Chapter 116: Traditions

I was interested in Atlantis in the past because it was related to many powerful individuals and a lot of information about the past, but I never pursued visiting it.

I had plenty of other matters to attend to. 

However, it was clear now that someone from the underwater declared a sort of war on the surface. 

After all, a tsunami would have wiped out coastal cities and created a favorable scenario for an invasion by Atlanteans.

I wanted to know who was smart enough to start the wave while Kara and Clark were helping everyone along the Eastern Seaboard who was hurt, such as cruise ships, boats, and divers.

I knew about the approximate location of the person in charge of the tsunami when I recently linked to the Blue, and I teleported there. 

It was about a thousand kilometers off the coast of New York, and I immediately dived in after I appeared above the ocean.

 I felt no discomfort underwater, and I began a rapid descent.

Atlantis was as beautiful as I had read.

There are elegant structures that have remained since civilization was above water...

The Atlantis was quite advanced and possessed technology that surpassed that of the surface by a century in some areas. 

This was evident from the underwater ships armed with massive cannons firing compressed water held together by technomagic.

The city itself was equipped with formidable weaponry capable of easily penetrating tanks.

The general armament of the Atlantis was also quite powerful as they were inherently stronger than the average human. 

Their bodies had to handle much pressure as they lived deep in the ocean.

There were a lot of military ships ready to fight near this underwater kingdom at the moment. 

I could guess that another palace coup was happening because I knew about Atlantis's history.

To better understand the situation, I decided to use part of clairvoyance to gain a clearer picture of what had happened.

It was true that a coup had occurred. 

Orm Marius couldn't stand the competition.

Orin whose real name was Arthur Curry had an equal claim to the throne seemed absurd to Orm. 

Orm was the sole heir, and he was sure to ascend to the throne... until his mother found her other son.

He summoned his allies from other kingdoms and gave his mother a request, but she refused and was sent to the dungeon. 

Orm seized the throne and somehow acquired a powerful artifact—the Zodiac Crystal of Pisces that connects to one-twelfth of the Earth's mystical power. 

I had read about these Zodiac Crystals, but now I saw it in Orm's hands... and he immediately decided to use it to flood the surface.

However, Arthur showed up and was brought by Mera because she didn't want Orm to marry her. 

She opposed Orm because he was a clear villain and intent on waging war against the surface and bringing nothing but war to the Atlanteans.

She was also curious about what was happening on the surface and had seen information about Superman and Supergirl, their battles with aliens, and me.

Orm was able to defeat and wound Arthur with the Zodiac Crystal. 

He then sent the tsunami towards the surface to show Arthur the might and power of the Atlantis... and when I stopped the tsunami, Orm appeared frustrated when realizing he needed to train more in using the Zodiac Crystal.

"You... will die in agony."

"Prince..." 

I entered the throne room under invisibility and saw Orm, the wounded Arthur, and the red-haired Mera. 

The area was surrounded by barriers that kept the water out while allowing them to usually talk.

"King, not prince. You betrayed me, Mera." 

Orm said and pointed his trident directly at her. 

"You brought this useless land dweller and hoping he could take the throne? Guards, take her to the dungeon with my mother and you..."

"No! He is unarmed!" 

Mera found her voice and shielded the fallen Arthur with her body. 

She used her hydrokinesis to create a pressurized water dome around Orm to draw water from beyond the barrier.

"You foolish, naive girl!" 

Orm said as he took control of the water in the entire hall and simply knocked her back with compressed water, causing her to crash into the wall and leave a hole.

"Soon, we will attack the surface; we are ready for it."

"Bastard..." 

Arthur could manage to say as he bled out.

"You... monster..." 

She gasped while trying to recover from the blow.

"Dear fiancée... you shouldn't speak to your husband like that." 

Orm sneered as the guards approached and roughly grabbed her. 

"Especially since you have a fondness for surface dwellers... there's no place like you here."

"You won't get away with this..." 

