Around him, two sharks that had been keeping watch rapidly circled, creating a turbulent swirl of bubbles.

“Sympho, Neo.”

At Triton’s call, the sea predators, each several times the size of a human, nuzzled him like they were mere pets.

Brrr—

The gills of the sharks quivered, releasing bubbles that sounded almost like whimpers.

When Triton gently rubbed the snout of Neo, the white shark, the black shark circling nearby tapped Triton’s back with its long snout, expressing its displeasure.

“Sympho, I told you not to get grumpy.”

Though his words were stern, his hand was gentle as it stroked the shark’s snout. The two massive sharks swirled around Triton, seemingly competing, making him feel slightly dizzy. They disliked the labyrinth of Rubedike and seemed eager to leave the area.

Triton turned away, remembering he had other matters to attend to elsewhere.

As he sliced through the water, the two sharks stayed close to him.

Their fins quivered with excitement, reveling in the sensation of speed. Triton grinned at their antics, enjoying their playful challenge.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

With a powerful kick, he propelled himself forward, leaving the sharks behind. They glared at him, their eyes narrowed in frustration, as he increased his speed once more.

The resistance of the water could not stop him. In fact, it seemed to propel him toward his destination.

With just a few strokes, he reached the black castle beyond the golden palace in the blink of an eye.

It was a place that existed but had never been properly utilized. Standing before it, he frowned in annoyance, running a hand through his hair in irritation.

The black castle was a prison.

It was designed to confine those who had sinned, yet it hadn’t been used in the past hundred years.

In this sea, if someone committed a crime, no matter what it was, the solution was simple: death.

Imprisonment as a form of punishment was not Triton’s way. If he hadn’t killed them, that would be one thing, but resurrecting the dead for questioning? He had killed many impulsively; why question it now?

Triton pondered deeply. If there was an exception, there had to be a reason.

There was only one plausible explanation.

‘The Golden Knife.’

As long as Chrysaor’s bloodline lived, the Golden Knife would continue to flow through their veins. He needed to retrieve that knife, said to be capable of harming gods, by completely eradicating that bloodline.

If he could use this woman as bait to lure out Echidna and retrieve the Golden Knife…

Yes, the effort he had made to resurrect a dead human from the underworld felt quite justified.

“…….”

Triton gazed at the woman lying motionless in the pitch-black darkness.

Her eyes, hidden beneath closed lids, her small nose still faintly marked by sunlight, her lips beginning to regain color, and her fragile neck.

Like luminescent objects glowing brighter in the dark, her features faintly glowed, etching themselves into his vision.

Her shallow breaths, returning life to her, escaped through parted lips, whispering softly. In this place, under the water yet not truly submerged, her breaths reached him clearly.

As her life returned, her scent grew stronger. The soft, warm fragrance typical of land dwellers, somehow appetizing, teased his senses.

It was unsettling that he did not find this subtle fragrance unpleasant.

She was a fragile human who could die with just a slight display of his divine power, yet why did she bother him so much?

‘This might be your last chance.’

Someone whispered. It was clear who roamed freely in his mind, planting these whispers.

Fate, or perhaps temptation. Whatever it was, Triton was not inclined to feel such things for this insignificant human.

Impulsively, Triton reached out. Her slender neck, easily grasped with one hand, fit snugly in his palm.

The smooth texture of her skin tickled his cold fingertips. He felt the pulse of a beating vein and the warmth returning to her skin, proclaiming her life.

Just as he unconsciously tightened his grip,

“…Huh.”

The woman, who had been groaning, stirred and slowly lifted her eyelids. Her slightly dazed, yet not yet hostile green eyes captured his image.

***

Livia awoke to a pain that felt like her entire body was breaking.

However, even after opening her eyes, the world remained completely dark, making it impossible for her to distinguish between dream and reality. Only the heavy pain she felt on her skin provided a sense of reality to her hazy consciousness.

Where am I?

Livia tried to focus, opening and closing her heavy eyelids. She thought her vision was blurred because she couldn’t see anything, but no matter how hard she tried, the darkness wouldn’t lift.

These days, just waking up and getting her bearings felt like a task… Livia thought absentmindedly.

As she held her throbbing forehead and attempted to sit up, she suddenly twisted, feeling her breath constricted.

She couldn’t breathe properly; it felt as if something was choking her neck.

As her numb fingers fumbled over her constricted throat, she froze in place.

…A hand.

A smooth, cold hand like silk.

Livia slowly raised her trembling gaze. As she traced the faint silhouette obscured by darkness, she saw a pair of bright blue flames at the end.

No, no, those weren’t flames…

At that moment, with a faint sound, the darkness that filled the space vanished, and a soft light illuminated her surroundings.

The brightened view stung her eyes. She found herself staring directly into those blue eyes that had seemed like flames.

Her blurry green eyes gradually hardened in shock.

“How does it feel to come back from the dead?”

The terrifying voice that had driven her to death spoke to her again.

Startled, Livia glared at the man, who was frozen like ice. The only small comfort was that, perhaps because he wasn’t revealing his divine nature, he seemed less intimidating than the colossal figure she had encountered in the sea.

She bit her trembling lower lip hard.

I really have come back to life.

As she repeated this unbelievable fact to herself, her cheeks turned a faint pink.

Just as I have been resurrected, maybe my family can be brought back too. It seemed impossible, but she thought maybe it wasn’t entirely out of reach.

Perhaps, maybe not resurrection, but at least a reunion…

At that moment, the cold hand around her neck tightened.

“Ugh…!”

Startled, she struggled, and her body lifted as if it had lost all weight.

“I revived you because I was curious, but instead of gratitude, you’re lost in other thoughts.”

The cold voice reverberated around her like a hum. The unsettling tone seeped into Livia’s soul, sending a chill through her.

“…Makes me want to kill you again.”

“…!”

Shocked by the chilling words, she glared at him, and his ocean-like blue eyes curved mysteriously.

Pale, untanned skin contrasted with a strong physique, a noble smile, and a wild temperament all blended together in his gaze.

The beautiful yet cruel god of the sea observed Livia with an unreadable expression.

Suddenly, his snake-like slit pupils reflected her in a chilling light. The grip on her slender neck tightened as if it would snap, causing Livia’s body to tremble violently.

“L-Let go… Let go…!”

Her small body, bound by his large hand, struggled fiercely.

Watching her with an indifferent gaze, he wiped any trace of a smile from his face and released his grip.

Her limp body fell to the ground.

Triton looked at the woman, who was gasping and retching, with an indifferent expression, then slumped back into a chair made of water droplets.

Bastard.

He had brought her back to life, then strangled her, and tossed her aside as if she were less than an object, all while showing open contempt.

Not all gods were like this, but he was particularly vicious and violent.

Given how much he despised humans, it must have been irritating to him that she had tried to harm him.

Not that it mattered to her.

Grinding her teeth, Livia thought hard.

Though she had been resurrected, as the witch had said, it didn’t seem like her revival had come from her own power.

“I revived you because I was curious, but instead of gratitude, you’re lost in other thoughts. How arrogant…”

He had said it himself.

‘I revived you.’

So, this revival was his doing, driven by his curiosity.

‘I need to use this well…’