The Legion of the Deep Ones!

Northridge City, South Bay Harbor.

As night fell, a light drizzle began to sprinkle from the sky.

A fishing boat passed by, and the fisherman on board shook his head as he gazed at the harbor.

"I wonder which big shot has rented out the entire South Bay. Now we don't even know where to unload our catch."

"Hey, stop complaining. Didn't they pay you?"

"The money's only temporary..."

"Just take it as it comes."

"Hmm, what's that?"

"Looks like... a person?"

One of the fishermen picked up a telescope and saw a dark green figure floating on the distant sea.

"Wait... that doesn't look like a person."

"Hold on, it's coming this way!"

"What the...!"

"What's wrong?"

"It's so fast... what is that thing!"

Another fisherman grabbed the telescope and looked out. A wave was rapidly approaching them!

"Holy crap... is that a fish?"

"A fish?"

"At that speed, it's more like a jet ski!"

"It's here!"

Splash!!

A dark green figure leaped out of the water and landed on the deck!

"What the...?"

"My God, is that a mermaid?!"

The fishman twisted its neck and began walking toward the fishermen. The men stepped back in fear, and one even raised a harpoon!

The fishman revealed its sharp claws and effortlessly sliced the harpoon in half!

Bang!

One man fell to the deck in terror, "It just..."

The fishman approached him, placed its hands on his temples, and pressed its forehead against his.

"Awuwa Xiyakamogedos."

The fishman chanted strange words, then pushed the man aside.

At first, the man seemed confused, but soon his body began to convulse and twist. "Ugh... ahh!!"

Crack!

His bones shifted, and green scales began to consume his skin. Sharp fins and hooks sprouted from his body. In an instant, he had transformed into a fishman!

The other fishermen were terrified, their legs giving out as they knelt and begged for mercy.

But the fishman ignored them, moving on to the next person. It repeated the ritual: hands on temples, foreheads pressed together, and the chant: "Awuwa Xiyakamogedos."

"Ahh!"

Another man convulsed and transformed into a fishman.

The remaining fishermen couldn't take it anymore and jumped into the water to escape.

The fishman waved its hand, "Bring them back."

The two newly transformed Deep Ones stood up like zombies and dove into the water to chase the fleeing fishermen.

"Hmm... now that I'm no longer the only Deep One, I deserve a more special title."

"Like... the Sea King."

The fishman sat back in a chair, crossing its legs, and waited calmly.

...

Under the sea.

The fishermen were desperately trying to escape, but they were no match for the Deep Ones.

In the water, the Deep Ones were undeniably fast!

One Deep One grabbed a man's leg and yanked him into the depths. "Hahaha, stop running, Old Liu. Join us!"

"Get off me, you sea demon!"

"You're... glug glug..."

"Hahaha, with this power, I feel invincible!"

"Come, become one of us!"

"With this strength, we can conquer the seas!"

"...Join us!"

...

One by one, the fishermen were dragged back to the boat.

In total, fifty-six people were captured by the two Deep Ones.

The fishman stood up and began transforming the remaining fishermen into Deep Ones.

This time, they had no strength left to resist.

"Awuwa Xiyakamogedos."

...

The sky gradually cleared, and the first light of dawn appeared.

A ship full of monsters docked at South Bay Harbor.

Surrounded by the Deep Ones, the fishman spread its arms and, under the sunlight, reverted to a human form.

After its second evolution, the fishman had gained an abdomen like that of a black swallower fish, capable of holding objects ten times its size. Of course, the fishman applied this ability to a more unique purpose: storing water.

It no longer needed to urinate through its genitals; any part of its body could expel or absorb liquid. When its body needed water, it would automatically absorb it from its abdomen.

This also allowed its fishman transformation to become controllable.

A thin film formed on its skin, protecting it from rain, so it wouldn't transform when wet. By releasing water from its abdomen to its skin and other parts of its body, it could transform into a fishman at will.

To revert, it simply absorbed all the water back into its abdomen.

Additionally, its ability to cry had become controllable, and it had gained a degree of self-healing and the ability to create minions, like a queen bee.

The minions could also revert to human form, but like the fishman, they had to avoid all water.

"Listen up, kids. From now on, this is your home."

"I have only one demand: obey my orders."

"Any questions?"

One Deep One hesitated, "Uh... I still have a wife and kids."

The fishman glared at him, "Then bring them into the fold. How about that?"

The Deep One immediately shut his mouth.

"Listen well. In this world, you can do anything, but you must never defy me... or that person."

"Who's that person...?"

"The God."

...

South Bay Harbor, Noon.

The Queen Bee and the Raven nodded as they looked at the fifty-plus humans before them.

"Not bad, 002. You've prepared quite thoroughly this time."

The fishman's gaze was cold, "I can't afford to disappoint Lord Os again. This time, I won't underestimate my enemies."

The Raven nodded, "You've made the right choice."

"Our target has teamed up with the police. They've even formed a special unit to investigate unnatural beings."

"Basically, they're here to deal with us."

"Lord Os hasn't given any instructions, so I assume he's testing you. After all, you're the only one among us who's evolved twice."

The fishman pondered for a moment, "It's still not enough... I need more. At least 200,000 Deep Ones."

The Queen Bee's eyes widened, "200,000? Are you planning to attack the United Nations?"

"Your opponent is just a small police station with less than a hundred people."

The fishman turned, "That's what I thought last time, and I paid the price in blood. This time, I'm being cautious."

The Raven transformed into a girl and burst out laughing, "Are you some kind of cautious hero?"

"What's that?"

"An anime I stumbled across a couple of days ago. The protagonist is a man so cautious it's terrifying. The villains are just as absurd—they literally camped outside the beginner's village!"

"What kind of villain does that?"

Camping outside the beginner's village...