NOVEL NEXT Chapter 194: The God's Arrival.
As she—the mermaid called Poseidon, the Empress of the Ocean—looked up at the sky with terror etched in her eyes, a golden portal opened. Jax shot out, and as soon as he emerged, the water exploded from the shock as if it were a sonic boom.
His imposing figure floated in the sky, searching. Jax wore a completely golden armor. Flames extended from his feet, as if the fire created a floor for him, and his entire body radiated energy, as if he were a miniature sun.
Jax began to search for Poseidon, but looking down, he saw her floating in the water.
Jax stopped a few feet from the surface; the flames beneath his feet did not vaporize the water. Poseidon, wide-eyed, straightened up, half-rising in the water.
"My Lord Jax," her voice was just a trembling whisper, the pride of the Empress of the Ocean shattered. She bowed deeply in the water. "I beg for mercy. I apologize, my Lord, for my pathetic arrogance. For trying to dominate you with the Heart Gem and for trying to destroy you. My stupidity almost condemned my race."
She lifted her head, pleading. "I beg you not to exterminate my people. I am the only guilty one. I offer my life, my soul, my body... I will do whatever is necessary to appease your wrath."
Jax smiled, an expression that offered no comfort, only danger. He leaned slightly closer. "Interesting. Everything, you say? What if I said your beauty intrigued me? If I wanted to keep you inside a fish tank in my palace as a constant exhibit for me and my servants, would you agree?"
Poseidon clenched her teeth so hard she tasted the metallic tang of blood. She knew that for humans, a mermaid in a fish tank was the ultimate humiliation, a living trophy, a pathetic display. She would feel the shame of being watched, of being a mere decorative object, but she had no choice. Her people depended on her total submission.
"Yes, My Lord," she replied, her voice barely audible. "I would do whatever you ask. I would be a decoration, if you desire it. A living proof of your dominion over the ocean. I have no right to deny you anything, not after my race tried to murder you."
*—The fact that he hasn't annihilated us already is the only mercy I need, Poseidon thought, her gaze fixed on the water beneath Jax. Let my body and my humiliation save my people.
Jax chuckled, enjoying the unconditional submission.
Jax told her that he would not annihilate her race and that he would come back for her later. "I expect you and your daughter to be ready to be a decoration in my palace," he said in a casual tone, as if talking about buying a piece of furniture.
Poseidon sighed resignedly as she accepted. "We will be ready, awaiting Your Highness," she replied, bowing deeply. "We deeply thank you for your grace and compassion."
Seeing her so completely submissive, Jax lost interest in bothering her further. The amusement was gone. He decided to leave. He opened the golden portal again and, with a flash, disappeared.
Jax reappeared in the forest, stepping out of the void portal. All his women watched him descend, his golden armor gleaming even in the forest twilight. Manaia ran forward and embraced him with fervor, burying her face in the armor's chest.
"We missed you," Manaia murmured, her voice loaded with emotion. "Every second without your body was... unbearable."
Jax looked at her with a smile. "We will catch up soon, my darling, but time is short at the moment."
Manaia asked why, and he answered her with seriousness: "I will go back to GRB, but I cannot leave you exposed to so much danger. First, I will clear this place of whatever is here so I can leave you in a safe place."
Jax ascended a few feet and unleashed his presence. It was not just power; it was a divine declaration. He made every being in the forest feel a primal, instinctive terror, as if a supreme beast had declared its territory.
The beasts were intelligent. They felt that whatever was in front of them could annihilate them with a single thought, so they fled to other areas—stampedes of fur and scales desperately trying to avoid the territory of that imposing beast. The forest instantly fell into a deathly silence, broken only by the rustling of leaves.
Jax sensed the presence of an extremely powerful being in the distance, a malicious aura that could not be ignored. Of all the nearby beings, it was the only one that didn't seem impressed by Jax in the entire forest.
Jax floated and began to approach. The closer he got, the stranger the area became. It looked like a nest of bones, as if it were an ancient graveyard. The essence of death in the area was incredible; it was like standing before an entity made entirely of necrosis. For Jax, who was now sensitive to divine energy, he could understand this more profoundly than everyone else in the world. The creature was not alive in the traditional sense but was a walking manifestation of the finality of all existence.
Jax was impressed that the strange being showed no reaction. Before getting any closer, he released even more of his aura and presence, as if engaging in a battle of auras; but the being in that area did not respond. For a moment, Jax thought it might be dead, but the aura was dominant; it felt as though a monster was about to attack them suddenly, and he wasn't sure he could stop it completely.
Intrigued, he decided to advance cautiously. He didn't want an unnecessary battle, nor did he know exactly how many or what was in front of him.
Jax continued advancing, but after approaching a few feet, a roar resonated and made Jax stop immediately. It was not a roar of anger, but a sonic warning that pierced the stagnant air and the energy of death. The beast was warning that this was its domain and it wanted no intruders.