The male protagonist of the book is poisonous

We stood before the half-open door. The light behind it stretched out from the narrow crack like a mysterious tentacle, swaying gently, as if eagerly beckoning us. I took a deep breath, which seemed to infuse me with courage, and then slowly pushed the door open.

The room behind the door was spacious and bright. This brightness wasn't ordinary light, but rather a mysterious radiance, like countless tiny stars scattered across the room. Strange portraits and maps hung on the walls. The figures in the portraits varied, some with distorted faces and eerie eyes; others were shrouded in a mist, their outlines barely visible. The maps themselves were peculiar, marked with places and routes we'd never seen before. The lines twisted and zigzagged, as if telling ancient and mysterious stories.

In the center of the room stood a massive stone platform. Made of what looked like some ancient rock, it was covered in delicate veins, interwoven like a natural painting. Atop the platform sat a thick book, its cover engraved with strange symbols. These symbols seemed alive, flowing slowly in the dim light, emitting a captivating and awe-inspiring aura.

I approached the stone platform, each step cautious, as if the ground beneath my feet might be a trap at any moment. I bent down and examined the book carefully. The words in the book were new to me. They resembled countless winding snakes, like a woven web of mysterious runes. But I could sense the immense power contained in these words, a force that emanated from the pages like an invisible magnetic field, giving me goosebumps on my arms.

Luo Chen also walked over, his eyes filled with curiosity and concentration. He looked at the book, a look of surprise on his face. "This is a magic book, and a very ancient one," he said, his voice filled with a hint of unconcealed excitement. His eyes were fixed on the symbols in the book, as if he was deeply captivated and unable to look away.

I nodded. "It seems we have found something important." I lowered my voice unconsciously, as if afraid of disturbing the mysterious atmosphere of the book.

We began to carefully study the book, trying to uncover its secrets. I gently turned the pages, each one akin to a mysterious realm, begging for exploration. Though the text was difficult to understand, we did discover clues. These clues, like faint starlight hidden in the darkness, required our meticulous attention to detect. The book seemed to contain a description of an ancient magic that could manipulate time and space. Occasionally, descriptions of time and space warping and journeying through alternate dimensions appeared within the text. Though mere fragments, they were enough to astonish us.

"If we can learn this magic, maybe we can find a way to leave this castle." Luo Chen said, his eyes gleaming with hope. In this castle full of dangers and unknowns, finding a way to leave is like seeing a ray of light in the darkness.

I agree with him, but we all know that learning this kind of magic is not easy. It's like climbing a towering, steep and precipitous mountain, requiring us to climb up step by step, with the danger of slipping at any time. We need more time and energy to study this book.

Just as we were about to delve deeper, a slight movement suddenly erupted from the corner of the room. It sounded like the stealthy movement of a small mouse, or the rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze, but it was strikingly unusual in the silence. We turned warily, our eyes fixed on the direction of the sound. Then, a figure emerged from the shadows.

It was a figure clad in a black robe, like a part of the night, tightly enveloping him. The robe's texture seemed rough, with mysterious patterns seemingly visible in the dim light. He wore a white mask, engraved with strange patterns. Two deep black holes peeked through where his eyes should be, making it impossible to discern his features. Instead, it felt as if he were being stared at by an endless darkness. He gazed at us, his eyes gleaming with a strange light, a cold and mysterious radiance that seemed to emanate from a distant galaxy.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" asked the man in black robe. His voice was low and hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing against rough wood. Every word carried a sense of vicissitudes and mystery.

Luo Chen and I exchanged a glance, and I took a step forward. Although I felt a little nervous, I tried to make my voice sound calm. "We are adventurers, and we are looking for a way to leave this castle."

The black-robed man was silent for a moment, that silence like an invisible pressure, weighing heavily on us. Then he slowly said, "The method of leaving this castle is in this book, but you must pay the price." His voice seemed to come from a distant valley, echoing in the room with an unquestionable authority.

"Price? What price?" Luo Chen asked with a frown, his eyes filled with a hint of doubt and worry.

The man in black robe didn't answer, but just looked at us quietly.

I couldn't help but say, "You have to give us some clues, otherwise how can we know if we can accept this price?"

The black-robed man slowly raised his hand. A pale and slender hand emerged from his robe. He pointed at us and said, "You adventurers are always full of questions. But some things can't be known right now."

Luo Chen said anxiously, "But if the price is something we can't afford, isn't that a waste of our time?"

The black-robed man sneered, "Waste of time? In this castle, time is the least valuable thing. Either you accept my terms, or you will be trapped here forever."

I thought about it for a moment and said, "Then can you tell us the general direction of this price? Is it in terms of life, wealth, or something else?"

The black-robed man shook his head. "I told you, now is not the time. You just need to know that this price is related to the mission you are about to undertake."

Luo Chen and I looked at each other again, and Luo Chen whispered to me, "I don't think we have much choice."

I nodded helplessly, then said to the man in black robe, "Then tell me about the mission."

The black-robed man then slowly spoke, "Deep within the castle, there is a sealed room. Inside is a powerful magical item. You must find it and bring it to me."

I asked, "What does this magical item look like? Does it have any special markings or features?"

The black-robed man said impatiently, "You'll understand once you get there. This castle is filled with mysterious powers, and I don't need to explain everything."

Luo Chen then asked: "Is there any danger around this sealed room?"

The black-robed man snorted, "Danger? The entire castle is full of dangers. If you're afraid of danger, you shouldn't have come here."

I said a little angrily, "We just want to know more about the situation so that we can complete the task better. We are not afraid."

The black-robed man was silent for a moment, then said, "There are some magical traps around the sealed room, as well as some guardian creatures. Those creatures are not as easy to deal with as the ones you encountered before."

Luo Chen asked: "Then how do we avoid those magic traps?"

The black-robed man glanced at him and said, "You'll need to explore this on your own. I can only tell you that the traps are related to the elemental powers in the castle, such as water, fire, wind, and earth."

I asked again, "What about the guardian creatures? What are they like?"

The black-robed man replied, "Some are giant stone statues, and some are invisible ghosts. They are all endowed with powerful powers and are specifically designed to guard that room."

Luo Chen and I both had a plan in mind. Although we knew the task was difficult, we decided to accept it in order to leave the castle.

I took a deep breath and said, "We will get the job done."

The man in black robe nodded. "Very good, then you can go. Remember, time is running out." His voice echoed in our ears like an ominous omen.

We left the room and headed deeper into the castle. Each step was filled with determination, yet also with fear of the unknown. We knew there might be more dangers and challenges ahead, but we also knew this was our only chance to escape the castle. Like a floating plank on a turbulent sea, a drowning man's only hope, we could only seize this opportunity and forge ahead.