The tunnels seemed endless. Two hours had already passed since they first stepped into the mine, and Trafalgar's blade had carved through more creatures than he cared to count. The leathery bats from before had returned in smaller swarms, mixed with other beasts—lizardlike crawlers with serrated jaws, and hunched, ape-bodied fiends that swung from stalactites.
Each battle had drained him piece by piece. Now, as their footsteps echoed through another damp corridor, Trafalgar could feel the strain in his core. The dark hum of Maledicta in his hand only emphasized how much mana he had poured into every swing.
He stopped briefly, closing his eyes to measure himself. 'Thirty percent left. If I keep burning mana at this pace, I'll be dry before we reach the depths. Even with the Primordial Body accelerating my recovery, I'll need time if I want to fight without limits again.'
