Taking the opportunity of traveling through books

A glimmer of hope, yet a cloud of doubt surrounds it

The sound of metal rubbing was getting closer. I turned around and saw a group of small mechanical puppets rushing towards us. "Hao Yang!" I exclaimed and subconsciously hid behind him.

Hao Yang shielded me behind him and growled, "Yao'er, be careful!" He drew his dagger and charged at the mechanical puppets. Though small, they were incredibly agile and powerful. Hao Yang sustained several more wounds, but he managed to hold the puppets back. He signaled for me to continue studying the symbols on the wall.

I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down. These symbols were strangely shaped, like some kind of writing, or a totem, something I had never seen before. Their arrangement was also peculiar, not straight and horizontal, but zigzagging like tiny snakes. I pulled out the small booklet I had brought with me, containing a collection of strange characters and symbols from various sources, hoping to find some clue.

As time passed, Hao Yang's breathing became increasingly rapid, and the wounds on his body became more numerous. I was anxious, but I had no clue what to do. I searched the entire booklet for these symbols, but couldn't find any similar records. Could this really be some kind of writing I had never encountered before?

Just as I was about to give up, my eyes fell on the last page of the booklet. This page recorded an ancient array symbol, said to have been used by a mysterious organization in ancient times. The symbols on the wall, while not identical, bore a striking resemblance to these array symbols!

My heart trembled. Could these symbols be related to that mysterious organization? I carefully compared the symbols on the wall with the records in the booklet, trying to find a pattern. Gradually, I realized that these symbols were not random, but arranged in a certain order. If they were connected in the correct order, they would form a complete pattern!

I held my breath and rearranged the symbols on the wall in my mind, following my own understanding. A complex pattern gradually emerged, and at its center, a shape resembling a spirit bead!

I excitedly pointed at the symbols on the wall and shouted to Hao Yang, "Hao Yang, look! These symbols, they..."

Before I could finish my words, Hao Yang suddenly groaned. A mechanical puppet broke through his defenses and cut a deep wound on his arm. Blood gushed out instantly, staining his sleeve red.

"Yao'er, leave me alone!" Hao Yang gritted his teeth, swung his dagger, and knocked the mechanical puppet away. "You continue your research, I can still hold on!"

My heart tightened, knowing I couldn't delay any longer. I once again focused my attention on the symbols on the wall, trying to find the entrance to the secret room. Finally, at the very bottom of the pattern, I found an inconspicuous symbol. It was slightly different from the others and seemed to be a switch!

I reached out and pressed on the symbol... There was a slight vibration, and a crack appeared in the wall...

"Hao Yang..." I turned around to look at him, only to find that he was being besieged by a group of mechanical puppets, and was in danger...

The gap widened, eventually forming a door wide enough for one person to pass through. I was overjoyed. Could this be the entrance to the secret room? I quickly called out to Hao Yang, "Hao Yang, I found the entrance!"

He struggled to fight off a mechanical puppet, glanced in my direction, and a relieved smile appeared on his face: "Yao'er, you are so awesome!" But then he groaned again, and a mechanical puppet took advantage of his unpreparedness and slashed him hard on the back.

My heart tightened, and without caring about anything else, I rushed to his side and supported his shaky body: "Hao Yang! How are you?"

"I'm fine..." He was pale, with beads of sweat on his forehead, "Let's go in quickly!"

I supported him as we struggled through the narrow entrance, which led to a dark passage and a huge stone door at the end, blocking our way.

"It seems this is the door to the secret room." I looked at the heavy stone door, feeling both excited and worried. Excited because we were getting closer to the truth; worried because Hao Yang's injuries were getting worse, and I had to find a way to detoxify him as soon as possible.

We searched carefully along the stone door, hoping to find the mechanism that would open it. The surface of the stone door was carved with intricate patterns. I examined them carefully and found that these patterns were similar to the symbols on the wall, and seemed to contain some kind of pattern.

Just as I was concentrating on studying the pattern, Hao Yang suddenly exclaimed, "Yao'er, be careful!"

Before I could react, I felt a strange noise overhead. Countless poisonous stingers rained down from the sky, dense and dense, like a rainstorm. Panicked, I dodged, but several stingers still scratched my arms.

Hao Yang held me in his arms, blocking most of the stings with his own body. I heard him groan and his body tremble violently.

"Hao Yang!" I looked up in horror and saw that his face was even paler and his lips were purple. Signs of poisoning had already appeared on him.

"I... I'm fine..." He tried hard to say, but his voice was weak.

I was so anxious that I quickly tore off my sleeve and bandaged his wound. But I knew that this was only a temporary solution and I had to find a way to detoxify him as soon as possible.

While I was taking care of Hao Yang, I continued to search for the mechanism of the stone gate. As time passed, Hao Yang's breathing became weaker and weaker, and my heart became heavier and heavier.

Finally, I found an inconspicuous groove at the bottom of the stone door. I tentatively reached in and pressed gently. With a click, the stone door slowly opened.

I supported Hao Yang and walked into the stone door. Behind the stone door was a spacious secret room, filled with a mysterious atmosphere... A powerful suction pulled us into a dark vortex deep in the secret room... I held Hao Yang's hand tightly, "Hao Yang..."