Timeless Prominence

At the very bottom of the Demon Ink River, a crocodilian creature with flippers for arms and legs swam through an underwater passage into a dark cavern only illuminated by a glowing magical mirror-like orb floating in the water.

The crocodilian-whale floated before this orb, and the reflective surface transformed into the shape of a woman who had sharp teeth alongside other features such as yellow eyes with vertical pupils, and a row of scaly lumps lining down her back from the top of her neck.

“Mother,” a female voice sounded from the crocodilian-whale's pointed snout. Her voice was muffled in the water, but audible nonetheless.

“Daughter. You have grown. Your intelligence? Supreme!” the woman in the mirror-orb smiled, her pointed fangs menacing yet soft before her daughter. “To select your own throat to metamorphose first, allowing yourself the ability to speak to me? That is proof of your future potential.”

“Wait…” the mother squinted. “What happened to your snout?”

“A human man kicked my nose. It’s just a light bruise. I tried to devour him. I thought it would be easy, but his body was…strong like ours.” The crocodilian-whale seemed embarrassed.

“Did I not tell you to be careful of humans? They may seem like ants, but…” the woman sighed. “Keep on strengthening yourself, and head to the southern seas. The Fusion Realm used to be our domain, the humanoids just our livestock. To think most beastkin now hesitate to send their children to train in the realm… at least us sea-based beastkin still hold full sway over the southern seas.”

“Yes, mother.”

“The humans are invading our realm. Do not concern yourself with this-- you are too weak to matter. I am not certain if this is just a probing attack, or it may become more. I hope that one day, I can bring you back from the southern seas.”

“I will avenge you, mother, should you fall.”

“Don’t jinx me, you naughty girl.”

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Rein and his allies remained completely in the dark as they entered the swampland, unaware that they had already become the hunted. They are, of course, aware of House Larne’s threat. They also expected a few devils to show up in an attempt to steal their spoils of the hunt. That was their plan, after all!

Now, if they had reached the outer stage of advancement, then they would be able to better scout their surroundings and detect the lurking danger. As advancers below that stage, they could only rely on logic and reasoning.

They assumed that powerful devils would be mostly uninterested in their targets. The Blissful-Endflower was useful to draw their bounty target, Dujahrn. However, most poison devils avoided plant poison advancer arts, and thus they assumed that at worst, one or two shell devils and some rare demon beasts interested in consuming the flower might pop up if they successfully defeated the plant spirit.

Plant-based poison had a critical weakness against flame, which is, well, rather popular in advancer arts. Most who employed plant-based poison needed to use tricks or cover their weakness with other advancer arts.

Anyway, the group’s flawed reasoning was caused by a lack of knowledge. They did not know that the second prince was, in fact, becoming somewhat desperate in his fight for the throne. His source of desperation? The seventh prince’s rise!

Although the Xuere Clan is a pivotal defense force guarding the Xuere gap, they do not have a strong presence in the capital, and thus only had delayed knowledge of the Dingien Clan’s succession conflict. Another factor was also that the Xuere Clan had yet to take a side. Anyhow, this was precise why the second prince had chosen now to take forceful action!

Thus, the five devils bought by the second prince waited patiently in the dark, maintaining a semblance of uneasy cooperation. They would pounce on the defeat of the Blissful-Endflower. Or, if the Halls' younglings fail to kill the plant spirit, they would simply kidnap Lyne and still accomplish their task.

Dujahrn had other thoughts. He was already contemplating methods to draw the other four devils into a fight against the Blissful-Endflower should the Halls’ younglings fail. He believed that those four devils would have no trouble dealing with the Blissful-Endflower together, and perhaps he could obtain the heartblood of the flower.

He knew, though, that the other four devils have no interest in assisting him. They have had conflict with one another in the past before, and though they weren’t full-on enemies, none wished to have a potentially stronger future adversary in the western wilderness.

“Let’s confirm our final plan,” Xeeseir ordered. Lyne and Nunan both went forth as Xeeseir unfurled a scroll containing information on the three-headed cobra.

The three-headed cobra was named so because of its appearance. However, it was not actually just a three-headed cobra. In this day and age, many demon beasts are a mix. This three-headed cobra has many unique qualities.

It was perfectly suited for this swampland, filled with many deep muddy lakes and ponds. Its brown skin camouflages itself into the viscous mud. It often hides its two heads under the surface, with one head peeking out to draw air. And of course, its ability to spout out a thick mist that blinds foes, and its three poisonous heads.

As such, this three-headed cobra hides itself in the muddy lakes and streams, patiently waiting for prey. Then it would spring up in an ambush, releasing the blinding mist before delivering the final venomous bite.

