“What’re we looking at?” Gwen asked, staring at the monster at the center of the altar room. The creature was surrounded by a maelstrom of necromantic energy. The moment the monster noticed them, she stopped her sibilant chanting.

Quest Update: The Impaler’s Tomb

Objective: Discover the source of unrest in the Impaler’s Tomb (1/1).

Reward: [Cinder Ampoule]

Additional Objective: Defeat the Naga guarding the secret of the Impaler (0/1).

Reward: [Soothing Pearl]

Mel frowned, which wasn’t usually her standard response. “I see boobs.”

“It’s a naga,” Thomas said, holding out his wand. “They’re a kind of cross between humans and snakes. Cousins to the serpentii, only opposite parts snake and human.”

“A naga with huge–” Gwen began to say.

“Knockers, yeah,” Mel finished. “How does that even work? Reptiles don’t produce milk.”

“Apparently these do.” Gwen narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

The naga, her serpentine lower half coiling beneath her in colorful bands, sat up to her full height until she was towering over all of them. “Clearly my upper body is a human woman!” she shrieked. “How can you not see that?!”

“That’s not fair,” Gwen muttered sourly. “ I’m supposed to be the big one.”

“You got scales around ‘em,” Mel pointed out.

“She does have a point,” Thomas said. “The scales do throw off the whole mammalian vibe.”

The naga, a beautiful woman by any normal standards–provided you didn’t look south of her belly button–scowled at them. She opened her mouth in a retort, only to realize that they were interlopers here.

Mel could practically see the gears working in her brain. She lifted a hand, a golden bangle around her wrist flashed and the entire room lit up as braziers bearing strong scented oil caught fire.

The brightness dimmed as oily fumes from the braziers flowed down and filled up the room in short order. “I do not suffer interlopers in my temple!”

She slithered low to the ground, vanishing into the rising blue-gray smoke.

“I don’t like how you threaten my niche.” Gwen stepped forward, confident and sure, then immediately clapped a hand over her face. “My nose!”

The naga hissed a laugh from off to the left. Mel immediately used [Gaze of the Serpent], marking her out through the obfuscating smoke.

[Gaze of the Serpent]

(Serpent Aspect)

(Copper, Green/Ability)

(Grade 7 [54%])

Cost: Low Mana

Cooldown: None

Borrow the eyes of a serpent, allowing you to view the world in gradations of colorful heat.

Imprint(Copper Rank): Grants infravision, replacing your normal eyesight with gradations of color based on the heat of surrounding objects. There is a brief delay when switching from one mode of perception to the other.

As the naga pulled back on her bow, Mel stepped forward. She batted aside the arrow that was aimed at the incapacitated Gwen.

Thomas was at Gwen’s side in a heartbeat, offering her a potion with a dull blue glow. “Drink.”

The Brawler downed it swiftly, then evaporated her weapons into synchronous swirls of ash. A greater rush of ash enveloped her hands, materializing into a huge, single-edged curved blade with a cleaver-like hilt.

Thomas looked at Mel. “We’re blind out here.”

Mel nodded, focusing on the naga and using [Omen Mark]. A glowing sigil appeared over her head, marking her position even through the smoke.

The problem was, there was still smoke. Her friends didn’t have her heat vision.

All they could see was the clear sigil over the naga’s head, but she moved so swiftly under the currents of rising smoke that it was like watching the fin of a shark.

Shutting her eyes and focusing, Mel used [Hidden Mist]. “Two can play at that game.” The altar room filled with mist and smoke. She had hoped that the mist would weigh down the smoke, but it was clearly magical in origin.

Her mist did nothing other than add another obfuscating layer to the battlefield.

The naga’s hissing laugh echoed from behind a series of three pillars to the left. “Your pitiful mist does little to shield your body heat from my vision!”

Thanks for the heads up, Mel thought to herself. She expended more mana to create a smaller, but thicker shroud of fog in a circle around the three of them.

The fog resisted her intent. It was not designed to concentrate as much as she was trying to force it, and it took a considerable amount of mental effort just to hold in place.

“Your tricks will avail you not!” the naga screeched, telling Mel she had at least partially succeeded in blocking her sight.

“I can’t hold it for long,” she whispered to the others. “It’s fighting me.”

Gwen’s chain launched in the general direction of the naga, missing as the monster slithered out of the way.

Thomas sent a [Thunderbolt] roaring through the smoke and mist after the naga, missing her by several feet. She slithered back and forth, trying to get a bead on them while making a difficult target of herself.

