Chapter 675: Tiny Footsteps

This chapter is an extra update sponsored by "dadadsdsd" [TN: Sponsor's name].

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The large shell landed on the floor of the house, and Nami flew over, eager to call Acheronides out.

But the shell did not open.

Just above the shell, ripples like water waves appeared in the air, followed by countless densely packed blue-white lines gradually outlining Acheronides' silhouette. This time, below her ankles, there were no longer water ribbons but real feet—small and delicate.

Acheronides stood at just over five feet tall, her figure slender but with all the right curves. The biggest difference from humans was the transparent fin-shaped ears slanting upward and the two wing-like transparent fins on her shoulder blades.

Other than that, there was no distinction.

Thus, from the blue lines emerged a blue-white crystal, which then gradually took on color, restoring Acheronides' usual porcelain-pink skin. A few water ribbons still wrapped around key areas, concealing the private areas, leaving only a beauty that blended innocence and allure.

"Squee!" Nami was overjoyed—her big sis was back!

The new Acheronides slowly stepped onto the shell with her feet.

This was the first time she stood firmly on the ground. She couldn't help but look down at her feet—the pale insteps, adorable toes, and translucent nails. She had thought it would take over a decade to grow feet, but now, with the power of the Magic Web, she had completed the reshaping effortlessly.

She was thrilled with this transformation.

A mermaid without feet could not walk on land.

With feet, she could accompany Liszt, exploring endless beautiful sights and living on land. This was the life she had longed for over the past two years, finally realized today—even more exciting than becoming an Archmage.

She reached out, signaling Nami to hop onto her hand.

With a gentle wave, the shell beneath her feet rapidly shrank until it was as small as a matchbox, landing in her other palm.

Nami curiously flew over, picked up the shell, and chirped happily: "Squee!"

"I'll let you play with it later."

"Squee!"

Nami obediently let go, and Acheronides gently took the shell, clipping it into her blue hair like a delicate hairpin.

The water ribbons now connected to the shell hairpin.

"Nami, let's go to the sea. I can’t wait to try out my Archmage powers. Brother has already become a Dragon-Rider—I can't fall too far behind. An Archmage will surely be able to help Brother achieve his modest goal of building a kingdom!"

Even without the shell, Acheronides swam swiftly.

Especially when her body glowed with a blue-white magic aura, she seemed to blend into the sea. With every flick of her feet, she would appear dozens of yards away.

Rainbow Whale Rosi initially tried to follow, but within seconds, Acheronides left her behind.

Left with no choice, Rosi trilled and returned to the seaside castle, where a specially built pool awaited her on the beach. There, she could enjoy the most delicious silverfish—and in the canal connecting to Thorn Castle, she could savor pond-raised fish, all tended by dedicated caretakers.

In just moments, Acheronides had already left Coral Island far behind, arriving near the waters of the Ring Reef.

She plucked the shell from her hair and tossed it onto the sea, where it instantly transformed into a massive clamshell. Then, she released Nami from her hand, signaling her to stay inside the shell.

Standing lightly on the waves, wherever there was seawater, she could stand as steady as on land.

With a gentle wave of her hand, she instantly cast an advanced water magic—Hydrofusion Spiral. The next second, the distant sea surface exploded violently, sending massive waves crashing.

This casual strike alone was orders of magnitude more powerful than any Hydrofusion Spiral she had cast before.

Most crucially, the consumption of magic power was almost negligible. Acheronides could sense the presence of the Magic Web at all times, drawing from it to replenish her expended magic power.

In other words, her magic power was practically limitless.

After several trials, she realized that even the most basic water magic—Water Arrow—could unleash the might of an advanced spell in her hands. Ever since touching the Magic Web and undergoing elemental metamorphosis, she had felt a qualitative transformation in her magic power, distinct from ordinary magic.

"Is this what brother called transcendent-grade magic, akin to dragon-essence magic?" Acheronides shook her head, feeling it wasn't quite the same, but further research was needed.

Thus, the waters around the atoll suffered the consequences.

Though limited by her body, Acheronides found it difficult to cast spells of other elements besides water magic. However, she had mastered countless water spells, including many of her own creation, as well as those recorded by Virginia when the Undead Yuchou performed them. She could cast them in relentless succession for ten minutes without repetition.

After bombarding the sea with water magic for a full two hours, Acheronides smiled in satisfaction. She had collected sufficient observations to verify the nature of her Magic Web-infused magic power after her elemental metamorphosis.

Next,

She continued testing her innate abilities. As a siren, she possessed the power to control seawater. After her elemental metamorphosis, this ability not only remained but was greatly enhanced.

The water beneath Acheronides' feet swirled into a vortex, lifting her upward steadily. As the water rose, it formed a towering waterspout that climbed to a height of a hundred meters—her current limit. With a pointed finger, the waterspout tilted forward rapidly, moving at incredible speed.

From then on, it was as if she were putting on a maritime aerial display, with the waterspout lifting her in all sorts of dazzling maneuvers.

She even conjured additional waterspouts, controlling up to ten at once. These waterspouts churned the sea into a maelstrom, turning the ocean into a scene of cataclysmic upheaval. Waves surged higher and higher, roaring outward in all directions.

"Brother said an Archmage could duel a dragon one-on-one. I feel like I have that strength now too. Though I can only cast water magic, I’m truly powerful on the open sea!" Acheronides clenched her fist, and instantly, all the waterspouts exploded into a shower of raindrops.

Having had her fill of play and experimentation with her newfound abilities,

She picked up Nami again, reclaimed her shell-shaped hair clasp, and streaked back to the seaside castle like a seabird's shadow across the ocean, arriving in just a few breaths.

Previously, Acheronides' speed had been around a hundred kilometers per hour. Now, it was likely close to five or six hundred.

A trip from Coral Island to the mainland would take only two or three hours—truly unfettered passage across the sea. Aside from the water Elemental Dragons, there was likely nothing in the ocean that could threaten her, and even they might not be able to harm her.

Her speed alone rendered her uncatchable by any creature.

Back in her laboratory, Acheronides sought to compose the excitement from her earlier play. After a few deep breaths, her customary composure returned.

She bent over her desk, scribing and diagramming on thick paper.

Her fair little feet dangled in the water, seemingly unsure where to rest—paddling left, then right, then crossing one over the other.

"How marvelous it is to have feet."