When he reached the same area, the black core had seemingly disappeared. Zane froze mid-step, his eyes narrowing in confusion. He extended his mana sense outward, sweeping the area dry, but found nothing. No traces of anything lingering in the area, even in the tunnel he was in.
"It's gone," he said. The realization wasn't a disappointment; it was more intriguing now. "Which means it changes each time. So, I guess, I'll have to find where it's hiding this time as well."
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. The tunnels weren't random. They reacted to the energy and intent of the Adventurers instead. Every sound mattered. Every echo carried a clue. He placed a hand on the tunnel wall and focused, listening, not to the noise, but to the deafening silence between them.
Somewhere far ahead, he heard it. He heard a faint noise, a faint pulse, and he moved, blurring past tunnels as he shot forward, his footseps slintering into phantom echoes for distraction.
