dkrc Chapter 68 [The Spark Within the Ruins]
Chapter 68 [The Spark Within the Ruins]
"Fire! I saw it, it's in her hand!"
"It just appeared out of nowhere, without firewood or flint!"
"This is a miracle!"
The members of the exploration team rushed toward Leah, their eyes filled with fervor and disbelief.
They stared at Leah's fingers as if they were looking at some precious treasure.
Terra pushed through the crowd and walked up to Lydia.
His tall figure blocked the tribesmen who were about to lose control.
His expression was serious, but his mind was in turmoil.
"Lia, look at me."
"Try again."
All eyes turned to them again.
Lia was so frightened by the scene that her face turned pale and her lips trembled.
The expectant gazes of her tribesmen made it hard for her to breathe.
She raised her hand, but her fingers trembled uncontrollably.
She tried to recall the feeling from just now, but her mind was a jumbled mess, filled with the gazes of her tribesmen.
"I can't draw... I can't draw it..." Lia gestured in the air, but nothing happened.
After several failed attempts, the surrounding noise subsided and turned into disappointed chatter.
"I knew it, I must have seen it wrong."
"It's probably just some kind of glowing insect..."
Lia's eyes reddened, and she was about to cry.
Just as she was about to put her hand down, Terra's steady voice rang out again.
"Forget about us, Lia." Terra crouched down to be at eye level with the girl. "You don't need to prove anything to us. You just need to go back to that moment, close your eyes, and tell me, what did you feel? What did you see?"
Lia closed her eyes after hearing his words.
The surrounding noise and people seemed to have disappeared.
All that remained in her mind was the stone slab and the flame symbol on it.
She seemed to have returned to the time when she was alone, copying symbols.
Every stroke of that symbol became clear in her mind.
Lia raised her hand again, this time without hesitation.
The fingertip traced the trajectory of that symbol in the air.
As the last stroke fell, a flame "whooshed" out from Lia's fingertip, burning steadily.
This time the flames were larger than before, reaching half the height of a hand. The flickering light illuminated the faces of everyone around, as well as the shock on their faces.
The flame burned for a good seven or eight seconds before slowly going out.
This time, no one doubted it anymore.
"This...this doesn't require bloodlines..."
Mason trembled violently. He rushed to the stone slab, his eyes fixed on the symbols on it. "This isn't talent! It's knowledge! This can be learned! We can all learn it!"
Mason's voice cracked from shouting.
He recalled the dwarf Balin demonstrating the power of runes, a power that was innate and could not be learned by others, which greatly discouraged him.
But now, he has seen a new path, a path that does not rely on talent, but on the willingness to learn to become stronger!
This small flame gave new hope to those whose talents were limited.
After a brief moment of excitement, Terra immediately gave the order.
He knew very well how important these stone tablets and parchment scrolls were; they could change the fate of the tribe.
The exploration team treasured everything that was engraved with symbols.
They tore off their animal hides and carefully wrapped each stone slab.
They even picked up all the broken stones.
On the way back, the atmosphere became relaxed and cheerful.
Lia became the center of the group, protected by everyone in the middle.
She didn't have to do any work, and everyone looked at her with awe.
Lia also calmed down from her nervousness.
Encouraged by Terra, she treated the return journey as practice.
I kept trying to summon flames. At first, I had to think about it for a long time, but later I could do it with just a thought.
The flame stayed lit for longer and longer periods, and became more and more stable.
Of course, unstable situations also occur from time to time.
Once, she had just lit a small campfire when, without thinking, her mental energy went a little out of control, and a string of sparks flew out, almost setting Mason's backpack full of tools on fire.
Mason frantically threw his backpack on the ground and stomped on it, causing a burst of laughter from the crowd and giving them a clearer understanding of the danger of this new power.
Terra watched all this in silence, feeling half happy and half worried.
He knew that this knowledge would completely transform the tribe.
It can bring power, but it can also bring conflict.
If someone like Kahn were to learn this, the consequences would be unpredictable.
"After returning to the tribe," Terra said solemnly to Mason on a resting night, "we will only speak to Anya about magic for now. Until the three of us come up with a unified plan, we absolutely cannot reveal a single word to anyone else."
Mason nodded emphatically; he fully understood Terra's concerns.
The dissemination of knowledge requires order.
..........
【Celestial Main Jar】.
At the bottom of the world, in a network of countless translucent mycelia, the will of the Black Tide Monarch patrols his pasture—the continent of Asem.
He could smell the stench of struggle in every region.
The conflict between dwarves and elves was too mild for him; only the bloody battles between orc tribes for territory and food could pique his interest.
Recently, the flavors of that new tribe in the valley have become interesting.
The hunt was successful, but internal conflicts and the atmosphere of struggle grew increasingly intense.
"Not bad firewood," he commented, preparing to observe for a while longer.
Just then, a very weak but peculiar energy fluctuation emanated from that area.
This was a power he had never seen before, a power created from nothing.
This fluctuation was very noticeable to the Black Tide Monarch.
He projected his will and instantly locked onto the source—the mortal girl named Lia, and the flame dancing at her fingertips.
"Interesting insects, they actually learned to make fire on their own."
An unexpected event occurred in the game, which made him very happy.
He decided to personally add a real test to the game, to see just how far these clever firewood could burn.
A will was poured into the eternal black fire of the eternal struggle deep within the Demon King's Palace.
The black flame's will instantly transcended space, locking onto an orc tribe that had survived the brutal trials and become even more bloodthirsty and powerful.
The tribe's chieftain, a giant orc covered in scars and black tattoos, was gnawing on a bloody leg bone inside his tent.
Suddenly, he stopped moving, and his eyes became vacant.
An inspiration was etched directly into his mind.
The scene depicts a fertile river valley in the east, a small human tribe, and a strange cluster of flames.
A voice echoed in his mind: "Head east... destroy the strange fire there... you will gain even greater power..."
The orc chieftain awoke with a start, threw away the bone, and let out a roar.
He felt the call of the abyss and the yearning for greater power.
In this impoverished region surrounded by the Black Mountains, a well-equipped army began to assemble.
They wore bone-inlaid leather armor and carried poisoned iron weapons; every orc's eyes were filled with brutality and murderous intent.
Under the chief's orders, the force began to advance eastward, their target the human valley and the strange fire there.