The hidden passage behind the Ancient Mire Turtle's corpse was a dark, damp rock hollow, leading deep underground. The air inside carried a strange scent, both decaying and faintly metallic, sending a shiver down Kai's spine. His "Keen Senses" warned of a heavy sensation, as if this space had been sealed for millennia.
"Be careful," Arthur said, gripping his hammer tightly, the faint light from a glowing crystal Elara had pulled from her pouch illuminating their path. "Ancient caves often have traps."
Elara nodded, her sharp eyes scanning the damp rock walls. She wasn't a frontline fighter, but her trap-detecting ability was invaluable. "There's an uneasy feeling..."
Just then, Kai sensed a strange, chilling energy, not of monsters but of something that had once been here, leaving a faint trace. He lightly touched the moss-covered stone wall.
Traces of 'Corrosive Soul' have been detected.
Memories of 'The Eroding Passage' have been transmitted.
A fleeting image flashed through Kai's mind: invisible magical arrows, shooting from cracks in the walls, tearing apart anything in their path. This was an ancient type of trap, perhaps powered by the Crystal Dragon Hall itself.
"Fall back!" Kai suddenly roared, his voice echoing in the cave. "Traps! Magical arrows from the walls!"
No sooner had he spoken than a "WHOOSH!" whistled through the air. Dozens of invisible magical arrows shot out from small cracks in the rock walls. Arthur hastily raised his shield, and Elara quickly rolled to evade.
Kai deployed his newly learned "Powerful Water Barrier." A transparent shield of water appeared before him, blocking the incoming arrows.
[-10 HP! Powerful Water Barrier absorbed damage!]
Although the shield saved him from serious injury, it consumed a significant amount of mana.
"Damn it! Magic traps!" Arthur grumbled, a few arrows having grazed his armor.
"How did you know?" Elara asked, her eyes wide with astonishment, looking at Kai.
"Memories from the ancient dragon," Kai replied. "It warned of these 'Corrosive Soul' traps. The passage... it was eroding."
They advanced more cautiously, guided by Kai's warnings. Whenever he sensed a trap's energy about to activate, he'd alert them, allowing Arthur and Elara to dodge or defend. Their coordination became incredibly fluid, as if they had been practicing together for years.
After navigating through three layers of traps, the passage began to widen. The air became drier, and a faint, ethereal light began to spread from ahead. It was the glow of colossal crystals.
They had arrived.
You have entered the 'Crystal Dragon Hall - Sealed Entrance'.
Area Danger Level: Extremely High!
The sight before them was stunning. Not a crude cave, but a massive hall carved from marble and countless sparkling crystals. These crystals emitted an ethereal blue light, illuminating ancient bas-reliefs depicting dragons and other mythical creatures. The atmosphere here held a sacred and majestic quality that was breathtaking.
But awe was quickly replaced by tension.
In the middle of the hall, scattered across the stone floor, were fresh bloodstains and several corpses. Not monster corpses. These were bounty hunters, with clear sword wounds. And not far off, a large sword was plunged deep into the ground, its blade glowing with a familiar purple energy.
"Zane!" Arthur roared. "He was here!"
On a nearby crystal wall, a crude symbol was drawn in fresh blood. It was the emblem of the Mire Bounty Hunters Guild – a crocodile eye with fangs. But beside it, in a different kind of blood, another symbol was hastily scrawled over it: a broken sword.
"This is Zane's message," Elara said, her voice grim. "He fought them here... and he left a mark."
Kai approached the sword stuck in the ground. He sensed a powerful energy from it, but also a sense of weakening, as if its owner had suffered a severe injury.
"Zane fought... and likely escaped," Kai said. "But the Bounty Hunters Guild definitely got something... or is pursuing him."
Suddenly, a deep growl echoed from further inside the Crystal Dragon Hall. It wasn't the roar of a common monster. It carried an ancient and malevolent presence.
"Something's inside!" Arthur drew his hammer. "Must be the main guardian of this Temple."
Elara raised her bow, her eyes fixed on the deeper passage. "And Zane is probably in there... or he triggered it."
They had found the Crystal Dragon Hall, but it wasn't empty as they had expected. It was a recently ravaged battlefield, bearing the marks of a fierce fight and secrets waiting to be unraveled. Their objective was clearer than ever: find Zane, learn about the "Ancient Soul Emblem," and uncover the secrets of the Crystal Dragon Hall, despite the lurking threat of the Bounty Hunters Guild and the ancient guardians. Their true journey had only just begun.