The landscape outside the stealth helicopter was a fast-moving canvas of forest and earth. The rotors droned with a bone-deep hum – a sound that reminded them they were far from the calm halls of the Academy.

Jonah sat strapped into a seat, the Shrouded Path suit feeling like a second skin. Across from him, Seraph was a picture of calm focus, checking her gear for the tenth time. They were flanked by three other soldiers from the Special Forces, their faces grim and professional. They were older, harder, and moved with an economy of motion that spoke of years spent on the front lines.

The vibrant woods of Academy land were a memory now, lost to miles of dark, messy wetlands. Inside the chopper, the air grew sticky and close, filled with the damp stink of mud and decay.

"Five minutes to the drop zone," the pilot's voice crackled over the intercom.

Jonah's heart began to pound, a nervous rhythm against the steady beat of the chopper. This wasn't a school exam or a controlled mission. This was real.

As the helicopter descended, the swamp opened up below them, and Jonah saw it.

The ruin.

It wasn't a castle or a fortress. It was a city. The ruined tops of ancient skyscrapers rose from the dark, stagnant water like broken monuments, their glassless windows staring out like hollow eyes. Twisted metal sky-bridges linked a few of the taller towers, while others stood isolated, wrapped in curtains of thick, trailing vines. The sight was haunting –beautiful, but unsettling.

The moment they drew close, Jonah felt it. A hum of life, but unlike anything he had ever sensed. The creatures here… their signatures were old. Primal. They felt stranger, more alien than the Demonic Beasts he was used to. It was like comparing a wolf to something that had crawled out of the deep ocean.

The helicopter hovered over the roof of a wide, flat-topped building that was mostly intact. The team fast-roped down, their boots landing silently on the crumbling concrete. The chopper pulled away, its sound fading into the oppressive humidity, leaving them in a world of buzzing insects and the slow drip of water.

"Report," Seraph said, her voice a low command that cut through the silence.

One of the soldiers, a man with a heavy pulse rifle, scanned the area. "Perimeter secure. No immediate hostiles."

"Jonah," Seraph said, turning to him.

Jonah nodded. He closed his eyes and summoned Nyx from his Beast Space. The Glimmer-Wing Striker appeared in a faint shimmer of light, its iridescent wings beating silently. The three soldiers stared, their professional composure momentarily broken. They had seen Tamers before, but Jonah's creations were… different. Unnatural.

Fly high. Show me what's out there, Jonah thought, projecting the command through their link.

Nyx shot skyward, vanishing into the overcast gray clouds. Information flooded Jonah's mind – a bird's-eye view of the sunken city.

He opened his eyes. "Okay. The city is a network of waterways and crumbling structures. I see reptilian creatures patrolling the water – big ones. And there are nests of some kind of giant, insect-like beast in the taller towers to the north. I can't see inside most of the buildings from the air."

The soldiers exchanged glances. The intel was faster and more detailed than any drone could have provided.

"We need to get to the central district," Seraph said, pointing on her digital map. "That's where the geode is supposed to be. We'll take the waterways. It's faster than trying to climb."

The team pulled out self-inflating rafts. They were small, black, and silent. As they paddled through the murky channels between the decaying towers of concrete and steel, the atmosphere grew tense. The water lapped against the sides of the raft, and strange shapes moved in the depths below. It felt like they were paddling through a graveyard.

They were rounding the corner of a massive, collapsed office building when it happened.

The water ahead of them exploded.

Two creatures leaped from the murky depths, landing on the crumbling remains of a walkway. They were like crocodiles, but faster, more agile, with skin that shifted and shimmered, perfectly matching the grimy concrete. Chameleonic skin.

"Swamp Stalkers!" one of the soldiers yelled. "Contact!"

Before Jonah could even react, the team moved with blinding speed. The soldier with the pulse rifle fired a controlled burst, one of the Stalkers shuddering as sizzling holes appeared in its side. The second creature hissed, its long jaw snapping open, and lunged. Seraph was already moving, her combat knife a blur as she sidestepped and drove the blade deep into the creature's eye socket.

It was over in less than five seconds. Two deadly predators, dispatched with brutal, practiced efficiency.

Jonah stared, his heart pounding. The raw skill of the veteran Elites was on another level.

"Area clear," the rifleman reported, his weapon already scanning for new threats.

Jonah knew this was his chance. "Wait," he said, his voice a little shaky. "I need to… collect a sample."

Seraph nodded, understanding. The other soldiers looked at him, confused, as he hopped off the raft and cautiously approached the corpse of the stalker Seraph had killed.

He knelt beside the creature, feeling its life-force fading. He pulled one of the vials from his bandolier, uncapping it with a trembling hand. He placed his other hand on the stalker's hide.

Absorb.

But instead of pulling the essence into himself, he willed it into the container. A stream of shimmering, green-and-brown energy flowed from the dead beast, funnelling into the crystal vial. The vial glowed brightly for a moment, then dimmed, the energy contained. Jonah sealed the cap.

[Swamp Stalker Essence (Water, Camouflage) x1 Acquired]

He looked at the vial, then back at the bewildered soldiers. He had it. The first ingredient for his masterpiece. A new piece for his collection. He secured the vial to his bandolier, a thrill of success cutting through his fear.

He felt the heavy, expectant gazes of the soldiers on him, but he ignored them. He looked at Seraph, his expression now firm and ready.

The mission had truly begun.