Speaking of which, I couldn't help but look at this large white dog with increased admiration. Recalling the stories about Zoya’s family I’d heard from Andre, I asked, "Is this dog named Svii?"

Zoya paused, then after a moment, nodded. "I didn't expect you to know quite a bit. That’s right, I used to have a big white dog named Svii, but this dog isn't Svii. Svii burned to death decades ago during the Great Fire."

Woof woof!

Hearing Zoya say that, the large white dog that had been dozing on the ground suddenly stood up and barked loudly at us, its eyes full of resentment.

I found it strange, thinking, Is it objecting to what Zoya just said? Could this dog really be Svii?

At this moment, Zoya gave a wry smile, squatted down, and stroked the white dog’s fur. "It's always like this. Whenever I ask where it came from, or mention Svii's name, it gets agitated. Svii was burned to death; I buried him with my own hands... Although it looks exactly like Svii, but..."

Woof! Woof!

The large white dog barked excitedly again, as if trying to express something.

Seeing how agitated it was, it reminded me of Lauren, so I squatted down, stroked the fur on its neck, and asked, "You are Svii, aren't you? Right?"

Woof woof! The large white dog almost jumped up in excitement. It lunged towards my face, attempting to lick me with its tongue, but I quickly shielded myself with my hand, offering an awkward smile.

Then I looked at Zoya and Long Jia standing to the side and asked, "This... how do we explain this?"

Both of them remained silent, exchanging a glance.

After a while, Zoya’s brow furrowed deeply, and she murmured softly, "Could it be that..."

"What?" Long Jia and I both asked at once.

Zoya seemed to realize something, her expression instantly turning cold. "Nothing, don't ask any more questions."

Feeling rebuffed, the two of us could only fall silent.

After a moment, Zoya spoke to us again. "Alright, that’s all there is to the murals. Walk back a short distance from here, then follow the direction where the vegetation is lush on the west side; that is the entrance to the next grand hall. Every level of this underworld is connected by incredibly complex subterranean tunnels. Even after entering, you might not necessarily reach the other hall, and there are intricate mechanisms everywhere. Although I am old, I haven’t lived long enough to die yet. If you want to go, you must go yourselves."

I was somewhat speechless about Zoya’s attitude. I had expected someone like her, living alone here for decades, to be overwhelmingly excited upon seeing other humans, much like the protagonist in Robinson Crusoe. Moreover, Zoya and we shared the same lineage.

But Zoya clearly wasn't like that; in fact, she seemed rather impatient with us.

Actually, it wasn't entirely strange. Someone like her, who had been marginalized since childhood, had already put life and death aside when arriving at this isolated island; her withdrawn personality was understandable.

However, I couldn't believe that after living here for so long, she only knew about the murals. She must be withholding many things from us.

I didn't know what she was avoiding, but since she had helped us this much, I should indeed be grateful.

So, Long Jia and I thanked Zoya and walked in the direction she indicated.

Strangely, although Zoya didn't accompany us further, the large white dog remained following us not far behind.

I noticed Zoya watching the white dog from behind but said nothing, as if bidding the dog farewell.

I don't know why, but I seem to have an unusual affinity for dogs lately. After saying goodbye to Lauren, another follower appeared.

I called out to the large white dog, "Svii," and it seemed delighted by the name, barking twice before running ahead to lead the way.

To be honest, I hadn't expected such dense wisteria vines to be growing within this golden palace.

The plants, originally confined to flowerpots, had long since broken free, crawling along the ground to form thickets of shrubbery as tall as a person.

We made our way through these flower-laden thickets; without Svii leading the way, we would surely have gotten lost.

We advanced cautiously through one dense thicket after another, only to be met continuously by totem poles adorned with gold.

Long Jia and I were discussing the Witch Cult when, suddenly, Svii, ahead of us, stopped dead.

Seeing its posture, I knew the leisurely time had come to an end again. Something was bound to happen.

Indeed, Svii not only stopped but also ceased wagging its tail. The fur on its back stood up, and it emitted a low, warning growl.

Long Jia and I also halted, staring blankly into the dense wisteria ahead.

But just then, something seemed to move within the wisteria in front of us.

The object moved incredibly fast, shifting almost instantaneously from our front-left to our side.

I knew no animal like a crab could manage that speed, and in this underground palace surrounded by powerful electrical currents, I couldn't imagine any other creature surviving and breeding safely until now.

Instinctively, I drew my Silver Fish Dagger, focusing my senses in readiness.

The fast-moving thing ceased all movement within the wisteria on our right, seemingly as cautious of us as we were of it.

However, after a moment, the bushes rustled slightly again, and a black object poked out from the foliage.

Long Jia and I both recoiled in shock, because this object wasn't a limb of some ordinary animal, but a black human hand.

If it had been a Zongzi hand, it wouldn't have been so terrifying, as I had at least seen one before.

But this hand wasn't withered, nor was it the white-haired hand of a Zongzi; instead, it possessed the distinct luster of stone.

Long Jia and I were clearly faced with something utterly bizarre. It didn't look like something wearing a stone glove.

So we stared motionlessly at the hand.

But Svii could no longer contain itself. It barked furiously twice and lunged toward the stone hand.

As if stimulated by the attack, the stone hand suddenly retracted.