It was not so easy to build an artificial vein. First, one needed to dig a well and estimate the concentration of negative power underground to figure out how deep the first tunnel should be.
At the theoretical level, the deeper the tunnel was dug, the better the effects it would have. One of the reasons was that the deeper into the ground it went, the higher the temperature and concentration of negative energy there would be. That would bring better growth and a higher output of the special mushrooms.
However, it would be more dangerous as well because of the high concentration of negative power.
Average spellcasters were also able to protect themselves from the negative energy, but they couldn't work as tunnel diggers. As for those diggers, they were mortals without magic power, and even under the protection of Felix, it was still too dangerous for them to work in an environment containing high concentrations of negative energy.