Faced with such a perilous situation, the instant the door was pulled open, Fang Senyan let out a shout and violently threw himself backward, even though he hadn't sustained any injury, while simultaneously biting his tongue hard enough to spit out a mouthful of blood! He appeared as if he had been hurled away by some immense, invisible force. (Novel Website)

After hitting the ground, he tumbled a few times before feigning unconsciousness, letting the blood pool and trickle past the corner of his mouth. If anyone examined his current posturing closely, they would surely find flaws, but Fang Senyan calculated that in the Metal Mentor's current half-fanatical state, he would inevitably disregard his own life as long as Nu's safety was assured! Thus, he dared to take the gamble.

Indeed, his gamble paid off. Only Phil rushed forward to check his injuries. The Metal Mentor, however, hurried to the open bar door and peered out, showing no inclination to check on Fang Senyan’s well-being. Only after confirming there were no further dangers or traps did he lead the way inside. Only Nu turned back, asking Phil in a voice devoid of any inflection:

"Still alive?"

Phil nodded. Nu’s subsequent instruction was concise and direct:

"Carry him. Come in."

Once everyone was inside the bar, they couldn't help but gasp in awe of the master craftsmen who built this place. Patrons of every race, glamorous hostesses, the thick beards of the dwarves, the foam of the ale, the copper pitchers, those old-fashioned rotating candlesticks, even the remnants of bread and capon drumsticks on the tables, the sauces! Everything was so vividly lifelike that the bustling atmosphere seemed to echo in their ears, and the scent of food and ale still hung heavy in the air. It created a disorienting illusion, spanning millennia, transporting them back to the age of Nordic legend where gods walked the earth and all races coexisted.

Sadly, all of this was carved from stone.

Carved from cold stone.

Time seemed to congeal in that instant.

Freezing all the revelry and song… for ten thousand years!

After a brief search, they found the only viable passage,

which was to ascend the stone staircase beside the bar, winding around a colossal stone pillar. The pillar was incredibly solid, emanating a feeling that it sought to pierce the rock walls, the air, the very heavens, and everything beyond!

Everyone reached the second level and discovered a vast hall.

This hall was immense, easily the size of half a football field. The stone surfaces possessed an eerie, ashen-blue hue, looking inherently unbreakable. It seemed completely sealed off, apart from the entrance they had just used. In the center of the floor, a line of mysterious and powerful giant characters was inscribed. Although Fang Senyan couldn't read the script, he felt a sense of reverence and mystery emanating from the pattern of the writing itself; merely gazing at the characters inspired a solemnity that involuntarily quickened the heart and circulation of blood.

"This, this is ancient Hebrew," whispered Fang Senyan, who was still feigning unconsciousness while being supported by Phil, hearing his low exclamation: "It's said that the Dead Sea Scrolls, which document Christian history, were written in this very script!"

"Greed... is man's... original sin. The lost lamb... if, if... refuses to return, shall cleanse the stain brought here with flesh and blood."

Nu, standing beside the Metal Mentor, slowly translated the phrase, but the Metal Mentor completely ignored it, eagerly continuing up the winding stone stairs beside them—only to be stopped by a formidable stone door behind the pillar ahead.

Flanking this stone door stood two statues, exquisitely carved figures of dwarves, towering over three meters tall. The carving was so detailed that even the texture of their beards and hair was clearly discernible. One held a shield etched with a mysterious emblem; the other held aloft a massive warhammer, both posed with expressions of fury, seemingly ready to leap into battle in the next second.

In the center of the stone door was a perfectly distinct aperture.

It conveyed a single, clear message.

A message that remained perfectly clear even after tens of thousands of years.

A keyhole.

It was worth noting that above the keyhole, there was another line of ancient Hebrew chiseled into the stone.

Fang Senyan remained in his feigned swoon, but he heard Phil murmur softly, translating it bit by bit:

"Speed, courage, are the only ways to open this door."

"Mercy is my intent."

"But those who overestimate themselves shall fall into the abyss of despair and torment."

"Sinking... eternally!"

The Metal Mentor closed his eyes, but when he reopened them, he stepped forward with a cold smile, throwing back his cloak—

that cloak with its metallic sheen!

