Vulko felt Mera's expression was unusual and was curious, but he didn't dwell on such minor matters at this time.
He glanced at Thomas Curry, then turned his head away, out of sight, out of mind.
Vulko was actually against Queen Atlanna's union with this man, but there was nothing he could do. Aside from this one lapse in judgment, Atlanna had always been a perfectly competent queen.
He turned to Arthur, who, thinking Vulko was concerned about Amnesty Bay, said, "Don't worry, Amnesty Bay isn't in any major trouble, just a bit more trash in the sea…"
Vulko didn't care what happened to Amnesty Bay, but it was good that nothing major had happened. At least the two Worlds wouldn't immediately go to war, and there was still room for reconciliation.
So he took out a black cylindrical object and handed it to him:
"Here are clues to the location of Neptune's trident. There's no time to lose; Orm has already begun his plan, and your time is running out."
This time, Arthur didn't hesitate. The tsunami incident had made him see Orm's true nature. This matter clearly couldn't be resolved peacefully.
He took the map Vulko handed him, and just as he was about to figure out how to open it, Dane casually said from the side:
"You don't need this map. I know where the trident is."
Then he saw everyone's eyes focus on him, and Vulko's expression was a little strange.
It was hard to tell if he was hopeful or not. If Dane really knew the exact location of the trident, wouldn't his map seem useless?
But the most important thing right now was Neptune's trident… However, Dane then added, "This time, we can solve two problems at once. Queen Atlanna is also at the place where Neptune's trident is located."
He spoke with such certainty that both Vulko and Thomas couldn't sit still. Both of them stepped forward, "Really?!"
Immediately, they exchanged glances, seeing unfriendliness in each other's eyes.
Arthur was confused, but with his father on one side and his mentor on the other, he was in a difficult position and could only remain silent.
It was Dane who stepped forward. He said, "That place requires passing through the Undersea Road, so only Undersea people can go. Mr. Thomas, you'll have to stay here for now…"
Thomas grew anxious. He hadn't seen Atlanna in so many years, and now that he suddenly heard news of her, there was no way he could sit still.
"But I…"
At this moment, Arthur quickly stepped forward and pulled Thomas, trying to calm him:
"Dad, don't worry, I will definitely bring Mom back. You just stay here for now; I promise you'll see each other very soon…"
"Also, I think you should probably tidy yourself up before you two meet," Mera kindly reminded from the side.
At her words, Thomas immediately noticed his attire.
Over the years, due to his longing for Atlanna, his condition had indeed not been great; he was no longer the man he had been a decade ago.
This made him calm down slightly. "You're right, I can't go see Atlanna like this…"
Dane called out to Cortana, and her ethereal figure appeared in the Hall of Justice.
"Dane." She smiled at Dane.
Mera could tell that this ethereal woman was an artificial intelligence, but looking at the expression on this woman's face, she couldn't help but feel that this AI seemed a little too intelligent.
Dane said to Cortana, "Later, please help Mr. Thomas tidy up his appearance."
"Alright." Cortana smiled again.
Mera's eyes grew more suspicious.
After giving instructions, Dane turned to Arthur and the others: "The place we're going next will pass through the territory of the Trench, so you need to be mentally prepared."
The Trench?
Mera and Vulko's hearts stirred. That was where Queen Atlanna had been banished. Could she really be alive?
But Arthur had already heard Dane say it, so now he felt only excitement. However, he clearly didn't realize what kind of creatures the "Trench" were.
Vulko solemnly handed him the five-pronged trident: "Take this, Arthur, you'll need it."
Arthur carelessly took it, then looked at Dane expectantly.
Dane first glanced at Mera: "You don't actually have to go."
"No, I must go!" Mera insisted.
Dane said nothing more, drawing a line on the ground with his finger, and a magical light instantly enveloped them.
In the blink of Thomas's eye, they vanished… At the same time, the incident in Amnesty Bay began to ferment online.
Kuaishou once again got ahead of official intelligence this time.
Although there were not many casualties in Amnesty Bay, the property damage was quite severe.
Especially the mountain of trash on the coast, which almost cut off the fishing industry that the fishermen relied on for survival.
Not to mention the subsequent financial expenditure for cleanup, which could very well cripple the small town of Amnesty Bay.
This matter had already attracted widespread attention from all sectors of society.
And the appearance of Shazam seemed to indicate that this great tsunami was not an ordinary natural disaster.
At this time, a Dr. Shen, who claimed to be a marine biologist, suddenly entered the public eye.
"This was done by Atlanteans!" he declared confidently in front of the media.
Atlantis?
Few people in the Western World hadn't heard this name; it was the legendary Undersea kingdom.
But legends are legends precisely because they have never been verified, so academia has always maintained a skeptical attitude towards his claims.
