Another explorer added, "Messenger from Highridge Stronghold confirmed three C rank dungeons showing abnormal mana flux. They're prioritizing those."
A low whistle passed through the group.
Highridge.
That name alone carried weight.
Highridge Stronghold was one of the largest frontier bastions in the eastern territories. Massive walls. Dense mana saturation. Veteran divisions. Entire companies of elites.
If Highridge was stretched thin…
Things were bad.
Veylor rubbed his chin.
"How many others like this?"
"At least seven confirmed across nearby territories," the scout replied. "Two in Stonehaven. One in Ironroot Pass. And this one."
Veylor exhaled slowly.
"So the wave started."
Nobody asked what wave meant.
Everyone knew.
Every few years, dungeons across wide regions began mutating at once.
No one knew the true cause.
Some blamed mana saturation.
Some blamed planar instability.
Some whispered about cult groups feeding dungeons from the inside.