A pillar was blasted apart, but Mel could see that the naga was clearly unharmed. She was just too fast for them.

If I drop the mist, they’ll be exposed, but as it is, I can’t do anything more than hold it in place.

Gwen howled, pushing the smoke back briefly. Mel remembered that being strong enough to nearly knock her off a platform. Now it didn’t push Mel or Thomas away.

Aspect Skill: [Howl at the Moon]

Mel stared at the clear area around them. Some of Gwen’s lingering mana must have been instilled in her roar because it had pushed out all the smoke.

In its absence, Mel’s mist filled in thicker. She released her control of the mist, letting it expand out to push back the smoke.

Mel didn’t miss the monster’s incensed reaction. Hissing with rage, the naga spat out a flurry of poison darts at Gwen, who couldn’t see them coming.

Monster Skill: [Poison Spit]

Mel batted them aside, her twinblade spinning like a propeller blade to defend her friends. The poison splashed to the ground, hissing and melting through the stone tile.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“New plan,” Mel said, watching as her mist was infiltrated by smoke, but at a much slower rate. “Gwen, can you keep up that howling skill when the smoke gets too thick?”

Gwen nodded, keeping her [Gibbous Guillotine Blade] raised to defend against any incoming attacks.

“What about me?” Thomas asked.

“Wait for an opening and then use your strongest skill,” Mel said. She turned to watch the swaying motion of the naga. The monster was being careful. She could see them now, but she was keeping her distance.

It would be hard to chase her, but Mel had the perfect weapon for that. She looked at Gwen. “I’m going to have to leave you for a little bit. Try to keep her attention, okay?”

Gwen grinned toothily at her. “That’s my specialty.”

Mel used [Tempest Heart], wreathing herself in the frigid aura of [Hailstorm] that would help shield her body heat from the naga. She slipped out into the altar room.

[Tempest Heart]

(Divine Aspect)

(Copper, Green/Aura)

(Grade 4 [28%])

Cost: Low Mana

Cooldown: Short

Access to the Divinity opens many doors. The pantheon of gods that shape and rule the elements of the Shardrune come in as many shapes and forms as there are cultures, from familiar pantheons of the Olympian and Chthonic gods to the ancient Ehur, the esoteric Halquint, and beyond. Invoke their true names to conjure your own personal storms, surrounding yourself in an aura of celestial might, empowering skills and parameters.

Imprint(Copper Rank): Invoke one of six localized storm auras, enhancing the parameters of yourself and any allies within your aura. Requires concentration.

[Sandstorm]: Enhances Vigor, health, stamina, and earth-based skills while reducing the effects of lightning-based skills.

[Rainstorm]: Enhances Agility, stamina, mana, and water-based skills while reducing the effects of fire-based skills.

[Windstorm]: Enhances Sense, movement speed, and wind-based skills while reducing the effects of earth-based skills.

[Firestorm]: Enhances Strength and fire-based skills while reducing the effects of ice-based skills.

[Hailstorm]: Enhances Arcane, mana, and ice-based skills while reducing the effects of wind-based skills.

[Thunderstorm]: Enhances Agility, Sense, and lightning-based skills while reducing the effects of water-based skills.

The bonuses to her mana and arcane were nice, but that wasn’t the main use of the skill here. Mel had come to understand–and love–the greater flexibility that the aspects granted.

So long as you were able to think outside the box.

She could have used any of her [Tempest Heart] storms to enhance herself, but [Hailstorm] was uniquely positioned to take advantage of a weakness in infravision that Mel was intimately familiar with.

Gwen shouted out curses at the naga, drawing her attention. She wasn’t buying it. Then Gwen used [Howl at the Moon], and the ensuing reaction was like the viking slaughtered the naga’s family in front of her.

Mel slipped around to the side easily. She raised her palm and waited for the naga to lift her bow and take aim at Gwen.

As soon as the naga drew the arrow back to her cheek, [Bane of Tartarus] silently sailed through the air. It landed on top of her just as Gwen’s grunt of pain told Mel she had been hit, even guarding with that wide weapon.

Gwen’s sacrifice had paid off.

The naga screamed and slithered out of the sphere of expanding screams, but it was already too late. The black fires of Omen mana burned her scales, withering them to ash. Her movements were sluggish, and her eyes were wild with fear and loathing.

Predictably, she made a beeline for her most recent tormentor. Mel rushed after her, focusing on [Hidden Mist]. The patch of mist around Gwen and Thomas grew thick. Not enough to disguise the pair, but enough to make their outlines less distinct.

