I walked out of the cave and took a big breath of fresh air. Grimacing, I felt like the stench of that den was trapped in my nose. That green stuff must have worn off, I thought and sneezed again. Kala rushed over to me but froze a good distance away. Staring at her in confusion, I saw her eyes twitch as she suddenly gagged and vomited her lunch all over the grass.

“HOOT!” the owl sounded on my shoulder. Ignoring it for now, I went to see if Kala was alright but she pulled back and hid in a bush. With only her head peeking out, her eyes were begging me not to come near her. Frowning, I sniffed at my clothes and coughed, understanding why she was avoiding me. The damn fumes in that cave stuck to me like glue, making me reek like a case of spilled chemicals.

Damn. I was so not going back in there. If he wanted that corpse, he’ll have to come out here and take it himself. Glaring at the owl that was face to face with me, it gave another hoot before fluttering its large wings and flying off to a branch. It just stared at me, waiting for something. Although I promised I’d kill that Apex, there was no way I was sneaking up on it smelling like this. Ruffing my head in annoyance, I kicked a stone at the damn owl. My aim was true and, as it passed through it, the bird turned into green mist before reforming, “HOHOHOOT!” it sounded as if mocking me.

I growled in frustration and sat down to think. As far as I knew, that lake was the only body of water around here. There was nowhere to wash off the stench. Judging by Kala’s reaction, it must have been really intense. On that note, another problem reared its ugly head. I couldn’t swim. Never learned how. Feeling slightly concerned about fighting a creature that lived in deep water, there was no doubt in my mind the Lamia would try to drag me into her own turf. It’s what I would do and Aldo told me enough to know the snake woman was intelligent.

Despite her probably being weakened, there was no way I could win in water. If I got dragged under, I had to get out a soon as possible. Thinking back on the bestiaries I’d read, I thought about what I knew about them save their lunch preference. For one, they were difficult to find and almost always subjugated once discovered. The species was solely female, reproducing by kidnapping males of other species. Their offspring was always a Lamia. I knew they had strong venom in their fangs, a powerful paralyzing agent that would make it easy to subdue pray. As long as I didn’t directly ingest it, my blood should take care of that issue. Though, I was prepared to bite my own tongue if I did somehow swallow her venom. I couldn’t remember if they could spit it or not.

While wrecking my brain, the owl kept hooting every once in a while. I figured Aldo was just annoying me on purpose at this point. Sighing, I leaned back with a frown. Their upper body was that of a beautiful woman while the bottom held the form of a snake. The thick hide covered their vitals and tail. Contemplating, I knew the tail should be avoided at all costs. It was their primary weapon and tool of defense, holding incredible strength. It was pure muscle after all. Not to mention, her regeneration was most likely pretty strong for an Apex tier. Clawed hands, rarely used human weapons and a magical capability mostly of water affinity.

This might be harder than I thought. What were their weaknesses? Well, men for one but I was not about to play bait to a horny Lamia that would eat me afterwards or during the act. They were really messed up. Chuckling at the prospect, I thought long and hard on how to approach this. Another thing that might count as a weakness was their bad habit of playing with their prey. Their egos were pretty large thanks to their beauty, enjoying the awe men would shower them with. My best bet was somehow getting her guard down, make her overly confident. I scratched my chin as an idea formed in my mind. Maybe I could act as bait, just not in that manner...

I spent a few more minutes sorting out the flaws in my plan and countermeasures to what might go wrong. After finally standing up, the owl fluttered its wings with a hoot. Glancing at Kala, I gave a wry grin, “Stay here, okay?” she growled softly in approval and hid in the bush, apparently comfortable. With a sigh, I tossed my arms out at the owl, “Lead the way then!”

