"With all due respect, Mr. Kevin, I am not sure you understand." Nguyen let out a sigh. "I have been a cave guide for twenty years. I have seen people who thought they could conquer this cave—and not a few of them never returned.""I am not an ordinary person, Nguyen.""That is what everyone says before they go in."Kevin did not answer. He knew that Nguyen would not believe him without seeing direct proof—and Kevin had no intention of showing his abilities until absolutely necessary.---The journey from Da Nang to the cave site took nearly a full day.They passed through winding mountain roads, cut through dense forests filled with the sounds of wild animals, and finally arrived at a base camp located at the mouth of the cave.Hang Son Doong opened itself before them—a giant hole in the mountainside that looked like a gateway to another world. From the mouth of the cave, Kevin could feel the flow of cold, damp air radiating from the darkness within."This is the main entrance of the

Kevin's steps carried him across the strange bluish meadow toward the smoke he had seen in the distance.The closer he walked, the clearer the scene before him became. This was no mere small settlement—it was a vast agricultural area with neatly arranged fields stretching as far as the eye could see.But the farming in this place was vastly different from anything Kevin had ever seen on Earth.The plants growing in the fields had shapes he did not recognize. There were plants with dark purple stalks and leaves that glittered like gemstones. There were ones shaped like giant spirals with glowing fruits hanging from their tips. There were also plants that looked like solid crystals growing out of the ground, radiating an energy aura that Kevin could feel even from a distance.What was even more astonishing was the way the farmers worked their fields.Kevin saw a middle-aged man standing at the edge of a field with his eyes closed, his hands raised before him. From his palms, brownish en

'The portal,' Kevin realized with frustration. 'The journey through the portal must have sealed my cultivation. But why? And how do I unlock it again?'He had no answers to those questions. All he could do was keep working and searching for information about the Golden Dragon Tear.During that first week, Kevin began interacting with the other villagers. The village—called Green Dawn Village—was inhabited by about two thousand people, most of them farmers like Nora.Kevin asked many people about the Golden Dragon Tear, but no one had ever heard of such an item. Some people mentioned the ancient dragons that had once lived on Trigana thousands of years ago, but there was no specific information about their "tears.""Perhaps you should go to the city," one of the village elders suggested one day. "In Crystal City, there is a great library that holds knowledge from the ancient era. If there is any information about what you are searching for, it is most likely there."Kevin noted that in

Five days had passed since the bandits' first attack.Green Dawn Village slowly returned to its normal routine. The fields were being worked again, the small market at the center of the village was bustling once more, and children were playing in the streets with cheerful laughter once again.But Kevin knew that this peace would not last long.The bandits he had defeated were not a small group operating on their own. They were part of a larger network, and Kevin was certain that their defeat would not be left unanswered.He was right.On the sixth morning, the warning bells rang out again with an intensity more urgent than before.CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!"They're back!" A scout ran into the square with a pale face. "And this time... this time there are far more of them!"Kevin ran to the watchtower at the edge of the village and looked into the distance with sharpened eyes.His heart seemed to stop.On the horizon, billowing dust formed a massive cloud signaling the arrival of an

"IMPOSSIBLE!" Another voice followed. "NO ONE HAS EVER SURVIVED THE POISONOUS MIST!""IT'S A MIRACLE!"Nora stared at Kevin with an expression that was a mixture of disbelief, relief, and overwhelming happiness."Kevin... you're alive... you're really alive..."Her tears were now tears of joy."Of course I'm alive," Kevin tried to smile, though his face still felt stiff. "What... what happened? How long was I unconscious?""More than an hour," Nora answered as she helped Kevin sit up. "The poisonous mist swallowed you. We all thought you were already... already..."She could not finish her sentence.Kevin looked around him. The corpses of the bandits were strewn everywhere, all with the same skin color he had had moments ago."The bandits...?""All dead." Elder Gorn stepped forward with an expression that was a mixture of awe and respect. "More than five hundred bandits, including Gorash the leader. All killed by the poisonous mist. You are the only one who survived."The villagers be