chapter 27

Faced with Mu Sicheng's strange, unsettling gaze, the once arrogant spectators collectively swallowed, a chill creeping down their spines as they retreated two steps, shaking their heads in fear.

With a genial smile, Mu Sicheng drew forth the cartoon monkey hat from behind his back, gesturing to it as if in presentation. "Because I despise such spectators, all those I loathe have been slain within the game."

He spoke with a nonchalance that made murder seem a trivial, everyday affair. "If Bai Liu emerges, I would gladly support him in dispatching you chattering fools as well. Of course, that is merely the advice of one who's been through it all."

"You are simply too noisy," Mu Sicheng added, his smile impeccably polite. "You're disturbing my viewing, you idiots."

Suddenly, the monkey atop Mu Sicheng's hat split its mouth in a ghastly grin, its eyes flickering with crimson light, as if echoing his murderous suggestion—an eerie, unsettling sight.

Those who moments before had looked down on others now fled in terror, shrieking as they scattered. In their panic, several collided and tumbled to the ground, scrambling away from Bai Liu's viewing area in utter disgrace.

Mu Sicheng donned his hat and returned to the front row, hands in his pockets, as if nothing had transpired, his expression once more serene as he gazed up at Bai Liu's small television.

The surrounding audience instinctively stepped back, affording Mu Sicheng ample space to watch in peace.

The usual hum of conversation faded to a hush, as if all feared to disturb Mu Sicheng's viewing.

Wang Shun stood behind him, his heart and mind equally conflicted.

For the first time, he confronted the true danger that Mu Sicheng represented.

This, he realized, was why the top players' streams were rarely interrupted by unsolicited commentary—praise reigned supreme.

For in this game, death was real, and to offend a master was as easy as crushing an ant.

Only in the viewing areas of newcomers or gentle players did the meddlesome, opinionated crowd gather.

In Mu Sicheng's domain, those who dared to provoke him had long since become grass on their own graves.

Most of the nitpicking critics who harassed Bai Liu were low-level guild players, their skills mediocre at best, often carried through games by more capable teammates or relying on guides to clear content. Their abilities were meager.

Yet these precarious players delighted in spreading their grievances, too timid to offend the true masters, but especially hostile to promising newcomers who threatened their paid audiences and coveted promotional spots. Thus, they harbored deep malice toward any rising star—like Bai Liu, or once, Mu Sicheng himself.

Wang Shun edged closer to Mu Sicheng, a little fearful, yet unwilling to relinquish his place in the front row.

Unable to suppress his curiosity, he whispered, "Shepherd God, did you really kill those who insulted you?"

"Of course not," Mu Sicheng replied coolly. "I have better things to do. I only said it to frighten them. Their endless prattle is tiresome."

Wang Shun breathed a sigh of relief. "So it was just a bluff."

"Though I haven't killed anyone, my monkey headset does enjoy devouring those I truly detest, so it has eaten a few," Mu Sicheng added with a sudden laugh, glancing at Bai Liu on the screen.

He shrugged, hands in his pockets, offering a half-hearted defense. "But really, they brought it upon themselves by cursing me. I can hardly be blamed."

Wang Shun: "…"

————————

Bai Liu descended from the great ship, cart in tow, a few mermaid sailors trailing behind—no longer a threat, for Bai Liu still held the Siren King.

Deprived of weather and talismanic protection, the sailors could only follow at a distance, their eyes burning with resentment and greed.

But Bai Liu's thoughts had already moved on.

He found it odd that, though the system claimed most land monsters had been restrained and thus ceased to weaken him with the weather, the Siren Town bestiary had four pages: mermaid sailors, wax figures, the Siren King in his grasp, and yet one more—a vast, lowly, and weakest class of monster had not appeared—

—namely, the mermaids, or rather, their larval form.

Despite being hunted across the shore, Bai Liu had not seen a single mermaid, which defied reason. If the system had not deceived him, and most land monsters were indeed contained, then these weakest creatures must not be on land at all.

His gaze drifted to the tranquil, unbroken surface of the sea before him.

It was likely that the multitude of mermaids lurked beneath the waves.

[System notification: One hour until the Siren King awakens. Please hasten your progress.]

One hour. Bai Liu calculated the time it would take to swim across with the Siren King in tow—barely enough, but the lurking mermaids remained an unknown variable.

