The ice mermaids moved much faster than Maggie had imagined; she had thought that given the number of ice mermaids who had died and the extent of their injuries, they would have to rest for a long time.

But in reality, the very night Maggie finished speaking with the chieftain, the Ice Mermaids attacked again, even more fiercely.

Maggie stood on the watchtower of the mermaid settlement, frowning as she looked down at the battle unfolding below.

She didn't notice anything amiss when she was standing below yesterday, but today, looking from a higher vantage point, she discovered many things that were wrong.

Those ice mermaids attacked the mermaid race like madmen, even at the cost of three for one, determined to kill one of them.

Even though they were weak, the merfolk were not afraid of them.

But as long as there is fighting, casualties are inevitable. The last time the merfolk counted nine deaths, and judging from today's situation, there will only be more deaths.

Will they grow stronger with each battle?

Although Maggie didn't know the details of the Ice Mermaids' attack, she now had a vague idea of ​​what was going on, so she turned to ask the mermaid guard beside her.

"I guess so? Although they suffer heavy losses each time, their next attack is usually much stronger."

After saying that, the mermaid guard once again showed a worried expression.

"If this increasingly ferocious offensive continues, the mermaid settlement will probably be breached very soon."

"The key thing the clan leader is looking for is something we still have no clue about."

After the mermaid guard finished speaking, he seemed to suddenly realize that he had said too much, so he immediately shut his mouth and refused to say anything more.

Maggie understood; it seemed the chieftain and she might have the same guess.

These... ice mermaids might not be living creatures at all, but rather made of some kind of substance. Although they may look alive, they might not actually be.

If she had to explain, Maggie suspected that the Ice Merfolk were actually soulless puppets, only appearing more lifelike.

Among the magic and alchemy developed by humans were methods for creating and manipulating puppets, and those puppets were very lifelike.

However, the construction cost is relatively high, and most people cannot afford it.

But if there were another way to create something similar to a puppet, it would only require a tiny amount of materials...

Maggie had already begun to have doubts.

The Ice Merfolk's population size is disproportionate to their strength; their numbers are virtually limitless, showing no signs of decreasing.

They are pitifully weak, but it seems that they become stronger after each attack.

Despite the horrific number of deaths they suffered, it did not hinder their progress in the slightest.

This is not a characteristic that living beings should possess, nor can the dead do it.

Maggie could only think of something far more terrifying.

Thinking about this, Maggie felt that there was no point in continuing to watch from the observation platform. She might as well go down and take a look, and maybe she could find some new clues to verify her ideas.

She strode down the observation deck in two quick steps and headed straight for the entrance.

The mermaid guards had received orders and let Maggie leave without causing her any trouble.

Xiu also joined the war this time, and Maggie could see his fighting figure from the doorway.

However, Maggie didn't come down for him, but to observe the Ice Mermaid up close.

She darted into the fray and joined the battle.

While fighting, Maggie began to observe them closely. The skin of the Ice Merfolk looked almost identical to that of humans and mermaids.

The only difference between them and mermaids is that their tails and ear fins are covered with a layer of frost, looking like sharp ice spikes.

In fact, that's exactly how they attacked, and many mermaids were injured by their ice spikes.

Without obtaining any further information about its appearance, Maggie swiftly pierced through an ice mermaid with her light arrow, pinning it to the ground.

Then several more beams of light pierced through his limbs and immobilized his tail.

It didn't kill it, but it rendered it unable to struggle.

Just like fixing a living animal to an operating table, Maggie began her experiment.

A dark glint flashed, and the unfortunate ice mermaid's arm was slashed through, revealing the blood-soaked structure inside.

The Ice Mermaid's wails echoed across the battlefield, but they didn't attract much attention, since it was just a cut on the arm, not a serious injury.

To prevent him from speaking and disturbing her thoughts, Maggie also cut open the Ice Mermaid's throat, and all that could be heard from him was his 'wheezing' voice, like a leaky wind.

His cries for help could only turn into bloody spittle gushing from his throat.

Maggie didn't care; all she could see was the ice mermaid's open arm.

The internal structure looks very much like human muscle texture and bones, but... mermaids are clearly different.

Mermaids have stronger and thicker bones and more muscles than humans.

Therefore, this is a very abnormal point.

Thinking of this, Maggie looked at the place where the ice mermaid's belly and tail met. A similar dark light flashed, and she could clearly see what was inside.

Regardless of the wriggling internal organs inside, just look at the connection between the fish tail and the spine; it's so stiff it's almost unnatural.

The upper body is completely human-shaped, and the lower body is different from that of a mermaid, resembling more of an ordinary fish swimming in the sea. Only the appearance is similar.

More importantly, the tailbone is not connected to the upper body spine, making it look as if a fish tail has been forcibly attached to a human.

They simply sewed the skin and flesh back together, but the bones inside weren't connected.

The eeriness made Maggie gasp for breath.

Meanwhile, the other mermaids on the battlefield finally witnessed Maggie's horrific act of dissecting someone alive, and many mermaids were stunned.

Although the battlefield is brutal, there are no instances of the enemy being torn apart alive on the battlefield.

This goes against common sense.

Maggie, however, seemed oblivious to the subtle gazes and calmly continued to observe the Ice Mermaid's reaction.

Mainly, she wanted to disassemble the whole dead body to take a look, but those transparent corpses, which had already turned completely into ice, made it impossible to observe anything.

She needed to end this quickly, so she had no choice but to resort to this cruel method.

Moreover, she actually had a vague suspicion before making this decision...

Regarding Tartarus, mentioned by Archangel El, he is the monster that possessed the body of the original owner's father.

At first, she didn't realize it was because the ice mermaid's skin and the form of the ice sculpture enveloped the aura of the abyss.

It wasn't transparent or clear enough for her to react immediately.

But after cutting open the living ice mermaid, her guess was completely confirmed.

The smell emanating from inside is exactly the same as that of a monster.

This caused her discomfort, a deep-seated sense of rejection, just like in the border town.