The Glitched Mage-Chapter 35: Mana Beast Island Part 2

The jungle seemed to grow thicker the deeper Riven ventured. Towering trees loomed overhead, their gnarled roots twisting through the damp earth like veins. Vines dangled from massive branches, swaying with the occasional gust of warm, humid air. In the distance, the cries of mana beasts echoed through the jungle, some distant, others alarmingly close.

He moved with purpose, his heightened senses picking up every shift in the undergrowth, every flicker of movement in the dense foliage. Several times, smaller beasts lunged at him - some serpentine creatures with gleaming fangs, others hulking reptilian forms with hardened scales. They were aggressive but predictable, and Riven dispatched them swiftly, cutting them down with precise strikes of his shadows or well-aimed fireballs.

Each kill rewarded him with a new mana core.

[[ Mana Beast Defeated ]]

[[ Common Mana Core Acquired ]]

[[ Mana Beast Defeated ]]

[[ Uncommon Mana Core Acquired ]]

The pile of cores in his inventory grew steadily… Yet, none of these creatures were the true threat.

The real prize lay ahead.

The oppressive mana signature that had drawn him deeper into the jungle was closer now, its weight thickening the air around him. Every step forward made the atmosphere feel heavier, as if the very jungle was resisting his approach.

Then, the trees thinned.

Riven emerged into a clearing.

And there it was.

A colossal serpent lay coiled in the center of the clearing, its sheer size dwarfing anything Riven had encountered so far. Its scales shimmered like polished pearl, reflecting the dim light filtering through the jungle canopy. Each coil of its massive body was thick as a tree trunk, its length stretching across the clearing like a winding river of pale scales.

It was… breathtaking.

And terrifying.

The snake's head rested lazily atop one of its coils, its golden eyes half-lidded as it observed him. It didn't move - didn't lash out, didn't strike. But the sheer intensity of its presence made every muscle in Riven's body tense.

This wasn't just any mana beast.

It was something more.

The jungle hadn't been resisting his approach… It had been warning him.

[[ ERROR ]]

[[ You have///Encou///ntered: The Divine—— Serpen…tine///beast… Seraphis///]]

[[ ERROR ]]

Red notifications filled the air in front of him and Riven froze as he read the messages.

An… error?

The flickering red notifications sent a sharp pulse of unease through Riven's mind. He had only seen the system malfunction like this a few times before - and each time it meant bad news. The data scrambling, the fractured words— this time it wasn't just an error. It was something the system couldn't fully process.

His eyes snapped back to the serpent.

Seraphis.

The name alone carried a weight he didn't yet understand. The divine serpentine beast. It watched him with those gleaming golden eyes, unblinking, its body motionless save for the faint, rhythmic expansion of its massive coils.

Riven's breath slowed.

This was different from the other mana beasts he had fought. They were primal, instinct-driven, attacking on sight or reacting out of fear. But Seraphis… it wasn't reacting at all. It was simply waiting.

Assessing.

Testing.

The pressure of its mana pressed down on him like an invisible hand. He could feel it in his bones, thrumming against his own reserves, making his own mana stir in response. This thing's presence alone was enough to suffocate weaker beings.

Riven clenched his fists, forcing himself to steady his breathing.

He wasn't weak.

He had come here to fight.

The tension stretched between them, a standoff of silent anticipation. The jungle seemed to hush around them, as if holding its breath for what was to come.

Then-

Seraphis moved.

It was subtle, just a slow, deliberate uncoiling of its body, but the sheer grace of it sent a shiver down Riven's spine. The movement was effortless, like water flowing, yet it carried the weight of something ancient, something that had long since transcended the concept of fear.

Its golden eyes locked onto his.

"Nyx… come," Riven murmured, his lips barely moving to avoid drawing the serpent's attention.

A ripple of darkness unfurled beside him, and in an instant, Nyx emerged from the swirling shadows. Her blade was already drawn, the steel glinting under the dappled jungle light. Without hesitation, she positioned herself in front of Riven, her stance low and poised - ready to strike at a moment's notice.

Her obsidian eyes locked onto Seraphis, unflinching.

