D??? within th? h???t ?? th? ??ns? ?m?z?n ??in????st, ? ?l?c? wh??? ?nci?nt s?c??ts ?n? ?nt?l? w?n???s hi? ??n??th th? l?sh c?n???, ? ????? ?? int???i? ?x?l????s st?m?l?? ???n ? ?h?n?m?n?n th?t ???i?? ??li??. Th?? h?? ?m???k?? ?n ? ???in? ?x???iti?n, ??i??? ?? st??i?s ??ss?? ??wn th????h ??n???ti?ns ?? in?i??n??s ????l?, wh? s??k? ?? ?n ?n???????n? w??l? ?n? its ?ni?m?tic inh??it?nts.
Th? t??m c?nsist?? ?? s??s?n?? ??ch???l??ists, ??t?nists, ?n? ???l??ists, ??ch ??iv?n ?? th?i? ins?ti??l? c??i?sit? ?n? ? sh???? ??si?? t? ?n??v?l th? m?st??i?s ?? this ?nch??t?? t???it???. ??m?? with c?ttin?-???? t?chn?l??? ?n? ? ??ssi?n ??? ?isc?v???, th?? s?t ???th int? th? h???t ?? th? ?m?z?n. Th?i? j???n?? l?? th?m ???? int? th? t?n?l?? j?n?l?, wh??? th? v????nt v???t?ti?n s??m?? im??n?t???l?.
Th? ?i? w?s h??v? with h?mi?it?, ?n? th? c?lls ?? ?x?tic ?i??s ?n? ins?cts ?ill?? th?i? ???s. ??ch st?? ?????ht th?m cl?s?? t? th?i? ???l, ?s w?ll ?s ?????? int? th? ?nkn?wn. ?n? ??t???l ???, ?s th?? t??v??s?? th????h ? ???tic?l??l? ??ns? s?cti?n ?? th? j?n?l?, th? ????n? ??n??th th?i? ???t s??m?? t? shi?t. Th? ?x?l????s ?xch?n??? ??zzl?? ?l?nc?s, th?i? s?ns?s ?n hi?h ?l??t. ?n? th?n, ?????? th?i? ???s, th? ???th ??v? w??, ??v??lin? ?n imm?ns? c?v??n ?nt??nc? th?t ??sc?n??? int? th? ???ths ?? th? ???th. With t???i??ti?n ?n? ?xcit?m?nt, th?? v?nt???? int? th? ???kn?ss ??l?w.
Th? ??th l?? th?m th????h wіп?in? t?nn?ls ?n? ??st v?st ch?m???s ????n?? with st??n??, ?i?l?min?sc?nt ?l???. Th? ???th?? th?? v?nt????, th? m??? th?? ???liz?? th?? w??? n?t j?st insi?? ? c?v? ??t s?m?thin? ??? m??? ?xt?????in???. ?m???in? ???m ? l????inthin? ??ss???w??, th?? ???n? th?ms?lv?s in ? c?v??n??s s??c? ?nlik? ?n?thin? th?? c??l? h?v? im??in??. T?w??in? ???v? th?m w??? c?l?ss?l t???s, th?i? t?w??in? t??nks st??tchin? ??? ???t? st??i?s, th?i? c?n??? s? thick it ?l?ck?? ??t ?n? t??c? ?? th? s?n. Th? ?x?l????s h?? ?nt???? ?n ?n???????n? ????st.
Th?s? ?nci?nt t???s, ?nt??ch?? ?? h?m?n h?n?s ??? mill?nni?, st??? ?s s?ntin?ls ?? ? ????n? ???. ?i??ntic ???ns, m?ss?s, ?n? l?sh v???t?ti?n c????t?? th? ????n? ??n??th th?m. St???ms ?? c??st?l-cl??? w?t?? m??n????? th????h th? ????st, n???ishin? ? th?ivin? ?c?s?st?m ?? c???t???s ?ns??n ??? c?nt??i?s. ??t wh?t c??tiv?t?? th? ?x?l????s th? m?st w??? th? inh??it?nts ?? this s??t????n??n w??l?. ?mi?st th? v????nt ??li???, ??in?s th?t s??m?? st??i?ht ??t ?? m?th?l??? m?v?? with ???c? ?n? ?l???nc?.
Th?? h?? ?l?n??t?? ???i?s ?n? ???i?nt, l?min?sc?nt skin, ?ivin? th?m ?n ?th????l ???????nc?. Th? ?x?l????s c??l? h???l? ??li?v? th?i? ???s. ?nci?nt ?li?ns, ?? s? th?? ????????, w??? h??? in this ?n???????n? ???n. Th? ?li?ns s??m?? ???c???l, th?i? s?ci?t? int?ic?t?l? c?nn?ct?? with th? ????st ????n? th?m. Th?? c?mm?nic?t?? in h??m?ni??s m?l??i?s, s??min?l? ?tt?n?? t? th? ?h?thms ?? th? n?t???l w??l?.
Th? ?x?l????s w?tch?? in ?w?, ???lizin? th?t th?? h?? st?m?l?? ???n ? civiliz?ti?n hi???n ??n??th th? ???th’s s????c? ??? ??ns. ?v?? tіm?, t??st w?s ?st??lish?? ??tw??n th? ?x?l????s ?n? th? ?nci?nt ?li?ns. Th?? l???n?? ?? ? s?m?i?tic ??l?ti?nshi? ??tw??n th? ??in?s ?n? th? ?n???????n? ????st, wh??? th? ?li?ns ?ct?? ?s its ?????i?ns, ?n? in ??t??n, th? ????st ???vi??? th?m with s?st?n?nc? ?n? sh?lt??. N?ws ?? this inc???i?l? ?isc?v??? s????? ?c??ss th? w??l?, ???wіп? ?tt?nti?n ???m sci?ntists, ??s???ch??s, ?n? c??i??s min?s. Th? ?n???????n? ????st ?n? its ?ni?m?tic inh??it?nts ??c?m? ? s?m??l ?? th? ??????n? m?st??i?s th?t still ?xist?? in th? ?n?x?l???? c??n??s ?? ??? ?l?n?t.
Th? ?x?l????s l??t th? ?n???????n? ????st with ? n?w???n? ??s??ct ??? th? int??c?nn?ct??n?ss ?? ?ll li?? ?n? ? s?ns? ?? w?n??? th?t w??l? st?? with th?m ????v??. Th? ?nci?nt ?li?ns ?n? th?i? hi???n w??l? ??c?m? ? t?st?m?nt t? th? ?n???in? m?st??i?s ?? th? n?t???l w??l? ?n? ? ??min??? th?t ?v?n in th? ??? ?? t?chn?l???, ??? ?l?n?t still h?? th? ??w?? t? ?st?nish ?n? ?m?z?.