Beneath the serpent’s winding mass, the ground itself began to soften and decay.
The concrete cracked, then oozed like the very earth had turned into pus.
The serpent’s glowing eyes stayed fixed on a single direction.
The Sanctum of Masters’ stronghold.
It could sll the blood, and the corpses there.
So many had died there recently. And that stench of death called to the N’Theris like a beacon.
A flash of light cut through the chaos.
The skyscraper—one the serpent was half-coiled around—was split clean into two halves.
The structure groaned and buckled before collapsing in on itself.
The serpent, caught off-guard mid-coil, was severed.
A good portion of its body flopped to the ground, writhing.
Dust and debris fell like rain.
"Cough... cough..."
Eleanor stumbled into view, clutching her ribs.
Her clothes were torn.
Her face and arms were bruised, and her breathing was heavy.
Her appearance flickered like a dying fla.
One second she looked like an old woman, and in the next, her hair was dark blue and her body younger.
She glanced at her wrist, where a broken bracelet clung by a single strand.
With a tired sigh, she ripped it off and tossed it aside.
"My disguise artifact gave out..." she muttered.
The serpent scread silently again as its body rapidly regenerated.
The portion that had been severed twisted and regenerated, reforming almost instantly.
The serpent lunged forward, mouth opening wide as it charged toward Eleanor.
She didn’t move.
She’d already pushed her body near its limit to use her strongest attack twice.
Her hands trembled, and her legs didn’t respond in ti.
The ground beneath the serpent’s path rotted like before, turning into a toxic slush of black sludge and bones.
Death followed wherever it passed.
Just when its open jaws were about to crash into Eleanor, sothing grabbed its tail.
A massive ape—its fur matted, eyes blazing with fury—yanked the serpent back.
It roared and slamd its chest with both fists before hurling the serpent into a broken row of buildings.
Dust clouds rose again as concrete shattered and steel twisted under the impact.
Eleanor’s eyes widened faintly, but she didn’t speak right away.
Then soone landed beside her.
Kaela, the daughter of the Naga leader, was bleeding from several wounds.
One arm was bent at an unnatural angle, and her face was scratched and pale. But she stood firm.
"That’s my summon," she said, glancing toward the ape.
Eleanor didn’t answer imdiately. She was still recovering, still watching the serpent twist and rise again through the rubble.
Kaela spoke again. "Are you alright? Please, just hold on a little longer. I’ve called the Naga warriors back. With them here, we might be able to kill it."
Eleanor’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Why are you trying to kill your own god?"
Her voice was raspy but still held suspicion. She was watching Kaela closely, not trusting her just yet.
Kaela gave a hollow laugh, though there was no humor in it.
"You saw the corpses in our hideout. Do you really think that thing’s our god?" Her voice cracked near the end, and a tear slid down her cheek.
She wiped it quickly, turning her gaze back to the N’Theris Serpent.
It was rising again, shaking off the blow it had received.
Eleanor exhaled slowly. "You want to work with the Nagas who’ve been attacking my people. Why do you think I won’t just sit back and let that thing wipe you all out before I step in?"
"Because you can’t kill it on your own. And I can’t kill it without your help. Our best chance is if we fight it together."
She wasn’t begging.
Her tone wasn’t desperate.
She was stating facts, calmly and clearly, despite the blood running down her face.
It was unlike her father, who would’ve begged for help.
Kaele maintained the composure of a leader, knowing after her father the responsibility of her species rested on her shoulders, and she had to act properly.
"I’ll give you a gift once we kill it," Kaela said, turning to Eleanor again. "You want to know how the Nagas have been getting classified information that only the higher-ups of humanity should know, right?"
Eleanor’s eyes twitched slightly, but she didn’t speak.
Kaela went on. "After this... if we’re still alive, I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you who’s been feeding us that information."
The [Heart Branding Curse] pulsed inside Kaela’s body as she said it.
It reminded her that she wasn’t allowed to speak those words out loud. If she tried, she’d die.
But she no longer cared about her death.
’Not yet,’ she thought. ’First, we need to kill that monster.’
If the curse would kill her, she would make sure the Governor went down too.
That traitor to humanity had used the Nagas like pawns and forced her father into a corner.
Now that her father had beco little more than a broken tool, the responsibility to save their people had fallen to her.
And if exposing the Governor was what it took to negotiate peace with humanity, then she’d do it.
But first, they had to survive.
Kaela watched Eleanor closely. She didn’t want to waste ti arguing. The N’Theris Serpent was already slithering back toward them.
"Alright," Eleanor finally said, brushing so dirt from her shoulder. "We’ll work together until that thing’s dead."
Kaela nodded.
She could tell Eleanor’s reasoning wasn’t just about strategy.
Bringing the Naga warriors back to this battlefield ant they weren’t laying waste to the Sanctum stronghold. For now, that stronghold was safe.
The ape summon roared again, standing between the two won and the regenerating serpent. Buildings cracked beneath the creature’s weight as it charged again.
Behind it, Kaela’s communicator crackled to life.
"The warriors are en route," a voice said. "ETA five minutes."
