The group pressed forward through the deepening fog. The air had grown heavier, thick with the metallic scent of mana reacting to moisture. The further they went, the less sound the marsh seemed to hold—only the faint ripple of water and the occasional creak of trees bending under unseen weight.
Moonbounce moved quietly behind, his silver runes pulsing at a steady rhythm, casting pale ripples of light that guided their steps.
"The next target's just ahead," Aria murmured, crouching near a half-submerged stone marker covered in runic moss. "Crimson Fang Lizard's lair should be near the ruins—about two hundred meters north."
Sophia nodded, her eyes glowing faintly as she scanned the mana field. "There's definitely movement in that direction. And… heat."
Caria loaded her crossbow, the faint click breaking the silence. "Then it's awake."
Rhys adjusted his grip on the Ruinous Darkness Blade. "What are we dealing with?"