She said as a parting shot.

"What a family drama you have here. It's like a movie." 

I commented and immediately drew the attention of the Atlanteans present.

"And who might you be? Her surface friend?" 

He looked at Mera, and she seemed to recognize me. 

"Apparently so... the very thought of you disgusts me. Just die."

He pointed his trident at me which contained the Zodiac Crystal. 

The tip of the trident glowed bright Blue, and a stream of water laced with lightning rushed towards me. 

It seemed that was how he wounded Arthur Curry.

"I didn't even feel it."

The attack struck me harmlessly, and I didn't even need to defend myself.

"Guards!" 

Orm shouted, and several guards began to surround me.

"You recently attacked the surface... and I didn't like it. So, kneel, king."

I snorted and tried to convey my contempt for him.

"Or your kingdom might find itself above water... you despise surface dwellers so much. What will you do if you all become like them?" 

I stomped my foot, and all of Atlantis shook. 

I was fully capable of lifting it to the surface using the earth's power and creating a massive platform of stone under the kingdom and raising it.

"What... what is happening?" 

A guard screamed as the earthquake intensified.

"Bastard! I don't know what trick you're using, but it's useless against the power of the Ocean Master!"

The Zodiac Crystal glowed again, but I didn't give him the chance to shoot another stream of water or lightning at me. 

I approached him and sent him flying with a punch. 

He was smashed through the ceiling and barriers and flew out of the palace.

"I advise you to drop your weapons." 

I said to the guards. 

They decided to attack me despite the warning, but a water tendril grabbed them and slammed them into the floor to knock them out.

"We need to get out of here. He'll return with reinforcements," 

Mera said while clutching her side and glancing at me.

"I... I don't think I can make it." 

Arthur said who couldn't get up due to his wound. 

"I told you, this idea of being a king isn't for me."

"You have royal blood in your veins... we just didn't expect such treachery from Orm." 

Mera said. 

"You... I saw reports about you on the surface. What are you doing here?"

"Someone created a massive tsunami capable of washing away part of the East Coast, and I had to deal with the problem. Now, I find out that some Atlantis king decided to attack the surface without knowing about the Earth's defenders. May I?" 

I pointed to her side, and the redhead hesitated briefly before nodding, not quite understanding what I intended. 

I directed my hand at her and healed her, and then I did the same for Arthur. 

She nodded in gratitude.

"We need to get out of here... I'd rather rot in a bar than die here." 

Arthur said while picking up his trident.

"You could become king..." 

Mera frowned.

"King?"

He scoffed. 

"I wanted to see my mother... and it all turned into this. However, you're right about Orm... he'd make an even worse king."

"That's why we need to rescue the queen. There are still those loyal to her. After that, we need to find Neptune's Trident, and we can prove that you are the rightful king with it." 

Mera insisted.

"Yeah, the problems of underwater dwellers."

I shook my head. 

"I'll go deal with your brother." 

I said while glancing at the hole Orm had made when I punched him.

"Wait! You're Luthor, head of LuthorCorp. Are you a hero?" 

Arthur asked in surprise. 

"Wow..."

"No, I'm just someone who doesn't like it when tsunamis capable of flooding cities appear." 

I added somewhat irritated.

"Orm has completely lost his mind with power... and he just took the throne recently."

 Mera said while looking at the throne.

"That's why I don't want to be king. Mera, ruling isn't for me." 

Arthur looked at her.

"But if not you, then who?" 

She asked.

"Why can't his mother take the throne?" 

I asked.

"Orm and Orion reached the age of maturity. Atlanna could no longer hold the throne. There were many who began to voice their discontent, and a rebellion could have started due to dissatisfied advisors..." 

Mera explained.

"That's why I hate politicians, advisors, and their kind. They often seek only their own gain. Orm is a madman with a disorder, eager to start a war, and Arthur is visiting Atlantis for the first time... Atlanna could have continued to rule." 

I said.

"I told her the same thing." 

