Ash was currently floating within the ocean, surrounded by nothing but water.
The Heavenly Tribulation had destroyed everything that once covered his body.
His clothes, his armor, and even the specially crafted garments capable of changing their form according to his will had all been reduced to nothing during the assimilation process and the relentless destruction caused by the Crimson Heavenly Lightning.
As a result, his body was completely naked as he drifted toward the depths of the sea.
His long ocean-blue hair flowed freely around him with the surrounding currents, blending so naturally with the color of the ocean that it almost appeared as though the waters themselves had accepted him as a part of their existence.
Strands of blue hair moved gently through the sea in every direction, merging with the surrounding shades of the ocean and making it difficult to distinguish where his hair ended and where the water began.
The faint oceanic sheen covering his skin had become even more noticeable now that he was submerged beneath the sea.
Soft blue radiance continuously flowed across his body like moonlight dancing upon the surface of a calm ocean, causing his entire figure to appear strangely ethereal within the depths below.
The curved horns extending from his head carried the same faint glow, while the blade-like translucent wings behind his back remained partially spread, their crystalline edges reflecting the dim light that filtered through the water from far above.
Combined with the ocean-blue dragon tail swaying slowly behind him, the entire scene created an overwhelming impression that was difficult to describe with words alone.
It felt as though some ancient ruler of the sea had fallen into a deep slumber beneath the waters, resting silently in a domain that had always belonged to him.
The terrifying Crimson Heavenly Lightning that had nearly erased his existence no longer surrounded him in overwhelming quantities.
Most of it had already been assimilated into his body, becoming a part of him just as the oceanic energy had.
Only small traces remained.
Thin strands of crimson lightning continuously slithered across his skin like living serpents before disappearing beneath his flesh and reappearing moments later somewhere else.
Ba-dum!!!!
Ba-dum!!!! Ba-dum!!!!
Ba-dum!!!! Ba-dum!!!! Ba-dum!!!!
Ba-dum!!!! Ba-dum!!!! Ba-dum!!!! Ba-dum!!!!
His heartbeat increased in intensity little by little, each powerful beat sending invisible ripples through the surrounding ocean while carrying a pressure that seemed capable of making even the waters themselves tremble.
At the same time, Ash slowly opened his eyes.
The deep ocean-blue pupils revealed themselves once more as awareness gradually returned to his gaze.
The moment his consciousness expanded outward in every direction, instinctively sweeping across his surroundings to understand his current situation, he immediately noticed that the sunlight descending from above was being blocked, allowing only a small amount of light to filter through the countless gaps scattered throughout the ocean.
The reason the sunlight was being blocked was because...he was completely surrounded by Ocean Creatures of untold numbers.
Ash did not even bother trying to count how many there were because the task itself felt meaningless, as there was quite literally no end to them.
Everywhere his consciousness reached, he found Ocean Races along with some others.
They filled the surrounding waters in overwhelming numbers, occupying every visible direction and stretching so far into the distance that even his expanded senses could not cover the whole extent of their number.
The sight was so ridiculous that Ash genuinely felt as though he had become trapped inside an enormous net woven entirely from Ocean Races, with countless eyes fixed upon him from every direction, the scene was very eerie.
Naturally, he could feel that the stronger individuals had positioned themselves much closer to him, unwilling to allow weaker creatures to occupy the best positions, while the weaker Ocean Species formed countless layers farther away, their sheer numbers creating a living wall that blocked most of the sunlight attempting to penetrate the depths.
Seeing all of this, Ash could not help chuckling softly as he raised a hand and patted his chest directly above his heart.
"Calm down, Buddy."
The heart that had been beating so loudly that its presence was practically announcing itself to the entire realm instantly became calmer, as though it had genuinely listened to his words, and the overwhelming heartbeat that had previously echoed throughout the surrounding ocean gradually settled back into a normal rhythm.
The terrifying presence accompanying each beat quickly faded away as well, causing the invisible pressure spreading through the waters to disappear until not even a trace remained.
Before long, his heartbeat had completely returned to normal, becoming so ordinary that only Ash himself could hear its sound while everyone else was left completely unaware of its existence.
After all, it was his heart.
Controlling it was only natural.
And his Skill [Body Control] made such things far easier than they should have been, granting him an absurd degree of authority over every aspect of his own body, including organs.
**
[Body Control] — Grants absolute dominion over the user’s own body, allowing every muscle, bone, organ, cell, and drop of blood to move in accordance with their will while maintaining complete control over all bodily functions. The user possesses precise awareness of their body’s condition and can freely regulate, suppress, enhance, or alter bodily processes as desired.
**
As his heart calmed down, Ash immediately felt the intense emotions radiating from everyone surrounding him.
Curiosity.
Shock.
Disbelief.
Excitement.
Fascination.
And even a hint of reverence,
Seeing those reactions, Ash could not help but smile, and that smile only widened as he looked at the countless Ocean Species surrounding him from every direction.
"Oh come on. Don’t look at me like I’m some sort of rare breed."