With their interference, time might run short.

Still, Bai Liu did not dwell on it. He abandoned the cart at the shore, crouched to examine the Siren King.

The king, who had shown no sign of life during the chase, now stirred—fins fluttering, chest rising and falling, a vibrant glow beneath his jade-like skin.

Bai Liu sensed the king's imminent awakening. He lifted the Siren King's hand onto his shoulder, drew a deep breath, and sprinted toward the sea.

As the water engulfed his legs, silver-green scales blossomed along his limbs, waist, and face, gills splitting his cheeks, his eyes shrinking to half their size.

Bai Liu inhaled deeply, grasped the Siren King's hand, and plunged into the boundless blue.

At last, Wang Shun before the small television exhaled in relief. "He's finally entered the sea. He should clear the level soon."

"Not necessarily," Mu Sicheng replied, arms crossed, a shadow of unpleasant memory flickering across his face. "When I dragged the Siren Banshee into the sea, I thought I was moments from victory. But as I neared the 'Siren's Gift' region, the depths teemed with mermaids, their green eyes glowing—I nearly died there."

"In the end, I had to buy a high-powered flashlight to drive them off. Cost me over two hundred points," Mu Sicheng recalled, a rare defeat in his gaming career.

Wang Shun was shocked. "No way! That expensive?!"

He paused, realization dawning. "Bai Liu's flashlight already cost over two hundred and fifty points. By then, the price will be even higher!"

"Indeed. The system prices items based on two factors: market supply and demand, and the player's perceived need at that moment. The more desperate you are, the higher the price."

Mu Sicheng watched Bai Liu swim obliviously into the deep, a schadenfreude smile on his lips. "When Bai Liu reaches the 'Siren's Gift' and is beset by mermaids, he'll have no choice but to pay through the nose. His flashlight will cost at least four hundred points."

As they spoke, the novice player Mu Ke—who had replaced Bai Liu in the top recommendation slot—had already reached the 'Siren's Gift.'

Mu Ke, clutching the Siren Banshee's bones, swam deeper into the abyss, a look of wild, desperate joy on his face.

Wang Shun and the others could see Mu Ke's progress on their own screens, though not as clearly as Bai Liu's.

Even so, it was evident that Mu Ke had reached the bottom of the 'Siren's Gift.'

Wang Shun sighed in regret. "He's almost there, while Bai Liu is still swimming… This Mu Ke will likely be the first of the newcomers to clear the level."

"The first to clear among a batch of newcomers receives a special reward—a personal skill, invaluable to any player. Bai Liu could have claimed it," Wang Shun lamented.

He glanced at Bai Liu, still drifting aimlessly, and could not help but grieve, "Ah, Bai Liu! All these tricks wasted precious time. You saved some points, but lost the greater prize. If you'd hurried, you'd have been first!"

Because Bai Liu had fallen and then risen again to the central screen, the system now ranked Mu Ke higher in the solo game recommendations.

With Mu Ke's imminent victory and Bai Liu's languid progress, it seemed Mu Ke had firmly eclipsed him. Wang Shun shook his head, helpless as a parent watching a prodigious child outpaced by an ordinary neighbor.

Mu Sicheng, however, was unmoved. He glanced at Mu Ke and said coolly, "It's too soon to say who will be first."

Most viewers watching Mu Ke's stream agreed with Wang Shun, especially the critics driven from Bai Liu's channel—they now gathered in Mu Ke's, gloating:

"Heh, even with the top spot, Bai Liu can't outplay the other newcomers. What's the point of all those flashy moves? Once Mu Ke gets the skill reward, he'll leave Bai Liu in the dust."

"I don't know why the Shepherd God bothers to protect such a useless rookie. Without first place, he won't get the skill and will soon die in the game. What's the point of struggling?"

More reasonable viewers looked on in speechless dismay.

Out of a hundred newcomers, only one could claim the skill reward—yet these critics spoke as if lacking it meant certain death.

Many present had no skills themselves, and their faces darkened.

One spectator, fed up, retorted, "If you're so sure, show us your skills—or I'll kill you right here and fulfill your prophecy."

The braggarts fell silent, a few blushing and hiding their game controllers, clearly unwilling to reveal their supposed skills.

Their critic laughed in scorn.

So much bluster, yet not a single skill among them—how are you still alive, then?

