Caden Albright stared at the unfamiliar male as several thoughts flashed through his mind before settling into a quiet calm.

The "Snow Ferret," however, seemed neither worried nor embarrassed that his identity had been exposed. He nodded, his innate Divinity feeling entirely out of place in this world. The crimson cinnabar mark between his brows was dazzling against the heavy snow.

He looked at Loras, his pitch-black eyes devoid of any emotion. "Cassian Zane is not a Snow Ferret Beastman."

Cassian Zane... Caden Albright and Loras exchanged a look, their expressions turning grave.

With Lachlan on his back, Caden Albright parted his pale lips. His voice was glacial. "Your target is Eva."

Cassian Zane gave a slight nod, his expression still serene. "Tell her to go to the outskirts of the Triangle Sea to retrieve her people."

Caden Albright’s knuckles cracked. ’Knowing full well that this man’s target is Eva, should I really take Lachlan and go with him?’

Loras pressed his lips together, his purple eyes fixed on Caden Albright, wondering what choice he would make.

Cassian Zane seemed to think nothing of what he had just said, nor did he appear to care what choice Caden Albright would make. He simply watched them, his pitch-black eyes gazing at the falling snow. Reaching out a hand to touch a flake, a shadow seemed to pass through his eyes.

After a long moment, Caden Albright, still carrying Lachlan, walked toward Cassian Zane. He said to Loras, "Get out of here as fast as you can."

’If Eva were here, she would definitely save Lachlan.’

’I can’t abandon Lachlan, either. The only thing I can do is keep this a secret.’

Loras watched Caden Albright and Lachlan retreat into the distance. His hand, hanging at his side, clenched into a fist so tight his nails dug into his palm. DRIP. DRIP. Blood fell onto the ground, instantly melting the snow that had already piled up to his ankles.

He understood the unspoken part of Caden Albright’s message. ’Get out of here quickly, and don’t tell Eva about this.’

’Cassian Zane is no ordinary Beastman. Why is he taking Caden Albright and Lachlan to the outskirts of the Triangle Sea? If Evangeline doesn’t go to get them, what will happen to them? Will they be in danger? I don’t know.’

’But I know one thing for certain: if Evangeline doesn’t go, we’ll likely never see Caden Albright and Lachlan again.’

Cassian Zane paid no mind to the subtle exchange between the two men. Once Caden Albright and Lachlan drew near, he simply led them away.

Loras couldn’t stop himself from taking a few steps after them, but the blizzard quickly erased all traces of their path.

If not for the utter exhaustion in his body and the searing pain from his wounds, he would have thought this was all a dream.

Loras glanced back at the dense fog, which was slowly beginning to disperse in the wake of Cassian Zane’s departure. He took a deep breath and swiftly left.

*

「The Deep Sea」

Evangeline trembled all over. Her scarlet Fintan swayed back and forth, stirring up tiny streams of bubbles.

Spasms of intense pain in her abdomen made her brow furrow. She clenched her jaw so hard that blood seeped from her lips.

Danton remained by her side, his own body trembling—partly from her pain, partly from his own anxiety that the babies were taking so long to be born. Yet he suppressed his feelings, gently stroking her swollen abdomen with his palm and doing his utmost to soothe her.

He gently kissed the space between Evangeline’s brows, his lips cool against her skin. "Don’t be afraid," he whispered. "I’m here."

The cloying, sweet scent of blood in the water unnerved him.

In the dark depths, glowing sea anemones and jellyfish swayed gently, their faint light twinkling like stars.

Evangeline suddenly arched her back, a cry of pain swallowed by the surging current. A warm gush flowed out, and immediately after, the weight in her heavy abdomen seemed to vanish. It suddenly felt light, and the excruciating pain disappeared with it.

Danton’s breath caught in his throat. His trembling, light-blue eyes darted over.