“HOOT!” it sounded and began flying, guiding me to the lake. On the way, I put my cloak on and made sure my assets were well hidden. I might as well use this damn stench to my advantage. I was betting that she won’t be able to recognize I wasn’t human because of it. I’d imagine she’s been having a long dry streak considering her lack of visitors. She will recognize me as a male and, hopefully, her mating instincts will kick in and overpower her common sense. I knew better than anyone instincts could be a bitch. Taking a deep breath, I saw the owl stop after a 30 minute walk. Sitting on a branch, I sighed in relief when the thing didn’t hoot.

Looking forward, I saw a beautiful glistening surface of the lake in a clearing. The foliage around the lake was rich and brimming with life yet not a single peep could be heard around it. The dead silence of the forest was a dead giveaway this was a place of danger. Alright, I can do this. I encouraged myself and put my act on. Suddenly running out into the clearing, I made sure to trip on a root and fall over. Panting and gasping, I looked around in panic and sighed in relief. Getting up clumsily, I stumbled to the lake, mumbling, “What the hell did that crazy man want... what was that...” trying my best to sound distressed.

I wasn’t worried this was for nothing, I could feel foreign mana lingering around since I burst out of the woods. She was watching me closely. I couldn’t slip up now. Crouching in front of the water, I had some trouble keeping my tail hidden as I stared at myself in the surface. Along with my acting, I was checking if the hood was concealing me properly. Satisfied, I groaned, “I’ll never leave this accursed forest. Who was that mad man?!”

Seeing the water ripple slightly, I gasped and jumped back. Despite being prepared, her beauty shocked me into silence. A gorgeous woman was staring at me with a gentle expression. Good, she was on the hunt. Only the upper part of her body was revealed, the water rippled enough to conceal her more monstrous side. Flowing azure hair draped her shoulders and spilled on the surface of the water, flowing in a captivating manner. Her eyes of pure gold were staring at me, excitement and eagerness clear in them. That perfectly sculpted, oval face was the thing of many men’s dreams. Long lashes had droplets of water on them while her bare body made me gulp slightly. Huge breasts, narrow waist, a truly godlike figure, much larger than regular people.

Smiling at me kindly, she spoke while hiding her fangs well, “Traveler, are you lost?” her melodic voice sounded, infused with mana. It was lulling me into a calm state, almost sedating my mind as I channeled my mana to my ears to block of her magic. Shaking my head, I spoke with a quivering voice, “W-who are y-you?! Can you help me, miss?” acting as if her magic had taken effect, I lightly swayed. God, this felt weird but so far, it was working.

Her face suddenly crinkled adorably, “You smell awful.” her face split with a lovely grin, “Why don’t you come and wash in the lake? I will help you.”

Walking forward, I grinned inwardly. Okay, now for the final hook, “M-my lady, your beauty is unparalleled. I’ve never set eyes on such perfection. May I have a kiss?” like a man drunk on lust, I mumbled. Feeding her ego, I knew full well their habit of poisoning their prey. Her eyes seemed to widen in delight as she basically glowed with pleasure, “My, how daring. Only if you promise to be mine forever...” a small hiss went past her lips as she got closer to the shore. I could see her lower body moving under the surface, glistening with golden scales. She was getting careless.

As I leaned forward, I left enough space between us so that she would have to come out of the water more. She was too busy trying to peek through my hood to notice my hands reaching for her shoulders and my tail slithering silently to circle behind her. My eyes narrowed, two can play this game bitch. Just as our face were getting too near for my comfort, I reacted. Hooking my tail around her waist and my hands under her shoulders, she gasped in shock and tried digging her claws into my forearm. Smirking, I could basically hear her squeal in fury as they did no damage.

Putting my back into it, I used my full strength to haul the large woman out of the lake. Not wanting to give her an opportunity to get her tail wrapped around me, I spun once and used the momentum to toss her into the forest with a grunt. Now that the lake was out of the picture, I could drop the act. Tossing my cloak to the side, I charged at her with a bloodthirsty grin. She screamed in rage as her giant tail toppled the trees around her. Her lower body must have been over 7 meters long. Compared to her, I felt small.

