While the mermen were busy detecting and extracting the mana stones from the seabed, Neo decided to experiment with his Universal Synthesis ability.
If he could successfully synthesize his own eyes with the genes of a Blue Tide merman, he might be able to awaken the Spirit Eyes for himself.
To initiate the synthesis, however, he required a physical catalyst. Smaller parts of their biological bodies would do fine.
As such, he returned to the village hall, where Chieftess Marlene was resting, and flatly demanded a few strands of hair from a member of their lineage.
The village elders and guards present in the hall instantly became shocked by the bizarre and unsettling demand.
"A-a strand of hair?" Eros stammered nervously. "Lord Neo, our people are already yours to command, but... what could a human possibly want with our hair? Is this some sort of primitive curse or an external ritual?"
