The massive Two-Headed Jade Serpent had noticed them.
"Engagement protocols!" Spark ordered. His voice was low and serious. "Standard formation. Ivy, prepare Blessing Storm. Melody, Serenade, standard support. Scarlett, protect them and keep monitoring the environment. Lilith, ranged support and evasion. I'll take the head-on."
Spark didn't wait for confirmation. With a roar that vibrated through the cavern, he shifted. His form exploded into the Draconic Werelion form.
Simultaneously he activated [Elemental Coating: Fire]. Flame erupted around his limbs. Coating his massive arms and powerful legs in flickering, orange flames.
He lunged. A blur of muscle and burning fury. Directly at the colossal serpent.
The Two-Headed Jade Serpent hissed. Its dual heads struck simultaneously. Both lunged for Spark. One was spewing a torrent of corrosive jade venom.
Spark met the venom with a flaming strike. The fire on his hand flaring. Incinerating the noxious liquid before it could touch him. He ducked under the second head's lunge. Slamming a powerful strike into its armored neck.
Scales shattered. And the serpent recoiled with a shriek of pain. It swept its tail.
But, the tail attack was met by Spark's raw strength. His body was like a rocky mountain. Absorbing the impact without any problem. He was a battering ram. A living weapon of pure force.
While Spark engaged the beast in brutal melee, Lilith was a whirlwind of motion. Her Tri-element Handgun barked. Spitting out rounds of searing fire, crackling lightning, and chilling ice.
Each bullet ripped into the serpent's tough hide. Leaving smoking marks, charred holes, or brittle cracks.
When a head lunged too close, she activated [Blackhole Blink]. Vanishing into nothingness and reappearing meters away. A shimmering afterimage in her wake.
[Light Speed] was consecutively casted. Allowing her to reposition with blinding swiftness. Circling the massive beast. And peppering it with elemental fury.
Ivy was standing behind Scarlett's protective field. She raised her hands. Her grenade launcher lay unused.
Instead, light shimmered and solidified above them. Coalescing into a swirling [Blessing Storm]. Bluish motes of energy rained down. Enveloping everything in the cavern. However, it only affected Spark and her allies.
A wave of warmth washed over them. Wounds were knitting themselves. Fatigue was draining away. Their bodies got strengthened. Muscles tensed. Senses sharpened. The storm raged on. Providing a steady, rhythmic renewal of their combat prowess.
Melody's youthful face concentrated seriously. She pulled the ancient 'Lantern of Freedom' from her spatial bag and lit it. Its subtle light pushed back the oppressive, poisonous aura of the cavern. And of the serpent itself. De-buffs that tried to cling to them were instantly purged.
Then, she raised her magical lute. Her fingers dancing across the strings. A beautiful, uplifting melody filled the air. Resonating with Ivy's [Blessing Storm].
It flowed into her allies. Bolstering their reflex. Sharpening their aim. And invigorating their spirits.
Serenade was equally focused. She planted the 'Flag of Victory' into the cracked stone floor. The banner unfurled. The bluish droplets from Ivy's storm and Melody's music intensified. Doubling their positive effects.
Then, she joined Melody. Her own lute mirroring the tune. But with a very different effect. This melody specifically targeted the Two-Headed Jade Serpent.
Its movements slowed down. Its strikes lost their precision. And the venom it spewed became less potent. The beast roared in frustration. Its two heads were thrashing around.
Scarlett was the unyielding anchor of the team. Her 'Forcefield Buckler' flared. Creating an impenetrable barrier that absorbed stray venom sprays and tail lashes. Aimed at the supporting cast.
Her gu-insects spread out. They didn't attack the serpent. Instead, they scouted around for potential problems and interferences.
Multitasking. She took out her eldritch gun. It was crackling with dark energy. Spitting out bullets coated by [Eldritch Coating].
Each shot struck the serpent. Not just with physical force. But with a debilitating energy that caused its senses to dull. And its movements to become sluggish.
She also casted [Entropy Curse]. Further weakening the monstrous creature. Draining its vitality with every passing second.
Spark, meanwhile, was a maelstrom of destruction. He endured strikes that would crush normal men. Shrugging off impacts that would shatter bone.
His flaming fists struck the serpent's body repeatedly. Blasting away chunks of jade scales.
He ducked a venomous spray. Then countered with a bone-shattering kick to its jaw.
The creature's roars grew weaker. Its attacks were more desperate. The combined assault was overwhelming. Elementals, buffs, de-buffs, direct force, and constant healing. It was a perfectly synchronized symphony of destruction.
After what felt like an eternity, but was perhaps only minutes, the Two-Headed Jade Serpent fell. Giving one final, gasping hiss.
Its two heads slumped. Lifeless. Against the pedestal. And its colossal body thudded onto the rocky ground. Scattering dust and the lingering stench of venom.
The treasure chest remained. It was now unguarded.
Spark moved first. He retrieved the [Appraisal Goggles] from his Spatial Belt. And wore them.
First, he made sure that the Two-Headed Jade Serpent was dead. Its colossal body lay still, a monument of shattered jade and putrid ichor.
"It's dead. Ivy, harvest what you could from its corpse." He gave instruction to Ivy. Who nodded and did what she was tasked immediately.
Next, he focused the lenses on the treasure chest. Glowing runes manifested over the metal. Information flooded his mind.
[Object: Ancient Hoard Chest]
[Type: Container]
[Quality: Enchanted]
[Characteristics: Trapped (Lightning Array)]
[Characteristics: Locked]
Spark removed the goggles. "Trapped with Lightning Array. And locked." He stated. "Lilith, can you disarm the trap."
