Chapter 53: Soul Intent

"Those who think they cannot resist the Siren Leader's song should leave now!" Muria raised his hand to stop the Siren Leader who was about to burst into song, addressing the gathered giant representatives and sea clan leaders, "Don't blame me if you end up embarrassed."

Following Muria's kindly warning, only a few wise Fog Giant leaders chose to leave the hall. No other giants or sea folk followed, confident in their abilities. Apart from the Fog Giants, the weakest beings in the hall were at the Gold Tri-Tier, all quite self-assured.

The sea clan leaders present, including the Siren Leader about to sing for Muria, were all at the peak of the Gold Tier and felt no need to flee from the song of a fellow sea creature.

"No one is leaving? You all believe you can withstand the Siren's voice?" Muria rubbed his forehead in slight exasperation, aware of the Siren's song's formidable reputation in Erathia.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the Cloud Giants," at this moment, a mermaid leader with much-exposed fair skin turned to the eighteen cloud giant leaders, "I must ask you to kindly step outside. Leader Dianna's song might be more dreadful than you imagine, and with your current strength, you might not be able to resist the temptation."

"Hmph!" Cloud Giant Leader Burton scoffed, interpreting the mermaid's polite warning as condescension, "A mere siren's voice? I've heard it before. I'd like to see just how compelling the song of a Gold Peak Siren can be."

The other cloud giant leaders remained silent but their displeased expressions clearly showed they felt slighted by the mermaid leader's warning.

"Ah!" The mermaid leader sighed quietly and turned away, resigning herself to silence.

"Kalena, let them listen if they wish. Who can stop someone intent on making a fool of themselves?" The Siren Leader, unimpressed by the cloud giant leader's remarks, decided to teach these reckless giants a lesson.

"Very well," Muria glanced at Burton, the outspoken cloud giant leader, and gave a slight nod of approval.

With Muria's consent, the Siren cast a second-tier spell, Transmute Fin to Foot, allowing her to fully assume human form. Stepping out from her water sphere, the siren, barely clothed except for strategically placed shells, began her enchanting performance.

As the siren sang, her melodious voice filled every corner of the great hall, the atmosphere seeming to dance with the rhythm of her music.

"This voice..." Muria, having read of siren songs, felt only a momentary warmth before experiencing no further adverse reactions. Instead, he found the song exceedingly elegant and pleasing. Immersed in the music, he closed his eyes to better appreciate, "This is truly delightful, the Song of the Siren."

"Leader Albert... hang in there." Just as Muria was enjoying the music, he heard a discordant note and opened his eyes to see the cloud giants in a sorry state.

Each cloud giant leader looked dazed, utterly enchanted, with some even drooling—a sorry sight indeed. Not one had withstood the siren's mesmerizing song.

"What a disgrace." Muria waved at the storm giants maintaining order in the hall, "Knock them all out and take them outside, these embarrassing fools. Anyone else displaying the same behavior, get them out too."

The storm giants, themselves at the peak of the Gold Tier, were unaffected by their peer's song. Following Muria's orders, they knocked out the cloud giants who were unconsciously inching towards the singing siren and carried them out of the hall.

"Second-tier spell, Mechanical Mind," murmured Claudia, the white dragon, casting a spell to shield herself from the siren's song.

"If you can't bear it, just leave. There's no need to force yourself," Muria advised Claudia, noticing her struggle with the spell's waning effects, "It's pointless to listen to the Siren's song this way."

Without a word, Claudia, her expression void of emotion due to the spell, headed out of the hall. Now completely rational, she wasn't influenced by any factors and simply made the most beneficial choice for herself.

Mechanical Mind, a second-tier spell, could only fend off the allure of a Gold Peak siren for a short time. As it began to fail, Claudia preemptively exited the hall, followed by some Tide Giants who felt they were losing resistance.

With Claudia and those who couldn't resist the song gone, only the most potent beings remained in the hall, along with Muria, himself only at Gold Tri-Tier.

"That was beautifully sung," Muria began to applaud as the Siren Leader concluded her song, genuinely impressed, "Truly worthy of the Siren's reputation. I enjoyed it immensely."

"Thank you, Your Highness," stammered Grace, the Siren Leader, visibly moved by the praise. It was the first time someone had appreciated her song without succumbing to its lethal allure.

"Can you sing a few more times?" Muria smiled at the excited siren, "Are you able to continue?"

"I can," Grace immediately agreed.

"Your Highness, I can sing for you as well."

"Your Highness, my singing is far better than Grace's. Please let me sing for you!"

Hearing Muria's request for more siren songs, the other Sirens couldn't remain calm and also transformed into nearly nude human forms to compete for the chance to sing.

"Sing if you wish to sing. Why fight over it?" Muria chided the quarreling sirens, "I have plenty of time; you can take turns."

The White Jade Temple echoed with siren songs all afternoon, a spectacle that left many giants in awe and disbelief. Was this truly just music to be enjoyed?

"Muria, how long do you intend to listen to these enchanting voices?" In the evening, as Muria still basked in the siren songs, Claudia, who had fortified herself with a spell, reentered the hall to confront him.

"Hmm?" Muria, half-closed eyes enjoying the melodious sounds, looked up somewhat puzzled at the irate little white dragon in front of him, "What's the matter, Claudia?"

"What's the matter?" Claudia looked up at Muria, exasperated, "The mountain giants have been waiting outside with the blueprints you requested for half a day while you've been listening to these sirens sing. Are you bewitched?"

"That long?" Muria scratched his head, realizing the afternoon had passed, "I thought only a little time had gone by. Was I really enchanted?" He touched his face in disbelief.

"Your Highness, should we continue to sing?" asked Grace, the lead Siren, from the hall floor, still eager to perform.

"No, that will be all for now. Thank you; you can all return. Just be sure to come for the meeting next month," Muria dismissed the sirens, waving his hand nonchalantly.

"Then we shall take our leave, Your Highness," said the sea clan leaders, who quickly exited, leaving the hall almost empty except for Muria and Claudia.

"Your Highness, here are the construction plans we've devised," a group of mountain giants approached, presenting a stack of blueprints.

Muria casually reviewed the plans and returned them, "Proceed with the construction. You're responsible for any errors."

"As you command, Your Highness!" The giants left, satisfied with their task.

"Claudia, I wasn't enchanted. I just found their pure singing captivating," Muria explained to the little white dragon after everyone had left, coming up with the reasoning on the spot.

"Whether you were enchanted or not, you know best. There's no need to explain it to me."

"Alright, let's go back." Without further discussion, Muria stood, picked up Claudia, and exited the hall with the storm giants to return to the Five-Colored Dragon Castle.

After that day at the White Jade Temple, Muria developed a fondness for the Sirens' songs. He learned memory spells, practiced Titan martial techniques, and instructed the dragons, occasionally summoning Sirens to perform for him.

Muria's frequent requests for the Sirens worried the mermaids, who felt threatened. These beautiful creatures, with their lovely female upper bodies, also transformed into human form and danced to please him.

Siren songs and mermaid dances became Muria's dual sensory delights, slightly addictive but not detracting from his dedication to studying magic and martial skills, though he devoted slightly less time than before.

As time passed, Muria's power continued to grow steadily, and his bloodlines kept influencing all life that stayed close to him.

"Your Highness, great news!" One day, as Muria lay in bed, his maid Mia burst in excitedly.

"What is it, Mia?" Muria looked up sleepily at the golden-haired young woman standing beside his bed.

"Sir, a storm giant in the Dragon Castle has advanced from Gold Peak to the Soul Intent level!"