All the vital areas were covered in thick, elegant scales. Her skin was bluish now that she was out of the water, her illusion magic disrupted. Her face distorted into a monstrous hiss, vicious fangs making her look more like a demoness. Using her hands as leverage, she crawled and slithered towards me, “You dare make a fool out of me!” she screeched and slashed out with those claws.

I moved unnaturally, my body bending in a weird angle as my tail lashed up, intercepting her arm and cutting off her wrist. Blue blood dripped on the ground, her scream loud enough to echo in the empty forest. I sidestepped fluidly, dodging the large tail that nearly squashed me. I could have sworn the ground shook. She made some distance from me, holding her arm but let go quickly. The blood stopped and was already healing. For once keeping silent, she was eyeing me with narrow eyes, her pupils thin slits, “What do you seek here demon?” she hissed at me.

Bitch, don’t think I can’t see you glancing at that lake. I smirked, “You.” I answered calmly and slowly circled her, making sure I stood between her and the lake. Noticing what I was doing, she hissed in threat, “Then you will die here little liar.” With incredible speed that caught me off guard, she charged me. Although I stood my ground and braced, I knew her full weight. This was going to end badly for me. Just as she reached me, and tried to tackle me into the lake, I jumped up, using my tail to help as a spring.

Hitting nothing but air, she was about to go into her lake regardless. Like I would let that happen. Positioning myself, I fell directly onto her tail and grabbed her hair, reigning her back like a horse. With a scream, she half instinctually moved her head back, revealing her throat. Before I could cut it open though, she turned in on herself with flexibility far beyond my own. Cursing, I refused to let go as her tail wiggled around me, encircling me like the snake that she was. Straightening my hand, I pulled back and pierced her through the back. Shit, I had to be careful to not damage this cow’s core. Her lungs were cleanly pierced, the scales on her back thinner than her front.

I was then forced to let go as she grabbed me. Caught in her deadly embrace, I knew I needed to do something quick. Glaring at me hatefully, she jumped into the lake with me. I wiggled to try and get free, but she tightened her grip further, making me grit my teeth as I felt my bones threaten to snap. Bubbles left my mouth as I attempted to calm myself.

She was smirking at me, watching me struggle for her amusement. Her gaping wound was slowly closing, the stump on her arm slowly redrawing. She was boosting herself with magic. I slowly slid my tail around hers, it was slippery and flexible enough to allow it. It was something I was prepared for. I sneered. Her face distorted in pain as I sharpened my tail and claws, slicing her scaly skin on both sides at the same time. Blue blood floated in the water as she forcefully pulled her tail away, letting out a painful screech as she did even more damage to herself.

Not letting her get away, I held my breath, feeling it slowly run out. As quickly as I could, I grabbed her untouched arm and kicked off her torso, using her as a launching pad to get out of the water. I coughed violently, gasping for breath as I hit the shore. Hurrying to my feet, I turned to meet her head on. She left a bloody line as she tossed herself at me, trying to drag me back under from the shallow waters.

Water splashed everywhere as we struggled. Managing to slice my chest open with her claws, I successfully dodged the worst of the attack. Retaliating, I counter by grabbing her wrist with a quick motion. Moving around her in a practiced manner, twisting it around. I dislocated her arm before using my position to punch her in the gut. Spit flew out of her mouth as she tried to ensnare me again. Moving away from the wiggling flesh, I grabbed her hair again and pulled her to my level. Her head met my claws as I dug my thumb and forefinger into her eyes.

With a quick spin, I pulled out the claws and slashed her throat. She fell over, grasping her eyes and throat, squealing in agony as she thrashed about. I could tell it wasn’t going to cut it. She was healing. Pissed off my now, I growled and grabbed her head. With a twist, the cracking of her neck sounded as it snapped, making her head hang loosely by mere flesh and skin.

