Level 1 to Infinity: My Bloodline Is the Ultimate Cheat - Chapter 654

Chapter 654: Veils at the Gate

The Merfolk army marched in tight formation, their ranks moving steadily toward the great gate of the City of the Whale Fall.

The gate itself was colossal—wide enough for the entire army to pass through at once, its surface glimmering faintly under the dim blue light of the deep.

“Wait a moment…”

Just as Ethan and the King were about to step through the entrance, the Merfolk King suddenly stopped. Ethan hesitated, unsure why, until the King turned toward the Third Princess, Star.

“Star,” he said, his tone deliberate, “do you still have the Merfolk Veil you conceived?”

The princess froze for a heartbeat, instantly understanding his meaning.

She raised her hand, and three small, white, flame-like wisps drifted into view above her palm, their light flickering softly in the water.

“Father, I’ve only managed to create three Merfolk Veils over the years,” she said, her voice tinged with embarrassment.

“Three?” The King’s face brightened with delight. “Haha… excellent, excellent!”

Star’s lips pressed together, displeased by how easily he was satisfied, but she said nothing.

“Great Nephew,” the King continued warmly, turning back to Ethan, “these three Merfolk Veils will serve you for now. They’ll completely nullify the drag of seawater and allow you to breathe as you would on land.”

As he spoke, Star stepped forward, offering the faintly glowing flames to Ethan, Regis, and Starfall.

Ethan studied the delicate wisp in his hand, curiosity flickering in his eyes. “It’s… so small,” he murmured. “How are we supposed to wear this?”

“Just place it on your glabella,” Star said quietly, her voice soft and a faint blush touching her cheeks.

Ethan barely noticed her reaction. Eager to try, he pressed the tiny flame between his brows.

A cool sensation rushed through him, spreading from his forehead to the tips of his fingers.

He looked down and found his body wrapped in a thin, translucent film—like a veil of light. When he touched his face, he felt a smooth, jellyfish-like membrane forming a tight hood around his head. It clung to his skin but didn’t restrict his movement in the slightest.

Before, to move freely in the depths of the City of the Whale Fall, Ethan had to activate his Seal Form. But now, with the Merfolk Veil in place, the heavy resistance of the water seemed to vanish entirely.

Amazed, he dispelled his transformation to test it.

Sure enough, even without his powers, he could move as effortlessly as if he were walking on solid ground.

A grin spread across his face. “Hahaha!” His laughter bubbled through the water as his body shot forward, slipping through the barrier of the main gate.

Regis and Starfall exchanged a look of disbelief before hurriedly placing their veils on and following after him.

The Dragon Child, who needed no such aid, glided behind them effortlessly.

The Merfolk Sovereign lingered a moment longer, watching them go. Behind him, the Merfolk Prince stood still, his face darkening as his gaze followed Ethan’s figure.

He clearly didn’t like what he saw.

The King, however, remained calm. His expression didn’t change as he called out, “Great Nephew, don’t rush ahead! Those on the other side aren’t easy prey.”

With that, he too swept through the shimmering water barrier.

By the time Ethan and his companions reached the front of the Merfolk army, the ocean around them had grown oppressively dark.

He could sense the enemy somewhere in the distance, though his Senses were limited here. The deep-sea gloom swallowed all light, leaving him unable to see even a shadow ahead.

On land, twenty miles would have been enough to make out the opposing army. Down here, however, it was as if the darkness itself were alive—hiding everything that waited beyond.

Suddenly…

A shout cut through the water.

“Report. The twelve-tribe sea army has halted five kilometers out and is forming a battle array!” a Merfolk scout announced as he swam back up to the King, who had just reached Ethan.

The King waved his hand and the Merfolk ranks came to an immediate halt. They were now about a thousand meters beyond the city’s main gate, waiting in patient silence.

“Jorund, Jorunn, form the array!” he ordered.

“Yes, sir!” came two voices at once, a man’s and a woman’s.

Ethan recognized them as General Jorund and General Jorunn, siblings whose faces lit with eagerness at the command. War was something they had only ever practiced in name; now they finally had a chance to show what they could do.

Ethan narrowed his eyes. He had not expected the enemy to move so fast. Five kilometers in the deep sea was both close and dangerously invisible. Light did not travel far down here, and sight was a poor ally.

“Light the way!” General Jorunn called sharply.

At her command, the formation shifted. The difference between a land formation and a deep-sea formation hit Ethan at once. On land armies stacked across two dimensions. Here, the Merfolk built three-dimensional cubes of soldiers, ranks rising and falling like living architecture.

Slowly, giant turtles in the formation swam to higher positions. The clams on their backs began to open with a faint mechanical creak. A brilliant flare bloomed, and beams of light shot from the City of the Whale Fall to the gaping shells. The clams reflected and scattered the light until the dark ahead turned as bright as noon.

For the first time since they left the gate, Ethan could see clearly. The twelve-tribe coalition hovered five kilometers away. The sight was a chaotic array of shapes: shrimps as soldiers, hulking crabs, sleek sharks, long-nosed marlins, and countless other creatures Ethan could not name. The sudden light threw them into confusion. The bright searchbeams were little more than blunt instruments in the pitch-black ocean, but in that darkness they were overwhelming, almost painful.

General Jorund swam forward to the front of his array and spoke loudly enough for the enemy to hear. “You twelve sea tribes, why do you press your army against the City of the Whale Fall?”

A figure rose from the center of the opposing line, a Merfolk about a meter tall who carried himself with an irritating arrogance. “Well, well, well,” he called, voice dripping with mockery. “If it isn’t General Jorund. The most idle officer in the whole City of the Whale Fall. What is this? A field exercise?”

Sǫgarr, smug and small in the water. He was one of the thirty-two Elite Guards and technically a subordinate of Jorund, but he had a record of insolence that went back years.

Jorund’s face tightened. “Sǫgarr, you are a Merfolk. Are you defecting by standing with the enemy?” he demanded, fury sharpening his tone.

Sǫgarr only sneered in reply. “Oh, you remember my name, Jorund? Then remember this: I am the Prince of the Megalodon Clan. Why shouldn’t I be here? And who here is not of higher standing than a mere general like you?”

The brat lectured as if he owned the sea. Jorund, a man of fewer words and more temper, had no ready comeback. For a beat he was simply speechless, which felt like an insult to anyone who had watched him command.

Starfall muttered under her breath, the words carrying to Ethan even so. “Damn it. I should have smashed his head in earlier.”

Ethan kept his mouth shut. Now was not the time to lower himself by answering some petty taunt. He watched the exchange and found his mind wandering, thinking of easier solutions. If only Blackie were here, he thought with a half-smile. That rascal would have talked trash until Sǫgarr shrank three sizes. Or maybe Fatso, who had a way of turning a fight into a comedy act.