Finding no satisfaction in further argument, the critic turned back to Mu Ke's stream.

Just then, in Mu Ke's darkened feed, pairs of green eyes began to glow like fireflies from the depths—at first a few, then a sudden, dense proliferation.

As Mu Ke's vision adjusted, he saw what they were—his skin crawled, and he froze in terror.

Thousands of mermaid corpses stared up at him from the seabed.

Their bodies were mostly decayed, faces ragged, pale flesh gnawed by swarms of tiny black fish, some reduced to bone, only their eerie, luminous eyes remaining.

Everywhere Mu Ke looked, green eyes glimmered like ghostly will-o'-the-wisps.

Or rather, the seabed itself was a writhing mass of black scavenger fish, so dense the sand was invisible, the effect like a carpet of maggots, with the mermaids' glowing eyes peering out.

The sight was so harrowing that even Mu Ke's viewers recoiled, arms crossed, hair standing on end.

Mu Ke turned and fled, opening the item shop as he ran. Behind him, the mermaids surged from the depths, the black fish swarming like a cloud of flies.

Up close, the fish were only thumb-sized, but their teeth were razor-sharp. In a single pass, they tore off half of Mu Ke's arm. He screamed in silence, blood trailing through the water, drawing more mermaids and fish.

The audience, gripped by the spectacle, shouted in alarm, "Buy an item! Hurry! Drive them back or you'll die!"

With his remaining hand, Mu Ke clung to the Siren Banshee's bones, frantically opening the shop for something to repel the monsters. Deep-sea fish generally fear light, and mermaids share this weakness. He made his decision:

[I need a high-powered flashlight!]

[417 points, thank you for your patronage.]

Mu Ke was stunned. [How many points?!]

[417 points, thank you for your patronage.]

He didn't have enough. Despairing, he realized that a [Water Bubble] could also repel the fish, though it might not withstand the onslaught. With no other choice, he gambled:

[I need a Water Bubble!]

[322 points, thank you for your patronage.]

Mu Ke nearly choked—he didn't have enough points! The [Water Bubble] had once cost only 40 points, now it was eight times higher—a blatant exploitation.

But arguing with the system was futile. Mu Ke could only check his remaining items—his [Flaming Torch] was useless underwater, and he had only half an hour left on his last [Water Bubble].

But half an hour was not enough to reach the bottom…

Worse, his points were nearly exhausted.

In desperation, Mu Ke remembered he could ask viewers for donations. On screen, he bowed and pleaded for points, his face a mask of panic and desperation, tears dissolving into the sea.

The same viewers who had once praised him and disparaged Bai Liu now fell silent.

————————

Meanwhile, Bai Liu had also reached the 'Siren's Gift.' Wang Shun, seeing Mu Ke's plight, grew anxious and checked his own points, ready to help Bai Liu if needed.

Mu Sicheng noticed and said, "Relax. The guy has over three thousand points. Even if a flashlight costs four hundred, he could buy ten."

Still, Mu Sicheng checked his own balance, exhaling in relief—if needed, he could ensure Bai Liu's victory.

Many other viewers, seeing the commotion on Mu Ke's stream, checked their own balances, whispering:

"If Bai Liu needs points for an item, I can chip in ten."

"I've got three or four to spare."

Mu Sicheng watched this scene with mild surprise, glancing at Bai Liu swimming in the sea. So many were willing to spend for him—he had a rare rapport with his audience.

Unlike Mu Sicheng, whose unique skills polarized opinion, Bai Liu inspired widespread support.

Like Mu Ke, Bai Liu soon saw the green eyes at the bottom of the sea.

Wang Shun held his breath, more anxious than Bai Liu himself, fists clenched, donation screen open, whispering, "Buy an item, buy an item! Once those monsters wake, it'll be too late!"

Mu Sicheng said, "No need to worry. He won't die so easily."

Yet his own eyes never left Bai Liu's screen, controller in hand, ready to donate at a moment's notice.

Nearly every viewer was poised, finger on the donation button, waiting for Bai Liu to open the shop.

But Bai Liu, seeing the terrifying fish and mermaids, merely raised an eyebrow and continued his descent, unhurried.

The audience held their breath, watching as Bai Liu used the Siren King to provoke the monsters, luring them into pursuit before fleeing.

Unfortunately, Bai Liu's swimming was clumsy—a novice's awkward kicks slowed him, and the black tide of monsters closed in.