I moved away as her body slumped completely, watching carefully for any signs of life. Her mutilated corpse twitched for a while but stilled eventually. Sighing in relief, I eyed it with a frown. How the hell was I supposed to drag this heavy bitch back to that cave? The owl flew over, making circles around me as it hooted with clear joy. Grabbing my cloak off the ground, I draped it back over my shoulders. Staring at the lake for a while, I knew I needed to learn how to swim. This was too close for comfort.

Furrowing my brow, I sighed and grabbed her hair. Caveman style it was.

***

Arriving back at the cave entrance, I was glad to see Aldo jittering in front of it. His pupils were dilated, showing he was definitely on something. At least I didn’t have to go back in there. I felt my wounds were healing steadily, already scabbing over as I unceremoniously dropped the corpse in front of Aldo’s feet. Kala came over this time, apparently glad the stench had washed off me. Whimpering softly, she looked at my wounds.

Aldo seemed to be dozing off while standing up. I clapped my hands in front of his face, snapping him out of it, “Wha-!? Oh, yer back!” he jumped up and limped to the Lamia. His eyes kept switching from one half of the body to the other in pure shock, assessing the damage. He kept gawking at the corpse with bulging, greedy eyes. I raise a brow and smirk, "You didn't think I'd be able to do it?"

He gapes stupidly at the dead Lamia, "No... no, no!!! Where are her eyes?! And the damage! Didn’t I tell ya to keep her in a good shape?!" he shouted ungratefully. Ok, now I was angry.

Grabbing him by the back of his neck, I lifted the old man and slammed him into the cave wall with a crunch. Even though I knew he couldn’t feel it, it was satisfying enough. Dropping him down, I kicked him into the Lamias breasts and stepped on him before lifting him up again. He choked as he stared at me with angry eyes for the first time but couldn’t talk since I was keeping his windpipe shut.

I grabbed the bridge of my nose in frustration, flicking my tongue out as I spoke, "Okay, now listen and listen closely. I've had a shitty day even without your crap to pile up at the top. Now, here's what's going to happen. You are going to stop being an ungrateful bastard. You'll be nice, quiet and accept what I brought you like a good little fossil. After that, you will get me out of this godforsaken forest, you will tell me about this teacher you mentioned and we will NEVER see each other again. If you don’t oblige, then I will take this corpse and tear it into ribbons so you can continue your miserable existence for the rest of eternity.”

For the first time, his eyes widened in true fear as I threatened to take away his sole chance of relief. He gasped and hurriedly nodded in confirmation. His body had already fixed itself, spilling some dust around in the process. I drop him to the ground and return to the corpse. Grabbing the upper half by the hair and shove my hand inside the chest area searching for the core. Once I found it, I smirked and ripped it out without damaging it.

Lifting it up to my eye level, I inspected the pretty, apple sized organ. It was in hues of green and blue making a stunning turquoise color. I watched the core in awe until Aldo tapped my arm lightly. Snorting I kept it out of his reach, “I’m holding on to this until you deliver on your promise.” I say with a smile and keep a firm grip on it. His eyes stared at it greedily, “Fine! I keep my word!” Looking around his rags of an outfit, he pulled out a withered book and a simple silver necklace. He handed it over, "With that necklace ya can get out of the forest, but it'll be destroyed as soon as ya leave so don't try to re-enter, cuz I ain't gonna give ya a second one! As for the information on the teacher I promised..."

He suddenly grinned at me, pointing at the book, "I'll tell ya now, that woman has never taken an apprentice. She's a pain in the ass and has a loud mouth, but she is terrifyingly powerful. I'll warn ya right now, that old hag is diabolical, cunning and weird. She uses the most detestable magic in existence. Of course, it’s of the darkness attribute, but the magic she developed... boy, ya don’t wanna piss ‘er off. Many people developed similar spells, but no one can rival her in it. I can guarantee that she won't teach you the way she uses her element of darkness, but she is a genius and can help you find your own way of using it. That is... if she even accepts you."

