Chapter 298: Underwater Play

Mino stepped forward and reached out his arms toward Nina.

"Nina, let me carry you to breakfast."

Yanai clearly had no intention of handing her over. The two males locked eyes instantly, sparks practically flying between them.

Odian stepped in calmly. "Nina, let Mino take you," he said smoothly. "The rest of us need to have a little bonding session with Yanai."

Nina sighed inwardly and patted Yanai lightly. Reluctantly, he finally handed her over to Mino.

Ah... the males’ matters were better left for the males themselves to resolve.

Mino carried Nina toward the dining hall while Odian tilted his chin toward the courtyard.

Without the slightest fear, Yanai strode over.

A moment later, the sounds of fists and bodies colliding rang through the courtyard:

Bang. Thud. Crash.

After that "discussion," the beastmen finally, more or less, accepted Yanai as one of them.

. . .

The day passed quickly.

Another bright morning arrived.

Rosen came looking for Nina early, brimming with excitement.

"Nina, have you rested enough these past few days? Let’s go swim in the sea!"

"Sure," Nina replied with a smile. "Let me change first."

Even though they would be protected inside water bubbles underwater, Nina still changed into clothing woven from shark silk.

As for the cubs... whether they wore anything or not hardly seemed to matter, so she simply left them as they were.

Aviel, Lex, and Dian accompanied Nina, while the other males continued searching for Sea Crystal Stones.

The cubs were beside themselves with excitement at the mention of the ocean, chattering nonstop the entire way there.

Yinny looked up at Rosen curiously. "Grandma, is it true there are giant fish in the sea?"

"It’s true," Rosen replied with a laugh. "Some are even bigger than houses."

Didi’s eyes widened in wonder. "Grandma, are there really colorful little fish in the ocean?"

"Of course there are. They’re beautiful. Grandma will show you later."

Linny tilted his little head. "Grandma, are there shiny stones underwater too? They said the sea is very dark."

Rosen took out a smooth, perfectly round pearl and handed it to him.

"There are many of them. This pearl glows underwater—it shines very brightly."

Linny accepted it happily and immediately began fiddling with it.

Momo sat quietly on Nina’s shoulder, his eyes sparkling with curiosity and anticipation.

Mimi waved her chubby little hands excitedly. "Grandma, I want to see glowing fish!"

"Alright," Rosen replied fondly, utterly doting on her.

Shushu bounced with excitement. "Grandma, I want to see giant turtles! Really, really giant ones!"

Sunny was equally enthusiastic. "Grandma, I want to see little seahorses!"

"No problem," Rosen said, stroking the cubs affectionately. "Grandma will show you everything. I promise you’ll see enough to your hearts’ content."

The cubs nodded happily.

Soon, they arrived at the shore.

Rosen had brought Nina to an incredibly beautiful beach where golden sands met the endless blue sea.

The seawater in this beast world was astonishingly clear and vivid—so blue it looked almost like shimmering sapphire jelly beneath the sunlight.

Since they were heading directly into the sea today, Nina decided not to let the cubs stop to play on the beach.

Lex formed a massive transparent bubble with his powers, enveloping Nina and the cubs safely inside.

Since Dian’s powers had not fully recovered yet, Lex would be the one accompanying Nina underwater.

Nina lowered her head and gently reminded the cubs,

"You all have to stay obediently in Mother’s arms later. No running around on your own, and if you see something you like, don’t rush off trying to catch it yourselves, understand? If you want something, tell Mother first. If it’s safe, I’ll bring it home for you."

The cubs obediently nodded.

We understand!

Lex slowly moved closer to Nina, his heartbeat chaotic, fingertips trembling faintly.

"N-Nina... today, let me take care of you."

It was the first time he had ever been this close to her.

Nina smiled softly.

"Alright. Thank you for your hard work."

"N-No trouble at all," Lex replied quickly. "It’s what I should do."

Carefully, almost reverently, he wrapped an arm around Nina’s waist.

"Nina... once we’re underwater, try not to stray too far from me."

Nina nodded obediently.

"Alright."

