The team pressed on, leaving behind the shimmer of blue water and entering a deeper part of the marsh—where the air hung heavy with mineral dust and faint motes of green light. The trees here were sparse, replaced by half-buried statues and jagged mounds that pulsed faintly beneath the mud.

Even the sound of water had changed—thicker, slower. Every ripple carried weight.

"This area's always weird," Caria muttered, reloading her crossbow as her boots sank slightly with each step. "Like the ground's alive."

Aria nodded. "In a way, it is. The Verdant Spined Tortoise's presence bleeds into the terrain—it literally turns the land into part of its shell."

Sophia swept her staff across the area, casting a faint detection ward. "Mana density's high. It's here… just not awake yet."

Rhys scanned the field. The faint hum of power beneath his boots was unmistakable—steady, deep, like a pulse echoing through stone. "Then we wake it on our terms."

Aria smirked. "Confident. I like that. Let's do it."

She stepped forward, thrusting her staff into the mud. "Water Resonance—Pulse Shock!"

The marsh trembled as a wave of azure mana surged outward, rippling through the still pools. For a moment, nothing happened. Then—

A deep rumble rolled through the ground, low and guttural. The nearest mound shuddered, splitting open as streams of water and dirt cascaded off an enormous shell coated in emerald stone and moss. The Verdant Spined Tortoise emerged, its eyes glowing with gold-green light as it exhaled a plume of earthy mist.

"Target confirmed," Sophia said, bracing herself.

"Spread formation," Aria commanded. "Caria—aim for the gaps. Rhys, focus pressure when it opens its guard. Moonbounce, defensive front."

The tortoise's claws dug into the earth, and the ground beneath it hardened instantly, the mud crystallizing into jagged green stone.

Sophia cursed softly. "It's already pulling minerals!"

"Then we move fast," Rhys said, his voice calm but sharp. He drew the Ruinous Darkness Blade, its edge pulsing faint blue and black. "I'll disrupt the mana flow."

He dashed forward, slashing across the ground as faint ripples of dark energy spread beneath the tortoise's feet. The hardened stone flickered—its growth stalling.

"Good," Aria said. "Sophia, now!"

"On it—Aqua Burst!"

A surge of high-pressure water slammed against the tortoise's legs, forcing it slightly off balance. Caria's enchanted bolts followed immediately, striking into the softened joints with explosive precision.

The creature bellowed, lifting one claw high before slamming it down. Shards of crystal exploded outward, scattering like shrapnel.

"Moonbounce—shield!"

The mechanical turtle shifted forward, runes flaring gold as a dome of radiant light enveloped the group. The shards struck harmlessly against it, scattering into motes of green dust.

Rhys felt the mana pressure building again beneath the tortoise. "It's trying to reabsorb!"

He leapt into motion, blade glowing fiercely. "Not this time."

He swung downward—Vertical Slash!—and the impact tore through the hardened shell, leaving a burning scar of shadowlight. The tortoise roared, thrashing as steam and mana vented from the crack.

Aria didn't waste the opening. "Crushing Tide!"

Water spiraled upward around her, slamming into the exposed wound and forcing the tortoise onto its side. Its legs flailed, churning up mud and broken crystal.

Sophia's chant followed, her tone steady despite the quake. "Geyser Pulse—Bind!"

A torrent of water erupted beneath the beast, locking its movements just long enough.

"Rhys—finish it!" Aria shouted.

He raised the Ruinous Darkness Blade, dark energy coalescing along its edge. The air shuddered as the power built—a blend of shadow and refracted light forming an almost glasslike gleam.

"Whirlwind Slash!"

He spun once, cutting through the creature's exposed chest. The impact detonated in a burst of wind and energy, and with a final, ground-shaking roar, the Verdant Spined Tortoise collapsed—its shell cracking apart and dissolving into fragments of glowing mineral.

Silence returned, broken only by the faint hiss of cooling stone.

Caria wiped her brow. "That's four. I think my crossbow's half melted."

Sophia smiled faintly. "But your aim's still perfect."

Aria crouched near the remains, prying loose a glowing green core. "Verdant Crystal Heart. Nice drop—rare material for enchantment conduits."

Rhys sheathed his sword, the mana fading from its edge. "Efficient run."

"More than efficient," Aria said, standing. "You're keeping up with veterans who've farmed this place dozens of times."

He shrugged lightly. "Adaptation's survival. You said it yourself."

Moonbounce let out a deep, satisfied hum, his runes dimming back to silver.

Aria's gaze turned toward the distance where the fog shimmered faintly violet. "Next stop's the Mirage Bloom. Last of the surface bosses."

Sophia frowned. "That thing's… not right, is it?"

Aria's tone shifted—lower, cautious. "No. It's different. Alive, yes—but it learns. Every time we defeat it, it mimics something from the last fight. Patterns, skills… sometimes even voices."

Caria's smirk faltered. "Creepy flower that copies people. Great."

Rhys's expression didn't change. "Then we'll end it before it can adapt."

"Hopefully," Aria murmured.

A faint wind stirred the marsh. Somewhere beyond the ruins, a sound drifted through the fog—soft, lilting, almost like laughter carried by petals.

Moonbounce's runes flickered once, uneasy.

Sophia tightened her grip on her staff. "Let's rest first. Then we move."

Aria nodded. "Agreed. Mirage Bloom's no ordinary hunt."

As they set up a brief camp along the mineral shore, the mist around them pulsed faintly—breathing with the rhythm of something waiting.

The campfire crackled softly, its reflection glinting in the pools around them. Steam drifted lazily through the air, mixing with the marsh's faint luminescence. Despite the victory, the tension hadn't left their shoulders.

Aria sat cross-legged near the fire, her staff laid beside her. She was cleaning the edge of her glove, but her eyes were fixed on the fog ahead. "You feel that too, right?"

Sophia nodded without looking up from the mana scrolls she was inspecting. "It's not just mana density. The flow keeps changing direction. Like something's… breathing through it."

Caria groaned, stretching her arms. "Great. So the swamp itself's alive now. Can't wait to shoot that."

Rhys sat a little apart, polishing his blade. The faint glow from the minerals gave his face a pale cast. "It's reading us," he said quietly.

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