In the natural cave passage of the sixth floor, five figures steadily advanced along the path illuminated by fluorescent moss.
Leading the way was a burly man with a full beard, carrying a double-bladed battle axe over his shoulder. His leather armor was covered in old scars and mended stitching.
His name was Herman, the captain of the "Stone Crusher" team.
"Silver Labyrinth has been making quite a name for itself lately," Herman glanced back at his teammates with a grin, "I heard those guys picked up a lot of good stuff inside, even got a Fine Steel Dagger for free."
The archer Nia, following behind him, curled her lip. "Team Rook got their hands on some treasure and bragged about it all night at the tavern. That big mouth Finn exaggerated even more, saying there was Refined Iron Ore everywhere and the sixth floor was a treasure trove."
The short mage at the back of the group rubbed his hands together. "We still need to finish this Monster material collection mission. There's a Monster on the sixth floor called the Dark-Scale Lizard. Its scales are alchemists' favorite material–one piece can sell for three gold coins."
Herman nodded. "Dark-Scale Lizard scales are indeed valuable, but those things aren't easy to deal with. They have thick, tough skin and can spit corrosive liquid. Everyone, stay sharp and don't let your guard down."
As they talked, their footsteps never stopped. When they rounded a bend, Nia suddenly reached out and patted Herman's shoulder.
"Captain, look."
Herman followed her gaze.
Not far ahead, at the edge of the passage, three palm-sized Pure White Mini Dolls were walking in a line, moving forward on their short legs.
Their bodies were made of smooth white stone, featureless, with round heads showing no expression. They wobbled as they walked, like three porcelain dolls just learning to walk.
"It's those little Dolls."
The short mage leaned in, lowering his voice. "I heard people talking about them at the tavern. These things are everywhere–sometimes moving stones, sometimes moving ore. No one knows what they're busy with."
The three Mini Dolls completely ignored their presence and walked straight ahead, soon reaching the Stratum Barrier at the end of the passage.
Any living creature trying to cross the stratum had to endure intense repulsive force, and low-level Monsters could even be flung back directly.
All five members of the Stone Crusher team stared intently at the three Mini Dolls. Then, they witnessed something that made their eyes widen.
One after another, the three Mini Dolls stepped directly over the Stratum Barrier as if walking on level ground, without any flashes of light or repulsive tremors.
They just swaggered across and disappeared into the dark passage of the upper floor.
"My Goddess of the Hearth!" The short mage gaped.
Nia and Herman exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes.
"They're unaffected by the Stratum Barrier?"
Nia frowned. "How is that possible? Buck once told me the Stratum Barrier is the Dungeon's iron law; no living creature can ignore it."
"That's exactly it," Dom, the shield-bearer who had been silent until now, spoke up.
He was a steady middle-aged man who spoke slowly and deliberately, "The key lies in the words 'living creature.' These little Dolls aren't alive at all. They're inanimate objects, created things, no different from stones or bricks.
"The Stratum Barrier only works on living things. Of course, it wouldn't react to a bunch of walking stones."
Herman stroked the stubble on his chin and nodded slowly.
"Dom makes a good point. Those veteran adventurers at the tavern also mentioned that these Dolls have no magical energy fluctuation, no scent of flesh and blood; even Carrion Demons don't give them a second glance.
"Perhaps, within the rules of the Dungeon, they're just moving construction materials."
"Moving construction materials," Nia repeated the phrase, unable to suppress a shiver. "That sounds so unsettling."
"Whether it's unsettling or not, we're not here to study Dolls."
Herman patted his battle-axe. "Let's go, we're looking for Dark-Scale Lizards. Those things like damp caves; heading east should lead us to one."
The party regrouped and advanced eastward along the passage.
The glow of the fluorescent moss grew dimmer, the ground shifting from smooth stone slabs to rough, natural rock formations. Underfoot, they occasionally stepped on broken bones and dried fungal debris.
They had already moved far beyond the influence of the ivory Labyrinth, entering an untouched, primitive area of the sixth floor.
"Quiet." Herman suddenly raised a fist, and the entire party halted instantly.
Movement came from a cave ahead. Herman crouched down, peering through a crack in the rock wall with half his head.
Deep inside the cave, a lizard-like Monster about half a person's height lay sprawled on a damp rock.
Its body was covered in dark green scales, their edges gleaming with a metallic sheen. Its tail was thick and powerful, and corrosive fluid dripped continuously from the corners of its mouth.
