Chapter 65 – Veins of Light and Destroyed Village
**[UNDERGROUND WORLD – BASE OF THE MOUNTAIN]**
**Four** hours of descent — **completed**.
**Steve**, **Dagon**, **Keara**, **Jelim** — feet finally **touching** solid horizontal ground after two thousand narrow and dangerous steps, legs **trembling** slightly from accumulated effort (quadriceps burning, knees sore from repetitive impact), breathing **steadily** returning to normal.
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**Dagon** — turned his body completely, head **tilting** back to look **upward**, right hand **shielding** his eyes from the crystal's light.
Voice coming out with genuine **admiration**:
"Whoa!" Impressed tone. "What an **absolutely massive** mountain we just descended!"
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**Mountain** — viewed from below, **magnificent**:
**Height**: two thousand vertical meters from base to the temple entrance platform, nearly **vertical** face at almost ninety degrees, smooth black **polished** stone reflecting the crystal's light creating a mirrored shine, the **zigzagging** staircase climbing like a thin scar, impossible to see individual steps from this distance.
**Clouds** — floating **close** to the mountain at five hundred meters height: not white but **translucent emerald-green**, moving **slowly** with thermal convection currents created by the crystal heating the air, some **touching** the mountain face and leaving a glistening moisture.
**Giant Crystal** — visible **above** at twenty-five kilometers vertical distance in the ceiling: still shining intense white-gold, radiating uniform light that illuminated the entire world.
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**Dagon** — lowered his head, **satisfied** smile curving his lips:
"Alright, **everyone**!" Voice gaining commanding focus. "Let's look for **information** about this mysterious place. Inhabitants, civilizations, dangers, resources — everything we can discover."
He gestured **ahead** — toward the dense forest one hundred meters away:
"We'll start by exploring that **forest** over there. Dense vegetation means nearby water, and water means a possible settlement."
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**Group** — silently agreed, beginning to **walk** toward the forest, boots **stepping** on soft, glowing greenish-luminescent grass absorbing the crystal's light.
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**One hundred** meters — distance **covered** in three minutes of walking.
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**Forest** — **reached** and **entered**:
**Outer edge** — trees **spaced** five meters apart, trunks ten meters tall and three meters in circumference.
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And they **stopped** — abruptly after ten steps inside, eyes **widening** simultaneously as they processed the impossible sight.
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**Interior of the forest** — **completely** different from any known ecosystem:
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**Trees** — not normal but **transformed**:
**Trunks**: dark-brown bark covered by an **intricate** network of thin glowing threads: one millimeter thick each, **electric-green** luminescent color, **organic** branching pattern like human blood veins, covering sixty percent of the bark surface, **pulsing** gently with a slow rhythm (one pulse every three seconds, light softly intensifying and dimming).
**Branches**: the same network of threads extending from trunk to branches, rising through the entire tree structure to the foliage, density **increasing** toward the top.
**Leaves**: not simply green but **actively glowing** — each leaf absorbing crystal light from above, processing it through visible internal threads (leaf veins glowing electric-green), then **transmitting** the energy downward through branches and trunk to the **roots** buried in the soil.
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**Bushes** — knee-high undergrowth: same network of threads covering stems and leaves, glowing electric-green, creating complex **interwoven** patterns.
**Grass** — ground grass: each individual blade containing a **single** electric-green thread running vertically through its center, thousands of blades together creating a **carpet** of light covering the soil.
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**Visual effect** — **breathtaking**:
**Lighting**: crystal light from above **filtered** through the dense canopies, reduced by eighty percent intensity, creating a soft green-golden twilight, BUT compensated by the electric-green glow emanating from **all** plants simultaneously, transforming the dark forest into a **luminescent** green **cathedral**.
**Energy movement**: visible to the **naked eye** — light slowly descending through the threads: starting at the top leaves, flowing downward through branches, reaching the trunk, finally entering the **soil** through the roots.
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**Steve** — processing the sight, curiosity **overcoming** caution, steps **leaving** the group as he walked **closer** to a large tree five meters away, hand **extending** to touch the trunk.
Fingers **brushing** the rough bark first, then **moving** sideways to touch an electric-green thread directly.
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**Sensation** — **strange** and immediate:
**Tingling**: light electric and painless running through his fingers, skin **prickling** involuntarily.
**Warmth**: soft and pleasant twenty-five degrees penetrating through the skin.
**Pulsation**: rhythm **synchronizing** momentarily with Steve's heartbeat — thread pulsing, heart beating, both **aligning** for three seconds before Steve let go, confused.
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**Dagon** — voice coming from fifteen meters ahead, **warning** tone:
"It's **better** if we avoid touching those things for now, kid." Looking over his shoulder. "We don't know their exact function or long-term effects. It could be dangerous."
