As they climbed higher, the lush greenery of the foothills gave way to a starker landscape of jagged rocks and windswept slopes. The air grew thin and biting, and the only sounds were the whistling of the wind and the crunch of their boots on loose scree.
Lumi navigated the treacherous terrain with surprising agility, her knowledge of the mountain paths evident. Xylos, though still physically challenged, found his endurance slowly improving, spurred by the constant exertion and the subtle influence of the "System."
They found shelter in a shallow cave as night fell, the darkness punctuated by the distant howls of mountain predators. Lumi built a small fire, the flickering flames casting dancing shadows on the cave walls.
"We're nearing the higher peaks," she said, her voice low. "The air will be colder, and the magic… it feels different up there. More raw, less stable."
Xylos could sense it too. The subtle magical energies of the mountains were indeed more volatile, swirling and unpredictable. It felt closer to the untamed power of his former oceanic domain, yet alien and unfamiliar at the same time.
As the fire crackled, Xylos noticed strange markings etched into the cave walls. They were unlike any script he had seen in Oakhaven, intricate symbols that seemed to pulse with a faint, internal light.
He traced one of the symbols with his finger, and a jolt of recognition, faint but distinct, ran through him. It was a pattern he had seen in his fragmented memories of the Abyssal Blight, a mark associated with its encroaching corruption.
[Interaction with Ancient Glyphs]
[Potential Recall: Abyssal Blight Symbolism (Minor)]
[Environmental Resonance: Faint Dark Energy Signature]
"Lumi," he said, his voice hushed with a sudden urgency. "Look at these markings."
Lumi examined the glyphs, her brow furrowing. "I've seen similar symbols in some of the oldest texts in the library. They're said to be from a forgotten civilization that once dwelled in these mountains. Their fate… it's unclear. Some say they vanished, others that they were consumed by a great darkness."
A shiver ran down Xylos's spine. The pieces were beginning to fit together. A forgotten civilization, consumed by darkness, leaving behind symbols of the Blight. It seemed the Abyssal Blight had touched this world before.
As they studied the glyphs, Xylos felt a faint whisper in his mind, a cold, alien presence that sent a wave of nausea through him. It was fleeting, almost imperceptible, but undeniably there.
[Detection of Faint Psionic Intrusion (Localized)]
[Potential Connection: Abyssal Blight Influence]
"Did you feel that?" he asked Lumi, his voice strained.
Lumi looked at him, her eyes filled with concern. "Feel what? The cold?"
Xylos shook his head. "Something… else. A coldness in my mind. Like a shadow passing over it."
Lumi frowned. "The mountains are said to play tricks on the mind. The thin air, the isolation…"
But Xylos knew it was more than that. It was a faint echo of the Blight's influence, a tendril of its ancient consciousness reaching out. They were getting closer to the nexus point, and the darkness was aware of their approach. The echoes in the stone were not just remnants of a forgotten past; they were a warning of the encroaching future. The ascent was becoming more perilous with every step, and the true nature of the darkness they faced was beginning to reveal its terrifying reach.