After the battle with the Tree of Darkness, the Naga Empire received the news and decided to abandon the captured Western Forest Fortress, and retreat back to the border of the two previous nations.
Empress Naga, using taxation as collateral, once again extended a loan to the Kingdom of Terra, establishing a dense network of fortresses along the border to guard against the maritime nation's counterattacks.
The failure of this battle marks the end of Naga's offensive against the merfolk. In the ensuing period, it is likely that the tables will turn, with the maritime nation launching attacks against the Naga.
Fortunately, the retaliation from the maritime nation didn't arrive immediately, as they were faced with internal strife due to the ascension of a new emperor.
Upon returning to the capital of the maritime nation, Prince Shac exerted pressure on the current Sea Emperor, who happened to be his biological father, compelling him to abdicate the throne in favor of himself.
The reason being that the Sea Emperor, due to his advanced age and incompetence in governance, had caused continuous decline in the maritime nation, allowing the Naga Empire to easily bully them, culminating in the tragic incident of the Naga's ruthless slaughter of the city.
Although the elderly Sea Emperor possessed great political astuteness and maintained a firm grip on the throne, the brutal and bloody invasion by the Naga into the empire's territories undeniably terrified numerous individuals, including members of the nobility, who perceived their own safety to be jeopardized.
The rise of the Naga occurred during the years of the elderly Sea Emperor's reign, despite his abilities being no different from those of his predecessors or even the previous Prince Shac. It was merely a period of complacency and indulgence.
However, given the escalating conflict between the two nations, this level of capability is indeed insufficient.
Meanwhile, as a result of Shac's great victory on the frontlines, the Sea Emperor and other prominent figures in the fallen capital of the Black Shark Fortress were preparing to flee, taking their delicate possessions and beloved wives and companions with them. Surprisingly, Shac, leading a secondary defensive force, managed to annihilate the Naga expeditionary army, thus reaching the pinnacle of both his prowess and reputation.
This is the true savior of a collapsing empire, the valiant man who rescues the raging tide when all seems lost. A man of pure lineage, he is none other than the rightful heir to the throne. With the supposed "death" of the fourth prince, his ascension to the throne is but a matter of time.
That is precisely why the majority of noble families and clans in the maritime nation refused to take sides, categorizing this matter as an internal dispute within the royal family and awaiting the outcome.
Although the elderly Sea Emperor managed to govern the capital with an iron hand, under Shac's command resided the last remaining elite of the merfolk military, powerful reinforcements and well-equipped forces from the empire.
Shac also managed to convince his own mother, the Queen of the maritime nation.
The Sea Emperor had quite a number of consorts, and although the probability was quite low, in the unlikely event that one of those vixens suddenly bore a child, there was still a chance that the old fool would replace the queen.
However, it is impossible for Shac to change his mother, right?
Hence it can be proven that being the Empress Dowager is more stable than being the Empress!
Moreover, looking at her once timid son, now in striking and captivating armor, it is evident that he is more pleasing to the eye than the old fellow. Does the queen have any reason not to support her own son?
The queen's family is the second-largest noble family in the maritime nation, second only to the royal family. Otherwise, it would not have been possible for them to provide such a quantity and quality of private troops when Shac led his army on an expedition.
Several "imperial uncles" therefore spared no expense and aligned themselves with Shac.
Meanwhile, on the side of the former emperor, the majority of his forces were lost at the Black Shark Fortress, and the remaining ones were in the hands of Shac. Other ministers and noble families chose to remain neutral, allowing Shac's prince to gain an absolute advantage.
The elderly Sea Emperor had originally planned to celebrate the victory joyfully, setting aside his grief over the loss of his son. The fact that his eldest son had finally shown promise was an absolute relief to him!
However, his joy was short-lived as news reached him from the frontlines. In the days following Shac's return to the capital, he quickly discovered that his son had become excessively ambitious, aiming to dethrone the elderly emperor.
Power is so captivating that even though he knew he only had a few years left, the elderly Sea Emperor was unwilling to let of it go so easily.
His final hope rested solely on the Church of the God of Knowledge.
Shac used to be a follower as well, but the Church received information that Shac had established a close relationship with the Green Vines Empire.
The Green Vines Empire openly expelled the Divine Church from its borders. If Shac were to follow suit...
Divine authority supports the elderly Sea Emperor!
After coercing the elderly Sea Emperor into signing a series of irrevocable provisions, the Knowledge Church in the maritime nation joined the ranks of the Sea Emperor.
The capital of the maritime nation witnessed a brief eruption of conflict as Prince Shac, accompanied by battle-hardened troops, besieged the palace.
However, their ultimate trump card was gaining permission from the Queen of Eternal Night and unleashing Roger, the executor of the Demon Emperor's command.
Now that the Empire has openly declared its presence, there is no need to continue pretending. It is best to efficiently resolve the trouble and minimize the duration of turmoil in the maritime nation, in order to proceed with the next phase of our strategy.
