Just as I was about to move and explore the hidden area, the entrance I had come through shut behind me, trapping me in pitch-black darkness.

I searched my inventory for something to light up the space and found a promising item.

「Cheering Stick」
For use when cheering someone on. Could have special effects?

I took out the cheering stick and pressed the button, and it glowed brightly.

It was a set of two, so I held one in each hand and began to explore the surroundings.

“Eggs…?”

There were countless eggs, each large enough to hold an adult.

I approached one and poked it with the cheering stick, but there was no response.

“Do you feel anything?”
“Kkyuu.”

Yongyong said he didn’t feel anything.

As I waved the cheering sticks around, searching for another area, a message popped up.

[Activating the special effect of the cheering stick.]

A light even brighter than before filled the room, giving off a warm, comforting feeling.

It felt like I was being held in a mother’s embrace.

At that moment, something strange happened.

The eggs, which had been unresponsive until now, began to make sounds.

*Thump. Thump. Thump.*

With the rhythmic beating of a heart, the eggs started shaking.

As I watched, cracks began to form on the eggs, and soon, creatures began hatching from them.

The first one to break out was… a mermaid?

The disoriented mermaids eventually noticed me and stared intently.

Among them was a particularly distinguished-looking figure.

Though all the mermaids were beautiful, this one had an air of nobility.

With flowing blue hair, the mermaid approached me.

“Hello?”

Hearing my greeting, the mermaid bowed her head.

Startled by her action, I noticed that the other mermaids were also bowing.

Then, a beautiful voice spoke.

“Greetings, savior of the sirens.”
“S-Savior…?”
“This may be a long story. Would you mind if we moved to a more comfortable place?”

I nodded, and the mermaid—no, siren—led me down a hidden passage I hadn’t noticed before.

We exited into a vast underground city, untouched and preserved, unlike the ruins I saw in Atlantis.

“Welcome to the City of the Sirens, Savior.”

[You have visited the City of the Sirens for the first time.]
Gained 100,000 Reputation Points.

[You have reached a sufficient amount of Reputation Points to gain a new title.]

[Title acquired: Great Traveler.]

After checking my new title, I followed the siren, hearing footsteps approaching.

An elderly man, with a scar over one eye and a strong physique, walked toward us.

As he reached us, he knelt before the siren.

“I am honored to be in the presence of the Queen.”
“The Savior is with us.”

With those words, he stood up and looked at me, and I felt a strange familiarity.

He greeted Yongyong, who was nestled in my arms.

“We are indebted to an old friend.”
“Kkyuung.”
“I see.”

As he looked at me, I had a moment of realization.

“Are you… the Kraken from the entrance?”
“Yes.”
“Oh.”
“That’s right…”

I caught myself shifting between casual and formal speech as I noticed the siren’s reaction.

Ah, right. Must be his old age.

I met his gaze, understandingly, though he seemed puzzled by my look of empathy.

“Thank you for protecting the city all this time.”
“It was my way of repaying the Queen for saving me as a child… and part of our contract.”

The Kraken seemed much older than the siren queen, but I kept my curiosity in check.

It’s rude to ask a lady’s age, after all.

The Kraken accompanied us as we walked for a while until we arrived at a grand temple.

Inside, statues of sirens lined the walls, and a massive round table and chairs were arranged in the center.

The chairs were designed with sirens in mind, and though large, they were surprisingly comfortable.

The queen took a deep breath and began her story.

“First, I’ll explain why we were in slumber, Savior.”

The story unfolded like a fairytale.

Atlantis, the legendary city, was once a place where many races coexisted.

One day, however, a mysterious plague struck, sparing only the sirens and killing all others.

Not knowing its cause or cure, they fled to this underground city, safe from the illness.

Years passed, and they forgot about the plague, but it returned one day.

One by one, the sirens fell, and in desperation, the queen sought a divine oracle at the temple.

The oracle spoke of a savior who would descend and rescue the sirens.

To follow this prophecy, they made a contract with the Kraken from the Abyss to guard them, and all the sirens entered a dormant state, awaiting the savior.

Just as she finished, the queen suddenly coughed up blood.

Panicking, I tried to think of a solution, but all I could offer her was a mana stone.

I handed her a mana stone from my inventory, and as she absorbed it, something incredible happened.

Bathed in light, the siren shed her old skin, as if molting.

As the light faded, she slowly opened her eyes, checking her body in disbelief and shedding tears.

“Ah, indeed… you truly are the Savior.”

With those words, she pleaded, almost desperately, for me to save the siren race.

When I agreed, the queen began to sing a beautiful melody that echoed throughout the temple.

Hearing the song, numerous sirens gathered at the temple.

I opened the mana stone pouch I had received for destroying the Five-Pointed Star organization. It looked like I might have just enough.

That is, if Yongyong would agree to forgo his dinner.

“Kkyuung!”
“Just for one night, please!”
“Kkyuu!”

After some negotiation, I handed a mana stone to each siren who approached me, their faces filled with reverent gratitude as if they were receiving a holy relic.

As the sirens used the mana stones, each one shed their old skin and was reborn anew.

Once the last siren had used a mana stone, a message appeared.

[You have saved the siren race.]
Gained 100,000 Reputation Points.

[Title acquired: Savior of the Sirens.]

Checking their restored health, the sirens began to treat me like a divine being, even though I repeatedly told them to stop. They had already begun making grand plans.

“We must build a statue of the Savior next to the Siren statues!”
“Yes! Let’s place a Savior statue right in front of the temple!”

Begging them to reconsider, they eventually backed down, looking a bit disappointed.

As I sighed in relief, the siren queen bowed once more in gratitude.

“Thank you, Savior, for rescuing our people.”
“I only did what was right.”

Suddenly, I remembered the siren I had met on land.

The one who had given me a glowing orb.

“Was it you who sent a siren to the surface?”
“Sirens cannot ascend to land.”

She explained that a curse prevented them from leaving the sea. So who was the siren I’d seen…?

The queen then led me into the temple, saying there was something she wanted to give me.

Inside, a staircase descended into an underground chamber guarded by towering statues.

The statues looked as though they might move at any moment, and one of them locked eyes with me!?

“Wh-what is this!?”
“They are guardians of the siren’s treasure.”

As she reassured me and opened the door, countless glass cases lay inside, and at the very front was a golden orb, shining brightly.

“Kkyuung!?”

Yongyong gasped in astonishment.

As I approached, item information appeared.

「Golden Yeouiju」
An Imoogi who trained for a thousand years underwater gifted this to their beloved, choosing not to ascend.

The details differed from the Yeouiju I had seen before.

This one said the Imoogi had chosen to forsake ascension for the sake of their love.

“This was a gift from my beloved,” the queen said.
“I… I can’t possibly accept that!”

How could I just take something with such sentimental value?

“You will need this, Savior.”

She looked at me with earnest eyes.

Come to think of it, didn’t I need a Yeouiju for the *Divine Dragon Orb*?

“Ahem. Since you insist, I suppose I have no choice.”

I carefully retrieved the orb from the glass case, and it reacted to the 「Divine Dragon Orb」 in my inventory.

[The Divine Dragon Orb absorbs the Yeouiju.]

[Releasing the Divine Dragon Orb with the effect of the Golden Yeouiju.]

[Hidden Class Quest generated.]
You may now advance to the hidden class, *Divine Dragon Priestess*.

Would you like to accept?

YES / NO