Immortal Ice Empress: Path to Vengeance

Emerging from the Maelstrom of Shadows, the crew of The Northern Gale breathed a collective sigh of relief. The ship sailed into calmer waters under a clear sky, a stark contrast to the literal wall of blackness they left behind. 

Captain Jorvik stood at the helm, scanning the horizon. "Well done, everyone. We've made it past one of the toughest challenges on this route," he announced with a hint of pride in his voice.

Leaning against the rail, Mira looked out at the sea. Her mind was already on the next challenge. The constant battles had honed her senses and skills, pushing her closer to the next breakthrough in her cultivation.

Dominique and Hana, who had been safe below deck during the ordeal, now stood beside her and were staring at the Maelstrom of Shadows behind them.

"...I wish I could've seen what was inside," Dominique muttered, causing Hana to immediately back away from her. 

"Oh?" Mira raised an eyebrow before she smirked. Raising her hand, she shot a beam of darkness toward Dominique's eyes, clouding them completely. 

"AH-!" Dominique screamed out but quickly covered her mouth.

Sighing, Mira dropped her hand to her side and canceled the effect. 

"Not much to see, is there?" She asked.

Dominique shook her head, still a little shaken about the utter blackness that had enveloped her.

"We'll start adding this to the training. Looks like you need to get used to low visibility."

"..."

Linnea ignored their interaction and approached Mira, her expression one of concern and admiration. "That was incredible, Mira. How you handled those creatures..." she trailed off, unsure how to express her feelings.

Mira gave a small smile, "Oh? Did you see that? Impressive. Training you might not be a waste of time, after all."

"..."

Nobody wanted to talk to Mira anymore.

As the day progressed, the crew busied themselves with repairing the damages sustained during their passage through the Maelstrom of Shadows. Jorvik supervised the work, occasionally glancing at Mira and her companions.

The mood on the ship had changed. There was a sense of camaraderie that hadn't been there before. The crew, who had initially been wary of Mira and her group, now showed a grudging respect.

In the following days, The Northern Gale continued its voyage towards the Northern Continent. The sea remained relatively calm, giving them a welcome break after the constant battles and storms.

However, the calm was short-lived.

"MIRA!" A loud shout from a familiar yet unfamiliar echoed across the ocean. 

Standing on the deck, a tingle ran down Mira's spine. 'Fuck! Who is it? Who's the bastard that can make me feel so…'

Before she could finish that thought, multiple large waterspouts surrounded the ship, forcing it to stop in place. Captain Jorvik's expression changed, knowing they were in deep shit now.

"Go! Move this boat, Jorvik! NOW!" Mira yelled, but the man was already trying. He was trying to steer the boat, even sending his Qi out to try and propel it, but nothing worked. 

However, hearing the slight panic and concern in Mira's voice made him realize that the situation might be more dire than he initially believed. 

"Goddess! I finally found yoooou~!" A shadow leaped out of the ocean, crashing into Mira. 

Before she could understand what was happening, a soft pair of lips connected with hers, followed by a long tongue that entered her mouth.

'Fuck!' Mira slapped the perpetrator away, sending it flailing on the deck. Hurriedly backing away and wiping her lips, she got a good look at who just violated her, and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Coralia?!" A familiar pink-haired mermaid with a pink tail flapped around on the deck. Her fishtail glowed with a faint light before it transformed into a pair of human legs, and the woman stood up. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Ah~! My Goddess remembers me?! I'm truly honored!" Coralia moaned aloud, staring at Mira with hearts in her eyes. "Ohhh! You look even more beautiful than the last time we met! I've thought about you every day since you left, but you've exceeded my expectations!"

"You didn't answer my question! What the hell are you doing here?" Mira growled as she took out her scythe. "You have 3 seconds, or else we're having sashimi for dinner."

Everyone shivered at her scathing tone, including the mermaid but for a different reason.

"I-I followed you after you left Meropis, but it wasn't long before we got separated. So, I explored the Secret Realm more until I came across a Dragon you may have known."