Moreover, the Knowledge Church has always been a troublemaker for the Empire, and the Queen of Eternal Night also harbors resentment. She is eager to give them a lesson.
Thus, the commanding officer, who had activated the Queen's special abilities, unleashed a sudden and powerful onslaught.
Let the people of the maritime nation witness what it means to possess battle prowess beyond legend, and understand the true meaning of the title "Little Empress."
Very well, the commanding officer doesn't appreciate that nickname!
However, the mindless casting of spells with a face rolling on the keyboard, directly shattered the heavily fortified palace walls, annihilated the High Priest of the Knowledge Church, and inadvertently shattered the composure of the old Sea Emperor.
This play of filial piety, with the old Sea Emperor voluntarily abdicating the throne, and publicly proclaiming that he had been coerced by the Knowledge Church, served as the final act.
Upon the commencement of the battle, in less than half a day, internal strife was quelled within the maritime nation, and Shak officially ascended to the throne.
Roger also forged a great dual-handed sword for Shak, named the "Sorrow of Frost," but it went unused.
The ministers and nobles who were previously awaiting the outcome also hurried to the palace to offer their loyalty.
Shak welcomed all who came, accepting everything without hesitation.
The most crucial matter for the maritime nation now is stability, to restore the national strength depleted by years of battles, and then regroup in order to deal with the Naga decisively.
As for these nobles within the country who prioritize their own families and obey specific orders instead of the royal decrees...
"I have heard that the Green Vines Empire possesses a patented technology called the 'Oath of Glory.' I wonder if it is possible to obtain authorization for export. In that case, I will personally lead a large army to assist those nobles in once again swearing allegiance."
Shak smiled warmly as he reached another agreement with Roger, this time in the form of a loan.
Having accumulated numerous debts, he no longer had any fear, as he had already made the decision to join the imperial ranks. Owning a little money was nothing to worry about, and he didn't mind owing a bit more. The priority was to revitalize the maritime nation's economy.
...
...
Shortly after Shaq's ascension to the throne, the once dormant fourth prince of the maritime nation, Daul, finally "awoke".
What Lydia meant by 'one day yields results' was that it would only take a day to determine whether the base coral can halt the deterioration of Daul's condition, not that he would miraculously recover.
Roger dares to swear on the conscience of the goddess of war that Lydia deliberately refrained from explaining, leading them to misunderstand that Daul would miraculously awaken in just one day.
Otherwise, everyone would be reluctant to offer Daul as material for her.
Whoever said that researchers cannot be cunning?
Fortunately, Lydia's technique and judgement are reliable, otherwise she would have been killed long ago.
In the entire empire and maritime nation, there is no existence that has delved deeper into the domain of life magic than Lydia.
Shack could only force a smile, begging her to salvage Daul as much as possible.
Roger also relayed Daul's final words to Shack.
Shack was deeply moved. In his last moments, Daul gave up his obsession with the throne and expressed his desire solely for the well-being of the mermaid, hoping for his brother's success.
Power is captivating, but the bond of brotherhood still prevails. Young Daul's blood runs hot, at least in this regard, surpassing the aging Sea Emperor.
Under Lydia's skilled treatment, Daul's physical condition stabilizes day by day.
The coral of the base possesses a potent genetic self-repairing capability. Once integrated into Daul's body, it supresses the deformities caused by radiation and halts further deterioration within a day.
The divine erosion, which is difficult to address by ordinary means, is gradually diluted by the expanding body of the base coral and is gradually eliminated from the body through metabolism.
Lastly, those divine elements are engulfed by specialized immune cells, expelled from the body and placed into a unique cultivation vessel. Lydia retrieves them to further investigate the various changes that occur when mortal cells combine with divinity.
The more Daul eats, the more Lydia, as a research enthusiast, truly maximizes the utility of the Fourth Prince.
On the tenth day of the fall of the Black Shark Fortress, Shaque had already held the coronation ceremony of the Sea Emperor, and Daul finally regained self-consciousness.
However, at this moment, a new issue arose - his memory was incomplete, and his body had completely merged with the base coral, resembling a muscular man blossoming from the coral.
Simultaneously, his self-awareness is extremely chaotic.
I am born for battle, to vanquish the Nagas!
This is the sole lucid obsession that Daul possesses upon awakening.
He doesn't recall being the fourth prince of the Sea Kingdom, instead believing himself to be an evolved base coral.
Shack doesn't accept this outcome, pleading with Roger to take him to the Life Altar to block the door.
Roger also stood up for Shack, skipping the small talk with flower pots, and utilizing the authority bestowed upon him by the Eternal Night Queen, he went straight to confront Lydia herself.
His authority is universally recognized within the Secret Magic Council, second only to the Eternal Night Queen, who is the ultimate benefactor.
Transforming someone's younger brother from a merman into coral, shouldn't that definitely be classified as a medical mishap?
