"Maximum efficiency," Sirius stressed. "Every single drop of mana counts. We move fast, we secure the prize, and we keep enough in the tank to carve our way out. If we run dry in here, it does not matter how far we make it. We will just be trapped in a tomb holding a ring that would still not be ours in the end."
Liu did not offer another verbal confirmation.
But his actions shifted immediately… He tightened his movements, rationing his sonic pulses with extreme prejudice. He only unleashed his power when a barrier absolutely required it, hoarding every possible reserve for the exact nightmare Sirius had just described.
The two men pushed deeper into the dark of the southern ruin. Behind them, the corrupted swarm shrieked and tore itself apart to close the gap. Their internal mana clocks ticked down just as relentlessly as the encroaching tide.
Ahead of them waited the ultimate prize.
Behind them, a sealed door and a hungry army.