Patiently waiting for him to finish, I waved his little core around mockingly. Screaming in frustration, he ripped at his beard, "Fine! Fine! Go to the city of Modius. Nearby you will find the Vidas Forest. Last I heard of her, she lived deep inside that place in isolation, but be careful. That forest is far more treacherous than this one. Mana inside is thick enough to form illusions and dangers lurk in every bush and tree. Her dark magic has been corrupting that forest for years, some say she killed an Ancient, using its rotten body to curse the woods. Anyways, yer looking fer the necromancer, Grim Benett. Tell ‘er Aldo sent ya. She’ll either kill ya or welcome ya.” he laughed while grabbing his midsection, “Oh, return that book to ‘er while yer at it, should be good enough to prove I sent ya.”

Frowning, I looked at the simple black tome. Opening, it, I was shocked at the language, but more so that I could read it. It was in infernal, the ancient language of demons. Furrowing my brow, I gaped at Aldo, “This... isn’t this a grimoire?” Averting his eyes, Aldo gave a cough, “Yes well, we didn’t part on good terms. I’m sure she got over it by now, ahaha.” he laughed.

I growled and shut the book, “You stole her grimoire? And now you’re sending me there with the full possibility she might kill me just for getting back at you?!” I hissed and threatened to squash his precious core, “Give me one good reason not to destroy this?!” Eyes wide in panic, Aldo waved his arms, “NO! Please! Just... wait ‘ere!” rushing into the cave, I gaped in disbelief.

After a few minutes, he came rushing out, sweat dripping from his forehead as he handed me a jar of some kind of thick clay and a thin booklet. I furrowed my brows with a scowl, “The fuck am I supposed to do with a jar of dirt!?” Was he mocking me? I glared at him, waiting for an explanation.

Aldo looked like he was on the verge of tears, "That book and the Asubritt should be compensation enough. The notebook has some minor basics for alchemy and has a lot of information on ingredients and their effects. There are a few recipes, one of them for that stuff in the jar. The substance called Asubritt is used for disguises. Ya spread that on yer face and it’ll allow ya to mask yerself. Since it’s magical, it’ll affect yer body as well. Once it hardens, ya won't even know it's there. I invented it myself, it will completely change yer appearance into one of the major races, but if the 'mask' itself gets damaged in any way the effect will disappear instantly. It's useful but fragile, keep that in mind." he groaned in resignation.

Putting his hand out, he grimaced, “Now gimme my core and get lost! I got a suicide to commit!”

With a snort, I tossed him his core and turned on my heel. Petting Kala, I jumped on her back and gave one last glance at Aldo. He was madly dissecting the corpse, drawing an ominous looking circle by using her blood and other ingredients. Getting a bad premonition, I hurried out of there.

Thalia POV

Glancing at my guild mates, I couldn’t help but sigh. I wanted to go as soon as possible to take care of that disgusting crew of bandits that have been kidnaping both people and children. I knew, the longer we put it off, the greater the chance of those people living through horrid consequences. Waiting for Monty, our group leader, I wanted to scream in anger. We had all prepared hours ago and he still wasn’t here. That damn womanizer whored himself out every evening just to be late every damn time. As if his insistent flirting wasn’t enough, he just had to stick his filthy cock into anything with legs.

I had obliged my uncle’s request and quit my old guild to join his Warmongers. I cringed at the distasteful name but had to admit they were a lot more competent. Save for Monty that is. How that buffoon got the position of group leader was beyond me. The man could fight, I gave him that, but his bad habits hindered us more than once. Since I was hiding my identity as an Evergreen, no one here knew my connections. Since I was working on becoming independent, I refused to use my influence just because it was convenient.

Our small base in Harlheim was going through a rough spot recently since the Earl increased taxations and showed clear contempt for most of our members, going out of his way to make our lives and jobs difficult. Nobles like him were truly sickening, sabotaging the lives of others and risking his people’s safety just to save face. He was one of the reasons I kept my identity under wraps. There was no doubt in my mind he would jump at the opportunity to use me against my uncle.

