Crimsonb Marsh

Chapter 73 — Crimson Marsh

They left Greyfall before sunrise.

The four survivors traveled with them.

Aether still didn't fully trust them.

But their information had already proven useful.

The western key.

The Crimson Marsh.

According to the survivors, it was three days away.

They called the place a forbidden region.

Not because of legends.

Because almost everyone who entered without preparation died.

Aether found that explanation much more believable.

As they traveled, he continued testing Origin Sense.

Thirty meters.

The range was limited, but the ability was already proving useful.

He could detect hidden beasts before they approached.

He could sense unstable patches of Origin Energy.

He could even tell when someone was suppressing their cultivation.

By the second day, Aether had already become comfortable using it.

During the afternoon, they reached a ruined bridge.

Aether suddenly stopped.

Lyra almost walked into him.

"What?"

"Something's beneath us."

The four survivors immediately became nervous.

One of them whispered,

"Marsh Crocodile."

Aether looked down.

The water beneath the bridge was completely still.

Too still.

Then—

SPLASH!

A massive creature exploded from the water.

Its jaws opened toward Seris.

Aether moved instantly.

Shadow Step.

He appeared between them.

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BOOM!

His weapon struck the beast's skull.

The creature crashed back into the water.

Lyra attacked from the bridge.

Aria followed.

Seris released a wave of Life Essence that strengthened their bodies.

The creature surfaced again.

It was enormous.

Covered in dark green scales.

Its mouth contained rows of sharp teeth.

[Origin Beast detected.]

[Potential: B]

[Current cultivation: Origin Awakening — Stage 5]

Aether smiled.

"Stage 5."

The creature charged.

Aether didn't retreat.

He met it head-on.

Their attacks collided.

The beast's claws scraped against Aether's weapon.

Aether twisted his body.

Shadow Step.

He appeared beneath its jaw.

His weapon drove upward.

BOOM!

The beast's skull cracked.

It collapsed.

[Origin Beast defeated.]

[Origin Points gained: 40]

[Origin Points: 290 / 650]

Aether wiped the blood from his weapon.

One of the survivors stared at him.

"You killed a Stage 5 beast that quickly."

Aether glanced at him.

"Was I supposed to let it eat someone?"

The survivor immediately shook his head.

"No."

They continued traveling.

By evening, the landscape changed.

Trees became twisted.

The ground became wet.

A thick red mist covered the horizon.

The Crimson Marsh.

Aether immediately activated Origin Sense.

The environment was saturated with strange Origin Energy.

His expression became serious.

"Stay close."

They entered.

Within minutes, Aether noticed something strange.

There were no insects.

No birds.

No ordinary beasts.

Only silence.

Then Seris stopped.

"Wait."

Aether looked at her.

She placed a hand against a nearby tree.

"There are living things underground."

"How many?"

"I don't know."

Aether used Origin Sense.

Dozens of faint signatures appeared beneath them.

Then hundreds.

His eyes narrowed.

"The entire marsh is alive."

One survivor swallowed.

"That's why we call it forbidden."

The ground suddenly moved.

Aether grabbed Lyra's wrist.

"Jump!"

Everyone leaped.

The earth beneath them exploded.

Dozens of vine-like creatures erupted from the mud.

Aria's sword flashed.

Lyra cut through several.

Seris released Life Essence to protect the survivors.

Aether moved through the battlefield.

One strike.

Another.

Another.

The vines kept coming.

Aether realized something.

"They aren't attacking randomly."

He looked toward the center of the marsh.

"They're protecting something."

The survivors froze.

"You found it?"

Aether nodded.

"Under the marsh."

They pushed forward.

After several minutes, they reached a massive stone platform buried beneath the mud.

Six symbols were carved into it.

One was glowing.

The same symbol shown on the Greyfall map.

Aether approached.

The system appeared.

[Origin Key resonance detected.]

[Distance: 4 meters.]

He looked down.

The key was beneath them.

But before he could act—

A sharp killing intent appeared behind him.

Aether turned.

One of the four survivors had drawn a hidden dagger.

The blade was aimed directly at Seris.

Aether disappeared.

Shadow Step.

He appeared beside the man.

Aether caught his wrist.

The man's expression changed.

"You—"

Aether twisted.

CRACK.

The dagger fell.

Aether kicked him into the mud.

"Blackridge?"

The man remained silent.

The other three survivors backed away in shock.

Aether's eyes became cold.

"You had one chance to explain."

The man reached for another weapon.

Aether's weapon pierced his chest.

The man's body fell.

[Hostile enemy defeated.]

[Origin Points gained: 30]

[Origin Points: 320 / 650]

Aether looked toward the remaining three.

"Anyone else?"

They immediately shook their heads.

"We didn't know."

Aether believed them.

They were terrified.

He turned back toward the platform.

The system appeared again.

[Origin Key detected.]

[Current distance: 3.7 meters.]

[Key status: Dormant.]

Aether placed his hand on the stone.

Origin Energy flowed into it.

The platform activated.

The marsh trembled.

But there was no voice.

No mysterious announcement.

No creature appeared.

Instead, a hidden compartment slowly opened beneath the platform.

Inside was a single black crystal.

Aether reached toward it.

Then stopped.

Something was engraved beneath the crystal.

A name.

BLACKRIDGE.

Aether's expression hardened.

They hadn't discovered a random key.

They had found one of Blackridge's supply points.

And now Aether finally had a trail leading directly to the people collecting them.