"Are you ready?" Lex asked softly. "If you are, we’ll head down."

"I’m ready."

The moment she answered, Lex tightened his hold on her and leapt forward.

With a splash, they plunged into the sea.

Dian, Aviel, Rosen, and the others followed one after another.

Because this trip was meant for leisure rather than speed, Lex deliberately slowed their pace, guiding them first through the shallower waters.

Sunlight streamed through the ocean’s surface in shimmering golden beams, illuminating the underwater world below.

Colorful coral reefs stretched across the seabed, intertwined with stones of every imaginable shape and shade. Schools of fish drifted around them in glittering waves, weaving gracefully through the water.

The cubs gasped endlessly in amazement.

Didi pointed excitedly at a group of brilliantly colored fish.

"Mother, those little fish are so pretty!"

Shushu suddenly shouted in excitement. "Mother, there’s a giant turtle over there!"

The other cubs looked around frantically as well, their eyes darting everywhere at once, unable to keep up with all the wonders surrounding them.

Nina herself was equally captivated.

Even in her previous life, she had never truly experienced diving beneath the sea.

The underwater world was breathtakingly beautiful.

Gradually, they moved toward deeper waters.

The deeper they descended, the dimmer the ocean became.

The number of sea creatures increased dramatically, and their bodies grew larger and more imposing.

At one point, Nina even spotted sharks gliding silently through the dark waters—though none approached them.

"Nina," Lex said softly, "if we go a little farther, we should be able to see whales. Shall we?"

"Sure."

It would be the perfect chance to show the cubs what a truly "super giant fish" looked like.

Lex guided her forward through the sea until several enormous creatures slowly emerged in the distance.

The cubs’ mouths fell open.

"These fish are way too huge!"

Lex laughed lightly.

"These aren’t even the biggest ones. Uncle Lex will show you even larger ones."

Then he lifted his head and released a clear, high-pitched call into the depths of the sea.

Not long afterward, several unbelievably gigantic creatures appeared around them.

They circled gracefully around the bubble enclosing Nina and the cubs, their massive bodies stirring the ocean currents so strongly that the bubble itself swayed gently.

The whales in this beast world were far larger than anything Nina had ever seen on Earth.

The cubs were utterly stunned.

"How can fish this big even exist?!"

Wouldn’t one last for years if you ate it?

After admiring the whales, they continued descending toward the true depths of the ocean.

Little by little, darkness swallowed the sea around them.

Fortunately, Rosen and the others had prepared for this long ago.

Around Nina, glowing fish began appearing one after another, accompanied by luminous underwater plants that painted the darkness with soft blues, greens, and golds.

Rosen and the others also took out radiant pearls that illuminated the surrounding waters even further, turning the once-shadowy deep sea into something dreamlike rather than frightening.

The cubs squealed excitedly at every glowing creature they saw.

Like this, they continued descending deeper and deeper into the ocean until finally, a magnificent palace appeared before them.

It was dazzling beyond words.

The enormous underwater palace looked like something straight out of a fantasy, adorned everywhere with glowing pearls, luminous gemstones, coral decorations, and crystalline structures that illuminated the deep sea as brightly as daylight.

A massive transparent barrier surrounded the palace, while many half-transformed beastmen stood guard around its perimeter.

Lex guided Nina down before the palace gates and finally dismissed the protective bubble.

"Nina," he said softly, "this is our underwater palace."

As he released her from his embrace, an unmistakable trace of reluctance flickered through his eyes.

Nina stared at the palace in amazement.

The sea clan reallywasabsurdly wealthy.

Pearls and gemstones seemed to be scattered around as though they cost absolutely nothing.

Rosen walked over and linked arms with Nina affectionately.

"Come on, Nina. Mother will show you around our palace."

She happily led Nina through the entire underwater palace while the cubs scampered everywhere in excitement.

They played throughout the deep sea for hours, exploring until it grew very late before finally returning to the surface world.

After that day, Lex frequently accompanied Nina into the ocean, helping her gradually adapt to the underwater environment while teaching her various ways to avoid danger beneath the sea.

Several days later... The Abyss of Darkness finally appeared.