Chapter 644: Temple of the Ugly Fish

Among the jagged rocks.

A massive conch shell glowed with magical energy, upon which sat a woman with semi-transparent green water bands covering her vital areas. Her body pulsed with dense magical energy.

The glow of water magic.

"Were you looking for us?"

The woman spoke softly in the language of the wind upon seeing Liszt and Acheronides.

She didn’t look old, just like a woman in her thirties, with dark blue hair flowing down her back. Fins protruded from her ears, forehead, shoulders, elbows, hips, and calves—similar to Acheronides, though Acheronides had far fewer fins.

Most striking were her butterfly-like fin-wings, stirring the water with every flutter.

Overall, she appeared more alluring than Acheronides, but her human-like features were less polished. The abundance of transparent fin-like structures marred her beauty, and patches of her skin bore faint, scale-like textures.

Her coloring was mostly green.

Acheronides, in contrast, had deep blue hair and bright blue eyes.

Comparatively, Acheronides possessed only a few transparent fin-like structures. Her skin was flawless, smooth, and glowing—even surpassing the softness of a human infant’s. Her higher degree of anthropomorphism made her far surpass the older siren before them.

However.

This siren had perfectly shaped, delicate feet.

Just imagine how stunning Acheronides would look if she, too, grew feet.

"Hello. I am a human knight. Are you a siren?" Liszt, riding on Rose’s back, smiled gracefully and bowed. "My companion here is also a siren."

Acheronides wasn’t very enthusiastic toward the siren, offering only a brief "Hello."

The elder siren glanced at Acheronides before turning to Liszt. "Young human knight, I am indeed a siren. What brings you here? It has been many years since I last encountered humans—I’ve ignored even the passing ships of the Sapphire Duchy."

"Sapphire?" Liszt's eyes brightened. "You know of the Sapphire Duchy?"

"When I freely roamed these seas, Sapphire hadn’t been founded yet. Back then, aside from ancient shipwrecks, not a single vessel sailed these waters. It was Sapphire that brought forth countless ships, bringing these seas to life." Though the elder siren didn’t look old, she spoke of ancient times.

Hearing this, Liszt’s tone shifted. "Can I ask how many years you have lived?"

"Over four hundred summers and winters—I’ve lost count."

Four hundred years old.

She’s ancient!

Based on Acheronides' maturation, sirens likely lived only around four centuries.

Realizing this siren was the one sought by the smoke mission, Liszt grew even more cordial. "It’s an honor to meet you, esteemed elder siren. I am Liszt Tulip, a viscount of the Sapphire Duchy. Might I have the privilege of knowing your name?"

"My name..." The elder siren lifted her gaze to the moon’s reflection on the water, momentarily lost in thought. "Aphrodite Hector Sinitheia Tethys Nemotemis Persephone... Sthenebris."

"Uh…"

Liszt’s lips twitched. Why did every siren insist on such impossibly long names? "Your name is quite lengthy, much like my sister’s. Hers is..." He glanced at Acheronides, as if struggling to recall her full name.

Acheronides, ever considerate, promptly supplied it. "My name is Tanahesti Urapamini Selene Leucothea Phorcys Briseis... Cassandra Acheronides. But I have since renamed myself Acheronides Truth. You may call me Acheronides."

"Truth... You're actually a siren who practices magic?" The elderly siren was surprised, but after her gaze shifting between Liszt and Acheronides, she seemed to understand. "I once studied magic too, but only learned a few simple spells."

With this shared interest, the conversation became less awkward.

Liszt smiled. "Acheronides is a great magician."

"A great magician? Such a young siren great magician is indeed rare." The elderly siren nodded lightly. "You may call me Is."

"Madam Is."

"Sirens are born and raised by the sea, without the complex worldly ties you humans have. Just call me by my name."

Liszt obliged. "Very well, Is."

With the formalities out of the way, the conversation gradually shifted to Liszt asking questions, which Is answered with her four hundred years of life. Though her demeanor remained neither warm nor cold, she showed no impatience toward his inquiries.

Acheronides listened quietly nearby.

"Is, I'm very curious about sirens, especially since my sister is one. But she's still very young and has much to learn. I hope you can help guide her." Seeing she was cooperative, Liszt seized the opportunity to make his request—more to convince this siren to come to his territory.

However, Is replied, "Sirens don’t need guidance. Each follows their own path, experiencing all the joys and sorrows of the sea. That is the meaning of a siren’s existence."

Acheronides also said, "Brother, Acheronides wants to grow on her own."

The mutual indifference between the two sirens puzzled Liszt. Logically, Acheronides was kind and innocent, while Is seemed gentle. As beings of the same race, even if they wouldn’t "get emotional when meeting one of their own," they shouldn’t be so cold.

Yet, from the start of their search for sirens, Acheronides had shown no enthusiasm toward the unknown siren.

Perhaps some inherent trait in sirens made them repel each other.

He decided to ask Acheronides about it later. For now, he shifted topics. "Is, we came to this sea to explore an ancient ruin. Could you guide us to its location?"

"Ancient ruin? You mean the Undead Yuchou temple ruins."

"Undead Yuchou temple?"

Liszt heard a new term: "Yuchou" in the language of the winds meant "fish-like yet hideous creatures."

Is raised her slender arm, pointing southeast with fingers like spring onions. "Swim straight ahead for about fifty kilometers, and you’ll find a square coral reef. From there, swim due south for thirty kilometers, and you’ll reach a hundred-meter-deep sunken pit. The ruins of the Undead Yuchou temple are buried under the silt."

She added, "There’s a powerful Undead Yuchou guarding the temple. I wouldn't recommend going there carelessly."