Chapter 77: The Furnace Grind
The heavy iron gates of the elevator slowly cranked open, revealing a hellish landscape of glowing red iron and blinding steam.
The noise hit us like a physical, suffocating wall.
It was entirely deafening. The relentless, rhythmic slamming of massive hydraulic crushers and the high pitched whine of grinding gears made verbal communication completely impossible.
'I cannot even hear my own heartbeat over this mechanical roar,' I thought, my eyes narrowing at the dense smoke.
I immediately reached out with my mind, tapping into the deep, magical bonds I shared with my two oldest companions.
[Grik: Can you both hear me clearly?] I projected my thoughts directly across our connection.
[Kaelith: Loud and clear. The physical noise out here is absolutely unbearable,] her voice echoed smoothly and calmly in my mind.
[Nyssa: Telepathic link established. The map shows heavy movement dead ahead,] Nyssa replied, her mental voice perfectly crisp.