Clearly, he was unwilling to waste any more time and intended to use his own power for a forceful breakthrough. But the very next second, the Metal Mentor’s face changed drastically, and he cried out in shock:

"What? There's a High Arcane Interference Generator here! None of my active abilities can be used!"

The group was also alarmed, all confirming they were experiencing the same issue. Simultaneously, the Metal Mentor seemed to have triggered a mechanism; a giant, wide-eyed dwarf statue suddenly descended from the passage behind them. The craftsmanship of the sculptor was evidently near perfection; even the texture of flowing beard and hair suspended in the air was rendered with startling realism. The statue held a golden metal warhammer, which perfectly and completely blocked their path back!

The way forward was utterly blocked!

The way back was severed!

Immediately afterward, an indescribable beam of light shot forth from the warhammer. It possessed the extreme focus of a laser but lacked the harsh glare and aggression, instead radiating a gentle warmth, like the mild sun on a winter’s day. The light could be clearly seen flying from the hammerhead and then refracting endlessly throughout the entire hall. Even though the beam passed through the bodies of those present multiple times during its refraction, no abnormal damage occurred.

Once this beam of light was emitted, the warhammer in the dwarf statue's hand lost its previous golden luster, reverting to the appearance of stone. Although the statue remained exquisitely rendered, it lost its soul and essence, looking like a lifeless sculpture. Nevertheless, even in this state, the Symbiotic Society's rear escape route was completely cut off. They had no immediate way to deal with this massive, path-blocking dwarf statue, and under the current circumstances, even if they could, they would only resort to violent destruction as a last resort.

Then, after only a short time, anomalies began to appear at the various points in the hall where the light had refracted. They started emitting thin, condensed rays of warm light, shining upward like searchlights. Due to the unusually soft and bright nature of the light, a horizontal cloud of light formed in the upper-middle space of the hall. The environment suddenly resembled stepping into a pitch-black room where sunlight poured down from a hole in the ceiling, making even the dust motes and minute debris floating in the air clearly visible.

"What is that? Dragonflies?" Deko suddenly pointed into the air, perplexed. Under the illumination of the light, things could indeed be seen slowly flitting through the air, and they were becoming more numerous. From a distance, they resembled dragonflies, but they possessed a peculiar languor and leisure; a single beat of their wings allowed them to glide slowly in the air for a long time.

Fervent light ignited in the Metal Mentor's eyes, and he couldn't help but shout:

"Those are the keys to the door!"

As more and more of these objects appeared, everyone else also realized that what was dancing in the air were, in fact, countless ancient metal keys. These keys varied in size and length, mostly colored brown or copper. Growing from the back of each key were one or two pairs of flat, transparent, dragonfly-like wings. This must be the primary reason they could float in the air.

Nu pulled out the parchment scroll and examined it carefully:

"The scroll records that in ancient times, the defense system most favored by dwarves and goblins was called the 'System of Metallic Digestion.' The design philosophy of this defense is so advanced that many modern scholars who study ancient civilizations admire it greatly, even setting up similar defensive mechanisms and formations in their own Wizard Towers—worth noting: Dumbledore is among those scholars."

The Metal Mentor nodded slowly:

"Our journey so far is very similar to Harry Potter's quest for the Sorcerer's Stone in the original story. Clearly, the scroll is correct; Dumbledore borrowed heavily from the defense concepts of the Metallic Digestion System—but what we face here is evidently the original, complete version from ten millennia ago!"

Nu carefully put away the parchment scroll and mused:

"In the original movie plot, the key that could open the main door was hidden among these many flying keys. Harry Potter used his Seeker skills, mounted a nearby broomstick, and grabbed the key, but the other keys became agitated and inflicted several scratches on Harry. However, it seems we don't need a broomstick to catch a key here... Based on the hint from the door, we must use the key immediately after obtaining it, and we must be mentally prepared to face life-or-death courage!"

At this point, Deko suddenly frowned and interjected:

"Don't you guys think the light in the air has gotten a little dimmer? My eyes are very sensitive to light; it seems to have faded slightly."