"...Kayda," Mira answered, frowning deeply.

"That's right! She showed me a way to leave the Secret Realm that would drop me off in your world near an ocean. Ever since then, I've stayed here, getting stronger and waiting for you to appear on these waters. Lo and behold, after waiting for years, I finally caught your scent on this boat. Thus, I chased after you."

"..."

Everyone stared at the mermaid, bewildered, wondering where such a crazy person came from. Mira wasn't any different.

'I should've killed her back then.' She thought. Coralia was a legit psycho, albeit a strong and trustworthy one, but still… Mira didn't want to put her mental health at risk just for a bit of strength.

"I didn't think you could leave that Secret Realm," Mira answered with a sigh.

"Me neither! But Kayda showed me a crack in the realm and gave me something to open it."

'Ugh. What the hell was that dragon thinking?' Mira groaned. She wasn't quite sure how to deal with this situation. 

Logically, having Coralia around was an added layer of security. The mermaid wasn't trying to hide her strength, showing that she was at the peak of the Soul Transformation Realm. 

Not only could she increase her strength quickly while living in the World Sea, but since she was so fanatic about Mira, she'd be a great ally to have in these foreign waters. 

However, her personality was a bit… 

To put it lightly, Mira didn't want to have to deal with it. Part of her really wanted to kill Coralia and just be done with it, but there was a slight problem with that. 

The woman was strong. Unless she could annihilate her in a single hit, Coralia could jump in the water, and they'd never see her again. Having a fanatic enemy like her was even worse than having her as an ally.

'Fuck it. I'll just wait and see.' She concluded. 

Just as she was about to open her mouth, Mira almost let out a small yelp, feeling someone pull and rub her tails.

"Mmm~ Goddess~ Your tails are so soft and smell so good. I'm so glad I found you~!"

'I'm gonna kill her.' A vein throbbed in Mira's forehead as she smacked Coralia away with one of her tails, but the mermaid just got up like nothing happened. Rather, she had a content smile on her face. 

'What a freaking psycho.' Everyone watching couldn't help but think. They all wanted to say something or go about their normal jobs but were too scared of what might happen. Crazy people were crazy for a reason, and they knew better than to mess with them. It was better to just ignore it and leave them be.

Captain Jorvik, in particular, looked like he wanted to intervene, but the fear of Mira's wrath kept him at bay. He muttered under his breath, "Seas above, what sort of creatures does this woman attract?"

However, before anyone could further process the situation, the sea around the ship began to churn violently. A massive swarm of oceanic beasts, drawn by the commotion, converged on The Northern Gale, their ferocious roars filling the air.

Coralia's demeanor shifted instantly at the sight of the incoming tide. Her playful expression turned into one of cold fury. "Dare to disturb my time with the Goddess? Unforgivable!"

With a jump, Coralia dove into the sea, her fishtail reappearing as she submerged. The water around her began to glow with a bright pink light, and soon, shockwaves emanated from her position, striking the incoming beasts and turning them into a bloody mush.

On deck, Mira watched with a raised eyebrow. 'Well, at least she's useful,' she thought, her gaze following the mermaid's movements.

Coralia moved through the water with incredible speed and agility. Each swipe of her tail sent powerful currents ripping through the ranks of the beasts while her hands conjured up streams of water that pierced through their thick hides like spears.

After she killed off the initial fodder, she reached out and, with a burst of Qi, created a strong suction force. Pulling all the nearby beasts in, Coralia manipulated the water to create a whirlpool made of fast yet razor-sharp edges. 

The beasts that were sucked in got mowed through like wood in a wood chipper, leaving nothing but a cloud of blood behind. 

Clenching her fists, Coralia rotated the whirlpool and shot it toward the rest of the tide like a drill, leaving a trail of blood in its wake. 

After it was all done, she clapped her hands, clearing the area of any remains and hopped back on the ship with a graceful smile.