Jade snake dowager

"If you still don't dare to fight the invaders then you can become food for me! Adam, the first human, oh how I'll enjoy killing and devouring you!"

Oh, goddesses! I knew that voice and I certainly didn't like it. That sinister, feminine, and crazy voice belonged to none other than the jade snake dowager. I was barely able to process what was happening when a giant snakehead crashed through the opening above the cavern and swallowed Adam whole.

With a jerk the head was pulled back up and only a black puddle remained on the ground.

"A little bitter after it was soaked in despair for so long but the feeling of devouring a life is sublime! Now, you three are next. Come into my maw, I promise it will be fun. For me at least."

Grabbing Sigmund and Siegfried by their collars I yanked them into the cave system just as that terrifying maw descended once more onto the location we had just been standing. Thankfully, the cave was smaller than the cavern and the dowager couldn't fit.

"Are we playing hide and seek now? Lovely, let me chase you around a little before I end you."

'Didn't you say you had to guard the necropolis and couldn't leave due to a promise?'

"Who cares, I already died once anyway and I've had enough of all those boring promises. You can't hide in that hole of yours forever. Once you leave I'll kill you all!"

Evidently, she was not going to let us leave without a fight. I chucked the two pieces of additional baggage towards the entrance and prepared to engage the jade snake dowager.

\u003cTransform back into your true form first, otherwise, you won't stand a chance at all.\u003e

'Finally done with your beauty stream?'

\u003cYou have much greater problems right now. If you don't kill that vicious little serpent it will kill you. Now stop wasting time and release all the compression!\u003e

'And why should I do that? I fight much better in my human form and my defense is also augmented greatly.'

\u003cYou are a tree. No matter how much you may want to deny it or wish you were still human this won't change. Your body was made in the shape of a tree and your soul has adapted to that shape. Your powers will always be strongest in that form.\u003e

'Then why did I have to take human form to reach the next evolution?'

\u003cIt was the easiest way to get you to compress your magic into a higher density and gave you the motivation to gain an innate understanding of life. Enough with the questions now, she's about to go on a killing spree, go and fight her!\u003e

'But how am I supposed to become a tree here? There's not enough space!'

\u003cSince when has rock and dirt ever stopped a plant? Did you forget that your roots can penetrate through solid rock like a hot knife through butter? Well, so can the rest of your body.\u003e

Right, I kept forgetting that I was a tree. Time to show that pathetic worm who's boss! I'd break through the rock and knock her straight into tomorrow.

The rock parted before me as I expended from slightly less than two meters to my original three hundred meters. Not expecting the sudden emergence of a giant tree the jade snake dowager was hit squarely in the face and blasted off.

Only for her to turn around midair and remain floating in the sky. Why did nothing ever go as I planned it?

Of course, the damn snake can fly! Why don't you have wings?! Is being a divine beast not enough for you to be horribly overpowered?!

'Where I stand life shall reign supreme! Domain, life!'

"How pathetic of you! You dare fight me with only a single domain and expect to win? My poison drowns the living, killing is my way, death shall follow! Triple domain, deadly poison killing!"

I call cheating! Where was the damned referee when he was needed! I want to file a complaint!

The jade snake dowager was supposed to only have a double domain like any ordinary divine beast. But no, it just had to be one of those even stronger ones. And with three innate understandings that perfectly countered mine...

I was royally screwed, wasn't I?

The jade snake dowager didn't give me much more time to contemplate just how bad of a situation I was in as she came barreling towards me wrapped in a cloud of poison, death and killing.