The next morning, an anxious foundation expert accompanied Liam through the maze of stone corridors, eventually arriving at what looked like a dead end, only for the wall to open.
Countless sensations assaulted Liam's perception as he crossed the passage. He heard the wall closing behind him, but his attention was on everything else.
Liam was on the edge of an enormous cave, in its lowest part. A smooth, stone floor and tall walls created a vast, square cage with no ceiling where the battle would unfold.
Rocky surfaces rose above the stone walls, their lower layers having stages carved into them, foundation experts crowding them. Most were drunk, shouting with jugs in their hands or women in their arms, creating a frenzied cacophony stemming from hundreds of voices.
Further above, the stages disappeared, replaced by holes with small plateaus. They were caves occupied by rooting experts, some serious, while others engaged in equally dissolute activities.
