The goblin walked ahead timidly, looking back from time to time to make sure Mark and Albert were still following.
It was short and looked particularly thin in front of the tall Mark and Albert. The stick in its hand had long disappeared, and its empty hands were rubbing nervously. Its rough skin looked like a mossy rock in the dim light.
The cave was winding and the walls were damp. Water droplets dripped slowly along the stone walls, making a "tick-tick" sound that echoed in the silent cave, adding a bit of gloom.
The light emitted from the stone slab was limited and could only illuminate a small area around it. The farther away was hidden in the darkness, like a lurking beast, which made people shudder. Mark held the stone slab in one hand and gently supported the cave wall with the other hand, moving forward cautiously. He looked around from time to time, his eyes alert, paying attention to the movements around him. He felt a faint stench in the air, mixed with the smell of damp soil, which made him feel a little uncomfortable. Albert followed behind Mark, his eyes never leaving the goblin.
The goblin's footsteps were very light, making almost no sound. If it weren't for the light of the stone slab illuminating its figure, Albert would hardly be able to detect its existence.
After walking for about a quarter of an hour, the goblin stopped in front of a heavy stone door. The stone door was carved from a huge rock, and the surface was engraved with strange symbols. Under the light of the stone slab, these symbols flashed a faint fluorescence, which seemed particularly mysterious.
The goblin fumbled on the stone door for a while, found a hidden mechanism, pressed it hard, and heard a light "click", and the stone door slowly opened. A cold breath poured out of the stone door, which made Mark and Albert shudder. Behind the stone door was a narrow passage. Some strange symbols were carved on the stone walls on both sides of the passage, which were similar to the symbols on the stone door, but more complicated and weirder. The light of the stone slab shone on these symbols, reflecting a faint light, making the entire passage look more gloomy and terrifying.
The goblin walked into the passage first, followed by Mark and Albert. The passage was very long, and after walking for a long time, there was still no end in sight. The air in the passage was more humid and colder, making it difficult to breathe. Mark felt the stone slab in his hand slightly warm, and a strange energy was transmitted from the stone slab to his hand, making him feel numb. He looked up at the end of the passage and saw a faint light.
"It seems that the exit is just ahead." Mark whispered, with a hint of expectation in his tone.
The goblin's pace also quickened a little, and he seemed to feel the approach of the exit. Finally, they reached the end of the passage. A heavy stone door blocked their way. This stone door was heavier and more majestic than the previous one, and the symbols carved on the surface were more complicated and mysterious. The goblin fumbled on the stone door for a while, found a hidden mechanism, pressed it hard, and the stone door slowly opened. Behind the stone door was a spacious cave. There was a huge pool in the center of the cave, and a stone emitting soft light floated in the center of the pool. "Holy Stone Fragment!" Mark shouted excitedly. He recognized at a glance that the stone was the fragment of the Holy Stone they had been looking for. He couldn't wait to rush over, but was pulled by Albert.
"Wait a minute!" Albert said solemnly. He carefully observed the surrounding environment and found that the pool was engraved with complex runes. There was also a huge stalactite hanging above the pool. The tip of the stalactite was facing the fragment of the Holy Stone in the center of the pool, dripping with water.
"This is a trap." Albert said in a deep voice. His eyes were fixed on the runes around the pool, his brows were furrowed, and his heart was full of vigilance. He realized that the designer of this trap was meticulous and ruthless. If he was not careful, he would fall into the trap.
Mark calmed down after hearing this. He carefully observed the surrounding environment, and his heart was full of doubts.
When the goblin saw Albert found the trap, his face changed drastically, and he wanted to escape in panic. It turned and ran, and its figure was as fast as lightning. In the blink of an eye, it ran to the entrance of the cave.
"Want to run?" Mark was quick-witted and grabbed the goblin's arm and pulled it back.
"Be honest!" Mark said harshly, with a hint of anger in his tone.
The goblin was caught by Mark and trembled with fear. It looked at Mark with fearful eyes and mumbled something in its mouth, but neither Mark nor Albert could understand its language.
Albert walked up to the goblin, pointed at the fragment of the holy stone in the middle of the pool, and asked: "Tell me, how can I get it?" The goblin looked at Albert, then looked at the fragment of the holy stone in the middle of the pool, hesitated for a moment, and finally pointed to the runes around the pool, and then pointed to the stalactites hanging on the top of the cave. "Do you mean to destroy these runes or break the stalactites?" Albert asked.
The goblin nodded.
Albert looked at the goblin, pondered for a moment, and then said: "Take us to a safe place."
"Let's go!" Mark pulled the goblin and motioned him to lead the way. The goblin looked at Mark timidly, then at Albert, and finally walked in front obediently. It lowered its head, took small steps, and walked cautiously along the edge of the cave, looking back from time to time, as if it was afraid that Mark and Albert would suddenly hurt it.
The ground of the cave was uneven, and the goblin's thin body swayed as it walked, like a dead grass that could be blown down by the wind at any time. They walked along the edge of the cave for a distance and came to a relatively dry and flat corner. There were some dead grass and gravel scattered in the corner. The goblin walked to the corner, curled up and sat down, hugging his knees and shivering. The air in the cave was cold and damp, and water droplets dripped along the stalactites, making a crisp dripping sound, which was particularly clear in the silent cave.
Albert walked in front of the goblin, squatted down, and kept his eyes level with it. "Now, you can talk about it in detail." Albert's voice was calm, but there was unquestionable majesty in his tone.