A Dark-Scale Lizard.
"Found it," the short mage whispered excitedly.
"Not yet," Herman's voice dropped even lower. "Look at what it's doing."
The Dark-Scale Lizard wasn't resting.
It was arching its body, limbs tense, a low growl of Intimidation rumbling in its throat. Opposite it, four Skeleton Monsters were fanning out, slowly advancing.
These skeletons weren't like ordinary piles of bones. Their skeletal surfaces were marked with faint, dark crimson patterns, spreading across their ribs and skulls like veins.
One of the skeletons held a broken bone spear, while the other three were empty-handed. Yet their movements clearly showed a sense of coordination, unlike the mindless charges of ordinary skeletons.
"Skeletons?"
Nia whispered, "How did they get over here? And they don't look right–what's that red stuff on their bones?"
Herman shook his head and made a gesture for silence.
The Dark-Scale Lizard struck first, spewing a stream of corrosive fluid that hit the chest cavity of the foremost skeleton.
The acid hissed, eating away several ribs, but the skeleton didn't even retreat. Instead, it raised its bone spear and thrust forward violently.
The Dark-Scale Lizard dodged sideways, its thick tail sweeping out and smashing an empty-handed skeleton to pieces against the cave wall.
But the remaining three skeletons pounced without hesitation. Though their movements were stiff, they displayed a clear division of labor.
The spear-wielding skeleton engaged from the front, while the other two flanked from the sides. Though the Dark-Scale Lizard was tough and thick-skinned, it gradually fell at a disadvantage under the three-sided assault.
One skeleton latched onto the lizard's hind leg, and the spear-wielding skeleton seized the chance to drive its spear through the lizard's abdomen.
The Dark-Scale Lizard let out a piercing shriek, thrashing desperately. Its tail shattered another skeleton, but the final spear-wielding skeleton pressed down hard on its head, repeatedly stabbing with the bone spear until the Dark-Scale Lizard moved no more.
"It's over," the short mage said dejectedly. "The materials are gone."
Herman didn't respond immediately. He stared at the two surviving Skeletons, his brow furrowing tighter and tighter.
After the Dark-Scale Lizard died, the Skeletons didn't leave. They stood beside the corpse, tilting their heads as if "observing" something.
The bone-spear Skeleton even reached out and touched the scales of the Dark-Scale Lizard.
"What are they doing?" Nia also sensed something was wrong.
"Don't know," Herman said quietly. "But ordinary Skeletons don't act like this. Ordinary Skeletons either leave after killing their prey or collapse immediately. They don't have things like curiosity."
Before his words faded, both Skeletons turned their heads simultaneously. Within their hollow eye sockets, two points of dark crimson light glowed faintly.
They had spotted the gravel team hiding behind the rock wall.
Herman's heart sank.
The next second, the two Skeletons abandoned the Dark-Scale Lizard's corpse and charged toward their direction.
"They're coming!"
Herman sprang to his feet, grabbing his battle axe. "Dom, hold the front! Nia, create distance, prepare a fireball!"
Shield-bearer Dom raised his iron shield to meet the charge. The bone-spear Skeleton thrust its spear, the tip clashing against the shield with a piercing metallic screech.
Dom's feet slid back half a step as he gritted his teeth and held firm.
Herman swung his axe from the side, shattering half of the bone-spear Skeleton's shoulder with one blow. But the Skeleton, as if feeling no pain, continued charging forward even with a broken arm.
The other unarmed Skeleton circled around Dom's shield and lunged straight for the short mage.
[Ice Spike Spell]
The mage hastily flung an ice spike, striking the Skeleton's skull squarely and pinning it to the ground.
The Skeleton's body convulsed several times. The dark crimson patterns on its bones flickered for a moment before extinguishing completely.
Herman added two more axe strikes, smashing the bone-spear Skeleton into fragments.
The battle ended quickly, but everyone's expressions were grim.
"These Skeletons aren't right," Dom lowered his shield, panting heavily. "Ordinary Skeletons don't actively attack adventurers unless you enter their territory. We're still far from the Bones Plain–how did they get all the way out here?"
Herman crouched down, sifting through the Skeleton's shattered bones. Those dark crimson patterns were still faintly visible even after the bones had broken, as if they had seeped deep into the bone structure.
"Did you notice? The color of these Skeletons' bones isn't normal."
