Sok sighed deeply, his words laden with pain, "That traces back to a battle eighteen years ago...your father..." Suddenly, he began to shake violently, as if restrained by some unseen force, chanting in agony, "The twelve valleys of the zodiac...the confluence...the island of intersecting lines...the altar...ah!" His voice twisted, as though belonging to another person. In a haze, he roared, "Who are you! Are you here to deceive me again!"
The abrupt transformation frightened Elwin immensely, his body instinctively stepping back. "Stay away from me, I don't want to see you!" Faced with this sudden development, Elwin felt incredibly panicked and helpless, not understanding what was happening to Sok, and unsure of how to handle it all.
Elwin said nervously and cautiously, "Sok, I didn't come to deceive you, what's happening to you..." His voice echoed in the cold cell. He couldn't help but feel fearful and puzzled by Sok's erratic changes.
In this dark dungeon, Elwin felt an unprecedented fear and helplessness. Watching Sok suddenly plunge into unconsciousness, his heart was full of doubts and confusion. Next to Sok in the dungeon, he could only sit, wait in silence, afraid to break the quiet.
After what seemed a long time, a slight noise came from Sok's body, like the sound of iron chains scraping the floor. Elwin immediately stood up, rushed to Sok's side, his voice filled with concern, "Mr. Thorsson, are you alright?"
Under the morning sunlight, the dust in the dungeon was illuminated, appearing exceptionally bright. The iron bars on the window blocked the sunlight, casting thin beams of light onto the dungeon walls. Elwin was very tired, as though he hadn't slept well all night.
The light was soft and warm, Sok slowly opened his eyes, seemingly recalling something. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes again. His gaze fell directly on Elwin, his eyes carrying a hint of apology and softness, "I'm sorry, I lost control. Did you... did you see the other me?"
There was a certain indescribable emotion flickering in Sok's eyes as he looked at Elwin, and seemed to see beyond him, into a past Elwin couldn't comprehend. His lips curled into a bitter smile, both painful and deeply regretful.
"That's a powerful binding curse, I can't tell the story of 18 years ago, even though I really want to," Sok said, his voice low and hoarse, like a rock worn by time, rough yet steadfast. "15 young people, we met, we formed an alliance, that alliance..." His voice abruptly stopped, his face changing dramatically, as if again choked by an invisible force.
Elwin rushed forward, looking at Sok's twisted expression, his heart tightening. But all he could do was wait in silence for Sok to recover.
Sok moaned in pain for a while, then his expression returned to calm. He looked up at Elwin, the smile on his face completely gone, replaced by a pallor and fatigue. "I'm sorry, Elwin. This curse prevents me from speaking about the past, including everything about the twelve valleys of the zodiac, the confluence, the island of intersecting lines, and the altar. Every time I try to speak, it triggers the other me deep inside, causing me to lose control." Sok looked at Elwin with weary and helpless eyes, revealing the secret of the curse that tormented him.
Although Elwin was completely unaware of these matters, he could feel Sok's internal pain and struggle. He listened quietly, his heart filled with respect and sympathy. He decided, no matter what, he would help Sok, help this Sok troubled by the curse to reclaim his past.
"Elwin, although I can't tell you the specifics of these places, I hope that if you can get out, you must go to these places. They're connected to you, ah, my head!" The aged Sok was in extreme pain.
Elwin quickly helped Sok up, assisting Sok to breathe as smoothly as possible, but he didn't know how to console him. Watching Sok's face contort in pain, a feeling of helplessness and despair welled up within him.
"Mr. Thorsson, you must hold on!" Elwin's eyes shone with resolve, his voice firm. He understood that he was the only one who could help this tormented old man, but was also very puzzled about Sok's words, why were these places connected to him?
Elwin looked at Sok, a firm resolve taking root in his heart. He would shoulder this responsibility, find these mysterious places, uncover Sok's unspeakable past, and break this terrifying binding curse.
Sok's pain gradually eased, he looked tiredly at Elwin, tears of gratitude at the corner of his eyes. He knew his past, his secrets, would find answers in Elwin.
Elwin silently watched Sok, he decided to bring change to this world, to bring hope to Sok, and to find his true self. This decision filled him with strength, and also gave him a direction.
And this direction was those mysterious places, the twelve valleys of the zodiac, the confluence, the island of intersecting lines, and the altar, most importantly to find the missing Grandma Margaret. Elwin knew this journey would be full of uncertainty and danger, but he wasn't afraid, because he had a mission. That was to help Sok break the painful curse, find his past, but now the most important thing was to figure out a way to get out of here as soon as possible.
Outside the cell door, Lian leaned against the cold stone wall, carefully listening to the conversation inside. His gaze was cunning and vigilant, as shrewd as a fox. He tried to make his breathing as quiet as possible, so as not to disturb the voices in the room, the conversation between Elwin and Sok. Every word, every sentence, he stored like a treasure. Those mysterious names, the twelve valleys of the zodiac, the confluence, the island of intersecting lines, and the altar, these were all secrets he wanted to know. This Elwin seemed much more mature than his apparent age.
"Elwin, you must escape here. The life-or-death fights in this arena are not your end, your life is much more important than this competition," Sok's heavy voice echoed in the cell, "You need to find the secret passage of the arena, that's the exit to the outside world."
"A secret passage?" Elwin asked in confusion.
"Yes, the secret passage of the arena." Sok confirmed.
Elwin looked at Sok, his eyes shining with the determination to pursue the truth, "Mr. Thorsson, where exactly is the secret passage of the arena? Don't other people know about this passage? Are there any dangers inside the passage?"
Elwin's questions, especially about the secret passage, made Lian clench his fist nervously. His heartbeat quickened.
Sok nodded slightly, a bitter smile on his face. "Indeed, when this double-towered fortress was first built, in order to prevent the enemy from breaking in, many secret tunnels and rooms were constructed within. When enemies breach the fortress, people can hide in the secret rooms and plan for a counterattack. There are many traps inside the tunnels to prevent enemies from entering, so you need to be very careful. I'll teach you how to identify and avoid these traps. Our escape route cannot be discovered by others, or the consequences are unpredictable. I used to be the leader here, it's an important barrier for the Kingdom of Rek, every leader is appointed from the most loyal Rek warriors. The secret of the tunnels is passed on from leader to leader. But after me, there was no proper transfer of power, so the new leader doesn't know about the secret."
Listening to Sok's words, Elwin felt a surge of fear for this dark place, but he knew, if he didn't take this risk, they would never escape this dreadful dungeon.
"Mr. Thorsson, I will overcome whatever difficulties there may be. Please tell me what to do?"
Sok looked at Elwin and said softly, "If you want to win, you must learn to dodge enemy attacks. Warriors from the Rek Kingdom are good at leveraging their strength. You must constantly dodge their attacks, cause their state of mind to change, and then seize the opportunity to exploit their flaws. As for evasion techniques, I'll teach you. I used to be the strongest warrior in this fortress, I know how to fight. We have time, and this is the perfect training ground. I'll teach you everything you need to know. As long as you believe in yourself, you can do it. But you must promise me one condition, that is when you leave, you must take the square box you brought with you."