"You certainly know how to attract trouble," Nyx murmured, her voice edged with quiet amusement.

Seraphis tilted its massive head, its golden eyes narrowing as if assessing her. Its forked black tongue flickered out, tasting the air, and a slow, deliberate shudder rippled through its coiled body as it began to shift.

Nyx tightened her grip on her sword. "This one won't go down easily."

Riven's lips curled slightly, anticipation thrumming through his veins. His pulse quickened - not with fear, but with exhilaration.

"Then let's see what you can do, Abyss Born Nyx," he murmured.

Nyx didn't hesitate.

The moment Riven gave the command, she vanished into the shadows. A pulse of dark energy flickered around her form, and in the next instant, she reappeared above Seraphis, her sword arcing downward in a precise, lethal strike.

The serpent reacted impossibly fast.

A blur of white coils surged upward, meeting her mid-air. A sickening crack echoed through the clearing as Nyx's blade clashed against the reinforced scales, the impact sending her skidding backward. She landed lightly, adjusting her grip, her obsidian eyes narrowing.

Seraphis hadn't just blocked her attack.

It had predicted it.

The massive serpent uncoiled further, its golden eyes never leaving Nyx. There was no mindless aggression, no fury - only calculation. Intelligence. It had tested her once and found her wanting.

Riven exhaled, his mind already working through their next move.

This wasn't a fight they could win through brute force alone.

Nyx flicked her sword, shadows curling around the blade like wisps of smoke. "Its scales are tougher than anything I've encountered," she muttered. "I need an opening."

Riven's gaze flickered over the serpent's massive form, assessing.

The scales were immaculate - flawless pearl, shimmering with mana. Each one overlapped like natural armor, reinforcing the sheer durability of the beast. A direct attack would be ineffective unless-

His eyes sharpened.

The underbelly.

Near its throat, where the scales thinned slightly to allow for movement.

A weak point.

Riven shifted his stance, summoning three fireballs in the air around him. The heat distorted the humid jungle air, crackling with raw energy. He didn't launch them immediately. Instead, he let them orbit lazily, waiting for the perfect moment.

Seraphis watched, its massive body shifting in a slow, deliberate motion. It knew they were planning something.

And it was waiting.

A predator with patience.

Then, Riven moved.

He flicked his wrist, sending the first fireball streaking toward the serpent's head. As expected, Seraphis dodged with inhuman speed, its massive coils blurring as it reared back. But Riven had anticipated that.

The second fireball curved midair, adjusting its trajectory.

Seraphis twisted to avoid it.

That's when Riven struck.

He surged forward, shadows exploding from beneath his feet, propelling him straight toward the serpent's exposed underside. His fingers curled, mana surging through his limbs, coiling into his shadows - elongating them into razor-sharp claws.

Seraphis noticed too late.

Riven's claws raked across its underbelly, cutting deep.

For the first time, the serpent let out a sharp, hissing cry.

A wound.

Not deep enough to kill, but enough to draw blood.

Glowing, golden ichor dripped onto the jungle floor, sizzling where it touched the earth. The air grew heavier, denser. The serpent's aura flared wildly, its golden eyes narrowing in something eerily close to amusement.

It had been testing them.

Now, it was done playing.

Seraphis moved like a flash of light, its coils twisting, striking faster than Riven could react. A wall of pale scales slammed into him with enough force to send him flying across the clearing. His back crashed into a thick tree trunk, the impact rattling his bones.

Pain flared through his ribs.

Before he could even suck in a breath, Seraphis was already upon him, its massive head looming overhead, fangs bared.

A blur of movement.

Nyx.

She intercepted the strike, her blade clashing against the serpent's fangs, shadows reinforcing the steel. The impact sent another shockwave through the jungle, leaves rustling violently in the wake of the force.

Riven coughed, his vision momentarily swimming.

That thing was too damn fast.

And it wasn't even using its full strength yet.

Nyx held her ground, her blade pressed against the serpent's fangs, her entire body straining against the force.

Riven pushed himself up in an instant, ignoring the lingering ache in his ribs as he sprinted to the other side of Seraphis. He needed to buy Nyx time to recover. Three fireballs erupted into existence around him, their heat warping the thick jungle air. Without hesitation, he hurled them toward the serpent's face.

