The disappearance of that figure returned the surroundings to normal. That meant Shade could once again feel himself submerged in black mud, still sinking deeper and deeper.
Contact with the black mud would not petrify him, but that did not mean it had no effect on him at all. At first, it was merely a stinging pain, but after continuing deeper for only a few seconds, Shade could clearly feel that he was reaching his limit. Even so, he was certain that at least one drop of divinity awaited him at the source of this black mud.
You must leave. Your soul can endure it, but your body cannot withstand this contamination. Even if you use Thaumaturgy to transform into a stone statue, you will not be able to continue downward. You need stronger Earth Power to sink into deeper regions.
"I need a second type of Earth Power? Something like Luvia's Earth Power - Bountiful Domain?"
Accumulating quantity is meaningless in this matter. You need to make "Earth Power - Healing Aura" stronger. Each time you purify the earth, the effect of this spell can be enhanced. Even with an inaccurate estimate, you would need to purify another 158 ancient contaminations like Saint Perry Cemetery, or 201 contamination sources like this one, before you would have even a slight chance of reaching the source of the black mud.
"Where am I supposed to find 158 or 201 of them?"
If 158 contaminations like Saint Perry Cemetery truly existed, it would mean that Randall River Valley City's problem had completely spiraled out of control. Shade could consider asking the other Luvia whether she could restart the Sixth Epoch once more. The only possible place Shade could think of was the Doomsday Era at the end of the previous Sixth Epoch,