Becoming a God Starts with Acting-Chapter 120: [Fish] - Nerio’s Part (32)

"All right, little brother, hand over the scale. It’s time for me to fulfill my promise—bring our family back to how it used to be."

Just the two of us, of course. Elena didn’t say that last part aloud—the part she truly desired.

She narrowed her eyes slightly, smiling at Lucian. One hand lifted gently, waiting for him to give her the one thing she’d longed for.

Lucian looked at Elena’s outstretched palm, his eyes seemingly entranced. He raised his hand, and the scale instantly appeared in his palm.

His hand clenched so tightly around the scale that veins bulged. Lucian frowned slightly—it was hard to read his emotions at that moment.

"Don’t give her the mermaid scale!"

Cocona suddenly shouted. As soon as the words left her mouth, she coughed up a mouthful of blood. Part of her body was being crushed by some invisible force—Elena seemed intent on turning her into a puddle of blood.

But Cocona didn’t give up and continued, "Don’t give it to her! She won’t save your parents! It’s all a lie—a complete lie!"

"Aghhhh!" Cocona screamed in agony, her face contorted in pain. Her entire body seemed submerged in a deep red sea of blood at that moment.

Elena clearly meant to kill her right then and there.

"Sister... why is she saying this? Is... is it true?"

Lucian’s voice was full of confusion. Elena no longer had time to care about Cocona’s life or death. Facing Lucian’s slightly doubtful gaze, irritation flared in her heart. But outwardly, she quickly smiled and said,

"You’re really going to believe what these humans say? They’re our enemies by nature! They’re lying to you—trying to drive a wedge between us!"

Elena spoke with furious intensity, then softened her tone. At some point, her eyes had turned red, and crimson energy enveloped both her and Lucian.

Elena’s enchantment returned—and clearly, Lucian was unable to resist it. His eyes lost all focus as he offered up the mermaid scale to Elena with both hands.

"No!"

The humans shouted in unison. At that moment, a shadow charged straight at Elena—it was none other than Leonard. His body was drenched in blood, but all his wounds had completely healed!

All he needed was this chance—to get close to Elena, bite her, and eat even a piece of her flesh—the strongest monster in this dungeon! Even if her immense power ended up corrupting him into a beast, too, it didn’t matter!

Leonard was determined. His eyes were blood-red, filled with bloodlust and icy resolve.

"Boom!"

But right then, a blinding crimson light erupted around Elena, unleashing a force so overwhelming it sent Leonard flying five meters away, rolling across the ground. He coughed violently, spitting blood. His body was nearly shattered—though it was healing rapidly, the pain was unbearable.

No... he didn’t want to die here. They had come so far—could they really be defeated now? The monster had fully awakened. Did the people behind them still stand a chance of clearing this dungeon?

This dungeon was clearly different from all the others before. Leonard didn’t even dare imagine what would happen if they lost.

But whether they wanted it or not... the inevitable had arrived.

As soon as Elena obtained the scale, a dramatic transformation took place—her once beautiful face twisted into a grotesque shape. That was her true face all along: a hideous fish-like visage covered in jagged red-and-black spikes running down her cheeks, bulging dead fish eyes, and a mouth that couldn’t close due to the rows of razor-sharp fangs, constantly drooling foul, black mucus.

Her body grew larger, now entirely covered in scales stretching from her ribs down to a long fishtail over five meters in length.

But unlike the enchanting mermaids of fairytales, Elena’s transformation into a "mermaid" was monstrous—so much so that she could no longer be called a mermaid, only a grotesque fish-like creature.

Her two breasts stretched unnaturally, her grayish skin blotched with interlaced red and black scales. Her sides split open, revealing her internal organs, while her ribs pulsated like gills.

Her upper body had withered to a terrifying degree, nearly just skin stretched over bone—parts of it even rotting away, exposing the pale white bone underneath.

In contrast, her tail was massive—but far from majestic. It was covered in dull gray scales crusted with dried blood, now a lifeless dark gray.

She was nothing more than an ugly monster, flailing on the ground like a stranded fish.

[Wait a second... I remember Elena looking different after getting the mermaid scale. This is what she looked like before she had it...]