The explosions burst against Seraphis's scaled head, momentarily obscuring its vision with fire and smoke. It wasn't enough to wound it, but it gave Riven a brief window to think.

Nyx recovered swiftly, already launching back into the fray. She moved in a blur of shadows, her sword a streak of darkness as she struck at the beast's shifting coils. Riven joined her, his own attacks sharp and relentless, shadowed claws slicing at any opening they could find.

Seraphis responded with terrifying speed.

Its massive tail whipped through the air without warning.

Riven barely had time to register the movement before the force slammed into him, sending him hurtling through the air towards the tree line.

Nyx appeared in a swirl of shadows, catching him just before impact. Her grip was steady, her strength unfaltering. As soon as his feet touched the earth, she shifted back into a defensive stance, her sword raised as Seraphis lowered its colossal head toward them.

Its golden eyes burned now - not with mere curiosity, but with fury.

Nyx was already preparing to attack again when she suddenly hesitated.

A glow flickered to life within Seraphis's throat.

A deep, resonating hum filled the air, growing in intensity, vibrating through the very ground beneath them. The golden light at the back of the serpent's mouth swelled, expanding like the build-up before a storm.

It was charging an attack.

A devastating one.

Seraphis reared back, its entire body coiling with raw power. The hum rose to a deafening crescendo.

"Shit - MOVE!" Nyx yelled, grabbing Riven by the arm.

But before they could react, a voice rang out through the clearing.

A commanding, furious shout.

Then-

A blinding arc of blue fire slashed through the air, piercing straight into the serpent's underbelly.

Seraphis let out an ear-splitting screech, its body convulsing violently. The golden energy in its throat flickered, then dissipated as its massive form recoiled from the sudden strike.

As the light faded, Riven's gaze locked onto the figure standing beneath the serpent's exposed underside.

A man.

His sword was buried deep into Seraphis's weak spot - right where Riven had struck earlier.

For the first time, the great serpent let out a sound of genuine pain.

"Is that…" Riven's words trailed off as he watched the man beneath Seraphis hack into its underbelly with reckless fury. His sword plunged in and out, over and over, carving into the serpent's flesh like a man possessed.

"How dare you lay a hand on my liege!" the man bellowed, his voice seething with outrage.

Riven blinked.

Nyx, unfazed, let out a resigned sigh. "Idiot." Without another word, she launched herself forward, her blade arcing toward Seraphis's head in a renewed assault.

Riven didn't waste a second.

His shadows exploded beneath his feet, propelling him high into the air. The jungle blurred around him as he soared above Seraphis, the serpent's massive body writhing in agony below. It screeched, twisting violently as it tried - and failed - to escape the relentless strikes from the swordsman cutting his way through its exposed underbelly.

There.

Riven's eyes locked onto the opening.

Seraphis reared back, its mouth gaping wide in another piercing shriek.

Riven didn't hesitate.

With a sharp exhale, he channeled every ounce of mana he could muster. Flames ignited around him in a furious blaze, dozens of fireballs forming in rapid succession. The heat seared against his skin, but he pushed past the strain.

Then - with a roar - he unleashed them.

A barrage of fireballs rained down, each one curving toward its target with deadly precision.

Seraphis barely had time to react.

The first fireball slammed straight into the serpent's open maw, detonating with a deafening explosion. The second and third followed immediately, streaking down its gullet like molten comets.

And then the rest hit.

A chain reaction of violent eruptions burst within the beast's massive form. Its body spasmed, convulsing as flames tore through its insides.

Its shriek cut off abruptly.

For a moment, everything was still.

Then, with a final shuddering lurch, Seraphis collapsed.

The ground trembled as the colossal serpent fell, its body crashing through the jungle floor in a cloud of dust and debris. The once-mighty beast let out one last, rasping breath - then went still.

Silence.

The only sound left was the crackling of lingering embers and the heavy breaths of those who had fought.

[[ ERROR ]]

[[ You /// Have — Slain //// ]]

[[ ERROR]]

Riven exhaled heavily, dismissing the red error notifications that once again flickered into existence around him. Whatever issue the system had with Seraphis, now wasn't the time to dwell on it.