As a rank four demon beast, its snakeskin would certainly be tough to penetrate, and its intelligence should be incredibly high. As for whether it had gained any form of demon beast metamorphosis… that remained unknown. At least, all sightings of the three-headed cobra had been of a full snake form.

“The three-headed cobra prefers lying in wait to ambush prey with its thick poisonous blinding mist. It should also be highly intelligent. As such, I propose we act as lost souls and pretend to succumb to the thick poison mist before, well… simultaneously mobbing the snake in a reverse ambush.” Xeeseir demonstrated his vast experience with such a concise approach.

“You’re more cunning than you look,” Nunan nodded in agreement with Xeeseir’s strategy. As the formation master within Lyne’s group, she normally came up with their strategy. Xeeseir’s approach was vicious.

This plan was only possible because they had received all sorts of antidotes from a Halls’ alchemist. The five hundred feet long giant three-headed cobra was about to discover the nature of humanity.

Rein was the one who stored the antidotes-- after all, he had learnt some knowledge and it was his alchemist instructor that had provided these antidotes.

He forced aurae to the tip of his fingers and injected it into the spatial pouch at his waist. He reached his hand and retrieved a box, and identified the ones that specialized against the blinding mists of snakes.

Although antidotes do not exist for everything in existence, the blinding mists of snake demons is not an uncommon ability.

They each took a sip from their vials and began wandering as a group through the swamp.

“These damn insects,” complained Chirh. He naturally had an irritable mood, having no choice but to put his wimpy self in what he perceived to be unneeded danger. Indeed, mind-numbing buzzing noises could be heard all around. Luckily, these weren’t insect demons. Insect demons had behavior similar to locusts, sweeping places clean on their appearance.

Still, for their comfort, Suey and Jory had wrapped parts of their bodies in their half-formed aurae shell, while Lyne’s team’s bodies had aurae shell clouds as protection.

They wandered about mindlessly, stepping through muddy waters as high as their waist. A crocodile suddenly leaped at Chirh, who swore as he swung his shortsword in shock, dissecting the crocodile cleanly in half.

“Just a normal beast,” Zehz said as the rest laughed at Chirh’s over-the-top reaction. By now, normal beasts, even this crocodile, would not be able to even bite into their pre-shell advancer bodies. As for potential demon beasts in this region? It was unlikely that the three-headed cobra would tolerate any in its domain.

They began their play acting.

“Twelve hells,” Xeeseir groaned theatrically. “Where the fuck are we anyway? Why is this muddy place endless?”

“This place sucks… who led us here?” Rein chimed in.

“How could you bring us fragile ladies here?” Lyne quipped.

They wandered about, through the muddy waters, testing for the location of the three-headed cobra.

After half-a-day, when their patience began to run thin, Zehz suddenly snapped his fingers to signal that he had spotted the three-headed cobra. Zehz is an advancer skillful in using light for illusion, and as such, he also had a heightened ability to see through camouflage. He could not fully demonstrate his skill yet, since he had yet to become an outer advancer. Certain abilities require a certain realm to truly demonstrate its strength. Light-based illusions are such an art.

With this signal, the group each took a sip of their vials of antidote again-- they occasionally did so throughout the day-- and began to escalate their interaction. Only the most meticulous observers might notice them faking the whole conflict.

“Who the fuck led us here again?!” Bohr roared in frustration.

“Him, of course!” Wilo pointed at Xeeseir. Meanwhile, Nunan indicated for Chirh so step closer to and deeper into the muddy waters to bait the three-headed cobra.

Chirh inwardly complained, but he acquiesced.

“You’re all yelling all the time! I’m going to wait over here until you sort your shit out!” Chirh said.

“I’ve had it with you!” Karsutz jumped at Xeeseir, and the two began trading fists.

It was then that three cobra heads popped up from the muddy waters, and all three mouths opened wide and sprayed out a thick cloudy mist!

Rein and his allies pretended to wander without sight.

“My eyes!” Rein hollered. “I can’t see!” he rubbed his eyes and bumped into Suey.

“Rein? Is that you?” Suey happily wrapped her arms around Rein’s neck.

Of course, they had full capabilities of their eyes. In their peripheral vision, all could see one of the three heads of the cobra hungrily eyeing Chirh, whose left hand rubbed his eyes while he held his shortsword  in his right, as he twisted his body left and right in fake confusion.

The second head stared at Jory, while the third initially looked at the hugging forms of Rein and Suey before switching to Xeeseir, believing that attacking two close-by targets would alert its many prey to its presence.

