The wind in the Shattered Vale howled as Team Eclipse rested briefly near the site of the Abyssal Ravager's defeat. The canyon's eerie silence returned, broken only by the faint hum of the glowing cracks in the walls. Though victorious, the group's spirits were weighed down by the enormity of their task.
"One down, four to go," Aris murmured, leaning against her bow as she surveyed the map. "The next energy signature is in the Sunless Marshes, northwest of here. It's going to be a trek."
Draven grumbled, shaking debris off his armor. "I hope this next one isn't another oversized monster. Maybe we'll get lucky, and it'll just be a glowing flower or something."
Ryu sheathed Voidfang, his expression unreadable. "Doubt it."
Draven gave him a look. "You are a bundle of optimism, aren't you?"
"Focus," Aris said, cutting through their banter. "We have a lot to cover, and time is not on our side. Let's head to the waypoint and regroup there.
As the group embarked, Ryu couldn't help but feel weighed down by the presence of the Abyssal Orb in his inventory. The faint pulsating had returned and seemed aligned eerily with his heartbeats. The weird private message still echoed through his mind and added tension to the journey.
By the time they reached the Sunless Marshes, the group was already on edge. The landscape was a stark contrast to the Shattered Vale—where the canyon had been dry and brittle, the marshes were wet and suffocating. Thick fog hung low over the ground, obscuring their vision and muffling their footsteps.
"Great," Draven muttered, poking the swampy ground with his sword. "First glowing snakes, then giant monsters. Now we get to deal with fog. What's next, poisonous air?"
"Don't jinx it," Aris said, scanning the horizon. "The energy signature is close. Be ready for anything."
They moved cautiously, the murky water splashing softly with each step. The Abyssal Orb's glow began to intensify, casting faint ripples of light across the fog.
Suddenly, a shape darted through the mist.
"Did you see that?" Draven hissed, raising his shield.
"Something's here," Aris confirmed, nocking an arrow and narrowing her eyes.
The fog swirled, and shadows moved all around them. Low, guttural growls echoed through the marsh. Before they could react, the first creature lunged—a grotesque, amphibian-like monster with glowing Abyssal veins coursing through its slimy body.
[Enemy Encounter: Abyssal Mirebeast x4]
"Ambush!" Aris yelled, loosing an arrow that struck one creature squarely in the chest.
Ryu darted forward, his blade slicing cleanly through another Mirebeast's arm. The creature screeched, its wound oozing black ichor, but more emerged from the fog to take its place.
Draven stood his ground, slamming his shield into the nearest monster and bashing it with his mace. "I'm starting to miss the big guy from earlier!"
It was a fight. The fog blinded them, and the Mirebeasts took the marsh as their advantage, attacking from the darkness before slinking away.
"Stick together!" Aris shouted, firing a flurry of arrows.
Ryu again activated Voidfang, vanishing into the mist. His strikes were precise and deadly, each one weakening the Mirebeasts until the group gained the upper hand.
With a final coordinated attack, the last creature fell, its body dissolving into a pool of dark energy.
[Enemies Defeated: Abyssal Mirebeast x4]
[Experience Gained: 4,000]
The fog began to lift slightly, revealing a glowing fissure in the ground.
"That's it," Aris said, pointing to the fissure. "The energy signature is coming from there.
The Abyssal Orb in Ryu's inventory reacted violently, glowing more fiercely until it felt like he could feel the heat radiating against his chest. He reached into his inventory, pulling it out and seeing how it resonated to the fissure.
"What's it doing?" Draven asked, his shield clutched tight to his chest.
Before anyone could say a word, the crack burst forth with a wave of dark energy. A giant, shadowy figure emerged from it—a towering wraith clad in Abyssal flames.
[Boss Encounter: Abyssal Wraith]
[Level: 42]
Ryu clenched his teeth. "Here we go again."
The Abyssal Wraith was unlike anything they'd faced before. Its body was incorporeal, making it hard to land hits. It floated above the marsh, lashing out with tendrils of dark energy that drained health and stamina with every strike.
"Aris, try hitting its core!" Ryu shouted, dodging a tendril that nearly wrapped around his leg.
On it!" she shot back, taking aim at the dimly glowing orb within the chest of the wraith. Her arrows flew true, and the wraith shrieked in agony and stumbled for a moment.
Draven came charging in, using his shield to block its attacks as he rained heavy blows down with his mace. "This thing never knows when to quit!
Ryu activated Voidfang again, disappearing into the darkness. He reappeared behind the wraith, driving the dagger into its core. The blade seemed to resonate with the creature, causing it to recoil violently.
The battle continued, the party working in perfect sync to take advantage of the wraith's weaknesses. Finally, with one last coordinated strike—Aris's arrow, Draven's mace, and Ryu's blade—the wraith let out an ear-piercing scream before collapsing into a pool of dark energy.
[Boss Defeated: Abyssal Wraith]
[Experience Gained: 18,000]
[Loot Acquired: Abyssal Core Fragment]
Another notification appeared:
[Quest Update: 2/5 Abyssal Energy Signatures Neutralized.]
Draven sank to his knees, breathing heavily. "Two down. That's progress, right?"
"Barely," Aris said, wiping sweat from her brow.
Ryu held the Abyssal Core Fragment in his hand, its dark energy pulsing faintly. He could feel the weight of the remaining tasks ahead, but his focus remained on the Sky Citadel looming above.
"We're running out of time," he said quietly.
Aris followed his gaze, her expression grim. "Then we'd better move fast."
Behind them was the marsh and, of course, time. So Team Eclipse continued with great determination to find the truth behind the Abyss and its secrets in the Sky Citadel.