Noah's boots scuffed the uneven floor as he limped through the tunnel, each step echoing faintly through the silence.
His ribs throbbed with every breath he took, and he could feel the condition of his mana reserves.
The fight with Captain Roderick had pushed him to the brink, both physically and mentally, but quitting now wasn't an option.
He'd come too far.
The air in the tunnel was damp and cold, clinging to his skin like a reminder that the dungeon didn't care if he lived or died.
He forced himself forward, his breathing shallow but steady.
'Just one more chamber,' he told himself. One more step closer.
The tunnel eventually widened ahead, a faint light spilling through.
Noah slowed his pace, reaching the mouth of the new cavern.
This one was rather vast and circular, so large that his footsteps echoed back faintly from the distance.