The three heads made their decision and lunged in sync!

“Now!” Lyne ordered as she now ran lightly across the top of the muddy water and launched herself at the head targeting Jory. Immediately, Rein and his allies, their sight perfectly fine and clear, mobbed the three heads.

The only one who did not attack was Chirh. This wimp swung his shortsword, activating the backward flip inscription which sent him ten feet away, dodging the cobra head’s lunge. He did at least activate a blinding light flash after his escape.

Zehz positioned himself before one head, the aurae skin around his body releasing hypnotic rainbow flashes and patterns.

Nunan threw multiple stakes into the surrounding area, each of those stakes lined with numerous inscriptions.

Xeeseir simply fired an explosive arrow into the approaching jaws of the cobra head. He did not bother dodging the cobra head, which ignored the painful fiery inferno in its throat as it bit down on Xeeseir’s body to deliver its venom!

Yet, Xeeseir did not go limp as the cobra knew its prey normally would under its poison. The cobra’s venom is aurae-based. Mortal poisons have no effect on advancers. Xeeseir used his origin ability to send the poison aurae art back into the three-headed cobra’s body!

Xeeseir popped a pill into his body to accelerate his own healing. He had chosen to sacrifice his body to harm the cobra, whose large poisonous fangs had punctured slightly into his hardened body to deliver the venom. He could reflect the poison art, but not the physical fangs. Some might consider his methods reckless, but that is his nature.

The three-headed cobra would not fall to its own venom art, but it still needed some time to clear its body of the reflected turbulent poison aurae.

Meanwhile Rein and his allies had split into three groups, delivering all sorts of attacks against its heads!

The three-headed cobra realized that it had been thoroughly fooled into attacking these damned cunning humans. It realized this too late. Although its demon beast skin was nigh on impenetrable for these humans at these lower power realms, the humans knew where to attack.

Wilo sent many poison needles into its mouth and eyes. This three-headed cobra that had targeted Chirh, discovered that it could not resolve Wilo’s unique poison, despite it being somewhat weak compared to its own.

Meanwhile, Lyne stuck an icy longsword into another head’s left eye, and the icy art she used began forming an ice shell around the left side of that head. That cobra head failed to dodge Lyne’s strike due to being drawn in by Zehz’s mesmerizing lights.

The last head that targeted Xeeseir was occupied in dispersing the position reflected back into its own body. As such, it had a slowed reaction and suffered the full-on pummeling of Rein’s Soak Staff and Suey’s bronze whip.

It assumed that it would come out fine, but soon discovered that Rein’s strength was beyond imagination. The inner realm human had a physicality that matched the strongest of young beastkin!

Suey was not as strong, but the bronze whip, heavy at the base but light at the tip, transferred a lashing soundbreaking force to the head, and soon this head knew it was doomed as its ten feet wide skull cracked, about to shatter due to the blunt forces acting upon its bones.

Wilo’s poison was slow to act upon the three-headed cobra’s body, and as such, that head attempted to escape, only to find Bohr’s body smashing onto the top of its head. The aurae cloud around Bohr’s body gave him an increased weight and sturdiness, pressing the cobra’s head into the mud.

Karsutz’s form melded into the environment. Many flying daggers flew about, targeting the remaining eyes of the three-headed cobra.

Knowing its impending doom, the three-headed cobra released a burst of strength and writhed its head in berserk swings, and the humans rolled backwards to dodge the crazed undulations of the snake demon. The three heads, leaking blood out of many orifices, gathered and sank itself back into the muddy water in a bid to escape!

An explosion sounded as the three-headed cobra crashed into a formation trap set by Nunan, and its body rose back above the muddy water. In desperation, it swung its heavy tail. To its surprise, although Rein and Bohr were sent stumbling a few steps, the two still fearlessly caught its tail! Bohr was amazed by Rein’s sturdiness, impressed at the inner advancer’s tempered body that seemed on par with his shell-augmented body.

The three heads of the cobra found itself inundated by wind blades as it encountered another formation set by Nunan in its escape attempt.

Sensing that its tail had been trapped, it roared again and Rein watched in stupefaction as the tail he was holding on shrunk out of his grasp! The three-headed cobra upper body transformed into a man’s upper body as it shrunk, and then it dove into the muddy water and disappeared!

“So… it had gained some human features after all…” Nunan muttered. No one had reported this, and as such, they weren’t sure exactly of what human features this rank four demon might have developed. It will be difficult to find this three-headed cobra again in this vast swamp.

“I can find it,” Wilo stated.

