Chapter 57: The Trench Tribe of the Oceanic Monsters
"Your Majesty, our people are hiding in the waters ahead."
Ignoring Allen's warnings, an Atlantean urged everyone forward.
Namor, however, was not one to give up so easily—at the very least, he needed to recover his lost memories.
He refused to live in ignorance. No matter how treacherous the journey, he would face it without regret.
Within an hour, they arrived above a vast stretch of ocean.
Looking around, the endless expanse of water offered no visible place to hide.
"Everyone, wait here. I'll call someone to meet us."
With that, the Atlantean dove into the sea.
"Your Highness, I smell a conspiracy."
Allen dipped his head into the water and resurfaced shortly after, speaking in a grave tone. "We've been tricked. I can't see anything in the water."
"You do realize that human eyes aren't structured to see clearly underwater, right?" Diana sighed.
"Of course I know that," Allen retorted stubbornly. "I was just testing you."
Then, he reached into his pants and pulled out a transparent plastic bag from his backside.
With a backside firm enough, anything could be held in place.
"What are you doing?" Diana asked, puzzled by his antics.
"I'm making a simple diving apparatus."
Allen pulled the plastic bag over his head, then loosened his shoelaces and tied them tightly around his neck, securing the bag. He yanked the strings forcefully—
"Ugh…"
He had pulled too hard. The shoelaces dug into his neck, his eyes rolled back, and his tongue lolled out, looking as if he were on the verge of suffocation.
"Huff… I almost achieved the ultimate accomplishment—killing myself."
Gasping for breath, Allen inhaled and exhaled, making the plastic bag inflate and deflate with each breath.
Since their mission involved the ocean, he had thoughtfully prepared plastic bags to store items and prevent seawater from causing corrosion. Now, repurposing one as a diving tool, he felt quite pleased with himself.
"I'm a genius! My smart cells are once again taking the high ground! Ding! New identity unlocked—Walmart Plastic Bag! No one can assume my gender!"
Diana watched the entire scene in silence.
This guy was going to get himself killed one day.
With a splash, Allen jumped into the sea, his head wrapped in the plastic bag. He dove and resurfaced repeatedly, his eyes darting around suspiciously.
"Reporting, sir! No signs of activity."
"Walmart Plastic Bag, continue the investigation!"
"Roger that!"
Surfacing, Allen reported to himself and then gave himself orders before diving back down.
After several rounds of this, he suddenly burst out of the water, tearing the plastic bag off and gasping for air, his face filled with terror.
"Guys, we've encountered a Cthulhu deity! Did anyone else feel a sense of suffocation and dizziness just now? That must be psychic contamination!"
"…"
Diana's mouth twitched.
What Cthulhu deity? That was just carbon dioxide poisoning.
Swoosh…
Suddenly, a group of shark-riding knights in white armor emerged from the water.
"I'm back, your king."
Namor spoke with a solemn and dignified tone, exuding an air of royal authority.
Boom!
A quantum beam fired in response.
Caught off guard, Namor was nearly struck down. If not for his enhanced abilities in water, he might have been taken out on the spot.
"Half-blood pretender, what right do you have to call yourself the King of Atlantis?"
"You are a disgrace to our noble bloodline and an embarrassment to the entire ocean kingdom!"
"Kill the false king and claim the glory of victory!"
These were not Namor's supporters but devoted followers of the new king.
The Atlantean who had led them here had deceived them.
"Pirate King, I was right, wasn't I? You couldn't hold back," Allen remarked, drawing his Redemption Blade as he prepared to charge at the enemy.
With a thunderous leap, Diana sprang from Nanaue's back, launching herself at the shark knights. Meanwhile, Namor surged through the water like a torpedo, heading straight for his foes.
Allen, on the other hand, paddled leisurely with a doggy paddle.
The Atlantean foot soldiers were no match for them; each attack resulted in an instant kill.
"Has all of Atlantis betrayed me?"
Gripping one of the soldiers, Namor's eyes burned with fury.
After everything he had pursued, all he found was betrayal and deception. How could he suppress his rage?
The soldier sneered at him with scornful eyes. "If you want answers, go to Atlantis and see for yourself."
As soon as he finished speaking, he crushed a crystal vial in his hand. A crimson liquid dispersed into the seawater.
"Too bad you won't get the chance. The Trench will tear you all apart!"
Crack!
Consumed by anger, Namor snapped the soldier's neck. At this point, he could no longer distinguish truth from lies.
"Retreat immediately! He must have used something to summon the Trench!"
Diana's expression changed upon recognizing the situation.
The Trench were oceanic predators, a swarm species that moved in large packs. If surrounded, they were nearly impossible to wipe out, and even a demigod could be exhausted to death.
Diana wasn't an inexhaustible machine—she had her limits.
"Who took a dump in the ocean? The water's turning black!"
Standing on Nanaue's back, Allen peered into the water, noticing shadows rapidly approaching.
Swoosh!
A monstrous creature lunged out of the sea.
It was neither fully human nor entirely fish—its body was humanoid, but its face was that of a fish, with spiny fins protruding from its joints like jagged blades.
"Break through in this direction! That's where Themyscira is!"
Diana pointed ahead, drawing her God Killer Sword. She then removed her Lasso of Truth and looped it around a shark's snout, using it to maneuver across the water.
Namor led the charge, cutting down wave after wave of Trench creatures.
Nanaue carried Allen close behind.
Allen's blade swung down again and again, cutting down the Trench creatures as they leaped from the water.
[Killed a Trench creature. EXP +150]
This was definitely the right place to be. If only he had proper underwater combat abilities, Allen would have dived in headfirst and slaughtered his way through the horde until he maxed out his level.
The Trench's numbers grew, their dark forms turning the water black.
Namor fought fiercely at the front, unable to spare a thought for his companions.
Diana struggled in the water. Unlike Namor, she wasn't built for aquatic combat—if she fell in, she would be locked in an endless battle.
In comparison, Nanaue was far more effective in the water than Diana. After all, he was the offspring of an old god of the sea—if he weren't proficient in water combat, that would be embarrassing.
After an intense battle, they finally reached the outer edges of the battlefield.
With a powerful charge, Nanaue broke through the Trench's encirclement, carrying Allen to safety.
"Where's my princess?"
Allen scanned the water, realizing that Diana hadn't escaped.
It made sense—she was riding an ordinary shark, not a demigod like Nanaue. Against the Trench, it was practically fish food.
"Nanaue, go back and save the princess. I'll head to Themyscira first!"
With that, Allen dove into the sea, swimming furiously in the direction Diana had pointed.
Nanaue and Namor turned back, charging into battle once more to rescue Diana.