"Your Grace, look at you. Your handsome face has shrunk by a lot. Was the trial that hard?" She asked, looking very distressed.
Aegis barely held back the bitter laughter.
"I'm handsome? You must be the only person to think like that, Naida."
Naida gave him a look that suggested she was utterly serious, but Aegis quickly moved on.
"Anyway, what should I do next? I mean, what are the usual duties of a Sea God?"
As he asked this, Naida's face grew solemn.
"Your Grace, a Sea God's duty is usually to safeguard the Ocean and its lifeforms. But ever since the Great Cataclysm occurred and the world split into countless fragments, the Ocean is no more. Even all the Oceanic creatures went extinct along with it."
Aegis frowned, immediately understanding the dark nature of the Eternal Sky Realm. It was a broken world with no true ocean.
"What is this Great Cataclysm, Naida? How did the world split?" he asked.
She shook her head. "I don't know much. But your goal, as the inheritor, is to recreate those species and restore the Ocean."
"What? Aren't we already in an Ocean right now?" Aegis gestured around at the massive, glowing underwater palace.
"No, Master. The Aquabyss Domain is currently hidden amongst the highest layer of the Sky. It is a pocket dimension powered by remnants of divine energy. There are no Oceanic creatures in this Domain. The guardians in those trials are just illusions.
And to be honest, I'm not real either."
"Wait... This can't be. You look so real."
She sighed sadly.
"Reality can be very deceiving sometimes, Your Grace. I am just a remnant soul in charge of guarding this Palace. I don't have the freedom to go out like you."
Aegis was starting to feel bad for her, but then she showed a bright, encouraging smile.
"You don't need to feel sad or take pressure, Your Grace. As long as we stop the Sky Predators, we will be safe."
Aegis wasn't so easily fooled. He was sure she was hiding many things from him that she wasn't willing to share yet. For now, he let it slide.
"Sky Predators? Who are they?"
Naida turned around and led him inside the Palace.
"Follow me, Your Grace. I will explain along the way."
As they walked through the immense, echoing halls of mother-of-pearl and gold, Naida explained the peril:
"Basically, Sky Predators are winged creatures who strike down upon the Floating Islands in a specific pattern of time.
Sometimes monthly, sometimes weekly. They hunt the inhabitants and consume the core energy of the Domain itself."
She continued, explaining the urgent timeline. "Until your arrival at the Palace, it was shrouded by an invisible force field left by the previous Sea God. But with your return, that protection has broken, leaving the Aquabyss Domain exposed to the Sky Predators. This is the nature of the Eternal Sky Realm. When a new Sky Lord links with their Domain, they must immediately defend it."
So to speak, Aegis now had to build a robust defense to stop the invasion, just like all the other Sky Lords in the Eternal Sky Realm.
Naida outlined his immediate needs: To build a defense, he needed manpower, resources, and to master his own power.
Aegis's mind, sharp and tactical from years of gaming, immediately processed the information and linked it to the system.
Fortunately, the System offered an excellent and reliable trading Platform across the Eternal Sky Realm.
He also realized an excellent opportunity presented by his new skill. To the deserted Sky Lords he saw in the Global Chatbox, he could sell clean water and make money.
Since his body consumed nutrients efficiently, and he suspected water was the source of his new energy, he could potentially replenish his reserves and sell clean water repeatedly. He could become a literal money-making machine in this apocalyptically fragmented world.
He could already imagine other Sky Lords calling him a Tycoon Lord.
As such, while Naida gave him a small tour of the Palace, he immediately pulled up the Global Chatbox. The relentless stream of messages was still chaotic, dominated by fear and calls for help.
He carefully typed his message, knowing full well his identity would draw instant attention after that Global Notification.
[EternalWarrior]: Phew! They're gone! The goblins vanished when I struck them! Is everything here just a holographic projection?
[Prophetess_Mary]: Purgatory is mutable! The Sky Lord of the Deep has heard our cries!
[Admin_01]: @SkyLordAegis; are you alive? Do you want to trade the Divine treasure?
[xX_GamerDad_Xx]: Please, someone, tell me about the nearest friendly outpost! I can't leave my island, but I need resources!
[FallenPaladin]: My underlings are starving. Does anyone have food, water? I am willing pay high price.
[Aegis]: Hello, I heard someone needs water? I am finally up for trades.
The Chatbox, which had been scrolling at a constant speed, seemed to hiccup for a moment as Aegis's message landed. The frantic, diverse stream of complaints and panic suddenly narrowed into a laser focus on one topic.
[LittleSoldier]: OMG! Great Lord is real. @everyone Skylord Aegis joined us mortals.
[ThreeBeautifulPrincesses]: Ooh, another husband candidate is here, Sisters. Should I pick this one? He is rich!"
[xX_GamerDad_Xx]: WATER?! Is this a joke, Aegis? We're dying of thirst in the scorching canyons!
[DesertFox] Aegis, if you're serious, I will give you everything I have. My Island is turning to dust. What do you want for 10 Liters?
[Firestarter]: The Sea God is real! He brings us sustenance! Hallelujah!
[EternalWarrior]: Don't trust him, he's just trying to lure us! But... wait, if he's the real Aegis... I want 20 liters.
[Aegis]: [New Trade Post]
Aegis ignored the cynicism of EternalWarrior. He directly accessed the Trade Platform and created his first listing, using his Water Manipulation skill instantly.
[ Item for Sale: Purified Water ]
[ Quantity: 2 Liters ]
[ Price Per Unit: 10 BC (Bronze Coins) ]
[ Stock: 1000 Liters ]
The moment the listing went live, a new Realm notification spread throughout the whole system.
[ Realm Notification: Sky Lord Aegis has opened the first high-volume Trade Listing: Purified Water (1000 liters). ]
The Global Chatbox exploded again. This time with a torrent of trade requests and genuine disbelief.
Aegis has thrown the market into immediate chaos.