Nine gasped as the harsh air entered his lungs. He looked down at the vast expanse of shimmering water below him and couldn't help but chuckle.
Kyle appeared beside him, and his eyebrow twitched violently when he realized that they had teleported above the Sea Continent, only outside the water.
"You should have told me that the teleportation array wasn't long distance. I could have just drawn a portal and teleported us directly onto land."
Nine raised his eyebrow with a smirk.
"That array is really expensive. I paid an old man to draw it so I can leave the Sea whenever I want."
He took an exaggerated breath.
"The air outside sucks, but at least it's..."
'... not suffocating.'
Nine didn't finish his sentence and grinned at Kyle.
"Well, I kind of knew that you would find out through Bia... your little spy. But how long have you known that I'm not human?"
Kyle blinked.
"Bia did tell me but I found out on my own even before she knew about it. Also, It's been a long time, even before we entered the secret realm."
Nine's lips twitched, and Kyle's next words made him smile dryly.
"You can see the future, right? Or is it just a prediction skill?"
Nine extended his hand and directed his finger towards his pale golden eyes, to show Kyle the delicate thread encircling his pupils.
"It's something we inherited from our ancestors. Not all merpeople have this unique skill. Currently, in the entire Sea Continent, only Seraphine, the Queen, and I possess it. It's called the spiritual gaze."
He let out a sigh, who could have guessed there would come a time when he would share knowledge about the spiritual gaze with someone else without feeling threatened?
"But mine is a lower-ranked one, so I have zero control over it. That's why it sometimes gets activated when I directly touch someone's skin. Since I met you and Alec, it has been activating more frequently. Just recently, an old man from my Kingdom examined me and warned that if the skill activates again... it could pose a threat to my life."
Kyle listened intently, his brows furrowing because, despite Nine's words, he still smiled.
"Nine, catch!"
Nine quickly reached out and caught the glass vial tossed to him. He looked at the shimmering golden droplet inside the vial and glanced at Kyle.
"What's this?"
"Divine essence... It's the last vial, so be grateful I saved it for you."
Nine raised an eyebrow in surprise and shook the vial.
"Is this the same divine essence you found in the secret realm?"
Kyle nodded, but only after a few seconds, Nine tossed the vial back to him and let out a sigh.
"I don't know how to use it. Plus, I have already reached the limit of my talent, so I don't think it would be useful to me."
However, Nine regretted throwing the vial back at Kyle the moment he heard what the divine essence was used for.
Since Nine was taken back to the Sea Continent unconscious, he didn't have any contact with anyone else and didn't know what happened in his absence. So, he had no idea what the divine essence was used for. He only knew it was precious because Haylee emphasized its importance in the secret realm.
Nine chuckled and with a quick and precise movement snatched the vial back from Kyle.
"So, this little thing could help me reach a rank even higher than (SSS+)-Rank?"
He fixed his gaze on the glittering golden droplet, suddenly finding it incredibly tempting.
"I just need to consume this, right?"
Nine opened the vial with excitement dancing in his eyes. But before he could toss the droplet into his mouth, Kyle grabbed his wrist with a solemn expression.
"Nine, it's not a guarantee that you'll reach the pseudo-divine rank. Moreover, it's going to be extremely painful... and after you enter the ascendant state you'll only have a minute, maybe even less. Once the divine essence enters someone's body, it needs an exit, or else the body will explode."
Kyle paused for a moment.
"But since you've reached the end of your talent, it wouldn't endanger your life... just remember, it's dangerous, and every second after consuming the divine essence is precious."
Nine smiled, but instead of taking his time to think about whether he should consume the divine essence or not, he pulled his wrist away from Kyle's hand and asked a very important question.
"Have you experienced it yourself? Is it really that painful... Also, I have been meaning to ask, what's your rank right now? Have you reached the..."
Kyle shook his head.
"No, not yet... but I can sense divine energy in my body. So, I believe I'll naturally reach the pseudo-divine rank in a week. I just need a little push."
Nine's lips curled into a smirk.
"So, if I reach the pseudo-divine rank, I'll be stronger than you? How about we spar once I am done."
Kyle rolled his eyes, observing the man in front of him. Well, he hoped that Nine would overcome the challenge. No, he believed that Nine could do it. The spiritual gaze Nine mentioned didn't seem ordinary at all. It felt more like a dormant power within him. Otherwise, how could Nine see the future multiple times with just a low-rank skill?
Nine took a deep breath and raised the vial, allowing the golden droplet to fall into his mouth. He furrowed his brow and tightly shut his eyes, preparing for the pain Kyle had mentioned. However, even after a few seconds, nothing happened. Slowly, he opened his eyes and cautiously touched his body with his hands.
"Don't tell me the divine essence isn't working because I don't feel anything-!"
Before he could finish his sentence, a sharp, stinging pain pierced his abdomen.
"Ah..."
Nine clutched his stomach, his expression instantly turning pale. In the next second, he lost his balance mid-air and plunged into the water. Kyle wanted to grab him, but he paused when amidst the pain Nine raised his hand to stop him.
Soon, painful screams filled the air, and Kyle could only watch with a hard expression. He quickly grabbed a few healing potions from his mind space, ready to jump in, the moment Nine signaled. But then, a bright light encircled Nine's lower body in a mesmerizing way.
