Beast Taming Star Journey

Chapter 277 A Choice on a Secluded Path

The deep passage, like the throat of a giant beast, silently awaited its prey. I stood at the entrance, the silver fur of the Howling Moon Wolf shimmering faintly in the fluorescent light in my hand. It whimpered uneasily, seemingly sensing the danger lurking within. The tungsten boy was even more terrified, his face pale, clutching my clothes tightly, his body trembling slightly. "Relax," I whispered, trying to reassure him, though I myself was unsure. "I'll protect you." I took a deep breath and gently pushed the Howling Moon Wolf deeper into the passage. Sharing the same sensory abilities with it, I could vaguely "see" what lay within. The passage wound its way through the tunnel, its walls carved with intricate runes that emitted a chilling, eerie light. A damp, decaying stench filled the air, nauseatingly strong. At first, the passage was silent, broken only by the faint footsteps of the Howling Moon Wolf. My heart was in my throat, fearing something terrible might suddenly leap out. As the Howling Moon Wolf ventured deeper, I gradually sensed the energy flow within the passage. This energy was cold and eerie, like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, sending chills down my spine. However, to my slight relief, I didn't detect any large traps. Although the passage was filled with strange energy, no threatening traps had formed. It seemed this passage wasn't entirely a dead end. "Continue forward," I whispered to the Howling Moon Wolf, concentrating even more intently, daring not to slacken my guard. The Howling Moon Wolf cautiously advanced, each step taken with extreme care, as if testing the dangers ahead. Through its shared vision, I observed everything within the passage. The runes on both sides of the passage grew denser, their light intensifying, and the oppressive feeling in the air grew heavier. Suddenly, the Howling Moon Wolf stopped, letting out a low whimper, its body slightly arched, as if it had encountered some danger. My heart tightened, and I immediately focused my senses on the Howling Moon Wolf. Through shared perception, I "saw" a blurry figure at the corner of the passage. The figure seemed humanoid, yet it exuded a chilling, eerie aura. "Who's there?" I shouted in a low voice, gathering the fluorescent light in my hand, ready to respond to any sudden situation. However, as soon as I finished speaking, the figure vanished into the darkness as if it had never been there. I was startled. Could it be one of Lai Strategist's men? Or was it just my imagination? Just as I hesitated, the Howling Moon Wolf suddenly let out a sharp howl and then retreated abruptly. "What's wrong?" I asked quickly. The Howling Moon Wolf retreated to my side, trembling, its eyes filled with fear. It nuzzled my hand with its nose, then raised its head and let out a low warning growl towards the depths of the passage. My heart sank. It seemed there really was something terrifying deep within the passage… "We…" the tungsten boy stammered, as if he wanted to say something. "Shh!" I gestured for silence, my gaze fixed on the depths of the passage, gripping the glowing light tightly in my hand… "There's something…" "We…we should go back!" The tungsten boy's voice trembled, clutching my sleeve as if grasping at a last straw. I understood his fear; the unknown dangers of this passage were enough to crush anyone's courage. I took a deep breath, feeling the chilling aura emanating from the depths of the passage, my heart filled with hesitation. Go back? Should we just give up like this? All the hardships we had endured were to find a way to break through the blockade of the dark forces. This new passage might be our only hope. I subconsciously touched the jade pendant on my chest, a gift from Su Yao, its smooth texture like her gentle hand. I seemed to see her worried eyes, and a warmth welled up in my heart, a surge of strength rising within me. I couldn't back down. For her, and for myself, I had to keep going! "No, we can't go back," I said firmly, "We must find a way out." The tungsten boy's face paled even more, but he didn't say anything more, only silently nodding, his grip on my sleeve tightening even more. I pushed Howling Moon Wolf deeper into the passage again, while observing our surroundings with even greater vigilance. Howling Moon Wolf's steps slowed, each step cautious, as if testing the ground beneath its feet. Just as I was about to step into the new passage, a slight "click" sound suddenly came from around us, like gears meshing. My heart sank. I knew that sound all too well—the sound of mechanisms operating! Could it be the Strategist Lai? He had adjusted the layout again! I immediately stopped and gestured for Howling Moon Wolf to retreat. Tungsten Boy was even more