Lilith stepped forward. "Lightning Trap? It should be no problem, Master." Her fingers twitched, itching for engagement. "Let me do it."
She knelt before the chest. Her eyes were sharp. She scoured the intricate patterns etched into its surface. Her slender fingers moved with surgical precision. She traced lines. Pressed hidden indentations. Made some cuts with her dagger.
A faint click. Then another. No wasted movement. No hesitation. She worked in silence. Absolutely focused. Minutes passed. A final, soft hiss of displaced air indicated success.
"Done, Master." Lilith announced, rising. "The traps are neutralized. Your turn, Scarlett."
Scarlett approached. She produced a delicate, almost skeletal, multi-pronged tool from her Technomind Space. The [Archthief Key]. It resonated faintly. A low, steady vibration in her grasp.
She inserted one of the prongs into the keyhole. The key shifted and reshaped. Adapting to the tumblers within the lock.
A soft whirring sound. A faint flash of arcane light. The lock mechanism groaned once. Then clicked open with surprising ease.
"Unlocked, Master." Scarlett reported in excitement.
Spark stepped up. Gripped the lid. And heaved it up. The ancient hinges groaned but held. The chest opened. A dull gleam emanated from within.
There was a deep, rich hoard of treasures there. Ancient amber coins, several piles of them. Tarnished but unmistakably valuable. Gemstones, rough-cut and sparkling, lay scattered amongst the currency.
And nestled among were dozens of raw energy cores. Pulsating with faint, internal light. Promising raw power.
Spark didn't hesitate. He reached and scooped up those objects. The items vanished into the belt's dimensional void with each scoop. Casually. Efficiently. The belt was vast. It swallowed the haul without protest.
Then, the true treasures became visible. Three distinct objects.
Spark reached for the first. It felt like it was made of a cool stone. Incredibly dense. It was a small, intricately carved pedestal. No bigger than his palm. It seemed to shiver with latent energy.
He held it up. And used the [Appraisal Goggles].
[Object: Garden Globe - Pedestal]
[Type: Artifact Fragments (1/5)]
[Quality: Legendary (incomplete)]
[Characteristics: Super Tough (sealed)]
[Characteristics: Expanded Space]
[Characteristics: Life Support (sealed)]
[Characteristics: Environmental Adjustment (sealed)]
[Characteristics: Temporal Adjustment (sealed)]
His mind registered the information with a quiet hum. Garden Globe. The name resonated. He already possessed a piece of the {Garden Globe]. The moment the thought formed, the pedestal began to glow faintly.
A gentle, resonant vibration filled the cavern. The pedestal lifted itself from his palm. Drifting smoothly. Moving towards his Spatial Belt. Where he placed the first fragment of the Garden Globe.
There was no sudden flash. No dramatic explosion of light. Just a soft, warm merging. The two fragments met. They seamlessly melded, like water joining water. The composite artifact pulsed with new, stronger energy.
The characteristics listed on his goggles updated. Garden Globe (2/5 fragments). The sealed properties remained sealed. But the potential was clearer. An artifact of immense power. Slowly coming together.
He moved to the next item. A perfectly smooth, almost transparent orb. About the size of a pigeon's egg. It subtly shimmered with a faint, sickly green glow.
[Object: Orb of Poison Immunity]
[Type: Talent Orb]
[Quality: Unique]
[Characteristics: One-Time Use]
[Characteristics: Talent Bestowal - Poison Immunity]
Spark didn't need to think twice. This very ruin was choked with poisons. Immunity was pragmatic. He clenched his fist around the orb and focused hard. It dissolved instantly, absorbed into his skin without a trace.
A warm, tingling sensation spread through his body. Not unpleasant. A quiet hum of power settled in his core. He felt it. He had acquired a new talent: Poison Immunity. Great! Another layer of defense was added.
Finally, the third item. Another orb. Identical in size and shape. But this one pulsed with a vibrant, almost electric blue light. He activated his [Appraisal Goggles] once more...
[Object: Orb of Enhanced Reflex]
[Type: Talent Orb]
[Quality: Unique]
[Characteristics: One-Time Use]
[Characteristics: Talent Bestowal - Enhanced Reflex]
Spark considered it. Enhanced Reflex. Useful, certainly. But he already possessed something superior. His assimilation of the Lightning Cheetah had granted him [Godspeed Reflex]. A much higher degree of reflex-based talent.
Giving it to himself would be redundant. His gaze swept over his subordinates.
Lilith. An assassin. Speed and reaction time were her bread and butter. Her movements were already fluid. But enhanced reflexes would make her truly deadly. Even more so. She was perfect for it.
"Lilith!" Spark smiled. He tossed out the blue orb to her. "For you."
Lilith looked at the orb on her hand. Then at Spark. Her eyes, usually watchful and calculating, held a flicker of surprise. She gripped the orb without a word.
Her fingers closed around it. The orb vanished. Dissolving into her skin. A sharp intake of breath escaped her lips. Her lean muscles tensed. A ripple of energy visibly passed through her frame.
Her eyes snapped open wider. Sharper. A subtle tremor ran through the air around her. Her awareness had expanded.
"Thank you, Master." Lilith stated. Her voice was steady. But with an underlying current of newfound energy.
Her movements were already economical previously. Now, it seemed to possess an almost preternatural grace. Every twitch, every shift of weight, seemed perfectly optimized.
Spark nodded. Efficiency. That was the goal. His team was stronger. The exploration would continue.