Herman picked up a bone fragment and held it up under the fluorescent moss for a closer look. "Normal Skeleton Monster bones are gray-white. These have red patterns. And earlier, when they fought the Dark-Scale Lizard, they clearly coordinated and used tactics."
"A tiny bit of intelligence," Nia continued. "Ordinary Skeletons are like puppets on strings–walking straight, hitting walls, then walking straight again. These ones knew how to flank, divide tasks, and even inspected the corpse after killing their prey."
The short mage crouched beside another pile of bone fragments and suddenly exclaimed, "Huh?"
"Captain, come look at this."
Herman walked over. The mage pointed to a small object within the pile of shattered bones.
A dark crimson bone fragment, about the size of a fingernail, was embedded in the crevice of the Skeleton's spine, emitting a faint warmth.
"What is this?"
"Don't know." The mage carefully wrapped it in cloth. "But I can sense energy fluctuations inside; very weak, but definitely present."
Herman fell silent for a moment.
He recalled the rumors he'd recently heard in the tavern.
Adventurers have recently been frequently harassed by Skeleton Monsters while moving around various areas of the sixth floor.
These skeletons are different from before; more ferocious, more troublesome, and their range of activity is expanding, no longer limited to the eastern bone plain.
Some even say that the Labyrinth's Dolls are invading the skeletons' territory, which is causing the skeletons' unusual movements.
These red patterns... Herman muttered to himself.
"Let's not worry about that for now," he stood up, dusting off his hands, "the Dark-Scale Lizard's corpse is still over there. Its scales should still be usable. Let's quickly gather the materials and find a safe place to rest."
The team quickly processed the Dark-Scale Lizard's corpse, peeling off over a dozen intact dark green scales. The short mage carefully wrapped the scales and stuffed them into his backpack, finally showing a smile on his face.
"Over a dozen scales–they're worth at least forty or fifty gold coins. This trip wasn't in vain."
"Don't celebrate too soon," Herman glanced around, "red-patterned skeletons have already appeared nearby, which means the skeletons' range of activity is expanding. Let's head back and not go any deeper."
Just as the team was preparing to return the way they came, Dom suddenly patted Herman on the shoulder.
"Captain, your hand."
Herman looked down, and his expression immediately changed. On the back of his right hand, a small scratch had appeared at some point.
The scratch itself wasn't deep, but a faint wisp of red mist was rising from around the wound, as if something was seeping into his skin from the injury.
"That was from the bone spear of that skeleton earlier," Dom's voice tightened, "when you helped finish it off for me, the spear tip grazed the back of your hand."
Herman stared at the wisp of red mist, his expression shifting from shock to grim seriousness.
"Damn it," he cursed under his breath.
Nia leaned over to take a look and gasped sharply. "This red mist is the same color as the red patterns on the skeletons' bones. Captain, you haven't been infected, have you?"
"Don't talk nonsense!" The short mage quickly waved his hand, "Maybe it's just ordinary Mana residue. It'll probably fade in a while."
But everyone could see that the red mist showed no signs of dissipating. Instead, it was slowly expanding, spreading from the back of Herman's hand toward his wrist.
Herman took a deep breath, clenched his right hand, turned, and strode back the way they had come.
"Let's head back first. Walk faster."
At the same time, in another area of the sixth floor.
A work team consisting of six small Dolls was busy in a narrow natural fissure passage.
Their task was to set up new traps.
According to the expansion plan formulated by Steward Arias, Silver Castle's sphere of influence was steadily extending outward.
Whenever patrol Dolls cleared a new area, engineering Dolls would follow closely behind, setting traps, laying white stone slabs, and installing mechanisms at key points, rather than relying entirely on Labrynth's Skills to expand Silver Castle's range.
The six small Dolls had clear divisions of labor: two were responsible for transporting stone materials, two for installing flip-floor tiles, and the remaining two for carving guiding patterns on both sides of the passage.
Suddenly, one of the Dolls responsible for carving patterns stopped its work.
It tilted its round head, facing the left rock wall of the fissure passage. There, a rock's color was slightly different from its surroundings, its surface covered with a thick layer of gray moss.
The little doll extended its short arms, pushed aside the moss, and revealed an almost invisible, narrow crack beneath the rock.
The crack was very narrow, but from within it, a faint blue light seeped out.
The little doll relayed this discovery to its companions through the Mental Link. The six dolls stopped their work and gathered around the rock wall.
Together, they cleared away the obstructing rubble and moss, revealing an opening barely wide enough for one person to pass through.