terrified, his face turning deathly pale, clinging tightly to my back, his body trembling uncontrollably. I closed my eyes, concentrated, and tried to sense the flow of energy around us. The energy within the passage became even more chaotic, and chilling auras surged from all directions, like an invisible giant net enveloping us. Damn it! What is the Strategist Lai trying to do? Does he intend to trap us here to die? I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. Panic would only lead us into greater danger. I had to stay calm and find a way to deal with it. I carefully recalled my previous experience in cracking mechanisms, trying to find the pattern in the strategist's layout this time. Those mechanisms, though complex and ingenious, all had one thing in common: a core hub. Finding this hub would disrupt the entire mechanism's operation. I opened my eyes again, my gaze sweeping across every corner of the passage, trying to find the hidden hub. The runes on both sides of the passage flickered with an eerie light, as if mocking my helplessness. Time ticked by, and fine beads of sweat appeared on my forehead. The air in the passage grew increasingly oppressive, as if something terrible could happen at any moment. Suddenly, my gaze fell on an inconspicuous stone brick at the top of the passage. The color of that brick was slightly different, appearing darker compared to the surrounding bricks. A thought flashed through my mind—could it be…? I reached out and touched the brick; it felt cold, no different from the surrounding bricks. But I sensed a faint energy fluctuation emanating from the cracks in that brick. A surge of joy filled me—that was it! I focused the fluorescent light in my hand, aiming it at the crack in the stone brick, and whispered, "It's you..." The light from the fluorescent stone illuminated the narrow crack. I held my breath and slowly channeled a wisp of true energy into it. The stone brick trembled slightly, emitting a soft "click," and then the unsettling "clicks" around me disappeared. I breathed a sigh of relief—I'd made the right bet! "Are we... safe?" the tungsten boy asked timidly, his voice still trembling. I shook my head. "We're only safe for now. The strategist Lai is cunning; we can't let our guard down." I touched the jade pendant on my chest again. Su Yao had told me that in the face of danger, a calm mind is more important than brute force. I carefully examined the stone brick and discovered it wasn't an ordinary brick, but a specially crafted mechanical hub. The strategist Lai had cleverly hidden it at the top of the passage; without my careful observation, it would have been difficult to spot. I gently pried open the stone brick with my dagger, revealing the complex mechanical structure inside. These structures were intricate and complex, like a miniature city, with gears, levers, and springs meshing together to form a sophisticated killing machine. I carefully disassembled the mechanism's key links, afraid of triggering any traps. The strategist's mechanisms were always insidious and ruthless; the slightest carelessness would trigger a new trap. As I disassembled, I analyzed the mechanism's operating principles, trying to uncover the strategist's layout patterns. As the key links were disassembled, the energy flow within the passage gradually returned to calm, and the unsettling, chilling aura dissipated. I knew I had successfully disrupted the strategist's plan, at least temporarily preventing new mechanisms from activating. "Phew..." I finally breathed a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from my brow. This short time felt like an eternity. "Can we... leave now?" The tungsten boy's voice still carried a hint of fear. I nodded, carefully collecting the disassembled parts. These parts might come in handy later; after all, knowing your enemy is half the battle. I summoned the Howling Moon Wolf to my side again, patted its head, and gestured for it to continue. The Howling Moon Wolf growled and strode forward, slowly entering the new passage. The passage was pitch black, only the eerie light in the Howling Moon Wolf's eyes illuminating our path. I gripped the fluorescent stone tightly, cautiously observing my surroundings. The walls on both sides of the passage were covered with strange runes, flashing with an eerie light, like pairs of eyes watching us from the shadows. "Wait..." I suddenly stopped, my gaze fixed on a rune on the left side of the passage. That rune's light was slightly different from the others; it flashed faster and was much brighter. A chill ran through me; an ominous premonition washed over me. "What's wrong?" the tungsten boy asked nervously. I pointed at the rune and said in a low voice, "Look..." Before I could finish speaking, the rune suddenly burst into a blinding light...