"Bai Liu, what are you doing?!" Wang Shun cried in despair. "Why provoke the monsters?!"

Other viewers screamed, "Aaaah! Buy an item, Bai Liu!"

"Damn it! Stop playing around! Get out and let us play for you!"

"You're so close to clearing! If you die now, I'll be traumatized for life!"

"If Bai Liu dies here, I'll never watch another rookie's stream!"

Wang Shun stared, unblinking, sweat streaming down his face, as the monsters reached Bai Liu's feet.

Even Mu Sicheng, usually all smiles, now frowned, arms crossed, fingers drumming in agitation. "Bai Liu, what are you doing?!"

Bai Liu glanced back, confirming that nearly all the monsters were behind him, then kicked off like a sea hare, gaining a little distance.

But the gap quickly closed. The mermaids' eyes were white, faces grotesque and rotting, their skin floating in shreds. They howled in the blue depths, jaws gaping, and the black fish poured from their throats like a living rope, surging toward Bai Liu.

Even now, Bai Liu pondered the origin of these mermaid corpses. On land, they had a different form, but here, at the bottom of the 'Siren's Gift,' they reverted to corpses—proving his theory. All that was missing was the Siren King; once he arrived, these would become true corpses.

As the monsters attacked, Bai Liu dodged clumsily, but still lost half a hand, blood trailing through the water.

[System warning: Player Bai Liu has entered a mutated state due to mermaid corpse attack. Sanity is now 41.]

[System warning: 21 minutes until the Siren King awakens. Please clear the level promptly!]

Dizzy and disoriented, Bai Liu felt as if he'd been forced to drink bad liquor at a company party—limbs numb, movements uncoordinated.

He tried to kick with both legs, but only one responded, making him look like a limping rabbit fleeing a predator.

Wang Shun spoke numbly, "Sanity is only 41. He'll soon be overwhelmed by hallucinations, and there are only 21 minutes left."

Mu Sicheng's expression grew more complex and agitated. "Yes, but he could clear the level right now…"

The audience was beside themselves, some stamping their feet in frustration.

As Wang Shun predicted, Bai Liu began to hallucinate. The monsters before him multiplied, each mermaid sprouting three heads. Most would have broken down, but Bai Liu merely shook his head and continued to dodge.

Yet he did not dive for the bottom, but wandered aimlessly, like a lost fish.

He was attacked twice more, losing a foot and the rest of his hand, curling up in pain and exposing his back to the monsters. A mermaid grinned, tail lashing out, striking Bai Liu's face with such force that, even underwater, the impact was immense—enough to break his spine.

Nearly every viewer instinctively closed their eyes, unwilling to witness his death—when suddenly, a great, plastic-like bubble appeared between Bai Liu and the mermaid, repelling the attack. Bai Liu huddled behind the bubble, breathing through his gills.

Wang Shun cried out, "Water Bubble! That's right—Bai Liu bought one earlier!"

Bai Liu was safe, but his viewers were left exhausted, their relief tinged with exasperation.

"Bai Liu, give yourself and us a break! Please, just clear the level!"

"Damn it, I must have been a butcher in my last life to deserve this torment. Bai Liu, you're giving me a heart attack."

Even Mu Sicheng, for reasons unknown, sighed in relief. "When did he buy it? He actually spent points?"

He realized something was off. Water Bubbles were expensive in the late game, and he hadn't seen Bai Liu buy one. If he'd bought it early and saved it, that would have been a risky move for a newcomer.

Mu Sicheng frowned. "Did Bai Liu really scrape together seventy points early on just to hoard an item?"

"No," Wang Shun replied, his expression complicated. "He bought it for only forty points."

"Forty?" Mu Sicheng was surprised. "The normal price is seventy. How did he get it for forty?"

Wang Shun explained, marveling at Bai Liu's foresight in buying items when they were cheapest.

Bai Liu had predicted the price surge and stocked up early, exploiting the system's mechanics.

Now, as Mu Ke's Water Bubble cost nearly four hundred, Bai Liu had secured one for a tenth of the price, outmaneuvering the system.

The audience who once mocked Bai Liu for hoarding items now watched in stunned silence.

Clearly, Bai Liu not only understood the system, but manipulated it for his own gain.

The critic blushed with shame—how could the gap between people be so vast?

