So heavy.
Even with the protection of the "Anchor" spell, the moment he stepped into the Flowing Gold River, a deep sense of powerlessness still overwhelmed Ash's soul.
It wasn't because the current was too fast or the water too heavy; in fact, the "Anchor" indeed blocked any external factor that could affect him, much like the spell's literal implication. In this state, Ash could wade through mountains of flies and mounds of dung without a speck of filth adhering to him.
But "Anchor" only severed the external influence on a Mage, not the Mage's channels for receiving external information—the five senses.
When one is too weak, an excess of information is also a poison.
