Digging so deep, even with his mana and earth elemental control, was not an easy task. It consumed quite a lot of his reserves because the debris had to be constantly moved out of the hole, preventing cave-ins and maintaining structural integrity as he descended further into the earth.
Rumble… crunch… The ground shifted faintly around him, echoing the strain of his magic.
The heat built up around him, sweat clinging to his skin as muffled groans of shifting rock echoed like distant thunder through the tunnel walls. Grrrmm… crack…
That wasn't all—it was incredibly dark this far underground, the absence of light absolute and oppressive.
The air was dense and stale, pressing down on his lungs with a heavy, mineral-laced stillness. It was the kind of black that felt alive—like it might smother him if he let down his guard.
