Mana core gathering

"Ooooh, what is this?" I ask, eyes glinting with curiosity as I lean in toward the crystal sphere in Eris's hand.

It's beautiful—clear and transparent with just the faintest tint of icy blue. Like a frozen droplet of ocean, captured and crystallized.

"It's a monster core collector," Eris explains. "Quite the amazing invention, you know? Before this little guy, we had to collect monster cores by hand. Manually!"

She shudders dramatically.

"Ugh. So tedious."

I giggle.

Eris then toss the Collector into the air.

Whoosh!

The sphere flashes with a sudden brilliance—its surface pulsing with energy—then begins to glow, brighter and brighter, until its light washes over the frozen landscape.

A low hum vibrates through the air.

Then—

FWOOOOOOOM!

A pulse of magic explodes outward in a wide ripple, sweeping across the shattered battlefield. The air thickens with magical pressure, like gravity folding in on itself.