What accident? There couldn't possibly be an accident. It was merely an attempt out of desperation, where anything is possible. Right now, it has fallen within the preferred 5% outcome among the over sixty thousand possibilities that I had anticipated!
The black-haired lolita confidently and emphatically declared, "Moreover, he is not coral. The term you use is incredibly non-magical!"
Roger was momentarily stunned. Only then did he grasp the meaning behind Lydia's "non-magical," which was akin to how Earthlings use the term "unscientific," carrying a contemptuous undertone implying ignorance and foolishness.
"Then explain in detail Dal's condition and why this is considered a favorable outcome?" Roger still refused to let her go.
Lydia retrieved Dal's relevant information, adorned herself with a pair of black-framed glasses, and picked up a teaching cane to give a remedial lesson to the two academically inept and frivolous scions.
Coral is lifeless, it is the 'skeleton' secreted by coral polyps; Dal, on the other hand, merely resembles the basic structure of coral, but all of those are his own body's cells. How can this be considered as coral? It is a completely new form of evolutionary life!
Speaking of which, Lydia became excited as if she had consumed a pint of counterfeit liquor, with a tone of admiration, fanaticism, and intoxication.
Compared to ordinary basal corals, Dal's efficiency in absorbing organic matter has increased by 200%, production speed has increased by 150%. Most importantly, the manufacturing precision has taken another step forward. He can autonomously edit and splice new genes according to needs, creating a more diverse biofish population... This is a masterpiece! This is the most powerful genetically modified organism manufacturing engine!
Shak couldn't listen anymore and exclaimed excitedly, "So your idea of a favorable outcome is my younger brother becoming a war weapon that suits your needs?"
There is still hope for rehabilitation. Based on my research on memory, although they exist in the form of bioelectricity within the nerve cells, the soul and the ocean of consciousness also have backups. This is a realm that I have not fully understood so far.
Lydia supported her cheek and revealed an expression of helplessness, "So in this field, new miracles can be born at any time, and Dal still possesses infinite possibilities! He alone can create an entire nation!"
"My younger brother is not your reproductive tool!" Shak became more and more agitated as he listened.
If it weren't for Roger restraining him, he might have gone forward and fought desperately with the girl in front of him.
However, for the sake of the Emperor's physical well-being, Roger would not allow him to engage in such reckless actions.
Roger dares to hold the Life Instrument Orbit accountable, but he also absolutely respects Lydia's combat prowess, at least respecting those peculiar experiment creations within this mage tower.
He dared not lay a finger on Lydia, not even if his courage was amplified ten thousand times.
Her current confidence stems entirely from being in the good graces of the Queen of Eternal night, and Lydia dares not take the initiative to attack him.
Reasoning is acceptable, threats are also permissible, but if one were to actually lay hands on the black-haired young girl before them, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Although he also understands Shak's anger very well.
Dor is a man, a real tough guy, the epitome of rugged masculinity, capable of administering bone-deep treatments without flinching.
However, ever since he merged with the base coral, he has become an entity resembling a "queen insect," requiring constant reproduction and propagation...
Not to mention that an ordinary man would struggle to accept such a stark contrast, even female fighters, upon hearing of Lydia's actions, would likely tremble with anger and shed bitter tears, prompting them to storm the tower.
Although there are queens like Kerrigan, the Queen of Blades, in other universes, they are still queens, not pure tough guys like Dor...
One can only be glad that he didn't regain consciousness, otherwise he might have self-destructed by now.
Roger sighed, knowing that there were logical and ethical issues at play here. However, they weren't here for philosophical debates. They were here in the hopes of helping Dor.
Ms. Lydia, what do you think should be done to help Dor regain self-consciousness?
Adhere strictly to my medical advice, and then involve him in more conflicts!
Lydia affirmed with certainty, "He yearns for battle, and will continuously evolve through it. Through each successive evolution, he will undoubtedly manifest the miracles of life, ultimately fulfilling the inner longing for his perfect form!"
Roger's facial expression twitched suddenly, as he asked with a hint of uncertainty:
You mentioned just now, completion and desire, right?
Is there? You probably misheard...
Don't play these tricks, it's just the final sentence. You'd better explain whether it is Dole's desire or your longing for a perfect form.
Of course, it's his own desire. Shameless as I may be, I would never distort the aspirations of fellow beings of wisdom in the same faction!
So, you've had an exchange with him, haven't you? You know his aspirations!
Lydia suddenly became uneasy, innocently looking at the two people who had struck a nerve. She whispered, "It was him, only he had a moment of clarity. We were in the midst of attacking the Sea Kingdom Palace, and you two were not present. I had to explain the current situation to him, and he said, 'If only we had numerous elite forces, we could achieve continuous victories...'"
Having numerous elite forces doesn't mean generating a bunch of elites on your own, you jerk!
Shak's mentality completely collapsed, and he was furious, wanting to rush up and fight desperately with Lydia.
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