In that instant, a cold blade sliced through the air, heading straight for the defenseless Arya! Everyone's pupils constricted, and their breaths almost stopped.
Mark reacted swiftly, lunging forward to meet the incoming blade with his longsword. A clang of metal clashed, and the blade stopped inches from Arya, sparks flying. Mark roared, "Who attacked! Show yourself!"
Carl and Robin quickly surrounded Arya, shielding her in the center. "Arya, are you alright?" Sofia asked anxiously.
Arya nodded, slightly out of breath. "Thank goodness, all thanks to Mark." Her eyes were resolute as she turned to the others and said, "We must keep moving forward and not let this little trouble stop us."
Just then, an old man in a black cloak emerged from the shadows behind the stone gate, a curved dagger in his hand, his gaze cold and cunning. "Foolish humans, this is not a place for you." His voice was low and hoarse, yet carried an indescribable sense of power.
"Who is he?" the young villager asked his teammate in a low voice.
"I don't know, but he's definitely not a good person!" his companion replied, gripping his weapon tightly, his eyes filled with determination.
Arya slowly rose to her feet, steadied herself, and stared at the old man. "No matter who you are, you cannot stop us from pursuing the truth."
The old man shook his head with a cold laugh. "Naive! You can't even unravel the secret of this door, yet you dare to talk about pursuing the truth? Hmph, you might as well leave now to avoid wasting your lives."
James stepped forward, his eyes keenly fixed on the runes on the stone door. "You're right, we don't understand these characters, but I believe there's always a solution. Sophia, what do you think?"
Sophia nodded, carefully examining the symbols on the stone gate. "Although they are complex, they are not entirely incomprehensible. We need some time to study them."
The young villager hesitated, looking anxiously at his teammates. "Should we retreat first and discuss a plan?"
Arya shook her head firmly. "No! If we back down, we'll give them an opening. We have to resolve this here."
Just then, the young female villager suddenly had a bright idea, as if she had a new thought. "I have a suggestion," she said. "Perhaps we can try to solve this puzzle from multiple directions at the same time. How about we search for clues separately and then analyze them together? This would save time and increase the chances of success."
Arya nodded in agreement. “Great idea! Carl, James, you two take the left, Sophia and I will take the right, and the rest of you will assist with protection and keep an eye out for any suspicious movements.”
With the arrangements made, everyone began their busy and meticulous work, each fulfilling their assigned roles. The air was thick with focus; everyone understood that every minute and second was extremely precious.
The old man sneered and turned to leave, leaving behind a meaningful remark, "I hope you can find the answer... otherwise, no one will save you next time." His figure quickly disappeared into the dark tunnel.
As the first faint ray of light pierced through the cracks in the stone, someone finally cried out, "I think I've found part of the pattern!" As more people followed suit, they gradually unraveled the hidden meanings behind some of the mysterious symbols...
But what they didn't know was that behind this lay far more complex challenges and unforeseen crises... and this was just the tip of the iceberg...
Just as everyone was engrossed in solving the puzzle, an unseen figure quietly approached, a pair of sharp eyes silently observing the explorers' every move. "Interesting... truly very interesting..." he muttered to himself, a strange smile playing on his lips...
Arya looked up at her companions and said, "No matter what awaits us ahead, as long as we stay united, there is no obstacle we cannot overcome."
James nodded. "That's right, keep it up! I believe we can succeed!"
However, no one knows what changes and challenges the future may hold. All they can do is give their all in facing each choice…
In the ensuing silence, the group began their meticulous study and discussion. Even the dust in the air seemed to thicken. Karl and James stood on the left, carefully examining the runes and occasionally whispering amongst themselves; Sophia and Arya were on the right, their books turning page after page of mysterious text.
"Hey, what does this even mean?" a young villager complained to his companion. "We've been standing here for most of the afternoon and haven't been able to decipher a single word!"
Her companion sighed softly, "I also think it's a bit difficult. But look how serious Arya and the others are... maybe there really is a chance."
Just then, a passing adventurer inadvertently stopped. He was dressed in coarse cloth, but the experienced look in his eyes was impressive. "Hey, what's going on here? You seem to be having some trouble?" he said with a slightly mocking expression, while sizing up the group of young people.
“Yes, these runes are very complex,” Arya replied, looking up and briefly explaining the situation.
After listening, the man named Hank showed a hint of interest. "Interesting. In that case... I'll help you! I do have some knowledge of these ancient civilizations."
With Hank joining the exploration, the situation seemed to change. At his prompting, Sofia suddenly exclaimed, "Wait, there's a pattern here...it looks like a sunrise! Could it represent a special point in time?"
Arya's eyes lit up: "Yes, that's possible! If we follow this line of thought, then the other parts might also be related."
Hearing their conversation, others gathered around and began to discuss it animatedly. "My God, we've actually found a clue!" an excited voice exclaimed. "I knew it! Working together, we can always find a solution!"
However, not everyone shared the same optimism. The girl who had initially offered the suggestion now frowned. "Well... while there has been some progress, we can't let our guard down." She turned to Hank and asked, "You mentioned there are even more complex challenges ahead? What do we need to prepare?"
Hank nodded in agreement. "That's true. Besides needing the wisdom to crack the code, we might also have to be prepared for potential physical confrontations or other types of traps... In short, we need to be fully mentally prepared."
Just as everyone was immersed in this mix of anticipation and slight worry, a strange sound suddenly came from outside the stone gate. "Who goes there?" Mark asked alertly, gripping his sword hilt. At the same time, everyone else stopped what they were doing and turned their gazes toward the source of the sound.
A few seconds later, a thin figure peeked out from the doorway—it was the old man who had been driven away earlier. "Heh, looks like things are going well," he chuckled coldly, then continued, "But remember my words—the truth is far more terrifying than what you see on the surface."
After saying this, the old man didn't leave but instead took a few steps closer. "Actually... what I was thinking was, perhaps we could cooperate? Explore the secrets hidden in this place together, what do you think?"
These words caused quite a stir. Everyone exchanged complicated glances. Finally, Arya broke the silence: "Why the sudden change of attitude? Isn't it because you know you can't complete the mission on your own and are choosing to compromise?"
"A clever child!" The old man nodded approvingly and then explained, "As you said, there are indeed many unknowns here. Rather than constantly suspecting and fighting each other, it would be better to form a temporary alliance to overcome the difficulties together."
Just as everyone was deep in thought, Robin, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up: "I think this suggestion is worth considering. After all, our biggest enemy right now isn't them..."
His words plunged everyone into deep thought, and for a moment no one spoke. Only the occasional faint sounds from outside echoed...
In the midst of this tense and oppressive atmosphere, Sophia slowly broke the silence: "Alright, let's try this kind of cooperation. But I hope you understand one thing—any act of betrayal will not be forgiven."
Hearing this, the old man smiled slightly but didn't reply immediately. Instead, he turned and walked into the shadows: "Don't worry, young people. Everyone has their own interests to consider. This cooperation is equally important to us..." As his figure receded into the distance, the air was once again filled with an air of uncertainty...
"No matter what, the road ahead will definitely be more difficult and tortuous. I just hope we can all stay safe and sound until the very end," Arya murmured to herself, unsure of who she was speaking to, or perhaps just trying to encourage herself.
“Yes, let’s cheer each other on,” Mark said firmly, gripping his longsword. “As long as we’re here, everything will be alright.”
However, the hidden gaze in the distance did not dissipate, its dangerous and enigmatic light gleaming even more keenly under the cover of night… How the story will unfold remains to be seen…
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