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**Jelim** — standing ten meters away leaning against a tree, mask **turning** toward Steve, voice coming out with a **single** short word:
"**Child**." Cold **disdainful** tone.
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**Steve** — quickly released the thread, hand **recoiling**, turning his head to look at Jelim confused and irritated.
**Internal** frustrated thought:
*What is her **problem** with me?! Always that superior attitude! What did I **do** to deserve this?!*
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He shook his head — not responding verbally, walking back to rejoin the group near Dagon and Keara.
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**Group** — continued **walking** through the glowing forest, heading in a **random** easterly direction to explore.
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**Thirty** minutes of walking — **one** kilometer covered.
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**Terrain** — **rising** with a gradual ten-degree slope, ground becoming **rockier**.
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**Fifty** minutes total walking — **two** kilometers covered.
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**Cliff** — **reached** abruptly:
Vegetation **ending** in a clear line, ground **opening** into empty space, unprotected rocky edge.
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**Group** — **stopped** five meters from the edge, approaching **carefully**.
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**Dagon** — walked to the edge, looking **down**:
**Drop**: fifty meters vertical to a narrow valley, a **river** running at the bottom ten meters wide with crystal-blue water, rocky banks without vegetation.
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He looked **up** — observing the sky:
**Giant Crystal** — light **visibly dimming**: intense white-gold **reducing** to soft pale white, brightness **weakening** by five percent every minute progressively.
**Effect on plants** — **reversing**:
Electric-green threads in the surrounding trees — **stopping** the downward energy flow, then direction **reversing**: energy no longer descending from leaves to roots but **rising** from roots to leaves, the soil **releasing** stored energy from the "day".
**Ceiling trees** — inverted vegetation twenty-five kilometers above hanging downward: leaves **glowing** intensely electric-green, millions of trees simultaneously creating an **artificial constellation** — the sky transforming from brown-rock to a **sparkling green-starred** canopy, each individual leaf a small "star".
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**Dagon** — processing the phenomenon, voice **deciding**:
"Today we'll **camp** right here." He gestured at a flat area twenty meters behind the cliff edge. "We'll continue exploration tomorrow when the crystal shines fully again."
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**Group** — agreed, beginning to **set up** camp.
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**Thirty** minutes — camp **complete**: two tents pitched, campfire **lit**, supplies **organized**.
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**Crystal** — completely **extinguished** now: ceiling absolute **black** rock.
**"Stars"** — **glowing** intensely: inverted ceiling trees shining vibrant electric-green, enough to softly illuminate the entire forest.
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**Two** hours later — **late** night:
**Dagon**: sleeping in tent with low snoring.
**Keara**: sleeping in tent with soft breathing.
**Jelim**: unknown silent position.
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**Steve** — **slipped away** from camp silently, walking twenty meters to the **cliff** edge, sitting on a smooth cold stone, looking out at the infinite **green-starred** horizon.
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**View** — **breathtaking**:
**Valley** below: river meandering with green reflections.
**Surrounding forest**: sea of electric-green stretching for kilometers.
**"Stars"**: millions of glowing leaves creating impossible constellations.
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**Steve** — voice **whispering** to himself:
"I think this place could be considered **paradise** in my world…" Reverent tone.
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**Memory** — **invading** his mind:
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**[REAL WORLD — HOSPITAL — 6 MONTHS AGO]**
**Steve's Mother** — fifty-two years old, thin graying brown hair, **pale** skin, extremely **thin** body, lying in a white hospital bed, **tubes** connected to her arms, heart monitor **beeping**, tired **closed** eyes.
**Steve** — sitting in a chair beside her, hand **holding** her thin fragile hand, eyes **red**, voice **trembling**:
"Mom… please… **hold on** just a little longer…" Pleading tone. "The doctors said the new treatment might work…"
**Mother** — eyes **opening**, weak **smile**:
"My son… don't **worry** so much…" Hoarse voice. "You need to live **your** life… fulfill **your** dreams…"
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**[PRESENT — UNDERGROUND WORLD]**
**Steve** — tear **sliding** down his face, hand **wiping** it, broken **whispering** voice:
"I **don't** know if I'll be able to return to my world…" Hopeless tone. "My system **doesn't** work like the others… I don't level up… I don't have useful abilities…"
Pause:
"And if it weren't for Dagon and the others **protecting** me… I would have been **dead** a long time ago…"
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He looked at the **green-starred** sky:
"Will I still be able to **fulfill** that dream of mine…?" Questioning voice. "To live a **peaceful** life with nature… far from cities… just peace…"
Pause:
"I **hope** so…" Final whisper.
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He stood — walking back to camp, entering the **tent**, lying down, eyes **closing** with exhaustion.
