They realized they could breathe much more easily when they put their faces underwater. However, they still felt strange. It would be great if they could soak themselves in water.

…

In Woodia, Goldia, Soilia, Flamia, Iceana, and many other countries, similar “mermaid incidents” were spotted. Ordinary people discovered in astonishment that people around them were covered with scales while maintaining a human form.

“What the hell is going on? Our ark is filled with monsters! Help! Can somebody help us?”

“We’re not monsters! I don’t know why this is happening to me! Don’t be afraid! We mean you no harm! We’ve probably caught something. That’s all!”

“During this catastrophe, an unknown virus might have come from outer space! Those people must have mutated because of the infection!”

“It doesn’t seem to be the case! They’re not contagious!”

“No, they are! After his fin scratched me, the cut has been getting itchier! I’m growing scales, too!”

“They’re monsters! We must catch all of them and put them in one place so that we can control them!”

“That’s easy for you to say! Who’s going to catch them? Help! I don’t want to stay with these monsters!”

/ .

…

It didn’t just happen to ordinary people. Some people of higher social status also began to grow scales, including Jade, the famous DJ, Sid, the popular TV personnel, Kyro Kim, the influencer, and Dusty, the pop idol.

…

And there were so many more. Even the high-ranking officials in some countries had started growing scales.

After looking into these affectees’ past, the other people reached a conclusion: all of them had knelt to the ocean before!

“Seriously? That sounds unbelievable! Does kneeling to the ocean give them scales?”

“I don’t want to believe it either, but it’s happening! We found it unbelievable before when they got their gravity back by kneeling to the ocean, but they did recover.”

“Is that why Moon wouldn’t let us kneel?”

“I don’t care about that! I just want to know why they look like that? How did this happen?”

“@Sky Eye, can you explain it?”

“What’s going on? Mr. Soan, could you give us an answer?”

“I don’t want to be like this! I want to be a normal human being! I can’t even breathe now! My skin feels so dry that I want to hide in the water!”

“Why is this happening? I don’t want to become a fish! Help me!”

…

In some arks, all the passengers had turned into this half-human and half-fish form. In other arks, only half the passengers had mutated. Some of the arks had remained unchanged.

Everybody could tell if somebody else had knelt at the ocean.

Yes!

They could be 100% sure now.

Those that had knelt at the sea would grow scales, and so would the people that had been stabbed or scratched by the people with the scales.

“@Sky Eye, please answer us!”

“@Dragon Tribe, what’s going on? Can you give us an explanation? The world is panting, and we’re all scared!”

“@Sky Eye, please say something! It’s time to speak up!”

About 500 million people had grown scales. All the presidents were asking Moon for an answer. No other country could give them an answer now, though.

Himmel Soan was probably the only one who had an answer!

Some Moonians had grown scales as well, but they were very rare. There were only three people in total. Some onlookers caught them right away and handed them to Sky Eye.

Henry Lang, the director of the Soan empire, immediately went to see Warren and the other members of the Soan empire. At the same time, Warren went to report to Himmel Soan.

“Patriarch! Patriarch!”

“Patriarch, please open the door!” Warren and Yosef anxiously knocked on Himmel Soan’s lab door.

Himmel Soan pressed a button, and the door opened. The two men rushed in, telling him about the abnormal things happening all over the world.

Himmel Soan listened as he stirred a bottle of green potion in his hands.

“Patriarch, did you hear what I said?”

“Yes, the scales.”

“You know about that?”

“Yes, I knew something bad was going to happen when they started kneeling. I just didn’t know what exactly. It seems that the other force has activated their genes in those people.”

Warren and Yosef looked at each other.

Warren asked, “What genes?”

Yosef said, “What other force?”

They were greatly confused by Himmel Soan’s words.

What was he talking about?

What were those genes?

“Patriarch, do we have other enemies?”

“Yes, the Atlanteans!”

“As in Atlantis?”

Both Warren and Yosef were shocked. “I thought it was a long-gone civilization.”

“It disappeared but wasn’t destroyed. They’ve remained hidden from us and have been watching us. Because of the moon, they couldn’t leave the bottom of the ocean. After the moon was gone, gravity disappeared, and they were no longer trapped. They can leave the ocean now!”

“The bottom of the ocean? Is that where Atlantis is?”

Himmel Soan didn’t try to explain. He poured the green potion into another container and handed it to Warren. “Take it. It’s the first potion I’ve concocted. I can’t guarantee it’ll work, but I think it’ll probably do the trick. Give it to the three people and note its effects. Get their consent before you feed it to them!”

“Yes, sir!”

Himmel Soan then went to the president’s office, where the president was holding a conference with the other heads of states. Over five billion people were watching them, all trying to find out what was going on.

However, without Himmel Soan, they couldn’t think of anything no matter how long they discussed.