Arthur nodded.

"These are centuries-old traditions." 

Mera seemed to justify as we approached the door. 

A few meters before it, it suddenly swung open, and guards with guns rushed in, but Arthur attacked them. 

He was much stronger than an ordinary Atlantean due to his royal blood, and he quickly scattered the guards. 

Meanwhile, Mera used hydrokinesis to overload them with pressure, causing the guards to pass out.

"Atlanna is in another building in a room without water. We need to get her out."

Mera said. 

Arthur was eager to swim in the right direction as we left the palace and returned to the ocean after getting past the barrier, but huge cannons stationed all over Atlantis started firing at us.

While Mera and I managed to defend ourselves, Arthur... a hole the size of his head was stuck in his chest.

"Arthur!"

She exclaimed.

"Laeh."

I muttered, and the hole in Arthur's chest immediately healed.

"I actually came to punish the arrogant tsunami enthusiasts, not to help with the coup."

"Am I alive?"

Arthur began to touch himself in surprise and nodded to me. Then he looked at Orm who was shooting at us along with the Atlantean guards. 

Orm understood that the quarrel had gone too far by the looks of many citizens who are seeing this now. 

Moreover, the advisors to the throne were swimming towards them, one of whom was Nuidis Vulko whom Orm did not like.

"What's going on? "

I asked with curiosity while looking at Orm who ordered the firing to stop.

"Advisor Vulko pressured him through ancient traditions... most likely there will be a battle for the throne."

She looked at Arthur with excitement.

"A battle? I almost died..."

"One on one, two brothers... such stories are often played out in the annals of Atlantis. Anthony Luthor, thank you for your help..." 

She looked at me with sincere gratitude.

"I understand that you are unhappy that Orm sent the tsunami, but please do not interfere. Atlantis is based on such traditions, and if not for them... I don't even know what would have happened then and possibly a civil war between all the underwater kingdoms."

"Well, I also didn't want to accidentally start a war between humans and Atlantis... that's why I haven't killed Orm yet. However, it seems to me that sometimes there's no way without violence."

I said. 

I created a dome around us where there was no water so that I could speak.

"Alright, let it be so. Gather the people, and let King Xebel also be here. I think he won't mind seeing me kill my brother on the trident." 

Orm said, and the cannons turned away from us indicating that he really wanted to turn his brother's execution into a spectacle.

"What? You nearly killed your own mother, the Queen of Atlantis, and then me! And now you want a fair fight?" 

Arthur snorted as he swam towards his brother.

"Orion... perhaps it's for the best. Atlantis should be ruled by the strongest. Hopefully, this will make fewer people dissatisfied."

The two brothers exchanged unfriendly glances.

"And this land dweller..."

Orm's gaze fell on me, and he instinctively pressed his hand to his chest where I had recently hit him. 

"He's with me." 

Mera said.

"I have the right to invite guests... so I exercised that right."

She said as if defending me... which was quite strange.

"Vulko, that was your biggest mistake. The weak will never be able to rule Atlantis." 

Orm looked at him.

"Your mother..."

Vulko tried to say something.

"She killed my father!"

Orm suddenly exclaimed.

"And you all turned a blind eye to it... maybe it's even good that she didn't die from a dagger in her back. Let her see the death of her son..."

"And here I thought I'd sort it out in a couple of minutes, but there's palace coups, family quarrels, and even killing brother brewing." 

I said.

"Arthur will manage..." 

Mera wasn't at all confident about this judging by her voice. 

She simply didn't want Orm to be king with all her heart, and she was even willing to accept Arthur who had spent his entire life on land. 

I could feel dark emotions building up in her, fear, despair...

It would be valuable for me to have good relations with the King of Atlantis. 

After all, I didn't want to be the only one defender of the world, and Aquaman could be a good addition... but he's too inconsistent... and weak.

...

patreon.com/Sothisq

You can find up to 20 advance chapters on my patreon.

💎DROP MORE POWER STONE💎