For the better part of half an hour, the platform made its way down, the chain above groaning and creaking precariously. Every so often, the chain would glow, causing another coiled chain lying nailed to the mountain wall to unspool and attach to the platform, resetting its length for further travel.
And like this, they made their way through the skeletal remains of an entire civilization. Until at a certain point -
"What in the world?"
Surprisingly, it was Li that uttered this statement. He narrowed his eyes as he saw coiled around the bridges, pathways, and mining contraptions what was best described as a black ooze. It shuddered rhythmically, as if breathing, and it glowed with a sickening shine that indicated a slimy, slick texture when the light Li shone glanced upon it.