The Pit of Despair

The smooth and silky green liquid filled with flavor from multiple different herbs like ginger and rosemary coated the esophagus of Elijah. Immediately after drinking, a warm sensation began to form in his throat, and spread all throughout his body with a concentrated effect where his mana core resides.

Elijah leaned back with his arms as an anchor and said, "Ohhhh, now that feels nice."

According to his mission, it ends when he reaches the end of a slightly inclined cavern littered with holes and vines hanging from the ceiling. A small waterfall runs water down the decline to where Elijah would soon end up, with the other side being a dangerous chasm.

After relishing in the warmth that slowly dissipated from his body, Elijah calmly stood up, patted the mud and dirt off his clothes as best as he could, and flew back down the curved and jagged tunnel into the first cavern he had battled beasts in.

Elijah believed abnormal events were always meant to happen close to him, or there is simply something else at play that relates to the void of nothingness below the whirlpool.

The first thing that came into Elijah's view were a couple of trap moles, red core trap moles that were slowly making their way towards the sound they had heard earlier. 

Elijah flew soundlessly into the air with his back grazing the ceiling above him. Again, another stucco-like wall was found that Elijah sliced through without hesitation. Traps moles were instantly alerted by his entrance and began smearing at Elijah with faces of anger and disgust.

With a couple waves of his hand, the moles were silently split in half alongside the portion of the floor beneath them. Ten minutes of walking, and sightings of many more simple trap moles ended with a wide opening littered with light. Green vines draped from the ceiling with some of them graciously falling from the floor. Small bugs and flies were flying in between the vines as this place had been named their home. Water, plants, and worms were all they needed.

Vicious gnawing sounds were heard coming from beyond the rainforest-like-cavern. Elijah held his muddy short sword steady, and after passing the small pond that dropped water into an unseeable abyss, Elijah began climbing the slanted cavern along the side of the small river that flowed downstream.

Mole after mole shot through the holes in the walls with a pile of dirt and stone slamming into Elijah's sword. Every strike broke the momentum and direction of the pile of earth while leaving him wide open for a kiss on the cheek. Every single time, the mouth and fangs of the moles opened wide, only to hit a brick wall made of water, and to be sliced in half the next second later.

Easily, the end of the cavern came as the slope evened out. In front of his feet was a seemingly broken bridge made of stone that led to absolutely nothing. It was more so a broken plank. The last step that you would take before plunging into your death.

The Snake Pit…

Below, was a massive and eerie cavern filled with smog, smoke, or mist. The shape resembled that of a ten foot thick snake that coiled around endlessly – creating a daunting pattern with all kinds of curves and cliffs. Be that as it may, the ground was filled by fog coming from somewhere below, and the heads of different oddly shaped beasts roaming within. The fog was just slightly glowing a greenish-yellow color, as if poisoned. 

There were no supporting pillars, but simply the space where the snake decided not to travel.

Elijah's breath and deep blue eyes were steady, and gazed far into the dark corners of the pit.

To his side lay a muddy shortsword, of which the grime had blended in with the leather-handled hilt.

"Sulfur and unknown beasts… Shall I take a risk for the sake of enjoyment and improving?" Elijah's voice gave him a sense of realism. Moving through the cave with only his thoughts made him feel like a loner.

One fact was for sure, there were beasts down there that were rather tall, and had heads made from either scales or spiked stones. A sense of fear found its way into Elijah's soul just after lift off due to him seeing a spiked head coursing with yellow and green veins. 

Elijah quickly thought about his past experiences… A mutation from the sulfur? The smell is familiar, so chances are….

Elijah's semi-muddy clothes rustled through the wind as he rose in the air. After realizing that a lot of gas was concentrated at the top, he dove down to the middle area – about fifty feet above ground. 

Shiny spears were seen in the hands of the humanoid looking beasts. Elijah suspects Kobolds, but kobolds that have been corrupted by the gas. Nothing would be able to survive, and even Elijah himself was feeling the effects. No wonder he was told to return after reaching this point.

Elijah had always wanted to see the known transition from the different areas of beasts. What makes logical sense is that either the conditions are too harsh on weaker beasts, or that simply the nests are the main factor that contributes to the different areas of beasts.

With a simple wave of his hand, a pearlescent streak of what looked like air, but was not, left Elijah's hand instantaneously. The ripple of space shaped like a ruler cut even the toxic air as it passed through the head of the suspected kobold.

Remember, if mana is not circulating within a beast, even a newly-wed red core mage can kill the strongest and most terrifying beast on the entire planet.

Blood was heard splattering against the ground, and as soon as Elijah felt distress from the movement and sounds coming from the environment, he bolted behind the curved stone outcropping. 

Hoarse screams and the shuffling of feet echoed through the cavern. Eerie coughs fueled the fear in Elijah's soul. This cruel advantage he had wasn't necessarily a cheat code with the imprint of instability caused between the crossing of two lives. 

The only boon was knowledge and experience, and what good was that without strength to execute perfectly.

Elijah materialized a spell of distraction by sending a small amount of mana into the air above a group of kobolds. A water ball the size of a head slowly materialized within the air while creating droplets of water that beaded onto the heads of the kobolds.

Elijah was finally able to see the beast he was facing off against. Bright greenish-yellow veins were randomly flowing down the dragon-like skulls, and ending or meeting at the very center of its chest. The creepy ears created a spike-like shape that ran off the top of the flat scale-filled head. 

'It seemed the Orange core mole rats and the kobolds had become friendly. Is that possible? Has it always been this way?'

Random spells of all sorts of affinities blanketed the sky. The spells were obviously more complicated than normal as they had specific shapes made from fire, water, air, and earth. 

This is exactly what Elijah struggles to do. The only time Elijah was able to make a semi-complicated shape with magic was the quarter circle that protected the people waiting to flee into the inner city. It was tedious, long, and full of resistance. 

Maybe the qualitative change between red and orange is the ability to shape the spells you make?