{Ahem!! But you are.}
Hearing the immediate response inside his mind, Ash’s eyelids twitched slightly before he rolled his eyes.
Shut up, Eva.
The helpless smile on his face deepened as he swept his gaze across the endless gathering around him, only to find that absolutely nobody seemed interested in looking anywhere else.
"If you guys are done feasting my extraordinary body, I would like to get dressed, you perverts."
As soon as those words left his mouth, a certain realization surfaced in his mind, causing his expression to become increasingly suspicious as he directed his attention toward a certain someone.
You intentionally left me naked, didn’t you.
{I have no idea what you’re talking about.}
Eva’s response came so quickly that it only made Ash even more suspicious.
Come on, I gave you full control over my abilities. If you wanted to, you could have easily protected my clothes during the assimilation process, or at the very least get me dressed before I woke up, so don’t even try pretending that this situation wasn’t completely avoidable.
The moment those words reached her, Eva practically exploded.
{AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! I DON’T WANNA HEAR ANYMORE, SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!!!}
Her panicked scream echoed through his mind with such force and urgency that Ash nearly laughed out loud right there in front of everyone.
Tsk, pervert.
{I AM NOT A PERVERT, AND I DIDN’T DO IT ON PURPOSE, SO STOP MAKING THOSE WEIRD ACCUSATIONS!!!}
Ash’s smile grew wider and wider as he listened to her increasingly flustered attempts at self-defense.
Sure, whatever helps you sleep at night.
{I’M SERIOUS!!! YOU CAN’T JUST ACCUSE ME OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND THEN DECIDE I’M GUILTY WITHOUT LISTENING TO MY SIDE OF THE STORY!!!}
Ash could barely hold back his amusement as Eva continued protesting inside his head, because the more she spoke, the more relaxed he felt.
The pressure that should have naturally built up after waking up to such an insane gathering never had the chance to settle on him, as Eva’s familiar antics ended up distracting him before it could even take root.
While she continued grumbling inside his mind, Ash casually got himself dressed.
Meanwhile, Perseus continued observing Ash quietly, studying his expression, his posture, and the way he carried himself, as if trying to understand what kind of existence stood before him.
The more he looked, the stranger everything felt.
This was supposedly the individual who had triggered the Realm Quest known as The Absolute Anomaly.
The same person who had survived the Crimson Heavenly Lightning and caused the Rivers of Destiny and Universal Fortune to manifest before countless witnesses.
Yet despite all of that, Ash looked remarkably relaxed.
"You seem surprisingly calm for someone in your situation," Perseus finally said.
Ash shifted his gaze toward him and replied, "I’m alive and kicking, which is already more than enough reason to be in a good mood today, and with all of you gathered here like this, it honestly just makes everything feel a bit more interesting."
The response caused several expressions around them to change slightly.
Perseus remained silent after hearing that, his gaze fixed on Ash as though trying to read the intent behind those calm words.
"You are overly confident even after realizing your situation. I am amazed. Or perhaps..." he paused slightly, his eyes sharpening, "...you do not fully understand what is happening here?"
His tone carried genuine curiosity now, rather than earlier urgency, and even though he appeared more relaxed than before, he still did not let his guard down completely.
"I am aware."
Ash replied simply, still wearing that faint, unbothered smile.
That was when the remaining Celestials finally chose to speak.
From within the gathered forces, a woman stepped forward slightly, her presence impossible to ignore even among the countless powerful beings around her. She had silver-white hair that flowed gently even underwater, and her eyes carried a soft golden glow that made the surrounding ocean light feel noticeably dimmer in comparison.
Sera Lorne, Celestial of the Church of Light, observed Ash for a moment before speaking, her voice smooth and controlled.
"So this is the anomaly marked by the Universal System... I expected an ancient monster or something far more grotesque, but he is quite a feast to the eyes."
Not far from her, a man stood with a relaxed but grounded posture, dark blue markings faintly visible along his arms, as though the ocean itself had left its signature on him.
Kai Reed, Celestial of the Ocean Races Alliance, also shared his opinion.
"The Universal System’s reaction was not incorrect," Kai said, his eyes locked onto Ash without wavering. "Either you are something that should not exist, or something even the System itself cannot comprehend."
Despite hearing their words, Ash did not react to any of it.
Instead, he let out a faint sigh before speaking, his tone calm yet carrying a chilling weight beneath its ease, "Let’s not waste any more of our time. If you are willing to let me leave peacefully, I would gladly owe you all a favor in return, but... I don’t think that will be possible, seeing how all your eyes are burning with that kind of desire and resolve, it’s already clear enough where this is going, isn’t it?"
His smile stayed, but his posture shifted, becoming looser and more casual, hands hanging freely at his sides, head slightly tilted as if he were not standing in front of countless beasts but simply waiting for something interesting to begin.
His gaze slowly moved across all of them without urgency before he continued, "So tell me... what are you all waiting for? Come at me, you stupid fishes."
***