“How?” Nunan’s eyes widened. Most advancers are only able to track foes after they become outer advancer, and develop the ability to interact with the environment using aurae tendrils.

“My wooden needles,” Wilo explained. “It is a unique type of wood and has a special aroma.”

Smell was the answer, and one of the ways for inner and shell advancers to track targets.

“Even in this… swampland?” Nunan was quite suspicious. She had never heard of wooden aroma tracking ability before.

“Yes.” Wilo nonchalantly replied.

“Let’s go, then!” Xeeseir hurriedly said.

Wilo nodded and led their way through the swamp.

Rein and his allies were astounded as they discovered themselves wandering through a tunnel of a thicket that they would not have normally noticed against the backdrop of the swamp.

After going through this tunnel formed by abrasive branches, they came upon a shallow muddy lake with a huge tree on a middle island.

The three-cobra headed snake was now a creature with a male upper body and a long lower snake body, resting around that huge tree. Wilo immediately launched a rain of needles while Xeeseir fired an ice arrow. Nunan launched stakes that surrounded most of that central huge tree, only leaving a path for the group to enter the zone.

The half-man half-cobra madly charged at them as its snake body sloshed through the muddy lake. Wilo’s needles bounced off the upper male body despite the lack of scaled protection. On the other hand, Xeeseir’s ice arrow froze half of its now human-sized upper chest.

Chirh flipped his shortsword and sent a light flash. The man’s head had lost an eye, but it still looked away with its other eye, only to come upon Zehz’s mesmerizing light-encased body!

Lyne dashed forward, flanked on one side by Bohr and Rein on the other. Surrounded, the half-cobra half-man recklessly threw itself forward, and Lyne’s whitish-blue aurae cloud formed an ice armor around her body. She stabbed forth with her longsword the spewed a thick energy, and pierced through the weakened chest of the half-cobra. Her ice began to spread through the half-cobra half-man.

“Twelve hells…” muttered Rein. If not for their numbers, killing this tree-headed cobra would have been nigh on impossible.

“Watch out!” A shout from Xeeseir refocused Rein’s mind. He had assumed their foe defeated, yet the neck of the half-cobra extended like a snake’s body, and the head transformed into a snake head as it aimed itself at Lyne’s back!

Unlike Rein and some of the less experienced, Karsutz, who had camouflaged himself against the environment, was prepared. Flying daggers appeared out of nowhere and battered into the snake head. This slowed down the twisting neck, and Lyne swung her longsword. Her strike was unable to break the now beast-formed snake neck. However, her ice magic infected and eventually froze the snake head in position. Bohr then sent a powerful punch that shattered the neck, removing the snakehead.

Rein and his allies exhaled deeply, none sure if the three-headed cobra was truly dead. Their suspicions were proven correct as another head grew out of the severed neck!  This time, they were ready. Suey and Jory simultaneously lashed the newly-formed head with their bronze whips. Lyne once again froze the neck with her ice arts. This time, she received additional help by Xeeseir’s ice arrow, and thus immobilized the neck much more rapidly.

Another fist from Bohr and the neck shattered once again.

“This cobra has three heads. So…” Nunan said hesitantly. “There should be one more.”

However, for now, the half-cobra half-man body crumpled sideways onto the ground, limp. Rein and his allies waited for the time it took for an incense stick of time to burn, but no new head emerged.

“Let’s harvest this body, its flesh, scales, venom glands, and its heartblood. It may prove useful,” Lyne said as they walked forth toward the limp body.

“Wait. Allow me,” Xeeseir frowned.

He stepped forth and placed his hand on the limp half-cobra half-man. As he turned the limp body over, the neck suddenly grew and a new head launched itself forward and bit into Xeeseir’s body!

The snake’s poison art was once again retraced and returned to its source. Xeeseir grinned. “Good night, snake.” Lyne’s blade once again struck at the body’s neck and all could see an unwillingness in the cobra’s eyes. And finally, the third head was severed.

Their battle had been quite one-sided. However, that was only because of their overwhelming numbers. None of the humans present believed themselves capable of contending against these three-headed cobra alone, or even in a smaller group.

Frankly, not even Lyne’s team believed they could have beaten this three-headed cobra without the Iron Ant Team. At least, they would not have been able to deal with three heads simultaneously with just five. It had to be noted, their abilities could only be fully unleashed because the three-headed cobra targeted the members of the Iron Ant Team initially.

With the final head defeated, the three-headed cobra’s body visibly increased in size before them, until it transformed back into the original five hundred feet long body of the three-headed cobra with its three heads severed.

Rein and his allies shared a glance with each other and began carving the body apart with harvest cleavers.