About the book: year / The action takes place in the near future of an alternative reality. After the War, an analogue of the Second World War, humanity was able to unite into an Empire, albeit at a very high cost. Unity removed many problems and greatly facilitated the development of civilization, following a technological path similar to ours. However, the crippled Earth is harsh on its children, and life on it is not easy. The invention of the Transition opened up new horizons, presented seven worlds suitable for colonization, and the rapid expansion of humanity began. The Tree of Worlds opened up more and more branches, but it quickly became clear that the Earth was located almost at the very edge of the bush of technological worlds. Next came the Barrier of Inflection of Constants, where the very foundations of the universe changed, so the development of this direction faced almost insurmountable difficulties. Military doctrine has undergone significant changes. The life of the soldier was put at the forefront, so the concept of “creeping defense” was gradually adopted - entire fortified areas, buried up to their eyebrows in the ground and concrete, are moved to where their presence is needed, with the help of giant Transition Installations. Fortified areas serve not only as an instrument of war, but also give humanity a chance of survival even after the greatest disasters - the resources and information accumulated in them will allow the surviving people to start over. In one of the raids to the Barrier of Inflection, people encounter a civilization of a biological orientation, which immediately begins aggressive actions - it is also dominated by a cruel need for expansion, due to internal reasons. The choice of direction is limited by powerful neighbors, and therefore, beyond the barrier worlds that people have already eyed for themselves are planned for development. The civilization is really strong - the number of worlds it has conquered exceeds one and a half thousand. Two commanders of the earthly troops, General Gorchakov and Colonel Gorchenko, begin the fight against an enemy many times superior in strength. The appearance of the dominant race of the enemy is very similar to the appearance of the characters of earthly folklore, the elves. Like folklore, beyond-barrier elves fully - and with good reason - possess their negative qualities: arrogance, contempt for “lower races,” concern for the purity of blood. Later it turns out that the fundamental physical laws in the worlds of this civilization allow the existence of another way of influencing reality - magic. The scale of the conflict is gradually increasing, more and more forces are being drawn into it, and terrible destructive types of weapons are being used on both sides. Tanks and guns meet with modified creatures and artifacts, nuclear and thermonuclear ammunition with sometimes superior success match the truly Great spells of elven magicians. As a result of chance in the confrontation between magic and technology, a new intelligent being arises, combining both. It begins a long journey to understanding itself, but the growing war is rumbling around, and this is not so easy to do. First of all, it must defeat and curb its own Power, the dangerous and black Power of necromagic. But whose side will it take in this war? A meeting with a human girl and the strong feeling that arises determine a difficult choice. People are gradually helped by a strong ally, the Shumilian Dragon, who nevertheless sets his own goals and has certain plans for humanity. The elves, in turn, have the opportunity to directly seek help from the mysterious Urr-Kazad, Holders of the magical domains of the Tree of Worlds. And none of the opponents who came together in battle has any idea that everything that is happening is an insignificant part of a grandiose Plan that should lead to the emergence of the missing part of the Universe.