ordeal.
"We were never going to rank up to higher demons, since we are fallen after getting attacked by the owner of this Spatial tear."
Her explanation brought absolute relief to Muna and me, knowing our suspicions could be false.
"He granted us redemption from failure, only if we can be able to do the simple task he had given to us. Master even used my ability to replicate several demons of my beast form."
'Several demons of her beast form. The wolves?'
That explains the reason why she was able to have control over them. And, too, it also explains what Bonnie and Lovina meant by if she wanted her death.
They knew all along that the wolves weren't going to hurt them, but created the barriers for whatever reason concerned them.
Their main killer could have been the Demon Master.
"And you call your second captivity redemption?" I asked, with furrowed brows.
"You see, I define failure as falling and failing to rise again. Not only did you fail, you fell into false subordination."
"You didn't enjoy the privileges your fellow demons enjoy. Sitting like a spore on that stone slab for decades is really what you call redemption. Lol."
"Your master is really good at manipulating your brains into becoming dumps of stupidity. But you know what...?"
I looked to make sure they had been listening to all that I said.
"I don't redeem, but I will grant you salvation," I said as a matter of fact, looking away and pacing a few steps further.
The trio looked at each other in reluctance to heed the freedom I was about to grant them.
'First step to conviction: make them doubt their former thoughts.'
I almost thought out loud, guessing they no longer trusted their all-seeing master.
Still, no response came from them.
I turned to them and restated.
"Since you told me a story, I think it's my turn."
"..."