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**[NEXT MORNING]**
**Crystal** — **reignited** gradually: black brightening to pale white, finally **intense** white-gold, the process taking thirty minutes.
**"Stars"** — **fading**: ceiling trees stopping energy transmission, ceiling returning to brown-rock.
**Plant threads** — **reversing**: energy flowing downward again.
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**Group** — **woke up**, dismantled camp, ate a quick breakfast, prepared to continue exploration.
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**Thirty** minutes — **ready** to depart.
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**Dagon** — leading the group, walking **southeast** through the forest.
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**Two** hours of walking — **four** kilometers covered.
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**Smoke** — visible **in the distance**: thick **black** column rising vertically five hundred meters, origin **northeast** estimated one kilometer away.
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**Dagon** — **stopped**, arm **raising** to signal the group to halt:
"Let's **investigate** that point." Serious voice. "Smoke means fire. Fire means intelligent presence or recent destruction."
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**Group** — agreed, changing **direction** northeast, accelerating **pace**, reaching the source of the smoke in twenty minutes.
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**Village** — **revealed** through the vegetation:
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**Orc Village** — small tribal settlement:
**Size**: twenty structures total, estimated population eighty to one hundred inhabitants.
**Architecture**: low two-meter-high buildings, **circular** shape, **conical** thatched roofs, **mud** walls reinforced with wood, **small** one-and-a-half-meter-high doors.
**Layout**: **tribal** arrangement — no organized streets, structures scattered chaotically across a one-hundred-meter-diameter area, central extinguished **firepit**, empty **animal pen** with broken gate.
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**Destruction** — **complete** and recent:
**Structures**: fifteen of twenty **partially burned** — collapsed smoking roofs, **cracked** walls, **charred** interiors.
**Belongings**: **chaotically** scattered — broken kitchen utensils, primitive tools, torn and bloodstained clothes.
**Bodies** — **five** visible:
**Orcs** — green humanoids: one meter sixty tall, **moss-green** light skin, small **tusks** protruding from lower lip, **pointed** fifteen-centimeter ears, **lean** muscular agile bodies, wearing **simple** leather clothing.
**Wounds**: three orcs — throats **cleanly slit** with dark-green blood coagulated, one orc — chest **pierced** by a still-embedded spear, one orc — skull **crushed** with extreme force, bones fragmented.
**Blood**: pools of **dark-green** blood scattered across the drying ground, **bloody** footprints indicating chaotic combat.
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**Steve** — **standing** behind Dagon/Keara/Jelim ten meters from the village entrance, eyes **scanning** the destruction.
**Internal** confused thought:
*What **happened** here…? Who attacked? Why? Where are the survivors…?*
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**Sudden movement** — **behind** Steve:
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**Figure** — **leapt** silently from a tree branch fifteen meters high directly above and behind Steve, body **diving** vertically with controlled speed, right foot **extending** forward preparing a kick.
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**IMPACT** — **BRUTAL**:
**Kick** — struck **Steve's chest** dead center on the sternum: **massive** force transferred instantly, air **violently expelled** from lungs with a WHOOOF, body **hurled** horizontally at twenty kilometers per hour.
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**Steve** — body **flying** backward ten meters, back **slamming** into a thick tree trunk with a heavy THUD, falling **face-down** to the ground, hands **touching** his chest feeling intense radiating pain, breathing **difficult** and gasping.
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**Dagon/Keara/Jelim** — **turned** instantly with combat reflexes, eyes **focusing** on the attacker, hands **moving** to weapons (Dagon's axe, Keara's bow, Jelim's daggers).
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**Dagon** — voice **shouting** urgent command:
"Stay **READY**!" Axe **drawn**. "Hostile enemy confirmed!"
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**Attacker** — **landed** softly on the ground five meters from where Steve had been, body **crouching** to absorb the fall impact.
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**Characteristics** — **intentionally** obscured:
**Silhouette**: humanoid but details **impossible** to discern — the forest's electric-green light creating strong backlighting, the figure appearing only as a **black shadow** outlined against the glow, estimated height one meter seventy, **slender** agile build.
**Posture**: body **crouched** low in a feline ready-to-pounce stance, arms **extended** sideways for balance, head **turned** toward the group observing.
**Weapon**: something **long** held in the right hand — spear? staff? — impossible to see clearly through shadow and distance.
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And it **leapt** — again, not toward the fallen Steve but toward an **adjacent** tree, feet **touching** the vertical trunk, propelling **sideways** to reach a branch ten meters high, body **disappearing** among the glowing green foliage, movement **silent** and ghostly.
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**Silence** — five seconds.
**Vegetation** — **motionless** with no wind.
**Enemy** — **hidden** in an unknown position, waiting for the next moment to attack.