The water in the Slipstream Sector churned with violence, a constant, roaring reminder of the power Master Kaelen wielded. The Guardian of Speed was back in his artificial whirlpool, running against the current, a blur of blue scales and manic energy. He was trying to beat his personal best, but the recent acquisition of his stolen trident seemed to have thrown off his rhythm. He kept glancing at it, then at Alvian, his eyes wide with a mixture of reverence and disbelief.

Alvian stood on the viewing platform, ignoring the spray of water that soaked the hem of his [Vestments of the Void Monarch]. He was checking his interface, analyzing the new data from the [Void Step] skill.

Infinite teleportation. No cooldown.

It was broken. It was inefficient to the laws of physics, and perfectly efficient for killing.

"He's running in circles," Valeria muttered, wringing water out of her hair. She had removed her helmet, revealing a face pale from the exertion of the deep-sea pressure. "Does he ever stop?"

"Momentum is his religion," Alvian replied, closing his status screen. "To stop is to die."

Seraphina materialized from the shadows near the entrance of the sector. She looked grim, her usual playful demeanor washed away by the cold currents of the deep. She held a data crystal in her hand, the light within pulsing with an urgent red rhythm.

"We have a problem," Seraphina said, her voice amplified by a water-breathing bubble. "My scouts picked up a massive mana spike in the Storm Reef. It's not just random lightning anymore. It's structured."

Alvian turned, his violet eyes narrowing. "Structured how?"

"A ritual," Seraphina explained, projecting a holographic map into the air. "After you killed General Voltex, the remaining Naga didn't scatter. They rallied. They've been recalled to the Thunderdome, the central cavern of the reef."

She pointed to a jagged depression in the center of the map.

"The Lightning Naga King, Ida, is there. He's Voltex's older brother, and he's furious. Intelligence suggests he knows Kaelen sent us. He knows Kaelen covets the [Storm Trident]."

"He wants revenge," Valeria said, her hand going to the hilt of her claymore. "He's going to attack Azureus?"

"No," Alvian corrected, studying the mana flow on the map. "He knows attacking the city is suicide while the other Guardians are active. He wants to draw Kaelen out."

Seraphina nodded. "Exactly. He's broadcasting a challenge. A duel for the trident. But the readings from the Thunderdome aren't consistent with a dueling ring. There are four massive mana pylons being erected around the perimeter. It's a [God-Lock Array]."

Valeria's eyes widened. "A God-Lock? That's a trapping formation designed to seal spatial movement. If Kaelen enters that, his speed will be nullified. He'll be a fish in a barrel."

"He traps the speedster, then bombards him with lightning until he fries," Seraphina finished. "It's a perfect counter."

Alvian looked back at Kaelen, who was happily zooming around his whirlpool, completely oblivious to the death trap being laid for him. The Speedster Guardian was powerful, but he was simple. If he heard a challenge, he would run straight into it.

"Inefficient trap design," Alvian murmured. "It relies on the target's ego."

"We have to warn him," Valeria said, stepping forward.

"No," Alvian stopped her with a raised hand. "If we warn him, Ida will just retreat and set the trap elsewhere. Or he'll attack the supply lines again. We need to remove the threat permanently."

"You want to walk into the trap?" Seraphina asked, raising an eyebrow. "Alvian, a [God-Lock Array] disables movement skills. That includes your [Void Step]. You'll be pinned down."

"The array targets spatial displacement and high-velocity movement," Alvian analyzed. "It locks down dodging. It forces a confrontation of durability."

He looked at his [Vestments of the Void Monarch]. He looked at his [Runic Aegis +2] skill.

"Ida expects a runner," Alvian said, a cold smile touching his lips. "He expects someone who relies on evasion. He isn't expecting a wall."

"You're going to tank it?" Valeria asked, incredulous. "Alvian, you're a mage class. Technically. Your physique is high, but..."

"I have infinite mana," Alvian reminded her. "And [Runic Aegis] has a reflective property. If he wants to bombard me with lightning, I'll just turn his trap into a mirror."

He equipped the [Lance of the Void Winter]. The black metal drank the ambient light of the underwater city.

"We leave now," Alvian ordered. "Seraphina, stay on the ridge. I want footage of the array's activation. Valeria, you're on cleanup duty. When the array breaks—and it will break—the Naga army will panic. Don't let them escape."

"And you?" Valeria asked, her voice soft with a familiar worry. She reached out, adjusting the collar of his robe, her fingers lingering for a fraction of a second too long. "You're just going to stand there and get electrocuted?"

Alvian looked at her. He felt the warmth of her hand even through the cold water.

"I'm going to teach a snake about the laws of thermodynamics," Alvian said. "Energy cannot be destroyed. Only redirected. Right back into his face."

They moved out.

The journey back to the Storm Reef was tense. The ocean seemed quieter, the usual predators hiding in the deep crevices of the coral. The water tasted of ozone and charged particles. As they approached the Thunderdome, the hair on Alvian's arms stood up beneath his armor. The static charge was immense.

The Thunderdome was a natural amphitheater of rock, surrounded by towering spires of conductive black coral. In the center, waiting on a throne of electrified bone, was King Ida.

He was massive. Larger than Voltex. His scales were a deep, midnight blue, and his four arms held heavy, two-handed maces made of pure [Thunder Stone]. He wasn't built for speed; he was built for crushing.

"Stay here," Alvian commanded his team.

He swam forward alone. He didn't use stealth. He didn't use speed. He drifted into the center of the amphitheater, floating calmly, his robes billowing in the current.

Ida saw him. The King's eyes narrowed.

"Where is the Coward Kaelen?" Ida's voice boomed, sending shockwaves through the water. "I sensed the trident. Why does a human insect carry it?"

"Kaelen is busy," Alvian said, his voice amplified by mana. "He sent his janitor."

Ida roared in fury. He slammed his maces together.

"ACTIVATE THE ARRAY! CRUSH THE INSECT!"

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