Ignoring the Sea Witch's monstrous form, Tom fixed his gaze upon the massive golden trident. Just as he had anticipated—a Mythical quality artifact, a true divine weapon! Even a weakling like the Sea Witch could wield magic comparable to a Legendary wizard with it.
But that is all it is. A divine weapon alone did not make one a God of Magic. Neither he nor Dumbledore had reached such heights while wielding the Elder Wand. Furthermore, the Sea Witch's innate strength had been mediocre at best. Magic, however powerful, would be "all show".
Tom's eyes swept over the Sea Witch's gigantic body. How much of that power could she even unleash? A chuckle escaped him. "However, you have provided a pleasant surprise. Perhaps sparing your life those years ago was not so ill-advised after all."
...
The Sea Witch remained silent, still attempting to wrestle free and still manipulating the power of the trident. Tom's words baffled her. Why would she make things more difficult?
"Not bad. Quite interesting." Tom seemed to muse aloud, then added with a hint of regret, "But it seems that this is all you have to offer." The Sea Witch presented no further amusement. "Then, let us bring this to a close."
With a flick of his wrist, the Elder Wand appeared in Tom's right hand. A tiny, yet dazzling, green star shone from its tip! "Avada…"
Zzzzz... Faint arcs of pale green electricity crackled around the pinpoint of light. "Kedavra!"
Boom!!!
A hideous green lightning bolt tore through the sky, striking the Sea Witch's mountain-like body with ferocious force! From a distance, the bolt resembled a ghostly green bridge connecting the heavens and the abyss. The ghastly green illuminated the entire sea! The chilling stillness that followed filled every wisp of air, making the turbulent ocean even more volatile.
Crack.
A faint sound cut through the storm, reaching the ears of all who witnessed the spectacle. From the point of impact, the Sea Witch's body was rapidly consumed by a draining grey-white hue, then slowly turned to ash and vanished without a trace.
The trident, having fallen from her grasp, reverted to its original size. Tom, still afloat, lazily waved his hand, and the trident flew into his grasp. But strangely, the trident, which had gleamed with golden light, dimmed as soon as it touched his skin.
"..."
Tom's face momentarily darkened. "Tsk, fickle thing…"
Following me would have proven far more rewarding than remaining with those mermaids. Displeased, Tom casually tossed the trident back into the sea. The mermaids could retrieve it later.
Glancing at the Elder Wand in his hand, Tom's expression visibly improved. As an artifact, while the Elder Wand lacked the trident's ability to control the seas and summon storms, its magical enhancement for wizards was unsurpassed.
"My wand remains the dearest."
Putting away the Elder Wand, Tom cast a water-repelling charm and dove back into the sea.
...
Atlantis, the kingdom of the deep sea.
Triton, now grasping his trident once more, sat upon his throne, repeatedly expressing his gratitude to Tom and the others while ordering servants to retrieve a gift he had prepared beforehand.
Tom exchanged a few pleasantries with Triton.
Before long, he finally saw the "gift" Triton had mentioned. But to Tom's surprise, the gift was not presented by some random soldier, but by Ariel himself. In fact, this surprised Triton as well, who had a sinking feeling about that situation.
Ariel solemnly patted Tom on the shoulder and presented a small crystal box with the other hand. "Good brother, words cannot express my gratitude, but you must accept this!"
"..."
Tom, rarely patted, paused for a moment, then reached out to take the crystal box. Opening it, he found a small bead inside, about the size of a marble, shimmering with a beautiful deep-sea color.
[Accessory: Heart of the Ocean]
[Quality: Mythical]
[Function 1: The wearer can breathe underwater, and their hair and clothes will not get wet (they will be exactly as they were upon entering the water).]
[Function 2: The wearer can continuously recover stamina and heal injuries in water.]
[Function 3: The wearer can communicate with aquatic creatures and receive their goodwill.]
[Description: This is a gift left by Poseidon, the god of the sea, to his children. It contains the blessing of the sea god. With it, you are a child of the sea! You will never be harmed by the ocean!]
"…"
Tom was taken aback. He had anticipated some gold or silver trinkets to appease him. But looking up at the Sea King's expression—as if he had swallowed something foul—Tom realized the other likely had the same expectations.
Triton had clearly not expected his prodigal son to give away the most precious treasure in Atlantis save for the trident!
"…"
Triton opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but kept silent. Firstly, asking for something back after giving it away was unbecoming. Secondly, this human before him was a formidable figure who had single-handedly defeated the Sea Witch wielding the trident! Although he was certainly stronger than the Sea Witch with the trident himself…
Looking at this still unfathomable land dweller, Triton could only sigh deeply, like an old man nearing his final twilight.
Ariel, however, didn't notice his father's heartache. He was still trying to persuade Tom, "Just accept it! I even think this gift alone isn't enough."
Not enough? Why not just give him Atlantis instead?!
A flash of anger crossed Triton's eyes, and he secretly vowed to have a serious discussion of "father-son matters" with Ariel after Tom and the others departed.
"Right, Father?"
Oblivious, Ariel continued to prod at his father's heart.
"Huh? Ah, yes!" Snapping out of his daze, Triton painfully forced the words out.
"…"
Tom remained silent, casting a pitying glance at Ariel. "In that case… then…"
"Farewell?"
Ariel scratched his head, offered a wry smile, and spoke with unusual refinement.
"Yes, farewell."
"…"
Atlantis, the kingdom of the deep sea—having visited, perhaps they would never forget.
---