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Mark lay on the ground helplessly, black blood slowly flowing from the wound, and a strange burning sensation spread throughout his body. He felt his consciousness gradually blurred, the world in front of him began to become distorted, and the sounds in his ears became more and more distant.

Indistinctly, he saw the monster's huge body begin to melt, turning into a pool of sticky black liquid, slowly flowing on the ground like ink.

The black liquid seemed to have life, slowly flowing towards Mark, and finally gathered under him.

Mark felt a tingling sensation on his skin, as if countless tiny needles were piercing his body.

He wanted to struggle, but found that his body was completely out of control.

The black liquid seeped into his body through his pores, and a cold feeling instantly spread throughout his body, intertwined with the previous burning sensation, forming a strange sense of contradiction.

He saw black lines begin to appear on his body, like black vines, spreading on his skin, emitting a faint black light.

His breathing became stable, and his heartbeat gradually returned to normal, but his skin became cold, like a dead person. After an unknown amount of time, Mark suddenly opened his eyes. His pupils had turned pure black, like two obsidians, flashing with strange light.

He sat up slowly, feeling an unprecedented powerful force surging in his body. This force made him excited and terrified. He clenched his fists, and his knuckles made a crackling sound. "Uh..." Mark let out a low roar, like the roar of a beast, echoing in the empty cave.

He stood up, looked down at the black lines on his body, and then looked at the traces of black liquid left on the ground after the monster melted.

He stuck out his tongue, licked his lips, and tasted a faint smell of blood, as well as a strange, indescribable taste. He took a step and walked towards the entrance of the cave. His steps were steady and powerful, and every step seemed to be stepping on the ground, making a dull sound.

When he walked to Albert, Albert was still unconscious, pale, and weak.

Mark looked down at Albert, a complex emotion flashed in his black pupils.

He reached out and gently patted Albert's cheek.

"Wake up." His hoarse voice echoed in the cave.

"Wake up." Mark repeated again, his tone still hoarse, but with a hint of impatience. He increased the strength of his hand and slapped Albert's cheek.

Albert groaned, his eyelids trembled slightly, but he still did not wake up.

Mark frowned and tutted impatiently. He retracted his hand, hesitated for a moment, leaned down again, and carried Albert on his shoulders.

Albert's weight was light as a feather for Mark now.

Mark carried Albert and turned to continue walking towards the entrance of the cave. His steps were still steady, but his speed was much faster than before. The cave was dark, with only a faint light coming in from the entrance.

Mark's eyes shone in the darkness, like a nocturnal animal. Outside the cave, the sun was bright, and the birds were singing and the flowers were fragrant. This is a valley surrounded by towering peaks covered with dense forests. There is a stream in the valley, the water is clear and flowing slowly.

Mark carried Albert out of the cave and squinted his eyes to adapt to the light outside. He looked around, as if looking for something.

"Water..." Mark whispered, his voice was so hoarse that it was almost inaudible. He followed the sound of water and walked towards the stream. When he came to the stream, he gently put Albert on the ground, then leaned over and drank the stream water. The stream water was sweet and clear, which made him feel refreshed. After drinking a few sips of water, he reached his hand into the stream again and sprinkled the water on Albert's face.

Albert coughed a few times and slowly opened his eyes. He looked around confusedly, and then saw Mark. "Mark...?" Albert asked weakly, "What happened... Why am I here..." Mark did not answer, but just looked at him quietly. His black pupils looked even more weird in the sun.

Albert struggled to sit up and rubbed his aching head. He looked around and saw the valley, the stream, and the entrance to the cave. He tried to recall what happened before, but his mind was blank. He only remembered that he was taken into the cave by a monster, and then... then he remembered nothing.

"That monster..." Albert muttered to himself, "Did you defeat it?"

Mark stood up, turned his back to Albert, and looked at the mountain in the distance. He was silent for a moment, then whispered: "Dead."

"Dead?" Albert repeated, his tone full of doubt.

Mark did not answer, and remained silent. Albert looked at Mark's back, full of doubts. Mark's tone and demeanor were different from before.

He felt that Mark had become strange and... dangerous. He tried hard to stand up, but his body was powerless. He tried several times, but finally gave up.

He leaned on the rock behind him, looking at Mark's back, his heart full of uneasiness.

The stream gurgled, the sun shone in the valley, everything seemed so peaceful, yet so strange. Mark still had his back to Albert, motionless. He seemed to be thinking about something, and seemed to be feeling something. After a while, Mark slowly turned around and looked at Albert.

"Let's go." Mark said, his voice still hoarse. Albert looked at Mark, hesitated, and nodded. Mark walked to Albert, bent down, and carried Albert on his shoulders again. Albert didn't speak, just lay quietly on Mark's shoulder.

Mark carried Albert, walked along the stream, and walked out of the valley. His steps were still steady and powerful, but Albert felt something strange.