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Chapter 23 – Treasures and Secrets
The forest stretched endlessly, a green ocean of towering trees and tangled undergrowth. Shafts of light pierced through gaps in the canopy, scattering golden patterns across moss-covered ruins. Birds chirped in the distance, but every now and then, silence would fall—a silence too heavy, as if something vast and old was listening.
Kelvin led the way, casually munching on a cracker as if he hadn't a care in the world. Silvia trailed close behind, alert but stealing glances at him every so often, like she couldn't decide if she was more annoyed by his nonchalance or impressed by his calm.
And then there was Billy Blackhead, humming tunelessly, hands clasped behind his head like he was on a picnic stroll instead of wandering the perilous fourth floor of the strangest dungeon on Qiveria. Every so often he would whistle and one of his grotesque, half-decayed minions would scuttle out of the shadows, carrying shiny trinkets they had scavenged.
The trio made for a strange picture: a brooding swordsman crunching snacks, a vigilant mage with restless eyes, and a grinning necromancer flanked by corpses.
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"Alright," Silvia finally broke the silence. "I've been meaning to ask this since… well, forever. What's the difference between shadow magic and dark magic?"
Kelvin stopped mid-crunch. Slowly, dramatically, he lowered his half-eaten cracker and pointed it at her like a professor wielding a chalk stick.
"Ah," he said, eyes gleaming. "The eternal question. You, young Silvia, have just enrolled in…" he took a mock bow, "Kelvin's Academy for Confused Adventurers."
Billy snorted. "Gods help us."
Kelvin ignored him. "Now. Most amateurs—and I mean you, no offense—think shadow and dark are the same. But! Wrong. Very wrong. One leads to creeping paranoia and assassination, the other leads to absolute corruption of the soul. Big difference."
Silvia frowned. "That… doesn't sound very encouraging."
Kelvin continued, waving his cracker like a conductor's baton. "Let me break it down. All energy flows start with three pillars: Qi, Mana, and Aurora. Qi is life-force, raw vitality. Martial artists eat, breathe, and die by it. Mana is the structured element, the mind's command over the world. Mages like you chew on it for breakfast."
"And Aurora?" Silvia asked, leaning closer.
Kelvin's tone shifted, deepening slightly. "Aurora is rarer. Think of it as the resonance between soul and cosmos. It's not as flashy as Mana or as physical as Qi. It's harmony—when your inner flame hums in tune with the world's song. That's what life crystals store, once you forge one at intermidiate teir cause basic teir souls can not contain a life crystal. That's why origin cells in our bodies act like mini-reactors, holding just enough fuel to keep us alive and fighting."
Billy clapped mockingly. "Bravo. Next lesson: how to boil water without blowing up the pot?"
Kelvin gave him a look. "Do you want the actual answer?"
"No."
"Good. Because it involves potatoes."
Silvia stifled a laugh despite herself.
"Anyway," Kelvin pressed on, "dark magic eats Mana and Aurora at the same time. It's like lighting a candle with oil made of blood—you get huge firepower, but the wick burns out fast, and you'll smell like regret. Shadow magic? That's finesse. It doesn't destroy, it bends. Manipulates light, space, perception. One is a hammer. The other is a dagger."
Silvia blinked, visibly intrigued. "So… if you were to compare them—"
"Dark magic is eating a whole cake by yourself. Shadow magic is stealing someone else's slice before they notice." Kelvin popped the rest of the cracker into his mouth with a grin.
Silvia groaned. "That was almost insightful until you ruined it."
"Almost insightful is my specialty."
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They moved deeper into the forest, banter echoing through the ruins. Trees thickened, and vines draped over toppled stone arches carved with faded runes.
It was here that Billy's minions unearthed something—half-buried beneath roots and rubble. A chest.
Not just any chest. Its surface gleamed faintly, inlaid with silver runes that seemed to shimmer like fireflies. The air around it thrummed, low and steady, like a heartbeat.
Kelvin crouched, brushing dirt from its surface. "Aetherium lock. Old style. See how the runes weave inward? It's not just a container—it's a vault."
Billy leaned in, eyes sharp for once. "How old are we talking?"
Kelvin traced the runes, his brow furrowing. "Pre-Qiverian collapse. Back when Earth still existed."
The air grew colder. Even Silvia, who hadn't lived through Earth's destruction, felt the weight of those words, 50,000 years old that's alot.
With a flick of his ruined sword, Kelvin channeled Qi into the lock. The runes pulsed, then faded. Slowly, the chest creaked open.
Inside lay a small hoard: stacks of glimmering coins radiating faint energy—aetherium coins, rare currency infused with elemental resonance. Beside them, cushioned in velvet, was a crystalline object shaped like a compass but lacking a needle.
Silvia gasped. "A traveling relic…"
Kelvin whistled. "Now that's a find."
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Billy wasted no time, summoning his skeletal minions to bring out more loot scavenged from his treehouse. Relics, weapons, bones, armor of different sizes. Most of it precious antiques. But against the backdrop of the chest's treasure, even scraps felt valuable.
The relic pulsed faintly as Silvia touched it. The air shifted. An invisible current swirled, tugging at their hair and cloaks.
Then, on the ground before them, lines of light flared to life—ancient runes etching themselves into a circular formation. A portal shimmered open, swirling with pale blue energy.
The three exchanged looks.
Billy grinned. "Well, that saves us the trouble of wandering."
Kelvin didn't move immediately. His gaze lingered on the ruins around them. The arches. The faint hum beneath the earth. The way shadows seemed just a little too deep, a little too patient.
Something was watching. Not beast, not man—something older. The weight of centuries pressed down, silent but suffocating.
"Do you feel that?" Silvia whispered.
Kelvin gave a single nod. "Yeah. This forest isn't just ruins. It's a memory. And something in it isn't done with us."
The words lingered like a curse.
Then, with a forced grin, he stepped into the portal. "Well, let's go see what kills us next."
Silvia hesitated, then followed. Billy chuckled, sending his minions scuttling after him before he stepped through as well.
The portal closed. The forest fell silent again.
And deep within the ruins, in the cracks of the ancient stone, eyes blinked open.
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Author's Note 💡
And that's the end of Chapter 23! ⚔️✨
What did you think of Kelvin's snack-powered lecture? Do you prefer this mix of comedy + worldbuilding, or should I keep lore bits shorter?
Also, did you catch the foreshadowing? 👀 Chapter 24 is where we'll see the truth behind those ancient eyes…
Riddle of the Day 🌀
> I have no mouth, yet I whisper.
I have no eyes, yet I watch.
I am older than ruins, but move like a shadow.
What am I?
Drop your guesses in the comments — I'll reveal the answer in the next AN 😉
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