Tapping my foot impatiently, I glanced at Clary, the beastgirl I’d picked up at the Colosseum months ago. She was wandering around looking lost and begging for a job. I helped her out and asked her what she could do, learning about her healing magic. After spending months together, we had become good friends. Her healing magic was an important part of our team efficiency. From a poor, desolate girl she was now in much better shape, very cheerful and a popular member of our team. The worry was clear in her eyes as she kept glancing at the door, “Where the hell is he?!” she groaned.

Sighing, I was about to talk as someone burst through the doors. Monty walked in, still pulling his pants up. His armor was poorly set and his sword hung loosely on his hip. Ruffled blond hair and clear hickeys were on his neck, announcing to everyone in here exactly where he’s been. Walking up to him, I couldn’t contain my anger as I slapped him across the face, “People might be dying as we speak and here you are, dragging your pants on the ground like a horny mutt! Get yourself together, we leave in 5 minutes.” I shouted at the rest of the team. They all nodded since I was second in command.

Glaring at me, Monty cursed and hooked his belt and holster, “Bitch, slap me again and I will have you kicked out of the guild and have you begging for mercy.” Fixing his attire, he kept cursing while giving me venomous looks, an odd gleam in his blue eyes. Ignoring him, I double checked my equipment. My light armor was in good shape, properly protecting me. Checking my quiver, I counted 30 arrows separated into three slots. 10 arrows had paralyzing poison on them, 10 were regular arrows and the last of them was coated in flammable oil. It was easy enough to ignite with some mana. Though I wasn’t a fire mage and specialized in air magic, I could still muster a spark to ignite my arrows. My bow was properly set, the string replaced recently.

Seeing Monty was finally ready, I turned to our team of 10, “Alright everyone, time to move out. Remember what you know about this group, expect at least 20 bandits and around 30 hostages. Hopefully, they are holding strong and still alive.” I said, sending a glare at Monty. He waved a hand at me to shut up. I hated the fact we had to respect rank, no matter the competence. Giving a smile he probably considered charming, Monty shouted, “Are you ready to spill some blood!?”

Responding, half of the crew gave affirming shouts of their own while the rest of us glared at him in disapproval. We were finally on our way. Passing the city checkpoint, we headed to where we learned was the location of their hideout. It was an abandoned fort that was destroyed during a long past war with the Orcs, deeper in the forest.

Once we reached the edge of it, we entered our usual formation. I stood with Clary in the rear, two lancers, George and Melvin keeping close watch on our surroundings. Our scout went ahead, looking for the bandit lookouts and traps, giving an occasional signal if it was safe to proceed. The forest was unnaturally quiet, making me frown. Something was wrong. Just as we got closer to the alleged hideout, we heard a shout from the front.

It was our scout. His screams quickly silenced, leaving us open to an unknown threat. How did they catch him?! I couldn’t help but panic in bewilderment. I knew how good he was, even though he was just a kid. I felt creeping suspicion rise. Could they have known we were coming? As if confirming my thoughts, I sensed danger and pushed Clary out of the way just as an arrow flew at her. Seeing they were targeting our healer first, I knew for certain that, not only did they know we were coming, but they also knew our team composition.

Knocking my arrow, it flew true and hit the bandit hiding in the treetops right in his eye. All hell broke loose. George and Melvin were working overtime to keep the group of bandits off us while I shot my arrows, each hitting a target as I assisted their trajectory with my magic. In the ruckus, I saw Monty wasn’t here. Gritting my teeth, one by one, our members were overwhelmed, leaving two other members, me and Clary standing back to back. We were surrounded as Clary bombarded them with ice shards. Reaching for my quiver, I felt nothing but air. Shit! I was out.

Preparing my magic with a chant, a small whirlwind circled us protectively, knocking their arrows away. Sweat dripped down my forehead while I focused, feeling my mana drain with each passing second. I couldn’t hold on much longer. With the last vestiges of my strength, I shattered the small pearl in my pocket. Knowing full well we were about to be caught, I put my faith into uncle Evergreen.