The sun beat down on a lone figure as he trekked through the vast expanse of a desert.
The plentiful mana within him had dulled down to the point where he could no longer feel it as he appeared to have used up a great part of his reserve.
The intoxicating surge he'd felt while fighting during the dungeon battle now seemed like a distant memory.
He had been traveling for weeks, though he had long since lost track of time. His mind was focused on survival now—something as mundane and exhausting as putting one foot in front of the other.
The sand stretched endlessly in every direction he could see and sometimes it shimmered in the midday heat. His throat was dry and parched beyond what healing magic could fix.
He hadn't eaten in days, and though he'd managed to conjure small amounts of water using his abilities, it wasn't enough to keep his strength up.