Behind the opening was a short passage, at the end of which the outline of a stone door was hardly visible.
Following the standard procedure, upon discovering a Treasure Room, the little doll would record the location, clear the entrance, and then report it to the Mind Node responsible for the area.
The information traveled upward along the Mental Link–first received by the regional patrol node, then forwarded to the Intermediate Node overseeing the entire Eastern Expansion Zone.
After comparing the data with known Treasure Rooms, the Intermediate Node detected an anomaly.
The stone doors of Treasure Rooms were typically golden, engraved with simple lock patterns on the surface; meanwhile, this stone door was dark gray, covered densely with ancient runes, between which flowed a faint, ghostly blue light.
This was not a Treasure Room.
The information continued to be uploaded through the node, passing through two layers of mental nodes before finally reaching the highest management level of Silver Castle.
Labrynth was curled up on the sofa in her bedroom, legs resting on the armrest, holding a piece of crispy roasted leg meat as she stuffed it into her mouth.
A flashing blue marker suddenly popped up on the holographic projection.
"Hmm?" She grunted indistinctly while chewing the meat, reaching out to tap the marker.
The Doll's field of view was projected onto the light screen, clearly showing the dark gray stone door covered in ancient runes.
Labrynth sat up straight.
"Arias."
"Here."
The attendant's voice came from outside the door, and the next second she pushed the door open, her silver-gray short hair impeccably neat, her monocle reflecting a faint light.
"Look at this," Labrynth pointed at the light screen, "the Doll has discovered a hidden room in the Eastern Expansion Zone, but it's different from the Treasure Room."
Arias walked up to the light screen, adjusted her glasses, and carefully observed for a few seconds.
"Already received through the Mental Node Network. The door frame structure is quite different from the Treasure Room. It lacks the golden features of a treasure chest and doesn't have the automatic disappearance mechanism."
She paused, "This should be a completely new type of hidden room."
Labrynth's eyes sparkled.
"A new type?" She casually tossed the half-eaten meat onto the plate and jumped off the sofa. "Let the Doll go in and take a look!"
"As you command."
The command was relayed layer by layer through the Mental Link. Among the six Dolls in front of the entrance, one stepped forward first and pushed open the heavy stone door.
The stone door emitted a low grinding sound as it slowly swung inward, releasing a wave of cold air.
The Doll stepped over the threshold, and its field of view was simultaneously transmitted back to Labrynth's light screen.
The room was not large, about thirty paces square. The floor and walls were made of dark purple stone structures, distinctly different from the gray-black rock layers commonly found on the sixth floor.
But what truly caught the eye was the object at the center of the room.
A circular stone fountain platform stood in the middle, its surface carved with ancient runes belonging to the same system as those on the stone door.
In the center of the fountain platform stood a demon statue, its palms raised as if protecting a fist-sized Core Crystal.
Water continuously surged from the crystal, two streams of clear liquid cascading down from the statue's arms, splashing and creating ripples as they fell into the fountain pool.
The water carried an eerie blue glow, spreading ripples across the pool's surface. The entire room was bathed in this cold blue light.
The spring water displayed a deep ice-blue hue, shimmering with a clear, cold luster under the illumination of the Magic Halo, like flowing ice crystals or liquid light containing mysterious energy.
Labrynth leaned close to the light screen, her nose almost touching the image.
"So beautiful."
She murmured to herself, her white pupils reflecting the eerie blue spring water.
"My Lord," Arias's voice pulled her back, "there is another item on the ground beside the fountain platform."
Labrynth followed Arias's guidance and looked.
At the edge of the fountain platform, half-submerged in the shallow overflowing spring water, lay a bow.
The bow's body had a golden texture, while the bowstring seemed to be made of solidified cold air, transparent with a frosty white hue.
The air around the bow visibly condensed into tiny ice crystals, and the entire weapon emitted a bone-chilling cold aura.
"Magic Weapon."
Arias adjusted her glasses, her tone carrying a rare hint of interest. "Judging by the Mana Density transmitted by the mini doll, its quality is not low."
"Bring it out!" Labrynth commanded at once.
The mini doll walked to the edge of the spring platform, bent down, and picked up the ice-blue bow.
The moment the bow touched its hand, a thin layer of frost rapidly formed on the surface of the mini doll's arm.
However, for a Pure White Doll with no sense of pain, this chill was nothing.
