The air in the swamp was suffocating, heavy with the acrid tang of essence saturation. Elaine's lungs burned with every breath despite the stabilizer serum coursing through her system. The shattered remains of the Myriapod lay scattered across the clearing, its crystalline fragments still faintly glowing.
The group was silent, each member catching their breath after the intense battle. Kael knelt by the creature's remains, his sharp eyes scanning the shards for anything useful.
"Find anything?" Ferran asked, leaning on his blade.
"Not yet," Kael muttered. He held up a jagged piece of crystal, its surface faintly pulsing with green light. "This might be what's left of its core."
Lira stepped closer, her interest piqued. "Careful with that," she warned. "Residual essence from the core could destabilize if it's exposed to the wrong energy."
Elaine watched the exchange, her mind racing. The Nexus remained eerily silent, offering no further guidance. The shard's cryptic warning echoed in her thoughts, mingling with her growing unease.
"The overseer who bends the rules…"
She couldn't shake the feeling that this mission wasn't just about retrieving an artifact. Aria had sent them here with minimal preparation, knowing full well the risks involved. And why send a probationer like her on such a critical task?
Ferran's voice snapped her back to the present. "Let's move. We've already made enough noise to draw every predator in this cursed swamp."
Kael stood, tucking the glowing shard into a pouch at his belt. "Agreed. The artifact site isn't far, but we'll need to stay sharp. Creatures like this don't hunt alone."
Elaine frowned. "You're saying there might be more of those things?"
Kael nodded grimly. "Essence saturation breeds anomalies. Where there's one, there's usually a nest."
Deeper into the Sink
The group moved in tense silence, their weapons drawn and their eyes scanning the shadows. The swamp grew denser as they pressed on, the trees twisting together in unnatural shapes. Glowing fungi clung to the roots, their eerie light casting faint, distorted reflections on the stagnant water.
Elaine walked near the middle of the group, her thoughts divided between the dangers around them and the growing mystery of the artifact. The Nexus flickered faintly in her vision, as though reacting to the concentrated essence in the air.
She whispered, "What do you know about this artifact?"
The Nexus's response was immediate:
QUERY RESPONSE:
Artifact Classification: Essence Catalyst.
Purpose: Amplifies environmental resonance for controlled synthesis.
Historical Use: Restricted to Nexus-aligned overseers.
WARNING: Current Nexus instability renders artifact activation hazardous.
Her stomach churned. Hazardous wasn't a word she liked hearing, especially when it came to the Nexus. Whatever this artifact was, it wasn't just a tool—it was a weapon.
"Stay close," Kael muttered, snapping her out of her thoughts.
Elaine nodded, gripping the vial of stabilizer serum in her belt. Every step felt heavier, the air thick with tension.
The group reached a narrow ravine carved into the swamp floor, its sides slick with moss and glowing essence veins. Kael crouched at the edge, his hand brushing against the glowing soil.
"This is it," he said, his voice low. "The artifact is below."
Lira peered over the edge, her expression uneasy. "And what are the odds that the artifact isn't guarded by something horrible?"
Ferran chuckled darkly. "Slim to none."
Kael stood, drawing his bow. "We'll scout ahead. The rest of you prepare for retrieval."
Elaine hesitated. "Retrieval how? Is there a plan for this, or are we improvising again?"
Kael shot her a sharp look. "The artifact is likely encased in resonance crystal. You'll have to destabilize it to extract it safely."
Elaine groaned inwardly. Of course it would involve destabilizing something volatile in the middle of a swamp teeming with essence-infused predators.
Ferran stepped closer, his expression serious. "We'll cover you, but don't take too long. Whatever's guarding it won't wait forever."
The Descent
The ravine's walls were slick and unstable, forcing the group to climb down carefully. The faint glow of the essence veins provided just enough light to see, but the oppressive air made every movement a struggle.
At the bottom, the ground leveled out into a wide cavern, its walls covered in jagged, crystalline growths. The air here was even thicker with essence, the shimmering particles swirling like a faint mist.
In the center of the cavern, embedded in a cluster of crystals, was the artifact.
Elaine's breath caught. The artifact was a sphere, its surface smooth and reflective, pulsing faintly with multicolored light. The energy radiating from it was palpable, sending a tingling sensation across her skin.
DIVERGENCE ALERT:
Artifact Identified: Essence Catalyst Core.
Stabilization Required: Neutralize surrounding resonance crystals.
Kael motioned for the group to fan out, his bow at the ready. "Lira, Jothan, and Caldara, work on extracting the artifact. Ferran and I will keep watch."
Elaine knelt near the artifact, her eyes scanning the crystalline growths around it. They pulsed faintly, the rhythm matching the artifact's glow.
Lira handed her a small vial of corrosive essence. "This should destabilize the crystals. Just be careful not to damage the core."
"No pressure," Elaine muttered.
She carefully poured a few drops of the corrosive liquid onto one of the crystals. The reaction was immediate—the crystal hissed and cracked, its glow dimming.
"Good," Lira said, her tone sharp. "Keep going. We need all of them neutralized before we can move the artifact."
As Elaine worked, the air grew heavier, the oppressive energy pressing down on her chest. She glanced at the others, their movements tense and hurried.
A low growl echoed through the cavern, freezing everyone in place.
Kael cursed under his breath, his bowstring taut. "We're not alone."
The ground trembled, faint ripples spreading across the pools of stagnant water. The growl grew louder, joined by the faint chittering of countless legs.
Elaine's stomach dropped. "Please tell me that's not what I think it is."
A massive shape emerged from the shadows, its body glistening with essence-infused crystal. It was another Myriapod—larger than the last, its glowing red eyes fixed on the group.
Kael loosed an arrow, the projectile shattering against the creature's crystalline carapace.
"Protect the artifact!" he shouted.
Ferran charged forward, his blade gleaming in the faint light. Elaine's hands trembled as she reached for another vial, the Nexus flickering with a warning:
EMERGENCY ENCOUNTER:
Entity: Overgrown Essence Myriapod.
Threat Level: Critical.
Recommended Tactic: Use artifact resonance to destabilize creature's core.
Elaine's heart pounded. The artifact wasn't just their goal—it was their only weapon.
"Lira!" she shouted. "We need to activate the artifact!"
Lira's eyes widened. "Are you insane? If we activate it without proper stabilization, it could—"
"We don't have a choice!" Elaine snapped.
The Myriapod let out a deafening screech, its massive body lunging toward them.
Elaine grabbed the artifact, its surface warm and pulsing in her hands. The Nexus flickered violently, its warnings flashing across her vision as the energy within the sphere began to surge.