As the old man's figure disappeared into the darkness, a brief silence fell over the crowd. The tense atmosphere seemed to freeze.
Arya took a deep breath, her gaze sweeping over her companions with unwavering resolve: "We can't easily trust this old man, but his proposed cooperation is certainly worth considering. After all, the secrets here far exceed our imagination."
Karl tapped his weapon lightly, his gaze sharp as he looked at the runes on the stone door: "But this means we need to remain extremely vigilant. This guy is clearly no pushover."
James nodded in agreement: "Yes, we need to be careful. Now that we've chosen this path, we can't back down anymore."
Sophia frowned slightly, her fingers gently tracing the surface of the runes: "The most important thing now is to unravel the secrets of these runes as soon as possible, so that we can gain more initiative."
Just as everyone was deep in thought, a young villager suddenly broke the silence: "The old man said there's an even bigger crisis here... I wonder if it's true." There was a hint of unease in his voice.
Another villager nearby comforted her, saying, "Don't be afraid. With so many people together, everything will be fine. And look, we've already got some leads. Just keep trying."
Just then, Hank cleared his throat, his tone revealing a hint of confidence: "Don't worry, as long as you follow my instructions, deciphering the runes won't be difficult. I have some experience in this area, and we can take it step by step."
Sophia looked up and gave Hank a grateful look: "Then I'll leave it to you."
Hank smiled and nodded, then focused his attention back on the stone gate. "Look here, these symbols represent the rising and setting of the sun, possibly a specific time period." He pointed to one of the intricate patterns. "And this one seems to indicate a direction... if I'm not mistaken, it's suggesting a specific direction or path."
"So, we need to find the right location at this point in time?" Arya asked thoughtfully.
Hank nodded: "Very likely. But this is just the beginning; further in-depth research is needed to draw a final conclusion."
Mark interjected, "Anyway, we need to act quickly. Who knows what tricks that old man might pull?"
Just as everyone was getting back to work, a passing traveler couldn't resist asking out of curiosity, "Hey everyone, what's going on here? It looks pretty interesting!"
Robin replied politely, "We are trying to solve the runic puzzle of the stone gate and hope to get through smoothly."
After taking a closer look at the stone gate, the traveler exclaimed with interest, "This is no easy feat! But seeing how united you all are is truly admirable. Keep it up! If you succeed, I'll definitely cheer you on!"
Sofia looked at her kind friend gratefully: "Thank you for your encouragement, we will do our best."
As time passed, with Hank's help, they finally found several crucial clues. Just as everyone was immersed in the joy of solving the mystery, strange noises came from not far away—as if some kind of creature was slowly approaching.
Arya's expression changed, and she whispered, "Everyone, be quiet... Listen! There's a sound outside!"
Mark immediately became alert, silently raising his longsword in a defensive stance. "Who's there? Show yourself! Don't sneak around!" he shouted.
A few seconds later, several figures dressed in strange attire emerged from the shadows, carrying various weapons. One of them announced loudly, "We are the guardians of this temple. Anyone who wishes to enter must first undergo a test!"
"A test?" the young villager muttered softly, clearly a little scared.
Arya stepped forward, her gaze unwavering as she looked at the guardians. "Alright, then we'll accept the challenge. Please let us through, no matter what."
The leader nodded, then turned and walked into the shadows: "Follow me... but remember, this is a dangerous game."
Driven by a strange yet exciting feeling, the group followed in each other's footsteps into an even more unknown world. A mysterious and exhilarating atmosphere filled the air, and everyone felt an unprecedented sense of tension and excitement…
"I hope we can all stay safe and sound until the very end..." Arya murmured to herself.
“No matter what happens, as long as we have each other by our side, that’s enough,” Sofia gently patted Arya’s shoulder in support. “Everything will be alright.”
At that moment, the mysterious figure who had been lurking and observing them from afar revealed a sinister smile, as if he had already foreseen everything that was about to happen... But how the future would unfold remained entirely unknown...
"Alright, let's go see what this so-called 'test' is all about." Arya said firmly, taking the first step, followed by Mark, Carl, Sofia, and all the other teammates.
What kind of adventure awaits them? No one can predict. We can only hope that no matter what difficulties and challenges they encounter, they will stay true to their original aspirations and move forward hand in hand.
Following the footsteps of the mysterious guardians, the group traversed a deep and winding corridor, their hollow footsteps echoing all around. With each step, they seemed to drift further away from the familiar outside world. As they ventured deeper into the temple, the ancient patterns and reliefs on the walls became increasingly clear, telling long-forgotten stories. However, now was not the time to linger and admire; their tension grew ever stronger.
Arya's eyes remained alert as she scanned their surroundings. "This place is indeed full of unknowns. But no matter what, we must remain calm."
“You’re right,” Karl agreed, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the little villager beside him who was trembling with nervousness. “Listen up, everyone, don’t be afraid and don’t fall behind, follow me.”
Just then, several low yet clearly audible voices rang out from the ranks ahead—"Now that you've arrived, you need to demonstrate your strength." The leading guardian stopped, his expression somewhat sinister in the dim light. "Now, prepare yourself for the first 'test'!"
Before he finished speaking, he waved his hand and opened a hidden door behind the wall. A gust of cold wind rushed in, carrying a slightly musty smell. What came into view was a huge, empty room, with all sorts of challenge equipment placed in the center.
Just as everyone was wondering how to proceed, a huge, ferocious-looking man-made mechanical beast suddenly sprang out of the room. "Whoa... what is that thing?!" The young villagers were so frightened that they took several steps back.
Sofia calmly stepped forward: "In that case, let's complete this test according to the rules. Mark, you go and hold that thing back, Hank and I will look for weaknesses to attack; the rest of you, try to protect yourselves and make sure to evacuate safely."
Facing the monster before him, Mark charged forward without hesitation, brandishing his longsword and engaging in fierce combat. "Hey guys, get on with this!" he shouted back to his teammates amidst the chaos.
At this point, several tourists who had been watching for a while finally couldn't contain their curiosity and joined the discussion. "This is absolutely amazing! So this is what they call a trial?" a young man with a backpack exclaimed excitedly. "It's just like a scene from a movie!"
“But honestly, it’s really admirable how calmly they handled it,” another girl chimed in. “If it were me, I probably would have run far away by now, haha~ But these friends are really brave.”
Meanwhile, Hank had already located the mechanical creature's core power unit through observation. "There it is, Miss Sophia, aim at that thing flashing blue light over there and try firing!" The two then coordinated perfectly, launching a fierce attack on the core, ultimately subduing the enemy.
As the last trace of electricity faded, the entire chamber fell into a deathly silence. "Did we succeed? We did it..." Karl breathed a sigh of relief. "But little did we know this was only the first step..."
Not long after, the leading guardian reappeared, looking surprised. "It seems I truly underestimated the abilities of you adventurers. Congratulations, everyone, on completing the first round of assessment."
"So, what awaits us next?" Arya asked impatiently.
The guardian smiled slightly but didn't answer, only slowly extending his hand to signal everyone to follow him deeper into the area. The suspense in the air grew even stronger...
At that very moment, the figure hidden in a distant corner continued to silently observe everything that was happening, a barely perceptible smile returning to the corners of his mouth. "The crucial stage that will truly test your minds and courage is about to begin... Good luck to you all."
"No matter how many difficulties you encounter, you must grit your teeth and persevere," Sofia's encouraging words lingered in the air before they parted. Driven by curiosity and a sense of mission, the group continued on their way...
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