Two little forms, each wrapped in a transparent membrane, floated gently in the current. He could clearly see their tiny hands, their soft azure scales, and tail fins so faint they were almost invisible.

"Eva..." Danton’s throat tightened, his light-blue eyes seeming to shimmer with starlight.

He held the weakened Evangeline tightly in his arms, guiding her closer to the two little ones wriggling in the current.

It was Evangeline’s first time seeing newborn Merfolk, too. ’Is this considered oviparous or viviparous?’ she wondered.

A moment later, one of the little ones broke free from its soft cocoon. Its tiny body tumbled in the current, and its Fintan began to sway instinctively. It slowly opened its eyes, revealing the same light-blue shade as Danton’s.

The little one’s nostrils twitched. Smelling its mother’s scent, it immediately swished its Fintan joyfully and swam toward Evangeline.

Though its movements were still unpracticed, its form was already quite graceful.

The corners of Danton’s lips lifted in a small smile. He held Evangeline’s waist steady with his left arm and gathered the approaching baby into his right.

Evangeline studied the baby with curiosity. Newborn Merfolk were fair-skinned and smooth, with none of the usual wrinkles. This little one had clearly been well-nourished in the womb. Its thick eyelashes curled like seaweed, its lips were a deep red, and its fine, soft, azure hair swayed gently in the water, like a living piece of the ocean waves.

"Is it The Little Maiden?" Evangeline reached out and gently squeezed the baby’s Fintan. It was incredibly soft. These scales, which would one day be hard, were as soft and smooth as Merweave Silk at birth, shimmering with a pearlescent luster in the light from the anemones.

Danton was slightly surprised. "Why do you say that? He’s a male."

A hint of amusement flickered in his eyes, as if he hadn’t expected that Evangeline couldn’t tell the baby’s gender.

Evangeline’s lips twitched. ’The Fintans of Merfolk babies don’t display any gender characteristics, so it’s perfectly normal that I can’t tell. Besides, this little one is just so exquisite—cherry-red lips, pearly white teeth, and fluttering silver-blue eyelashes. He even has a stunning beauty about him. He’s the very model of a future belle... I just didn’t expect him to be a boy with such feminine features.’

’Then again, everyone in The Mer Clan, male or female, is gorgeous. It’s just in their genes.’

As they spoke, the baby in the other sac also broke free from its crystalline cocoon.

The little one did a deft twirl in the water, its Fintan swishing lightly as it swam swiftly toward Evangeline.

She reached out and scooped the little one securely into her arms.

The twins were like mirror images: the same porcelain-white skin, the same azure Fintans shimmering with a pearlescent luster, and even the same stunning beauty at the corners of their eyes. Both of them took after their father.

’On the Beastman Continent, multiple births are common. Twins are nothing remarkable; if anything, it’s a small number.’

Danton glanced at the baby in her arms and said softly, "This one is The Little Maiden."

Evangeline’s eyes crinkled at the corners. ’Alright then,’ she thought, ’a boy and a girl.’

The figures of the family of four swayed gently in the current, like a moon-drenched ink wash painting.

Just then, the entire sea began to tremble violently. The once-calm water started to churn, and countless bubbles like silver pearls rushed upward from the depths, making a heart-stopping sound.

The color drained from Danton’s face. He pulled Evangeline and the babies close and said in a grim voice, "The sea flame is erupting."

His slender body tensed, his tail fin instinctively stiffening into a defensive posture.

"Sea flame?" Evangeline narrowed her eyes, and understanding dawned on her almost instantly.

’A sea flame is an underwater volcanic eruption. Rampaging lava boils the seawater in an instant. For the creatures of the deep, it’s a lethal threat that causes them to suffocate—every bit as deadly as an eruption on land.’

"Let’s go!" Though Danton was worried about his clansmen, his first priority had to be protecting his female and their newborns.

Evangeline clutched the babies tight, grabbed his arm, and tore open a Teleportation Scroll. The scene before them changed in a flash.