The mini doll raised the bow, displaying it to the Castle Lord on the other side of the screen.
Labrynth nodded in satisfaction, then turned her gaze back to the spring platform.
"What is this spring?"
Arias fell silent for a few seconds.
Why does it feel like the Castle Lord has been reluctant to think lately?
"Currently, it's impossible to determine. The magical energy fluctuation contained in the spring is very stable, unlike a trap or an Offensive Magic Array.
"Judging from the statue's design and those Magic Runes resembling Alchemy Runes, this seems more like some kind of Functional Facility."
"Functional Facility?"
"Something similar to an altar, Blessing Pool, or Restoration Spring."
Arias explained, "But the specific effects can only be known through actual testing."
Labrynth tilted her head, her mind turning, and a mischievous smile spread across her face.
"Testing~" she drew out the word, "We can't use the mini dolls for that. They can't feel anything. We need adventurers."
"What do you mean?"
"Have the mini dolls stand guard near this room for now. Modify the entrance to match the style of our Silver Labyrinth."
Labrynth hopped back onto the sofa, swinging her legs back and forth. "And then, find a few adventurers to be our test subjects."
"Understood."
It seems when it comes to matters involving adventurers, the Castle Lord's mind works much faster than usual.
Arias gave a slight bow. "I will arrange for Engineering Dolls to modify the room entrance and surrounding passages, lay white stone slabs, and install Guidance Markers."
"Mhm, mhm, go ahead."
...
Sixth floor, at the edge of the Eastern Expansion Zone, in a natural clearing, the five members of the Stone Crusher team sat around a flat rock, the atmosphere heavy.
Herman's right hand was tightly wrapped with cloth strips, but everyone could see that the faint red glow seeping through from underneath was brighter than half an hour ago.
"How does it feel?" Dom asked.
"The back of my hand feels a bit hot, like it's being roasted by fire."
Herman flexed his fingers, frowning. "But it doesn't hurt, just feels hot, and this heat is moving up toward my wrist."
The short mage rummaged through the potions in his backpack and shook his head.
"I only brought ordinary Healing Potions. They're effective for external injuries, but I've never seen this kind of Energy Infection before. I don't dare use them recklessly. If the potion's properties conflict with this red energy, it might make things worse."
"Should we head back to Blackedge Town first?"
Nia suggested, "The town has Alchemists and church Priests. Surely someone can handle this."
Herman remained silent for a moment, then nodded.
"That's the only way. Pack up, let's get ready to go."
Just as the group stood up to gather their equipment, faint footsteps suddenly echoed from the other end of the passage.
Everyone turned simultaneously. A palm-sized Pure White Mini Doll emerged from the shadows of the passage.
It toddled along on short little legs, swaying from side to side, its round head turning left and right as if looking around.
Upon seeing the party, a line of text appeared on the surface of the small Doll.
[Let's play tag. Catch me, and there's a reward]
The small Doll then abruptly turned and dashed back the way it came, scurrying away on its short legs.
The group was momentarily stunned, then Nia shouted and was the first to rush forward.
"After it!"
"Wait!"
Herman tried to stop her, but Nia was already several steps ahead, with the short mage close behind. Dom glanced at Herman.
Herman hesitated for two seconds, looking down at his right hand wrapped in bandages, where a red glow was still slowly spreading.
"Forget it."
He gritted his teeth. "Let's chase it first. What if the reward has something that can cure this thing?"
The entire Stone Crusher team gave chase.
The small Doll wasn't fast, but its route twisted and turned, deliberately squeezing through narrow gaps and low passages. The five adults following behind had to constantly bend over and squeeze through, looking rather disheveled.
"This little thing runs with some strategy," Dom said breathlessly as he sidled through a narrow crevice.
"Stop talking and hurry up!" the short mage urged, sweating profusely. "If it slips into a wall crack, we'll never catch it!"
After about five or six minutes of pursuit, the small Doll noticeably slowed down.
It ran into a wide passage paved with white stone slabs. The walls on both sides had also turned into smooth white surfaces, engraved with intricate geometric patterns.
"The Labyrinth's style."
Herman recognized it.
At the end of the passage, an open stone door appeared ahead. The walls on either side of the door had been transformed into the signature pure white tones of the Silver Labyrinth, with a line of incomprehensible runes carved above the doorframe.
The small Doll plunged headlong into the stone door. The Stone Crusher team caught up to the entrance and stopped.
"Should we go in?" Nia looked back at Herman.