Kaela exhaled, then glanced at Eleanor. "You seem familiar with this thing. The serpent—N’theris. You know how to kill it?"
Eleanor gave a curt nod. "I do."
She didn’t ask why Kaela had co to her instead of the Nagas. It was obvious. The Naga warriors had brought the beast but knew almost nothing about it. If they did, they wouldn’t have woken it up in the first place.
Eleanor looked at the regenerating serpent. "N’theris serpents were used as living tanks during the old era. They were frontline beasts and were used as tanks due to their exceptional vitality."
She paused, then decided to skip the rest of the unnecessary background. There wasn’t ti.
"There are two cores," she said. "One in the head. One in the heart. Destroying both is the only way to truly kill it. But it has nine lives. We’ll need to destroy both cores nine tis."
Kaela’s face turned pale. "Nine... Are you serious?"
"Unfortunately." Eleanor t her eyes. "Any injury that doesn’t destroy a core will just regenerate within seconds. You can’t even bleed it out."
Kaela took a shaky breath. "What about exhausting it? Can we tire it out?"
"We can try. But we’ll collapse long before it does." Eleanor’s voice was grim. "There’s a reason these things were sent to the frontlines while the elite mages stayed back. Fighting one is like punching a wall until your hands break."
For a mont, neither of them said anything. Only the crashing sounds of battle in the background filled the silence.
...
Vale’s POV
Vale moved through the cracked ruins quietly, slipping into an abandoned building. From the shattered window, he could see the crowd forming outside—awakeners, soldiers, support staff—all heading toward the battlefield.
The Naga attack had stopped about an hour ago, and right around the sa ti, word had spread: the N’theris serpent had awakened.
Now, chaos reigned near the central sector.
The giant beast was battling the Sword Empress herself.
The response had been imdiate.
Guilds mobilized, declaring their intention to assist. On paper, the plan was simple: support the Empress and kill the serpent before it could breach the inner sectors.
But Vale knew the truth.
The top four guilds weren’t hurrying to help.
In fact, they were stalling, and deliberately slow in their movents. Their actual orders, given directly by the governor, were to let Eleanor take the brunt of the battle. Let her wear herself down.
Once she was weakened enough, they’d "rescue" her and retreat via teleporter. They’d report the battle against the N’theris Serpent as a lost cause. And with that, the serpent would be free to destroy all the remaining strongholds.
He entered a room near the back of the building. The door creaked open slowly, revealing a small figure curled up in the corner.
"Brother!" Celia’s voice cracked the mont she saw him.
Vale froze. Her eyes were red and swollen. She had been crying.
She stood up and ran to him. "Brother, the N’theris serpent... it’s awake. We have to do sothing."
"Celia..." Vale stepped forward cautiously.
"I know what you always say," she said, sniffing. "That we shouldn’t show our true strength. That we need to stay low. But please... just this once. Help the Sword Empress. Please, brother."
Vale stayed quiet. His hands clenched at his sides.
"It ca here because of us, right?" Celia’s voice was shaking. "Because of its parent was following us to kill us. We can’t let more people die because of it."
His heart tightened.
Her words brought back mories he had buried long ago. They were the mories of when they were children, of the people who died buying them ti to escape.
Celia stepped closer and pressed her forehead against his chest. Her body trembled as she wept. "Please..."
Vale’s expression hardened.
"I’m sorry, Celia," he said at last. His voice was stiff. "Even if I go out there... it won’t change much. That thing’s too strong. And... I’m not revealing my strength. Not now."
Celia backed away slowly. "Brother..."
She looked heartbroken. Her lips trembled, and for a mont, she looked like a child again—helpless and small.
Vale turned away. He couldn’t look at her any longer. He had made a promise to protect her, to make sure she’d never cry again, to make sure she kept shining like a star.
But right now, he had nothing to offer her.
...
Isaac’s POV
Tirra’s voice rang clearly in Isaac’s mind.
The ghost bird, summoned through his system, was circling high above the ruins, scouting the battlefield from the skies. It relayed every detail, every collapse, every strike, every rising body.
The information painted a bleak picture.
The serpent had taken countless lives already.
Even with the Sword Empress fighting, the situation hadn’t turned. If anything, it was getting worse.
"It’s immortal?" Isaac muttered aloud.
Tirra confird. The creature regenerated after every death. As long as its cores remained intact, it would rise again and again.
Isaac ordered Tirra to keep monitoring. He leaned back, sitting cross-legged on the rooftop of a crumbling building. For hours, he remained still, his only connection to the battlefield being the ghost bird circling above.
Then ca the bigger news.
The human awakeners had finally joined the battle. They were supporting the Sword Empress and the Nagas by distracting the serpent, and creating openings.
But there was sothing worse.
The more the serpent fought and consud, the stronger it beca.
It had eaten the dead.
Its scales had hardened to the point that only Eleanor and a few high-ranking Naga warriors could pierce them.
"They’re going to lose at this rate," Isaac muttered. "This isn’t going to work."
For a long ti, he stayed quiet, just listening to the updates coming from Tirra.
Then, finally, he stood up.
"I need to help them."
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