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Mark exhaled slowly, his chest rising and falling slightly. The silent forest at this moment further highlighted the oppressive feeling after the battle. Albert walked to Mark's side, and the light of the staff gradually dimmed. "Is it over?" Albert asked softly, with a hint of inquiry in his eyes. Mark did not answer immediately. He retracted the fire sword, and the sword body disappeared, leaving only a gradually dissipating light. He squatted down and observed the shadow carefully. "It's not over yet." Mark's tone was low and his brows were furrowed. He reached out and carefully turned over the clothes of the shadow, as if looking for something.

Mark and Albert stood beside the body of the shadow, and the breath of death was all around. The shadow's mask was broken, revealing an old and twisted face, and those eyes were full of hatred until death.

Mark's heart was beating wildly in his chest, and his eyes were fixed on the twisted face. This shadow, this mysterious enemy, his power has some incredible connection with the fragments of the holy stone.

"We have to be careful, Albert." Mark's voice was low, with a subtle tremor. "The power of this black shadow is too similar to the power of the holy stone fragment. There must be something hidden behind it." Albert also squatted down, and the top of the staff emitted a faint light, illuminating the ground around the black shadow. Fallen leaves, gravel, and traces of battle were clearly visible. Several night birds were startled and flew up from the treetops with flapping wings, breaking the tranquility of the forest. He nodded, with wisdom in his eyes. "We must find the answer. These black shadows, what is their purpose? Where does their power come from?" The two people's eyes met on the body of the black shadow, then slowly moved away and began to search for clues in the surrounding forest. The moonlight shone on them through the treetops, giving their figures a mysterious color. Mark's fingers stayed on a black stone on the chest of the black shadow. The stone was not big, with strange runes engraved on the surface, flashing a strange light in the dim light. "What is this?" Albert's eyes also fell on the stone. He frowned slightly, feeling that the stone exuded an ominous breath. Mark picked up the stone and looked at it carefully. The stone was cold and smooth to the touch, and the runes flowed on the surface of the stone like a living thing. "Maybe... this is the source of their power." Mark stroked the runes on the stone, with a hint of doubt in his tone.

He felt that these symbols were surprisingly similar to the patterns on the fragments of the holy stone.

"Look at this, Albert." Mark pointed at the symbols, with a hint of urgency in his voice. "These symbols, they are too similar to the patterns on the fragments of the holy stone. What do you think this means?"

Albert squatted down, his fingers gently touched the symbols, and a gleam of light flashed in his eyes. "This is the rune on the holy stone, it means copying."

Albert took the stone, and a hint of shock flashed in his eyes. "This... This may be a replica of the fragment of the holy stone!"

"Try to see if you can absorb this replica?" Albert made a suggestion.

Mark took the stone from Albert again, and a cold touch came from his fingertips, and the coolness seemed to penetrate into his bones. He pressed the black stone against his chest. A shocking scene appeared:

The black stone exuded a strong energy fluctuation, beating like a heart, and a black energy thread extended from the fragments and slowly wrapped around Mark's heart. Mark took a breath, he subconsciously took a step back, threw the black stone in his hand, his eyes full of vigilance. The night wind blew, bringing a faint smell of blood.

Albert's eyes were also fixed on the black stone, "This stone, it seems to have its own will." He said slowly, with a hint of awe in his voice. "Its power seems unwilling to be controlled by us."

Mark was silent for a while, his heart was full of doubts. This power, this will, what are they? He took a deep breath, then slowly reached out and touched the black stone again.

This time, he was more careful and cautious. He could feel the power in the stone surging, as if resisting his touch. He closed his eyes, letting his consciousness immerse in the power of the stone, trying to establish a connection with it.

Gradually, he felt a faint response. That power, that will, they seemed to be talking to him, trying to convey some kind of message. He listened hard, trying to understand what they meant.

Suddenly, a picture flashed through his mind. It was an ancient forest with towering trees and dense branches and leaves. In the center of the forest, there was a huge altar, on which stood a huge black stone, which was engraved with strange runes.

Mark's heart was shaken, and he opened his eyes, with a flash of shock in his eyes. "I saw it..." There was a tremor in his voice. "I saw a place, an ancient altar, a huge black stone..."

Albert's eyes also flashed with a flash of shock. "This... what's going on?" There was a hint of uncertainty in his voice. "What you see is the memory of this stone?"

Mark nodded, with a firm light flashing in his eyes. "We must go there," he said, with a hint of unquestionable determination in his voice.

Albert nodded, his eyes met Mark's, and the same determination flashed in his eyes.

The two began to walk through the forest. The moonlight shone through the treetops, dappling on them, casting a mysterious hue on their figures. Their footsteps were light and quick, trying not to make any noise, so as not to alert the wild animals or other lurking enemies in the forest.

They walked for a long time, until the sky in the east was light and the fog in the forest began to rise.