Once the battle finished, the basin was silent except for Hydra taking deep breaths.
What remained of the alchemical swarm lay scattered across cracked earth and poisoned water, twisted bodies steaming as emerald residue ate through metal plating and corrupted flesh alike.
The lake itself bubbled sluggishly, surface disturbed by dissolving remains of monsters, its unnatural sheen slowly fading under the pressure of Jax's presence.
Hydra landed once more beside the shoreline, claws digging deep into stone as she folded her wings. Her chest rose and fell steadily, poison still rolling faintly along her scales as she surveyed the devastation.
"None left moving," she reported, tail flicking as a final twitching carcass went still, "But I can feel it too. Something's pulling away over there,"
Jax had already stepped off her back.
