Transmigrated as the Cuck.... WTF!!!

In the nation of Aquis Vanlur, buried deep within its heart, stood a colossal coral-based structure, half architectural marvel, half living organism. Its surface was riddled with sponge-like holes that constantly exhaled soft streams of bubbles.

From its body sprouted numerous jagged appendages, thorn-like extensions that twisted and turned like petrified sea serpents, giving it an aura of both divine majesty and silent menace. It was the kind of place that struck awe first, and fear only after the awe wore off.

Deep inside this wonder beneath layers of labyrinthine coral corridors, within a chamber illuminated by faintly glowing algae, floated two merfolk.

And before them, suspended in the water as if caught between sleep and death, was a man.

He had hair the color of amethyst, strands drifting gently with the water's rhythm. His eyes were closed, chest rising ever so subtly. Though his body seemed numbed and his presence muted by the crushing depths of the ocean—The Silver Sea, he was… alive.

And that, above all else, was what perplexed the two merfolk.

The younger one, with a vivid red tail and sharp finned arms, cast a wary glance toward his companion. "Brother Furis," he muttered, voice bubbling through the water, "have you ever read about such a human? As far as I know, humans can't survive down here. That's why they've never tried to conquer us. So why… why can this one live?"

Furis, older and broader with a sleek blue tail that shimmered faintly with each twitch, furrowed his brow. "I've never seen or heard of such a thing, Muirs. It's possible he's some unique aberration… or perhaps the land-dwellers are seeking our deity's blessing. Maybe they want to live down here like us—to infiltrate and eventually… conquer."

Muirs' pupils dilated. The very idea seemed to pierce his chest like a harpoon. "Then… isn't this human dangerous? If he returns to the surface, if he says anything about what he's seen they'll come. They'll come down here with all their filthy war. We'd be forced into hiding again, or worse…"

He scowled at the floating man, tail flicking with agitation. "We should kill him. Feed him to the trench-fish before he wakes."

But Furis extended an arm, stopping him. "No, Muirs. We don't need to live like that anymore. Not now that we have our deity."

His voice deepened.

"How long will we let fear dictate our future?" Furis continued. "Why should we live in the shadow of a surface species? They crawl on dirt and die in sand. And yet we, who command the depths, who ride currents and breathe water… we flinch at the thought of them? That's pathetic."

Muirs tilted his head, clearly shaken. "But brother… that's what's written in the Codex. The ancestral law. The first and final commandment—do not interfere with the land species. That's what preserved us for centuries."

Furis let out a dry, bitter chuckle. "That law was made when our ancestors were powerless. When they had nothing but scales and tridents. But now?" He raised a hand toward the glowing coral above them. "Now we have our deity, not in the shape of a mold but in reality."

He glanced toward the amethyst-haired man, eyes gleaming with a calculating glint. "And this one might be the key. A source of knowledge. If we can extract the secrets of the surface world from him, then we can finally understand how to crush it."

Muirs blinked. Then slowly, his wary expression shifted—first to doubt, then awe, and finally… excitement.

"You're right," he murmured, nodding slowly. "You're so smart, Brother! This human… this spy… could be the beginning of our ascendancy. If he knows their weapons, their cities, their leaders… we can prepare. We can fight back."

"No," Furis corrected, his voice steely and prideful. "We don't just fight back. We rise. We remind them that the sea is not theirs to touch. We make them regret ever glancing beneath the waves."

The two brothers floated in silence, their tails flicking lazily behind them as they stared at the unconscious human. Then, a low chuckle echoed from Furis.

Soon, Muirs joined in.

Their laughter grew, distorted slightly by the water but filled with shared conviction—conviction that the tides were shifting, and they would no longer be dictated by fear or ancestral warnings.

They imagined a future where land-dwellers begged for mercy, where the ocean was no longer a mystery to the world—but a threat.

Then something strange happened.

The once-sleeping human suddenly opened his eyes.

The laughter between the two brothers died in their throats, replaced by a palpable silence. They stiffened, frozen mid-jest, their gazes snapping toward the man who now stirred.

Slowly, groggily, the human sat up.

He rubbed his eyes, blinked a few times as though waking from a long, confusing dream. His hair was still damp, plastered against his forehead. His chest rose and fell as he inhaled deeply.

Then he looked at them.

The brothers stood like statues.

Gone was their earlier bravado, vanished like smoke in the wind. All that remained was caution… and a growing unease.

The human didn't say anything at first. He simply moved his head, sluggish and disoriented, eyes scanning the chamber around him. He stared at the walls, then the domed ceiling above, then down at the marble floor.

Finally, he turned back to the brothers.

His gaze swept over them slowly, almost judgmentally, and then—

A scowl formed on his face.

"Am I in heaven… or hell?" he muttered, voice hoarse but oddly composed. "Why are mermaids here to take me? Huh? Which department are you two from—heaven or hell?"

He squinted harder, then pointed lazily. "The red fin one—definitely hell. And the blue fin... that's gotta be heaven. That's how it works, right?"

A moment passed.

Then he furrowed his brows further, growing more animated. "Okay, so—do I get a choice? Like, can I pick? And if so, I need details. What kind of specifications do I get in each place? Like, is there a benefits list? Perks? Housing?"

The brothers just blinked.

Muirs looked at his brother, completely at a loss. Furis blinked twice, unsure if this human was mad or just deeply confused. Neither spoke, still processing the barrage of nonsense that had just come out of the man's mouth.

Then Muirs suddenly leaned forward slightly, suspicion dawning in his eyes.

"Wait, human... don't tell me—you think you've died?"

The man tilted his head, genuinely puzzled. "I haven't? This isn't the afterlife?" He looked around once again. "Then how the hell did I get here? And why is the water so damn clear?"

Furis cleared his throat, finally stepping forward. His voice was calm but firm, echoing slightly against the crystalline walls. "Human, you are not dead. You were close. But we, the people of Aquis Vanlur, intervened. We saved you from death."

He looked the human directly in the eye.

"You are alive. And you are indebted to us."