Low-Fantasy Occultist

Once everyone had recovered enough to attempt the trek into the inner area of the dungeon, they cautiously emerged from the tunnel.

The first few rays of dawn were peeking over the horizon, turning the swamp's complete darkness into a murky gloom and letting them move more easily.

“Clear,” Nick called once he finished sweeping their surroundings. Not that he expected to find the Hones waiting for them, since Vane already had everything he needed to access the Dungeon Core, but he was feeling especially paranoid after what had just happened.

The others filtered out behind him, pausing to adjust to the light and perform their own checks. "Back through the muck," Monte muttered, adjusting his belt for easier access to his rapier. The noble looked haggard, his finery stripped of all pretension, leaving only the tired swordsman beneath. “Joy."

They headed north for the first time, aiming to reach the Inner area rather than just skirting the edges.

It didn’t take long for them to realize that something was wrong and that it wasn’t anything good.

The death of the Southern Guardian should have eased the tension in the area, ending the final part of the Greater Ritual and allowing the mana flow to return to a more natural state.

Instead, the pressure was rising, and it wasn't the localized heaviness of an Anchor; it was a widespread, atmospheric density that rubbed against their skin like static electricity, as if just before a storm, yet only a few solitary clouds hung overhead.

As they moved north, the feeling only grew stronger, and although they initially managed to make good time, avoiding most of the swamp’s more dangerous creatures, their streak of good luck quickly ran out.

A salamander burst out of a deep pool they were skirting around, lunging with its maw open to take a bite out of Yvonne.

Having been warned by Nick about its presence, she only muttered a curse, swinging her greatsword upward and unleashing a wave of frost.

Nick vaguely noticed that she was using mana-heavy skills much more freely, something she had avoided earlier in their adventure, but it didn’t seem that important at the moment.

Working together, they rounded up and defeated the monster quickly, overwhelming its defenses with intense magical saturation.