"My liege!"

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Riven turned at the sound of the voice, his eyes widening slightly as he took in the sight before him.

Krux - now fully formed - stood before him, drenched head to toe in shimmering golden ichor, his armor slick with the remnants of the divine serpent. He looked almost statuesque, like some gilded warrior sculpted from battle itself. Yet, despite his disheveled state, he dropped to one knee with unwavering devotion, holding up a massive, glowing red crystal with both hands.

"I, Krux, have fulfilled your command and forged my human shell. Please accept the spoils of this magnificent beast, my liege."

Riven nearly lost his composure.

The image of Krux - covered in gold, kneeling in absolute reverence - was absurd enough to make him want to laugh. But he restrained himself, merely sighing instead. "You did well, Krux."

He reached out, taking the heavy red crystal from the general's hands. The moment it touched his palm, he expected the familiar chime of a system notification.

Nothing came.

His brows furrowed. "System, analyze this item."

[[ Scanning… ]]

[[ ERROR ]]

Riven's lips pressed into a thin line.

Again?

He glanced down at the pulsing gem in his hands, its rich crimson glow faintly illuminating his fingers. Whatever it was, it clearly wasn't something the system recognized. That in itself was concerning.

With a quiet hum of consideration, he tucked the crystal into his inventory. I'll figure it out later.

Then - his chest pulsed.

A sharp, rhythmic throb, deep beneath his ribs.

Riven grit his teeth at the familiar yet strange sensation, his fingers instinctively tightening at his sides. It was just like last night when Nyx came to him - it wasn't painful, but it was intrusive, something pressing against the edges of his mana heart like an unfamiliar presence demanding acknowledgment.

Krux lowered his head even further, golden ichor dripping onto the jungle floor. His voice was steady, filled with unwavering conviction.

"My liege, I swear my life to you."

His words were a vow - an unbreakable oath.

"I will be your sword and shield, your unwavering strength. Please, accept my bond."

A notification materialized.

[[ Attempting Bond Mark with Abyss Born Krux ]]

[[ Do you accept this bond? ]]

[[ Yes/No ]]

Riven didn't hesitate.

He selected 'Yes.'

And once more, as if driven by something beyond himself, his body moved on its own - his hand reaching forward to rest atop Krux's bowed head.

As Riven's hand made contact with Krux's bowed head, a rush of energy surged between them. Unlike with Nyx, this was not a quiet, simmering connection - this was raw, turbulent, unyielding.

Krux's mana roared to life beneath his touch, wild and untamed, like a battlefield echoing with the clash of steel and the cries of war. It was deep, aggressive, yet unwaveringly loyal. A mana that belonged to a warrior forged through countless battles.

Riven's instincts guided him once more.

He delved deeper, past the surface of Krux's power, searching for his mana heart. The moment he found it, he felt it pulse beneath his grasp - strong, hardened by time, waiting for its mark.

And then - he branded it.

A magic circle burned itself into existence, searing with a deep blue glow. It was just as complex as Nyx's, the runic patterns shifting in constant motion.

Pain lanced through Riven's skull. The complexity of it strained his comprehension, but he didn't falter. He carved his mark, embedding it deep within Krux's very being.

[[ Finalizing Bond. ]]

Flashes of memories - visions, emotions - poured into him.

For a moment, Riven wasn't himself.

He was Krux.

He saw the battlefield from his eyes - felt the weight of a blade in his grip, the sheer force of his strikes shattering the earth beneath him. He heard the echoes of past wars, the cheers of victory, the roars of his enemies falling before him. And beneath it all, the unwavering devotion - the singular purpose that had driven him through life and death.

To serve his king.

To serve him.

Riven gasped as he was pulled back into his own body, the intensity of the memories lingering like phantom sensations in his muscles. His grip loosened, his hand slipping from Krux's hair as his mind adjusted to the bond.

Krux remained where he was, still kneeling, his breathing uneven.

Then, slowly, he lifted his head.

"My king." His voice was steadier than before, filled with something that went beyond mere loyalty. It was an oath. A truth etched into his very soul.

"I am now yours to command."