The terrain changed as they descended.The molten ridge gave way to swamp—mud thick as oil, reeds rising like skeletal fingers from pools that glowed faintly green. Each step sank with a wet, sucking pull, and the air turned heavy with the stench of rot and stagnant mana.
The fog here was different—alive. It coiled between the trees, whispering in voices that weren't quite echoes.
"Shadow resonance confirmed," Caria murmured, scanning with a small crystal scope. "Mana density's off the charts. We're in the serpent's lair."
Aria slowed her pace, eyes scanning the pools. "Everyone, spread two meters apart. Poison mist will be layered. Sophia, keep your barrier active."
"Already on it." A shimmering blue veil expanded outward, coating the team in faint light. The air immediately cleared around them, the toxins dissolving into harmless steam.
Moonbounce snorted, his shell refracting the green haze into motes of gold light. He stepped gingerly, every movement deliberate.