Herman leaned in to peek inside. Behind the stone door was a small room, with walls and floor both pristine white, matching the style of other rooms in the Labyrinth.
But something in the center of the room immediately caught his eye.
A circular stone fountain platform, with a demon statue on top holding a crystal in its palms. Icy blue water gushed from the crystal, shimmering with a cold, eerie light in the fountain pool.
The entire room was bathed in a clear, blue glow. The small Doll stood beside the fountain platform, tilting its head as it watched them, as if waiting for them to enter.
"What is this place?" the short mage craned his neck to look around. "I've never heard anyone in the tavern mention a fountain in the Labyrinth."
"A new room?" Nia guessed.
Herman hesitated for a moment, then finally stepped inside, with the others following closely behind.
The room was small, and with five people plus one small Doll, it felt somewhat cramped. The fountain platform occupied most of the central space, leaving only a narrow walkway around it.
The chill emanating from the fountain water made everyone shiver.
"So cold," the short mage rubbed his arms. "This water is frighteningly cold."
Suddenly, the small Doll moved.
It darted away from the fountain platform and began circling the feet of the five. The Stone Crusher team's attention was immediately drawn to it, and several of them bent down to try and grab it, but the small Doll nimbly dodged left and right.
"Stay still, you little thing!"
Nia reached out to grab it, but the little Doll slipped under her arm. She lost her balance and stumbled forward.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!"
Nia's shoulder bumped into Dom's back. Dom staggered forward, his foot stepping on the slippery stone surface at the edge of the spring platform. He toppled sideways, dragging Herman, who was beside him, along with him.
Herman instinctively tried to steady himself, but his right hand, wrapped in bandages, couldn't exert any force. He fell sideways with Dom, and both of them tumbled into the spring pool.
Splash!
The icy spring water instantly submerged their chests.
"Cold, cold, cold, cold!"
Dom screamed as he leaped out of the water, completely soaked. His iron shield created a huge splash in the water, drenching the short mage beside him as well.
Herman also stood up from the water, shivering all over, his teeth chattering.
Abruptly, the next moment, he froze.
His right hand.
He looked down at his right hand. The bandages had come loose in the spring water, revealing the scratch on the back of his hand.
The scratch was still there, but that wisp of red mist had vanished.
Herman's eyes shot wide as he raised his right hand to examine it closely.
The skin around the wound had returned to its normal color. The burning sensation from before was all gone, and the dark red energy that had been slowly spreading had disappeared without a trace.
"Captain?" Dom noticed his unusual behavior. "What's wrong?"
Herman opened his mouth, his voice trembling slightly.
"The red mist is gone."
"What?"
"The red mist on my hand, it's gone."
Herman extended his hand in front of Dom. "Look, it's clean. The heat is gone, too."
Dom grabbed his hand and examined it over and over, his expression shifting from confusion to shock.
"It's really gone..." he murmured. "Just from soaking in the water?"
Nia and the short mage also gathered around. The four of them stared at Herman's hand repeatedly.
"Can this spring water clear that red energy?"
The short mage looked back at the spring platform in disbelief. "What kind of spring is this?"
No one could answer that question, but the gravity on Herman's face had completely dissipated, replaced by relief.
Just as the group was still immersed in the surprise, a faint tap-tap sound came from near their feet.
The little Doll had stopped in front of Herman at some point, tilting its round head upward, its short arms raised high, holding a few items in its palms.
Three gleaming gold coins and a thumb-sized Blue Magic Stone.
Herman was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh. He crouched down and carefully took the coins and magic stone from the little Doll's hands.
"Thanks, little one."
The Doll tilted its head, then turned and waddled toward the corner on its short legs, slipping into a narrow crack and disappearing.
The Stone Crusher squad exchanged glances, each wearing an indescribable expression.
"Let's go."
Herman stood up, put away the coins and magic stone, and patted his soaked clothes. "Back to Blackedge Town."
"Captain."
The short mage jogged to catch up, lowering his voice. "About this spring water... should we tell anyone when we get back?"
Herman remained silent for a few steps, then shook his head.
"Not for now," he said, glancing at his clean right hand. "This place is too strange. I need to think about it first."
The five of them retraced their steps along the white stone slab corridor. Behind them, in the hidden room, the ice-blue spring continued to flow in quiet, its cold light illuminating the empty stone walls.
Labrynth observed the team's actions, tilted her head, and suddenly had an idea.
...
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