Rather than pulling out her bow again to attack, the naga cast the weapon aside and drew out two curved swords. The naga plunged into the mist, slashing with abandon.

Mel’s heart seized with fear for a moment before she remembered that these two were hardened Magi. They were not like Sabrina and the others. Nor was she on her own.

She had forgotten to tell them about the slick patches of ice that [Hidden Mist] created, but she didn’t have to. They adapted, darting back and forth like two partners dancing.

Gwen darted this way and that while viciously swinging at the now visible naga that had foolishly plunged into the clearing. Her snake’s lower half slipped and skidded on the slick flooring.

It was difficult for the naga to adjust to the weapons Gwen kept changing between.

Mel leapt and twisted mid-air, coming down hard on the naga’s back as the tip of her blade, empowered by her spin, gouged a deep line into the naga’s spine.

Blood sprayed out from the wound, dousing Mel and nearly causing her to slip as she landed unsteadily on the floor behind her.

A thunderous blast of magic went off in the Naga’s face. She reeled back, raising a curved sword just as Mel found her footing and slashed across her back horizontally.

The naga’s tail came up on Mel’s right, but she was ready for it. Continuing her previous attack, she forced the back end of her twinblade out at the last moment to meet the naga’s tail.

The sound of the monster’s scream and the meaty thump of her tail hitting the floor was music to her ears.

Frenzied, the naga juked left and tried to reverse to the right but was immediately met with another blast of magic from Thomas. Reeling from the blast, she stood still long enough to be carved across the back by Mel. As she tried to put her blades in line and move to her right, Gwen was there raking deep bloody lines across her torso.

[Primal Rend] left a lasting mark. Then something triggered that Mel didn’t expect.

[Omen Mark] triggers an additional stack of [Primal Magic Weakness].

The moment the naga had given up her ability to hide, the fight was over.

Each attack staggered her. Whenever one person missed, there were two other Magi ready to step in. The naga realized it too late. Her last mistake was trying to flee.

All three Magi fell on her at once, hacking, slashing, clawing, and blasting with magic.

Her body fell to the ground with one last vengeful scream, “Our secrets will never see the light of day!”

You defeat the [Naga Priestess (High Copper Rank)].

You gain extra runes of Divine, Mist, Blood, Serpent, and Omen aspect experience for slaying a Boss monster.

You gain extra Battle Points for slaying a Boss monster.

Mel reached down and looted her body. The pained expression on the naga’s features eased to serenity as she vanished into streamers of colorful light.

(1) [Poison Ember (Uncommon)] has been stored in your inventory.

(10) [Serpent Coins] have been stored in your inventory.

(1) [Aspect Gem (Uncommon)] has been stored in your inventory.

(1) [Smoke Dash Bangles] have been stored in your inventory.

Quest Update: The Impaler’s Tomb

Objective: Discover the source of unrest in the Impaler’s Tomb (1/1).

Reward: [Cinder Ampoule]

Additional Objective: Defeat the Naga guarding the secret of the Impaler (1/1).

Reward: [Soothing Pearl]

Before any of them could celebrate, the floor bucked and rumbled. Blocks of stone fell from the ceiling, crashing to the ground.

Gwen swayed, then slumped to her knees. Her heavy weapon disappeared into ash.

Thomas hooked one of Gwen’s arms over his shoulder and helped her up. He was stronger than he looked. “We need to go.”

“What’s wrong with her?” Mel asked, getting around the other side and helping lighten Thomas’ burden. With that weighted chain, it wasn’t easy.

How does she fight with this? It must be grueling.

“She’ll be fine. We’ve been through worse,” Thomas told her. “Find us a way out, Mel. This place isn’t going to be our tomb.”

Mel scanned the area. The smoke was still thick in the altar room, but something at the back of the room glowed as brightly as a beacon.

Even as stone blocks the size of fridges rained down all around them, Mel couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement for what awaited them. She recognized the obelisk from Aldim.

The doorway caved in just as they reached the altar and the glowing obelisk beyond that she had somehow missed before.

How such a brilliant beacon had been missed was clear as they approached the altar. The wall back here had caved in as the tomb was crumbling all around them, revealing a hidden room beyond.

You must be the secret of the Impaler, Mel thought, staring at it.

A narrow path over nothingness stretched out to the obelisk, made all the brighter for the darkness surrounding it.

It was a testament to how used to danger the Magi were that none of them slowed for a moment as they hobbled toward the obelisk’s massive base.