Large chunks of gold fall from the snakes eyes, revealing two dark circles with minute orange streaks. In the center of the eyes are two sharp pupils reaching the top and bottom of the eyes. Each of the snake's golden scales protrude lightly like a bird's feathers. It's long two pronged tongue spits out and quickly returns before focusing it's line of sight towards us.

"Crap this thing is extremely powerful, shadowbirds focus your formation! Maddy prepare a sneak attack to test it's defense!" I call out commands and prepare an air disk to test my strength compared to the boss.

I first use my [Nature Observation] skill to try and perceive it's strength without any risk, but it's strength is much more powerful than I was expecting and that's all I can tell from it's power fluctuations. Not to mention the fact that a snake's power fluctuations would be more reserved in order to conceal itself.

Maddy teleports to the back of the massive snakes head, having to appear mid-air in order to reach it. Sadly I am unable to assist in her melee attacks in order to not mess up her control. Swinging both of her blades across the back of the head a sharp ringing resounds throughout the large underground room. As the blades are deflected off of the metal scales Maddy's arms are momentarily stunned due to the blow back.

'Crap' The further distance away the less ability I have to manipulate an element. The massive snake shifts it's focus towards the young woman who attempted to deal it a fatal blow. Using up a large chunk of mana i cause a wind to push Maddy away from the snake. Landing roughly against the ground the huge snake catches up to Maddy, readying a strike it opens its enormous mouth. Instantaneously perceiving the threat Maddy sprints away from the snake using every possible ability she has acquired over our brief time of playing the game. Constant strikes from the snake puts immense pressure on Maddy narrowly avoiding the snake with my assistance.

"Thanks Jordan!" Maddy thanks me after she gets far enough from the extremely deadly serpent.

Regrouping with the rest of us Maddy catches her breath.

"Shadowbirds, surround the serpent and focus your attacks on it's head!" I attempt to utilize our numerical advantage against this tyrannical strength.

After surrounding the serpent each bird takes turns attacking it's head. The smaller shadowbirds remain behind and use their special attack ability of firing hardened feathers. Maddy throws her knives at the snakes eyes while I manipulate the air around them to increase their speed and accuracy.

However all of our attacks prove ineffective as they bounce off of the metal scales, unable to reach the eyes due to the serpents terrifying speed.

The pressure around the snake increases and it's whole focus shifts to one of the shadowbirds, in the blink of an eye the shadowbird was halfway in the snakes mouth, quickly being completely consumed without much of a fight.

'Why is this snake so strong… I am going to put my last hope into this crystal.' Pouring a mana potion down my throat I empty my mana into the lightly glowing crystal.

From within the crystal an extremely bright light erupts temporarily blinding everyone within the area, including the golden snake.

___

Opening my eyes I find myself floating in darkness, completely void of any light absolutely nothing exists. Slowly filling up the void like space an extremely light orange fluid engulfs me. Suspended in the fluid time seems to slow to a crawl.

"Do you seek power?" An unknown voice echoes through my head.

"Yes."

"For what do you seek this power?" This voice sounds like thousands of voices at the same time.

"To protect her." I give immediate responses to the voice's questions.

"Does she need the protection?"

"No, she is strong, but I still want to help her."

"I will give you strength, but I know not what form it will take. Do you accept?"

"Yes."

A rush of the bright fluid pours into my pores. A strong tingling sensation covers my whole body and causes me to black out.

___

I open my eyes again and look around, the surroundings are precisely how I left them prior to being in the void. Besides me the snake is the first to recover from it's blindness. Striking at another shadowbird it further fills it's stomach.

'Crap, was that a dream?'

After devouring three shadowbirds the serpent's vision focuses once again on Maddy, not forgetting that she was the first time to attack. Taking full advantage of everyone's stunned status the snake rapidly advances towards Maddy.

*Ding* Skill

---

Skill enhancement [Cute Restoration]*Passive*

When cute restoration is active and an ally's life is threatened you gain tremendous abilities.

Final outcome unknown.

---

A broad smile creeps across my face as my eyes widen, my fists tighten as a chilling atmosphere spreads throughout the large room.

"Who do you think you are attacking unfairly?" I tilt my head to the side and sent out a killing intent towards the golden serpent.

The serpent immediately stops under my chilling gaze and turns towards me. All of this happening in just a few seconds shows the immense speed of the snake when unrestrained by a group. Sensing that I was a much bigger threat than a minute ago the snake charges towards me as I raise my left hand towards it.

"You are a threat to those that I care about, for that you must be defeated." A light orange aura shrouds itself around my body before slowly turning into a light blue to fit my ice cold gaze.

"Frost Wave Subjugation." I call out the name of my one use skill caused by the power of the crystal.

The temperature of the room drops nearly 30 degrees around me and ice crystals instantly form around the snake, freezing the water in the air around it. The ice freezes even the insides of the snake, the flash freezing may not kill the powerful snake but stops it for at least a few days if not weeks.

Expending the whole of my mana and having to draw from my new enhancement completely drains me mentally and physically. My knees buckling I realize I can't hear anything. With the remaining of my blurry vision I see a leather clad woman and a number of tall dark figures heading in my direction.

"I'm glad you're safe."

The blue aura recedes and I collapse.