Taking the opportunity of traveling through books

Try again to break the deadlock despite setbacks

An elf! It truly was an elf! It hovered in mid-air, radiating a soft, silvery-white glow. It was as light as a feather, ready to be blown away by the wind. With delicate features, pointed ears, and gently fluttering transparent wings, it looked like a dreamlike creature straight out of a fairy tale.

"Are you... here to look for the spirit pearl?" The elf's voice was clear and sweet, as melodious as a wind chime.

I froze for a moment, then nodded subconsciously. Hao Yang leaned on my shoulder, his face pale and his breath weak, but he tried hard to open his eyes wide and look at the elf in front of him.

"I can help you." The elf said lightly, with a hint of cunning in his tone, "But you need to agree to one condition of mine."

My heart tightened. Conditions? What conditions? In such a desperate situation, any condition was like a life-saving straw, but also like a sword hanging over my head.

"What conditions?" I asked nervously, holding my breath.

The elf flew around us, its silvery light casting a warm glow upon us. "Once I get the things, I need you to do something for me."

"What's the matter?" I asked, feeling a little uneasy.

The elf simply smiled mysteriously and didn't answer. "I can't tell you now. I'll tell you once you get the spirit pearl."

My heart sank. An unclear condition, an unknown task. It was like a gamble, with everything at stake. I looked at Hao Yang beside me. He smiled at me weakly, his eyes full of trust and encouragement.

"Yaoyao, I believe you." He said softly, as if seeing through my hesitation.

Yes, I have no way out. For Hao Yang, for myself, and to change my fate, I must take a gamble!

I took a deep breath, looked at the elf, and said firmly, "Okay, I promise you."

The elf seemed satisfied with my answer. It clapped its hands gently, and the air around it began to flow, and a strange force surrounded us.

"Follow me." After the elf said that, it turned and flew towards the depths of the ruins.

I supported Hao Yang and followed the elf, step by step, towards an unknown fate. The surrounding scene gradually became blurred, as if shrouded by a layer of mist. I felt dizzy and my body felt light and floating, as if I was about to fly...

"Hold on to me." The elf's voice sounded in my ears, crisp and rapid.

I subconsciously grasped Hao Yang's hand, grasping at that last ray of hope... Then, everything before my eyes disappeared, leaving only darkness...

"Wait..." I wanted to call out to the elf, but I found that I couldn't make any sound...

Darkness swallowed everything, and I felt myself falling rapidly, with the sound of wind whistling in my ears. Suddenly, the feeling of falling disappeared, and I opened my eyes abruptly, finding myself standing in an unfamiliar space with Hao Yang.

This place seemed to be the interior of a ruin, with ancient runes carved into the walls, emitting a faint glow. The air was filled with a damp smell mixed with the faint fragrance of plants.

"Where...is this place?" Hao Yang asked weakly. His face was still pale, but he seemed to be in better spirits.

I shook my head, indicating that I didn't know either. At this moment, the elf appeared before us, suspended in mid-air, its silvery-white light illuminating the surrounding environment.

"This is the entrance to the secret passage leading to the Spirit Pearl," the elf explained. "However, this place is also filled with traps, so you must be careful."

My heart sank. A trap? This wasn't good news. I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down.

"System, start the scanning function and detect traps around." I said silently in my mind.

"Scan started, analyzing the surrounding environment..." The system's voice sounded in my mind.

I took a cautious step forward, and the system immediately sounded an alarm: "There is a trigger trap three meters ahead. Please detour."

I quickly stopped and followed the system's instructions to avoid the trap. Hao Yang followed closely behind me, vigilantly observing the surrounding situation.

We advanced step by step, the system constantly sounding alarms, reminding us to avoid various traps. This process was extremely slow and arduous, and my nerves were tense to the extreme, fearing that I would accidentally trigger a trap.

"Yaoyao, be careful!" Hao Yang suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled me behind him.

Right where I was standing, the ground suddenly cracked, revealing a bottomless pit. If Hao Yang hadn't pulled me back, the consequences would have been disastrous.

I broke out in a cold sweat and looked at Hao Yang gratefully. He smiled at me, his eyes full of concern.

"Thank you, Haoyang." I whispered.

"Between us, there's no need to thank me." He patted my hand gently, his eyes firm. "We will overcome this together."

As we continued forward, the atmosphere grew increasingly tense. Just as we were about to reach the entrance to the secret passage, a sudden flash of light blinded me.

"What's going on?" I exclaimed, covering my eyes with my hands.

After the bright light, a huge black shadow appeared in front of us. The shadow exuded a strong dark aura that made people shudder.

"Shadow Demon..." The elf's voice trembled, filled with fear, "How could it be..."

My heart sank. Shadow Demon? What the hell is that?

Before I could react, the shadow demon let out a deafening roar and pounced on us... The elf screamed in surprise and flew in front of us, trying to resist the shadow demon's attack. However, the shadow demon's power was too great, and the elf was easily repelled and fell heavily to the ground...

"Elf!" I exclaimed and wanted to rush over, but was pulled back by Hao Yang.

"Don't go over there, Yaoyao! It's too dangerous!" Hao Yang held my hand tightly. His voice was trembling, but very firm. "I'll block it. Hurry..."

He suddenly pushed me behind him, then turned to face the Shadow Demon and drew the dagger from his waist... "Hao Yang!"