Leva sat comfortably behind her desk while she read the report. Nix had battled Khione, the Ice Goddess, and had disappeared afterward. Finally, after four days, he resurfaced in Ionova, a settlement in the Titania Forest. She was enjoying her new position of power as a member of the Council of Five, but her worry for them soured it.

[Direct Contact: Nix]

Nix may not be contacted at this time.

She slammed her hand down on her desk. If Nix had a way to contact his friends at Inferno, then he would have received the message one of her people had dropped off. It was three simple words. We stand ready.

[Direct Contact: Benco]

A small shadow rogue appeared in front of her desk.

"Where are you?"

Benco's dark face was unreadable. "We are halfway across the Great Desert. I estimate we will find arrive in Ionova in 2 or 3 days."

Leva leaned forward, her dark eyes glistening. "Make it two days, Benco. If anything happens to Nix..."

Benco bowed low. "We will protect the Commander, no matter the cost."

Leva cut communication and was once more alone in her office. The Nether had changed drastically since the Emperor had been slain. Not only were her people exploring the planes, but people from Oasis and the Sky Kingdom were visiting the Nether.

*************

Mina was tired, and because of that, she started using her Vilas to keep herself moving north. The Vilas had developed a spiny ridge down the middle of their back; it made a perfect handgrip for being pulled along.

The Vilas had never seen anything like it, or maybe it was because those caution instincts were mutated out of it. For whatever reason, they swam right its path.

Three Vilas, including the one that was ferrying Mina, was snatched cleanly away. Long blue tendrils that were nearly invisible in the water, wrapped up the mutated creatures and pulled them in. The exhausted Aquarion drifted for a few seconds, completely unaware of the danger. As if sensing the danger, her pale blue eyes opened suddenly, but it was already too late.

The last Vilas circled back toward the creature, it retreated out of range and waited. The Vilas that Mina pulled out of Mermaid City had been steadily evolving. Its sense of caution was tempered with improved intelligence. Immediately it understood that it was no match for the creature that captured its master. It was reasoning through the possible options when it caught a familiar scent in the water. A powerful ally that it knew well was close.

**************

Nix followed Soup without questions; he could sense the Sea Turtles distress. He managed to stay within visual range for several minutes, in the open water a turtle her size took a while to get to top speed, but once she did.

Soup's outline started to sharpen again, a sure sign that the Sea Turtle was slowing down. Nix caught the heat signature of a second creature near her, but Soup wasn't fighting with it. He was within 50 meters of it before he recognized it, instantly he felt panic creep up as if his heart was being squeezed.

He joined the two sea-creatures a moment later, his eyes inspected the Vilas, there were no visible wounds. He placed a hand on its scaled hide. "Mina..."

The Vilas turned away and started swimming south. Nix managed to grab hold of Soup's shell before she followed; this time, he didn't want to be left behind.

They were within a quarter of a mile when Nix saw its heat signature. It was massive on a scale that he'd never seen. To his untrained eye, it resembled a gigantic jellyfish. A large circular body was at the center, dozens of tendrils hung down around it, seeming to drift on the sea's current.

[You have discovered an Oblivion Spider. This is a group Raid with a limit of 10 people.]

"Stop." Soup instantly halted, the Vilas next to her did the same. "Wait here. I'll scout."

Nix stealthed out of habit and moved closer even though he felt the odds were high that the creature didn't rely on sight to see its prey. He could see three other Vilas that were wrapped up in the Oblivion Spider's Tendrils. After a few more seconds, he spotted her. Only her legs were wrapped up. Her eyes were open, but she wasn't moving, Nix guessed the tendrils had some sort of paralytic effect.

Nix swam back toward the small group while he considered their options. Mina was the priority; they didn't really need to kill or fight the spider. He patted Soup's head when he got back. "Going to need you to hit this thing, first with Sonic and then the battering ram. I'll be coming in behind you to put a hurt on it. Get Mina, no matter the cost."

The Vilas moved closer and nudged him with its massive snout. Its Intelligent eyes stare at him.

"You can help if you understand. Mina first, and then the rest of the Vilas." Nix moved closer to Soup and embraced her neck. "Full speed on this one, Soup, take as long a run-up as you need. We'll move on your mark."

The sea turtle glided quickly away, retreating into the distance until Nix could no longer see her heat signature.

Nix waited patiently with the Vilas, five minutes, then ten; finally, after twenty minutes, he spotted her dim thermal signature in the distance.

She flashed by Nix a minute later, a runaway freight train moving faster than anything he'd ever seen in the water. She was through the tendrils before it could react.

[Sonic Boom]

An Oblivion Spider Tendril has been stunned.

An Oblivion Spider Tendril has been stunned.

An Oblivion Spider Tendril has been stunned.

An Oblivion Spider Tendril has been stunned.

An Oblivion Spider Tendril has been stunned.

An Oblivion Spider Tendril has been stunned.

An Oblivion Spider Tendril has been stunned.

An Oblivion Spider Tendril has been stunned.

An Oblivion Spider Tendril has been stunned.

An Oblivion Spider Tendril has been stunned.

Nix and the Vilas followed in her wake, the speed of her pulling them along.

[Battering Ram]

Soup slammed into the body of the Oblivion Spider like a meteor, penetrating several feet into its body.

An Oblivion Spider has been stunned.

Soup has been stunned.

Nix arrived an instant later; his hilt held out before him in one hand, none of his flames were on. He flashed by Soup and darted into the massive wound created by the Sea Turtle.

[Aura Ignition: Fury Flames]

He held out one hand and a half dozen strands of Fury Flames sunk deep into the creature's body, he pulled himself forward, slicing with Wrath he managed to move several yards further into its body.

An ear shatter screech filled water; without warning, Nix felt something wrap around his legs and attempt to pull him out. The Oblivion Spiders' own Tendrils were trying to remove him; in the process, they were tearing open the wound.

You are suffering from the effects of partial paralysis.

You are suffering from the effects of partial paralysis.

"F*CK!" Nix felt the lower half of his body go numb. With his mana nearly exhausted, he decided to try it. He had never summoned his lightning blade through Wrath's sound amplified hilt. He extended his arm forward as far as he could reach and pushed lightning into Wrath. "Say hello to Thor, Dumbass."

A single bolt of lightning struck outward from the inside of the Oblivion Spider. It tore through the creature like it was made from tissue, a second strike was followed by a third and then a fourth. Smaller attacks went on for several seconds until finally, they stopped.

An Oblivion Spider has been slain.

Everspire Continental Announcement: The Inferno Guild has slain the Oblivion Spider.

Soup and the Vilas retreated a few hundred meters away with Mina; after a short period, her eyes fluttered open. "Soup?"

Mina reached out and touched Soup's shell. "Where's Nix?"

The Aquarion shook her head to clear it; there were tendrils and bits of flesh floating everywhere. In the distance, she saw the massive body of the Oblivion Spider. "Is Nix there?"

She started to move toward it, but Soup and one of her Vilas intercepted her. "Soup! I need to find Nix."

Soup snapped her beak in reply but refused to move.

They watched as the tendrils and cloud of blue-colored blood started to clear away, from the center of the massive body, a small movement was visible. The blackened husk of a man emerged a moment later; he was dwarfed by the sheer size of the Oblivion Spider, slowly he started to swim toward them...