The mist cleared revealing a massive serpent. Its eyes glowed with an aquamarine hue, its body covered with golden and white scales. "Such tiny insects to not know your place." The snake said.
"You have to forgive us." Zell said. "We are not from this place and did not know of your presence."
"Unforgivable!" The snake shouted. "Who are you to tell me what I am to do? I have to forgive you? The gall of your words have sealed your fate, tiny mortal."
"I meant no offense!" Zell said in his defense. "It was a poor choice of words, I apologize."
"You need to know your place!" The snake snapped back. It slapped Zell across the chest with its massive tail, making a thunderous crack as it connected. The force of the impact caused Zell to slide back a few inches. The force also knocked dust up from around Zell, causing a cloud to form. The snake grinned thinking he had killed Zell, however when the dust cleared Zell was still standing wiping his chest off from the attack. "What?! How are you still alive?!"
"Look, I apologized." Zell said. "You didn't need to attack me like that."
"Enough!" The snake shouted. "That was but a fraction of my power! You face a god, mortal! Trimble in despair." The snake uncoiled and flew into the sky. Its eyes lit up further and changed to a crimson red. The sky above them began to darken and swirl with clouds. Lightning rained down all around them.
[Well, this doesn't look good.] Zell thought to himself. [Can I really defeat a god? I wish I knew what level I was.]
"Zell I'm scared." Kaitlyn said at the situation at hand. "Every instinct I have is telling me I need to run."
"Run then." Zell said. "I will hold it off… I hope."
"Run with me." Kaitlyn pleaded.
"If I did it would chase us." Zell explained. "I have to stay here if you want to get away."
Kaitlyn nodded her head in understanding. "Thank you, Zell." She said as she ran off.
[Now I need to keep this snake's attention.] Zell thought. "Hey snake god, do you have a name?" Zell shouted up to the snake.
"My name is not for a weak mortal like yourself to hear." The snake said. "Now die!" Massive bolts of lightning began striking Zell directly until they formed into a massive beam of light from the sky and set off an explosion of energy all around him. As Kaitlyn ran, she was knocked down from the force of the explosion.
"Zell!" She cried out. She stood up and continued running with tears pouring from her face.
The snake watched with its crimson eyes, waiting for the smoke to clear. Impatient it blew the smoke away with a massive breath. "How?!" It shouted after seeing Zell again unharmed.
"Wow!" Zell said. "I honestly thought that was going to be the end of me." Pleased with himself he decided to taunt the snake. "So, are you done yet?" He shouted up to the snake.
The snake's eyes changed back to aquamarine, and it flew down into the pond waters once more. After a few moments the surface of the water began to bubble and out walked a beautiful woman with silver hair and a white dress onto the shore. Her body was adorned with golden jewelry, and she carried a golden staff with the head of a serpent on top. She had aquamarine eyes with the pupils of a snake.
"Who are you mortal?" She asked in a soothing voice. "No man or beast has ever survived my attack, are you another god perhaps?"
"No, just a human." Zell explained.
"A human?!" She was shocked by Zell's answer. "I did not think we had those in this plane. Still a human should have turned to bone and ash, yet you stand. What kind of human are you?"
"Just the normal kind?" Zell shrugged.
"You are far from normal." She said. "Those tattoos on your chest mark you as an astral walker. Tell me what did you do in the astral plane to become so strong?"
"I just witnessed my past, from another life." Zell said.
"Interesting." She said. "You must have been there for years for tattoos to form on your body. That only occurs when someone is drenched in mana for years while exploring the astral plane, that is of course unless they have a spiritual guide, then the spirit gets the markings instead. So, if you were just checking on your past, why were you there for years?"
"It took five years to come to terms with the death of my family, as well as my own." Zell said.
"Interesting." She said again. "Tell me, do you have any memories of the divine realm? I am curious as to what god or goddess sent you to your new world."
"I do not have any memories of that." Zell said.
"Your guide must have been a weak child to have not pierced the divine realm." She laughed. "Allow me." Without warming she walked over to Zell and placed her hand on his forehead.
Everything went white to Zell, and he found himself watching his old self talk to a goddess.
"Oh, it was her." The snake woman said with disdain. "No wonder you are how you are."
They listened to the conversation and Zell learned of his level.
"I am level two million?!" Zell shouted. "I had no idea it was that high!"
The scene continued until Zell's soul vanished from the room and he found himself back at the pond with the woman in white.
"If she is involved then he must be as well." The woman said. "Though she has never meddled in such an overt manner before."
"Excuse me?" Zell said. "Do you know that goddess?" He asked.
"Of course, she is the mother of all." The snake woman said. "The goddess of creation, she created everything, including myself."