The morning sunlight had barely reached the rooftops when Evan sensed something wrong. The resonance readings from the southern tower site fluctuated sharply. He scanned the incoming values on the new relay prototype Mira had assembled. The numbers twisted unpredictably. Curse signatures spiked. Mana drift values stretched beyond expected limits.

Evan grabbed the device and rushed out of the office. Garron and Elira followed without hesitation. Draven, already sensing danger, joined them before they even reached the gate. Mira shouted after them I will monitor readings from here. The group sprinted toward the southern construction zone.

Even before they arrived they saw the problem. A thick cloud of dark haze hovered above the foundation. Workers ran shouting. Some collapsed coughing. Enchanters tried to stabilize the resonance ring but the glow flickered violently. The curse absorption plates turned black. The ground vibrated like a heartbeat out of control.

Evan activated the Magic Risk Indicator. The crystals spun wildly. Numbers shot upward so fast they blurred. Elira gasped. This is a direct curse injection she said. Something or someone attacked the foundation itself. Garron shouted Where are they. Draven scanned the rooftops. They hide in the shadows he said. Feel for the wrong energy.

Evan stepped onto the trembling ground. He held the device toward the soil. The resonance spike pointed north. He shouted Draven. To the ridge. Draven dashed ahead. Garron followed shield raised. Evan and Elira remained near the foundation to stabilize what they could.

On the ridge Draven spotted movement. Two masked figures knelt beside an array of dark crystals embedded into the soil. They were forcing curse energy downward in steady pulses. Draven roared and charged. The masked figures reacted by triggering a surge of dark smoke. Garron reached the ridge seconds later and blocked the smoke with his shield.

The attackers fled down the slope. Draven chased one. Garron pursued the other. The attackers threw curse shards that exploded into small blasts. Draven cut through them. Garron battered through the smoke. The masked figures were fast but not skilled in physical combat. Draven tackled his target and knocked him unconscious. Garron pinned his opponent with a shield slam. Both attackers were captured.

Meanwhile Evan struggled to stabilize the foundation. The added curse energy caused the resonance core to pulse out of rhythm. If it collapsed the tower could not be built. Elira knelt beside him and chanted purification spells. Her voice echoed across the zone like calm wind. Evan recalibrated the fate crystal. Sweat dripped down his forehead. The ground trembled harder.

We need more power Elira said. Evan considered options. Then he remembered one technique from Earth. A dampening matrix. If he inverted the resonance sequence he could absorb some of the excess energy. But the tower was not complete. The risk was enormous. If he guessed wrong the entire foundation would collapse.

Evan made the decision. He placed the Magic Risk Indicator directly on the resonance circle. The device glowed brightly. The crystals rotated so fast they became a blur. Elira looked alarmed. That device cannot handle a neutralization surge. It will break. Evan replied calmly. Lives matter more than tools. Stand back.

He placed both hands on the resonance circle and activated a counter pattern. The ground shook violently. A burst of dark energy erupted upward. Elira shielded her eyes. Light from the device clashed with the curse surge. For a moment everything froze. Then the surge broke apart and dispersed into ribbons of faint smoke.

The resonance glow steadied. The ground stopped trembling. The danger passed.

Evan fell back breathing heavily. Elira rushed to support him. The device lay on the ground. Its crystals were cracked. Its metal frame bent. Evan picked it up with a heavy heart. It had served him well but it was damaged beyond repair.

Garron and Draven dragged the two captured Umbra Brokers back to the site. The guild master arrived moments later with guards. When he saw the damage and the broken device his expression darkened. They tried to destroy your tower he said. Evan nodded. They will try again. He looked at the device. And now they destroyed our best reader.

The guild master studied Evan’s exhausted expression. You saved the tower foundation he said. But we must prepare for greater battles. Evan agreed. The Umbra Brokers were no longer acting indirectly. They moved openly. Aggressively. Desperately.

Evan stared at the cracked crystals. Without a functioning device the risk curves would be blind. The guild master asked Can you rebuild it. Evan nodded slowly. Yes. But I need rare components. Stronger resonance crystals. Cores immune to curse interference. Materials only found in the Deep Enclave mines.

Draven frowned. That region is extremely dangerous. Garron added And the Umbra Brokers operate there. Elira placed a hand on Evan’s shoulder. If you go we go with you.

Evan closed his eyes for a brief moment. To rebuild the device. To finish the towers. To protect the city. They needed new materials. And the only way to get them was to travel into one of the most dangerous regions in the world.

He stood up and faced the group. Then we prepare for a new journey he said. A long one. A dangerous one. But necessary.

The war between risk and shadow had entered a new phase. And Crestfall Risk Shield would not back down.