The deeper they ventured into the thicket of the Deadroot Jungle, the more the air changed. It became heavier, charged with an ancient pulse that made even the trees seem to lean inward as if watching them pass. Moss-covered stones hummed beneath their boots. Faint whispers of unseen creatures rustled through the foliage. And still, they pressed on, Kaelen and Kelvin walking with firm strides, and Eirana gliding behind them with the silent grace of a shadow.
Finally, they arrived.
The clearing was small, veiled in soft light that filtered down through twisted trees whose roots curled around the edges of a natural spring. At its heart, the water glowed with a brilliant sapphire hue, shifting constantly like liquid crystal—pure mana, unfiltered, undiluted, untouched by corruption. The Primary Mana Vein, revealed by Kaelen's system, pulsed in a rhythm that echoed through the forest like a heartbeat.
