Hearing the rhythmic thud of marching boots echoing from the temple entrance, Andreas didn't turn back, instead continuing to slip deeper into the shadows of the ruins. With only about two hundred Naga in this temple, it was unlikely they could pose a significant threat to the elite Moon Guard and combat priestesses, especially since the Naga were completely unprepared for an assault.
As battle erupted in the rear, the sudden commotion disturbed the "big fish" at the end of the tunnel.
"Hiss!"
A reptilian creature with three hideous heads let out a furious screech, its vocal vibrations carrying ripples of Shadow energy that radiated outward.
"Quiet, Aku'mai."
A low female voice drifted from beneath the massive frame of the hydra. A four-armed Naga with serpentine hair, wearing attire far more ornate than an ordinary female Naga, gently stroked Aku'mai's coarse scales.
Despite being hailed as a pet of the Old Gods, Aku'mai's intelligence didn't seem particularly high. Sensing its new lair being invaded, it ignored the Naga leader's attempts to soothe it, intent on venting its rage.
"Sigh..." The Naga leader let out a helpless sigh as sparks of lightning began to flicker at her fingertips. "I said, quiet!"
"Hiss!!!"
The electrical current surging through its body forced Aku'mai to raise its three heads in a pained shriek. Having learned its lesson, its six eyes flickered with clear trepidation, and it immediately became docile.
The Naga leader nodded in satisfaction. "Very good. You must remember, the Master needs you to slowly corrupt the surrounding life through your leaking dark energy, turning this temple ruin into our secret frontline base. If you fail... you know the consequences, right?"
"Hiss~"
Clap, clap.
Having confirmed there was no one else in the tunnel, Andreas simply clapped his hands and strolled out into the open. "Quite a performance of 'Beauty and the Beast.' Truly an eye-opener."
"Who goes there!"
The Naga leader turned, raising both her staff and her bow, glaring fiercely toward the source of the voice. Aku'mai also assumed a combat stance, ready to strike at the uninvited guest who had trespassed into its nest.
When Andreas's appearance became clear in the darkness, the Naga leader's pupils visibly contracted, but she quickly suppressed her emotions.
"Mortal, why do you attack us?"
With the Naga leader turned around, Andreas finally had the chance to inspect her appearance closely. Including the height bolstered by her thick tail, she stood about three meters tall, her serpentine hair dancing wildly behind her head.
Perhaps for ease of movement underwater, she wore no cloth; her vital areas were covered by a dusk-colored armor made of a material resembling coral. Her striking features looked familiar, though the racial transformation made her appear somewhat distorted and uncanny.
Andreas waved his hand with a smile. "Alright, Vashj. Is it really necessary to pretend you don't recognize me?"
The Naga leader remained silent for a moment before letting out a self-deprecating, cold laugh. "Heh... indeed. I am Vashj. Andreas Moonshadow, the chosen of Elune. Why attack us? My Naga haven't posed any threat to you, have they?"
Andreas pointed with a half-smile at the hostile Aku'mai. "Stop acting. I heard what you said to this monster. 'Master'... are you referring to Azshara? When did Her Majesty's tastes become so peculiar?"
"I am under no obligation to answer your questions." Vashj slid backward with her fish-like tail, shouting an order at the same time: "Aku'mai, destroy the intruder! I grant you permission to devour him!"
"Hiss!"
Receiving the command, Aku'mai excitedly moved its short legs, waddling clumsily toward Andreas. When the distance closed to a few dozen meters, its three heads simultaneously spat out a disgusting, dark-green liquid.
Andreas nimbly dodged the "enhanced" toxic breath. Simultaneously, he unleashed a powerful Mind Blast directed at the dull-headed hydra.
The six savage eyes of Aku'mai instantly turned vacant; its soul had suffered a severe blow from the mental assault. If he were to engage it physically, the thick-skinned Aku'mai would be very difficult to handle—ordinary blades would likely struggle to pierce its toughened scales.
However, damage directly applied to the soul was a different story. The creature was ultimately just a beast of low intelligence; even with the infusion of N'Zoth's dark power, its dim wit remained unchanged.
Seeing Andreas temporarily disable Aku'mai with a casual Shadow spell, Vashj made a decisive choice amidst her horror.
Boom!
Her bow and staff unleashed an attack simultaneously. The target wasn't Andreas, who had just transformed into a black panther to lunge forward, but rather the cavern wall behind her. The lightning-infused arrows and Arcane Barrage slammed into the rock, causing the entire tunnel to shake violently.
Vashj showed no hesitation, striking the same spot with several high-powered spells until she finally blasted a large hole in the wall. Seawater from the Veiled Sea came rushing in through the opening with a roar.
Struck by the rushing water, Aku'mai's chaotic brain cleared. It shrieked in fury, its originally brown hide turning red as its body grew larger—it had entered a state of Frenzy.
However, it was useless.
"Mind Blast, Mind Flay, Devouring Plague!"
As water flooded the passage, Andreas instantly shifted back to human form, pointing the Staff of G'Hanir at Aku'mai to fire three consecutive Shadow spells.
The newly frenzied Aku'mai felt as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over its head. Its six ferocious eyes became dazed once more, and it stood stupidly in place, allowing the surging torrents to slam into it.
Taking advantage of the time Aku'mai bought her, Vashj flicked her tail and swam away through the breach.
"Don't run!"
As Vashj fled, Andreas shifted his form again. A cute spotted seal dived into the water, accelerating through the hole into the open ocean.
This wasn't the first time Andreas had used his aquatic form. Perhaps because Vashj hadn't fully adapted to her Naga body yet, "Seal-Andreas" stayed hot on her trail, keeping the distance between them close.
While swimming, Vashj saw the seal pursuing her. She opened her mouth and emitted a bat-like ultrasonic wave that was inaudible to human ears. Soon, massive movement appeared in the nearby waters. Two hideous, giant sea beasts flanked Andreas, blocking his path of pursuit.
"Tch!"
Forced to slow his swimming speed, Andreas could only watch as Vashj accelerated away, leaving behind a trail of conspicuous bubbles. Andreas also realized a frustrating fact: a seal... is not very strong in underwater combat, at least not when facing two large sea monsters.
Damn! I definitely need to learn a more ferocious aquatic form in the future!
Struggling to evade the bites of the sea beasts, Andreas was forced toward the surface. As he breached and leapt into the air, he reverted to human form.
"Psychic Scream."
The affected sea beasts couldn't control the sudden surge of terror within them, darting aimlessly through the sea like headless flies.
Watching the sea beasts flee into the deep, Andreas—lacking confidence in his underwater combat ability—abandoned the pursuit and shifted back into a golden eagle in mid-air.
As he thought about the intentions of Vashj and the Naga while flying back toward the entrance of Blackfathom Deeps, a serious question suddenly occurred to him.
"By the way... do the Moon Guard and combat priestesses even know how to swim?"