Well, that's the polite way of saying it; in reality, no one believed him at all.
But Dr. Shen was very certain.
"Shazam's appearance has already told us that this World has deities! So why do you believe Atlantis is just a baseless rumor?
They are a civilization that worships Poseidon. Was Shazam's appearance in Amnesty Bay this time truly just a coincidence? And that unexplained tidal wave, would a naturally formed tidal wave be like that?"
Regardless of whether Dr. Shen's deductions were true or false, the name "Atlantis," along with this tsunami incident, gradually began to attract the attention of some interested parties… Above the territorial waters of the Trench Kingdom, a magical light flashed and vanished, and several figures plummeted into the sea.
"Follow me," Dane said, then swam downwards.
The three said nothing more, following his retreating figure as they dived.
But their arrival quickly attracted the attention of the Trench. In the darkness, these monsters had quietly surrounded them.
Arthur's primal instincts first sensed danger. He suddenly swung his five-pronged trident and thrust it to the side.
He felt as if he had pierced something. He looked closely and found it was an extraordinarily ugly monster.
"What. The. Hell. Is. This?"
He quickly kicked the monster away, but even at a considerable distance, he could still see it thrashing about.
Vulko said in a deep voice, "That is the Trench. They were once one of us."
Arthur looked incredulous. Were these eyeless monsters also Atlanteans?
Damn! What's in your DNA?
Mera anxiously said, "Hurry! They're coming!"
They looked around and found that the Trench's sinister eyes were in every direction—up, down, left, right, front, and back. Their sharp fangs and Talons flickered in the blurry light and Shadow…
Arthur now felt a bit nervous. He realized that his previous assessment of the danger here was somewhat mistaken.
No matter how strong he was, he couldn't possibly fight so many monsters alone!
But he couldn't, which didn't mean others couldn't either. Even they had noticed the Trench's movements, and Dane naturally had too.
And he knew the Trench's weakness, so he unhesitatingly unleashed the Holy Light Expulsion Spell.
A massive White orb of light ignited with him at the center. The White light shone on the Trench, causing them agonizing pain as if burned, and they scattered backward in retreat.
Dane again said to those behind him, "Follow me!" and then plunged downwards.
Although the light emanating from him was dazzling, the three Sea people following him felt very safe. Under this White orb of light, no Trench dared to approach.
Soon, they arrived at a deep Trench. On the Trench walls on both sides, countless Trench covered their faces with their Talons, wanting to come forward but not daring to.
At the deepest part of the Trench, there was a swirling, glowing vortex.
"Where is this?"
The storm vortex was very active, with occasional flashes of lightning, forcing Mera to raise her voice to ask Dane.
Dane merely pointed to the vortex: "That is your answer."
"What did you say?"
Dane simply stepped forward, grabbed Arthur and Vulko one in each hand, and directly threw them into the vortex. Vulko almost broke his vow and swore.
The two were uncontrollably swept into the vortex, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Mera's heart sank as she watched this scene. Could Dane actually be their enemy?
But very quickly, Dane grabbed her hand and entered the vortex with her.
Mera endured the immense centrifugal force, feeling as if she was about to slip from Dane's hand. She couldn't help but tighten her grip, but her strength was still insufficient.
At the crucial moment, Dane's other hand grabbed her arm and pulled her closer, and then Mera felt herself directly colliding into Dane's arms.
Terrified, she didn't dare to move, only closing her eyes. Immediately after, with a "bang," their figures disappeared.
Only the Trench remaining outside the vortex continued to roar wildly at the spot. 2.5
The Cavern of the Core secret realm.
Dane and Mera suddenly appeared in this unfamiliar Water area. Mera was somewhat dizzy from the centrifugal force, her consciousness unclear.
Dane picked her up and flew out of this Water area. In the "sky" here, he saw many large creatures that were already extinct in the outside World.
Flying to a beach, he set Mera down.
After all, as Sea people and nobles with high-level bloodlines, Mera's consciousness recovered very quickly.
She opened her eyes and saw a sky formed by glowing crystals: "Where is this place?"
"This is the Cavern of the Core," Dane said, looking out at the sea, trying to locate Arthur and Vulko.
"The Cavern of the Core?" Mera struggled to stand up, looking at everything before her in surprise: "This place, could it be…"
"This is where Neptune's trident is located, and also where Atlanna has hidden all these years."
"Who are you?"
Mera instantly turned her head, only to see a completely pale Trench. Although she didn't know why the other party could speak, she still prepared for battle.
As for Dane, he remained unmoved.
"Mera?"
That "Trench" exclaimed in surprise, then removed the hood from its head, revealing a perfect face that even time could not erode.
"Queen Atlanna!"
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