[Seriously, are people still asking about this? Hahaha. With Nerio there, you think he’d actually give her the absolute scale?]

[Neither Elena nor the humans have realized anything’s off yet. Hahaha.]

[Maybe they don’t even suspect "Lucian".]

[LMAO.]

"AAAaaaaaa!" Elena let out a piercing scream so intense it blasted rocks and debris into the air.

Her withered hands clutched her monstrous face as she howled in rage:

"Why—why is it like this?! My face—no! This place is my domain! I should be beautiful—be beautiful again!"

She screamed madly. Her massive tail slammed the ground in a fury, shaking the earth as if triggering an earthquake. Black mucus oozed constantly from her gaping mouth, hissing and sizzling as it corroded the ground.

She flailed wildly, but nothing changed. It was as though she was trapped in this horrific form, and that realization drove Elena into despair. She wanted to destroy everything.

Yes—destroy everything. Obliterate everything!

"Sister... what’s wrong?"

Just then, Lucian’s hesitant, worried voice called out.

Elena seemed to snap out of it. She looked at Lucian and saw her reflection in his beautiful eyes. Despair sank even deeper into her. From those terrifying eyes of hers... tears began to fall.

"I have nothing left, Lucian... why is it like this? I can’t feel my power anymore... It shouldn’t be like this... This wasn’t how things were supposed to go!"

Elena writhed on the ground, sobbing miserably. Even with her terrifying appearance, her pitiful cries sent a chill through the air.

Lucian looked at her—and yet, there was no fear or disgust in his eyes. Just like in the past, her little brother accepted her. That alone moved Elena deeply.

She mumbled,

"Lucian... only you can help me. You won’t abandon me, right? Kill those humans, and our family will be happy again—forever. All these strange things, they’re all the humans’ fault!"

At that moment, Cocona and the others had gathered in one place. They couldn’t move anymore—it was Leonard who had brought them together, and now he stood in front of them, shielding them with unwavering determination in his eyes. His hands had even stopped trembling.

"He’s watching... he’s definitely watching me... watching me... watching me..."

Leonard muttered over and over like a madman, his eyes filled with a stubborn obsession that bordered on insanity.

[That’s right, he really is watching you, Leonard. Hahahaha.]

[Am I the only one who thinks Leonard is pitiful? Nerio’s so cruel—it’s thrilling! Hahaha.]

[Yeah, the more it hurts, the better. LMAO.]

[A bunch of M, the lot of you.]

[Hard to argue with that...]

What was going on now? Elena had acquired the fish scale, yet she seemed to have lost all her power. Lucian still stood there—calm, composed—as if he held everything in his hands.

Could it be... that Lucian was actually the boss of this dungeon? Had something happened behind the scenes? Could this be their chance?

Benjamin’s thoughts raced wildly.

"My son... Lucian... don’t listen to her! You’ve seen it for yourself—she’s a monster!"

Just then, a thunderous voice—hoarse with pain—rang out. It was William.

With Elena’s power gone, William had broken free. His body was covered in wounds, nothing like the composed figure he once was. He glared furiously at Elena. If he weren’t so gravely weakened, he would have killed her on the spot.

"No! I was framed! Lucian, you must listen to me! From beginning to end, I’ve always been the only real family you have!"

Elena was gambling—betting that the hypnosis she placed on Lucian was still in effect.

Lucian lowered his eyes, mumbling, "Family... monster... family..."

"Lucian..." William called his name again as if he still had something to say.

But before the words could leave his lips, his head fell to the ground—his face still frozen in obsession and madness.

Silence fell.

With just a wave of his hand, William—once one of the dungeon’s strongest monsters—had been defeated without a sound.

Not long ago, William alone had been powerful enough to suppress Cyril and the others with ease.

Never before had the humans understood so clearly just how terrifying Lucian’s strength was.

Even Elena looked slightly stunned—but only for a moment. Then, a satisfied smile appeared on her fishlike face, though it was hard to notice beneath its hideous features.

"Come now, little brother," she said sweetly, "help me up. Kill all these humans. And we’ll be happy... forever."

In contrast to her monstrous appearance, her melodious voice sounded like a final sentence being passed—one that sealed the fate of the desperate humans before her.