Mu Sicheng gazed thoughtfully at Bai Liu, hiding behind the bubble.

…What kind of monster is this newcomer?

The last person he'd seen toy with the system was the top-ranked player—Spade.

"But I'm still curious," Mu Sicheng mused, finger to his chin, eyes fixed on Bai Liu. "How did he know this Water Bubble would be useful?"

"There are two endings in Siren Town. The normal end just requires escaping, all on land—no need for a Water Bubble. That's the route most take."

"Only the true end requires entering the sea, but it's just a side quest—returning the Siren King. The rewards aren't much higher, and the risks are great. Most avoid it."

Wang Shun pondered. "But Bai Liu's a newcomer—maybe he didn't know?"

"I think he figured it out," Mu Sicheng said. "He's realized the game awards points by task, and the normal end is far more efficient for points."

Wang Shun glanced at him. "Then why did you go for the true end?"

Mu Sicheng was silent for a moment. "High risk brings high reward. The true end's reward isn't just points—there's something else, something worth the risk."

"What is it?" Wang Shun asked.

"The reward for completing the monster manual. Only the true end allows you to collect them all. But Bai Liu can't do it."

"Why not…" Wang Shun began, then realized—"Damn! The Siren King in Bai Liu's manual is a roaming god-tier NPC!"

"I'm considering the worst-case scenario…" Mu Sicheng mused. "Bai Liu may not know how dangerous the Siren King is, but he must realize the greatest reward comes from completing the manual. I suspect he's stalling for time, waiting for the Siren King to awaken…"

Wang Shun was stunned, staring at the screen, mouth agape. "…No way…"

On screen, Bai Liu hid behind the bubble, playing cat and mouse with the monsters.

The audience grew anxious again—Bai Liu always managed to make everyone worry for him.

"This bubble's fragile. If the mermaids keep attacking, it'll break soon—what a waste!"

Bai Liu glanced at a spot on the bubble where the monsters had made a crack.

But the water did not seep in—only the mermaids' hands could reach through. Bai Liu finally smiled, but his viewers wailed in despair, desperate to take over the game for him.

Mu Ke, too, was hiding in a bubble, fleeing for time.

The critics who had left Bai Liu's stream now returned, gathering in the corners to sneer:

"So many points wasted on Bai Liu and Mu Ke. What a waste. I'd do better in Siren Town."

"I've had my eye on that promo slot for ages. Now these two rookies have taken it. Hurry up and die so I can take your place."

Bai Liu, oblivious to the outside world, watched his sanity drop to 40, teetering on the edge of another threshold.

Once crossed, he would be overwhelmed by hallucinations. He focused all his attention on the bubble behind him.

A mermaid slipped through the crack. Bai Liu released the bubble, turned, and embraced it, staring into the rotting face within as he slowly sank.

More mermaids and fish poured in, the bubble swallowing them endlessly. Bai Liu became the bait, luring them in.

The audience sensed he was about to make a bold move, but wondered:

"What else can he do? The bubble's broken, only the inner barrier remains. He's out of items, isn't he?"

The bubble, now just a shell of air, resembled an embryo, enclosing the writhing monsters. Bai Liu closed his eyes, exhaled, and released the bubble, which floated before him.

He said to the system: [Take out a bottle of alcohol.]

A bottle appeared inside the bubble. Bai Liu kicked it open.

The clear alcohol began to fill the bubble. Bai Liu reached in, lit a match, and tossed it inside, withdrawing his hand before the monsters could grab him. A fireball erupted in the depths.

The mermaids' shrieks and the flickering flames cast shifting shadows across Bai Liu's face.

Only then did the audience realize—Bai Liu was smiling.

His faint smile, the firelight, and the green scales on his face gave him an inhuman air, more monstrous than the burning mermaids.

Inside the transparent bubble, the mermaids' hands beat desperately against the walls, leaving blue-green blood and filthy prints as smoke swirled, obscuring their contorted faces.

Bai Liu floated serenely, watching the monsters that had once hunted him consumed by fire, his smile cold and inhuman, more chilling than any monster.

Having purged the mermaids, Bai Liu dragged the burning bubble behind him as a [Flaming Torch of the Sea], using it both defensively and offensively, the breach allowing him to lure in and destroy more monsters.

