The Storm Reef was not a natural formation. It was a scar on the ocean floor, a place where a massive deposit of [Thunder Stone] had shattered centuries ago, infusing the coral and the water itself with high-voltage mana.

As Alvian, Valeria, and Seraphina approached the perimeter, the water began to tingle against their skin. For Alvian, protected by the [Vestments of the Void Monarch], it was a mild static itch. For Valeria, encased in conductive metal, it was a constant, low-level hum that set her teeth on edge.

"My HUD is glitching," Seraphina whispered over the comms crystal. "Too much interference. I can't track heat signatures."

"Then use your eyes," Alvian said. "And your instincts. The Naga rely on speed and ambush. They will hit us from the blind spots."

The reef loomed ahead. It was a jagged, twisted landscape of black coral that sparked with blue arcs of electricity. Every few seconds, a discharge would ripple through the water, illuminating the silhouettes of massive eels and armored fish darting through the maze.

[Zone: The Storm Reef]

[Environmental Hazard: [Electrified Water]. Periodic Lightning Damage.]

[Passive [Rubber Soul] (Valeria) negating environmental damage.]

[Passive [Void Shell] (Alvian) negating environmental damage.]

"Here they come," Alvian stated calmly.

He didn't see them. He felt the displacement of water.

Three streaks of blue light shot out from the black coral. They moved with incredible speed, their long, serpentine bodies undulating effortlessly through the water. They were Lightning Naga Scouts, wielding spears made of white bone that crackled with energy.

[Enemy Identified: Lightning Naga Scout]

[Level: 44]

[Status: Charged]

"Intruders!" one of the Naga hissed, its voice a garbled shriek in the water. "Fry them!"

The three Naga raised their spears simultaneously.

"ZAP!"

Three bolts of lightning shot through the water, converging on Valeria. They knew she was the tank. They knew metal conducted.

"Shield!" Alvian barked.

Valeria didn't need the order. She raised her massive tower shield. The face of the shield was covered in a thick layer of the rubber-like alchemical paste Alvian had synthesized.

"BOOM!"

The lightning hit the shield. Instead of arcing through the metal and cooking Valeria inside her armor, the electricity skittered harmlessly across the rubber surface, grounding itself into the water around her.

The Naga paused, confused. Their ultimate weapon had failed.

"My turn," Valeria grinned behind her visor.

She didn't charge. She was too slow in this water. Instead, she activated [Titan's Anchor]. A golden chain shot from her shield, snagging the lead Naga around the waist.

"Get over here!"

She yanked. The Naga, caught off guard, was ripped through the water. It flailed, trying to swim against the Titan's strength, but it was useless. Valeria dragged it into melee range.

"SMASH!"

She slammed the edge of her shield into the Naga's skull. The creature's head snapped back. Before it could recover, Seraphina appeared from the shadows above it.

"Kidney Shot."

She drove her daggers into the Naga's soft underbelly. The creature shrieked and dissolved into blue light.

[You have slain Lightning Naga Scout.]

The other two Naga hissed in fury. They turned to flee, realizing their ambush had failed. They were fast. They turned and bolted toward the reef, moving like arrows.

"They're going to warn the General," Seraphina said.

"No," Alvian said. "They aren't."

He raised his hand. He didn't use [Frost Descent]. In this environment, the lightning would shatter the ice before it could form. He needed something faster. Something instant.

He equipped [Voidpiercer].

"[World Step]."

Alvian vanished. He didn't teleport to the Naga. He teleported in front of them.

He appeared directly in their path, floating calmly in the water, the black dagger held loosely in his hand. The Naga, moving at full speed, couldn't stop. Their eyes widened in terror as the black-robed human materialized from nothing.

"Too slow," Alvian whispered.

He spun.

"[Void Slash]."

A crescent of black energy extended from the dagger, cutting through the water. It sliced through the first Naga's neck and the second Naga's tail.

"SQUELCH."

The momentum of the Naga carried their severed parts past Alvian.

[Double Kill.]

[Experience Gained: 90,000.]

Alvian sheathed the dagger. He looked deeper into the reef, where the lightning strikes were becoming more frequent, more violent.

"That was the greeting party," Alvian said, turning back to his team. "Now the real hunt begins."

"You show off," Valeria muttered, swimming up to him. "I thought we were being stealthy."

"Stealth is efficient," Alvian agreed. "But leaving witnesses is inefficient. Voltex knows we're here. The mana disturbance from the fight was too large."

He pointed his [Lance of the Void Winter] toward the heart of the storm.

"He's coming. I can feel the static building."

The water around them began to vibrate. The hair on Alvian's arms stood up beneath his armor. A massive, dark shape detached itself from the shadows of the reef, pulsating with a light so bright it hurt to look at.

"READY YOURSELVES!" A voice boomed through the water, sounding like thunder rolling in a canyon. "I AM THE STORM! AND YOU ARE THE LIGHTNING RODS!"

General Voltex had arrived.

General Voltex was magnificent and terrifying. He was a Naga Lord, easily thirty feet long from snout to tail tip. His upper body was encased in armor made of white coral and gold, while his lower serpentine half was covered in scales that shifted color like a stormy sky. In his four hands, he wielded four distinct weapons: a spear, a sword, a net made of lightning, and a massive conch shell.

[Boss Identified: General Voltex (The Lightning Lord)]

[Level: 49]

[Status: Overcharged]

"You killed my scouts," Voltex hissed, his four arms flexing. "You dare bring your filth into my reef?"

"I'm here for a trident," Alvian said, floating calmly in the water. "Hand it over, and I'll make your death quick."

Voltex threw his head back and laughed. The sound sent shockwaves of electricity rippling through the water.

"Arrogant surface-dweller! You think you can catch the storm?"

"FLASH!"

Voltex moved. He didn't swim; he became electricity. He transformed into a bolt of living lightning, zigzagging through the water at a speed that the human eye couldn't track.

"Scramble!" Alvian shouted.

"BOOM!"

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