57. Rainbow Smoke

Jason reflects on the rune tortoise he slew, loots it from a distance to avoid the foul rainbow-smoke dissolution, and discusses looting’s rarity with Vincent. The group regathers, Mobley still singed, and Vincent pushes them onward for more hunts that day.

They ride Bridge Road through a mangrove swamp where Vincent stops to brief the candidates. He explains how monster notices—name, number, and location—are often wrong, urging preparation, flexibility, and retreat over misplaced pride. Today’s target is a bark lurker reported near bridge marker sixteen, and Vincent gives Jason a far-sight crystal so the group can observe.

Jason steps off the bridge, walking on water under his cloak of stars, and uses aura-sense to find a dead zone. He plants monster-meat bait among mangrove roots, hides his aura, and waits. The bark lurker surfaces to seize the bait, revealing a hulking, log-armored form, and Jason shadow-steps in to strike, inflicting Umbral Snake Venom and Sin, then withdraws across the water.

Jason maneuvers the enraged, slow-wading monster into mangrove tangles, stabbing again to add Bleeding while Hegemony weakens its resistances. He then casts Inexorable Doom, locking in a win condition: poison, curse, and bleeding escalate while the lurker’s regeneration is offset. Jason keeps range by water-walking and shadow-hopping, drawing it back toward the bridge.

Overwhelmed by stacking afflictions, the bark lurker finally collapses and dissolves into rainbow smoke as Jason returns to loot. The candidates watch from the bridge, witnessing his controlled baiting, mobility, and incremental pressure leading to a clean kill.