The mermaids became fuel, their oily flesh feeding the flames, the fireball growing ever brighter, the scent of roasting flesh drawing more monsters to their doom.

It was a bizarre sight—Bai Liu calmly watching as the mermaids queued to die, resting at his leisure.

The audience was dumbfounded, mouths agape, unable to describe this ingenious solution.

Even Mu Sicheng, hardened by countless battles, let out a long sigh, pulling his hat down to hide his face. "Bai Liu, you're too much. You make my own run look so foolish—always running, always being fleeced."

"I concede. I'm utterly convinced," Wang Shun exclaimed.

"Fire-based items are deadly to mermaids, but can't be used underwater—unless paired with a Water Bubble. But you can't stay inside, and you need a breach to let the monsters in. It's a bold modification—turning a defensive item into a weapon."

Mu Sicheng nodded. "Bai Liu's earlier actions were to lure the mermaids into attacking the bubble, creating a breach."

"How did he think of it?" Wang Shun marveled. "Compared to Bai Liu, I feel like I've never used my brain in a game."

"It's not about intelligence," Mu Sicheng said. "The real strength is his composure."

"He could have hidden in the bubble and cleared the level. Though the bubble might be breached, it's safer, offering psychological comfort."

"But to abandon safety, break his own shield, and use himself as bait to lure and burn the monsters—such ruthless, decisive action…"

"Extreme and mad," Mu Sicheng concluded.

The ordinary viewers who had urged Bai Liu to hide now felt awkward:

"He bought alcohol so early, preparing for this all along… I used to mock him for buying too much—turns out I was the fool."

"I counted—nine bottles, just enough, and all bought at the lowest price. How does he plan so perfectly?"

"Has Bai Liu cleared out every monster in Siren Town? I've never seen anyone do that…"

The critics in the corner were now silent, many having once mocked Bai Liu for buying too much alcohol.

Now, his foresight made their own shortsightedness painfully clear.

They shrank into the shadows, not daring to utter a word.

On screen, Bai Liu dragged the burning "mermaid ball" with his left hand. Save for a few stragglers, he had nearly cleared the sea of monsters.

But then, the Siren King's eyelids fluttered, his tail stirred, and a jolt shot through Bai Liu's mind. Blood welled from his lips, dispersing in the water.

[System warning: Player Bai Liu is affected by the Siren King's awakening. Sanity now 21, below the second safety threshold. Hallucinations imminent.]

Bai Liu's mind buzzed. If 41 sanity felt like bad liquor, 21 was like a psychedelic trip—colors fractured like a kaleidoscope, voices overlapped in a cacophony, as if he were in a 1980s underground disco, head splitting, limbs unresponsive.

Faces swam in the colored halos—monsters, people from his life, even his boss, and the faces of Jelf and Andre grafted onto mermaid corpses.

They grinned grotesquely, lunging at him.

In an instant, the monsters vanished, and the Siren King opened his eyes, transforming into Lucy's pale, smiling face. She nestled in Bai Liu's arms, whispering, "I love you," as her hand plunged into his chest.

Blood drifted from his chest, Lucy devouring his heart, blood and flesh dribbling from her lips as she leaned in to kiss him.

At the last moment, her face became that of a rotting mermaid, jaws clamping onto Bai Liu's shoulder, pain snapping him back to reality.

This one, he thought absently, might be real.

Wang Shun, seeing Bai Liu's vacant eyes and limp limbs, paled. "Not good! He's deep in hallucinations!"

A mermaid bit Bai Liu's shoulder, and he barely reacted, only twitching slightly.

Wang Shun, desperate, shouted at the screen, "Buy an item! Restore your sanity, Bai Liu!"

"No," Mu Sicheng interrupted. "If his sanity rises above sixty, he'll lose his mermaid mutation."

"He's still in the deep sea. If he reverts to human, he'll drown—or worse, be crushed by the pressure."

Wang Shun, watching Bai Liu float motionless, was frantic. "Then what? If he keeps losing sanity, he'll become a monster!"

Mu Sicheng took a deep breath. "He has to rely on himself—he must stay lucid through the hallucinations."

Bai Liu could not distinguish illusion from reality, but he knew he needed to reach the bottom. So he chose the simplest method—relaxing his body and letting himself sink.

He was a fish now, not a man. Releasing the Water Bubble, still holding the Siren King, he let himself drift downward, as the mermaids circled and bit at him.