Liam is dizzy and disoriented. The constant cycle of falling, getting caught, pulling himself up, and cutting the vines tires him quickly. Before entering the daylight dungeon to hunt the water serpent, Liam had trained his body to the extreme, but this kind of exercise was never part of his routine.
His movements are slowing, his breathing is heavier, and his vision is beginning to blur.
He lets out a loud yell, pulls himself upward, and slices through another vine. He tries to maneuver midair so the next one cannot catch him.
He's falling upside down inside a vast cavern with a high ceiling when he notices something strange.
First, there's light, moving, rotating around… something. Then, several dots of blue light. They're descending.
Then he notices that he is falling toward the ground fast. There is no time to flip or brace for the impact.
"Shit!" he curses, closing his eyes and covering his head.
But he stops falling.
