The western ruins lay beyond a stretch of dried grasslands where old stone pillars shattered by time stood like broken teeth against the horizon. Evan walked with the heavy feeling of responsibility pressing on his shoulders. It had been three days since his demonstration in the guild hall, and the numbers from the Magic Risk Indicator had only grown more alarming. Mana instability readings were spiking. Curse density was rising. And new reports of missing adventurers appeared every morning on the guild board.

The guild master finally conceded that something serious was occurring. He allowed a limited investigation party to confirm the threat. Evan, Elira, Garron, and a squad of seasoned adventurers traveled together toward the ruins. This was the first official field deployment of Crestfall Risk Shield’s system. Evan carried his device in a reinforced case, and Elira carried several herb pouches designed to stabilize life energy readings. Garron walked ahead with his shield ready.

When they reached the outskirts of the ruins, a strange feeling washed over them. The air felt heavier, as if something unseen pressed down from above. A dark shimmer flickered near broken archways. Elira held out her hand. Life energy is unstable she said. Something is pulling at the ground. Evan activated the device. Instantly the crystals spun violently. Numbers flashed red. The highest readings he had ever seen. He stared at the device. This is critical level he said. We need to stay alert.

The adventurers behind him exchanged uneasy glances. Draven, who had reluctantly joined the investigation, grunted. Show us what these numbers mean in real danger he said. Evan nodded. He pointed at the ground where faint dark lines pulsed beneath the soil. Curse channels he explained. They are absorbing mana from the environment. That means something underground is feeding off the area.

One ranger knelt beside a crack in the stone. I see movement he said. Garron stepped forward with his shield raised. But instead of monsters emerging, the ground shook. A deep rumble vibrated through the earth. The ruins trembled as ancient stones shifted. Evan’s device emitted a piercing tone. Elira gasped. The curse surge is about to happen.

Before anyone could react, a plume of black energy erupted from the center of the ruins. A wave of dark mist rushed outward like a collapsing storm. Evan shouted Get behind cover. The group scattered. Garron shielded Elira as the mist scraped against his armor and left dark scorch marks. Draven stabbed his sword into the ground to steady himself. The curse mist washed over the landscape and transformed dried plants into brittle black spikes.

Evan watched the reading spike past the maximum threshold. The surge was far beyond anything he modeled. The ruins had become a curse eruption zone. If any adventurer entered this place alone they would collapse in minutes. The adventurers realized how dangerous the situation had become. Evan shouted We need to withdraw. The ruins are unstable. If we stay here any longer we risk collapse or curse sickness.

But before they could retreat another sound echoed through the ruins. A deep rattling like bones grinding against stone. From beneath the cracked floor an enormous creature rose. It had a skeletal body intertwined with cursed tendrils. Its hollow eyes glowed with unnatural light. A curseborne construct. Evan’s breath caught. These creatures appeared only in myth. They were formed by centuries of accumulated curse energy. Elira whispered The stories were true. This thing should not exist.

Draven stepped forward. Weapons up. Do not let it get close. The adventurers formed a defensive line but Evan shook his head. Swords and spells alone cannot stop it. Its strength is tied to the curse density. We must disrupt the energy feeding it. Garron looked at Evan. How. Evan examined the readings quickly. The creature drew power from three main curse channels. If they could sever the channels the creature would weaken.

Evan pointed toward glowing cracks on the ground. Destroy those points he said. The adventurers followed his direction. Draven and two warriors charged the first channel with heavy strikes. Elira supported them with cleansing light spells. The ground cracked further but the glow dimmed. At the second channel Garron slammed his shield into the ground causing the cursed tendrils to recoil. Evan struck the earth with a mana disruptor crystal Lira had given him. The crystal shattered and released a bright wave that disrupted the curse flow.

The creature roared with a hollow voice. Its movements slowed. Its limbs became unstable. The third channel was the largest. A cluster of cursed stones pulsed like a beating heart. Elira stepped forward and began chanting an advanced cleansing spell. Light gathered in her hands and then burst outward. The curse cluster ruptured into dust.

The creature shrieked, collapsed, and crumbled into fragments. Silence filled the ruins.

The adventurers exhaled in relief. Draven looked at Evan with newfound respect. Your numbers saved us again he said. Evan nodded though his mind still raced. The risk readings had predicted the eruption but he had underestimated the severity. This creature was not just an accident. Something or someone had caused the curse channels to grow unnaturally fast.

Elira crouched near the remnants and gathered a handful of dark dust. This was manipulated she said. Curse energy does not form channels this quickly unless someone increases the flow. Garron scowled. The Umbra Brokers again. Evan felt the cold weight of that possibility. If the Umbra Brokers were strong enough to amplify a curse eruption then they were not just criminals. They were capable of destabilizing entire regions.

The adventurers began retreating from the ruins. The curse mist thickened again and the area crackled with unstable magic. As they left the ruins Evan kept checking the device. Even at a distance the readings spiked. The city needed immediate restrictions on entry. They needed warning signs, patrols, and public announcements. He had to convince the guild and the council to respond quickly.

Back in Aerilon, the guild hall erupted into noise when the team returned. Adventurers gathered around as Garron described the curseborne construct. Mira rushed toward Evan with worry in her eyes. Are you all right she asked. Evan nodded wearily. We survived but the ruins did not. We need to close them until further notice.

The guild master studied Evan’s charts and agreed. If we send anyone there now they will die. Evan’s device and the team’s report were enough to force policy change. The western ruins were sealed for the first time in decades.

But this victory revealed a darker truth. Someone was manipulating curses on a massive scale.

Crestfall Risk Shield had saved lives. But now it faced a threat of much greater magnitude.