Galon, standing slightly behind, paid close attention to his surroundings rather than the analysis between Tarry and White Eagle. While the conversation between the two in front could barely be heard through the rain, Galon focused on the surroundings behind him. Standing back, he observed the two in the shelter, one standing and the other crouching, their voices carrying intermittently with the wind. Looking up at the room they had descended from, he could vaguely see a figure standing by the window, a dark silhouette against the pitch-black room, indiscernible in detail.
Galon quietly watched the figure, remaining silent.
"Let's go! I've figured out the key to the problem!" Tarry Mercury came over at this moment, patting Galon on the shoulder and leading the way back towards the castle's main entrance.
Galon quickly followed. Looking back at the second-floor window, he found it empty.
The trio entered the first-floor hall, returning to where Tarry Mercury had previously collapsed. The detective crouched to inspect something on the ground, then looked at the brass cross medal still lying there as if calculating something.
Soon after, he stood up. "Follow me."
Galon knew Tarry must have grasped something significant. Following the detective with White Eagle, they proceeded to a concealed area behind the staircase.
Tarry fumbled around the corner of the wall for a while, then surprisingly pulled up a dark wooden panel, revealing an entrance similar to a cellar. A strong smell of blood wafted out as the square entrance was opened.
The trio exchanged glances, their expressions turning solemn. White Eagle lit a match, revealing the interior under the feeble glow.
The small cellar was filled with bodies, all dressed in black with golden earrings visible on their ears.
Despite being prepared, the sight of so many bodies startled them, causing them to gasp in shock. It took a moment for them to recover.
"Indeed, Golden Ring members! What's going on?" White Eagle, recovering first, dragged out the top body. "So many people died here! Number 89, double-digit numbers from Golden Ring are not easily killed."
"I stumbled upon a clue by accident and followed it here, never expecting this outcome. It seems this castle is more mysterious than we thought," Tarry frowned.
"They've been dead for no more than a day," White Eagle stated after inspecting the bodies. "What now, Tarry?"
"I still have some questions unclear! Let's leave this place first!" Tarry Mercury looked around warily, as if on alert for enemies. "It's no longer safe here; staying further isn't wise. We'll immediately return to report to the police and call in reinforcements."
"What about the medal?" Galon joked softly. "It didn't grow legs and return to that room, did it?" He managed a weak smile amidst the heavy atmosphere.
Hearing this, Tarry Mercury suddenly jolted, standing still as if recalling something crucial.
"Right! The location of the medal! How could I overlook this key point? I didn't think of it just now!" He muttered to himself.
"Come with me!" Suddenly, he started jogging, looking at the wall reliefs as he ran.
Galon and White Eagle, confused, followed him from the staircase's backside directly into a library-like room.
Tarry moved a vacant bookshelf, tapped the floor, and soon found another ring. With a pull, a large wooden board lifted, revealing a wide entrance below.
Tarry took the match White Eagle had lit, shining it inside. A metal staircase was revealed, extending downwards.
Galon leaned in to see. The entrance was spacious, with a black metal staircase spiraling down.
Without further ado, Tarry Mercury, after making sure the board stayed open, tucked his shirt into his pants and descended.
White Eagle followed closely, with Galon watching from the entrance.
The staircase spiraled down endlessly into darkness, like a twisting funnel.
"We'll check it out first, keep watch above. If anything happens, just shoot," Tarry instructed before descending.
Galon nodded, watching the diminishing light from the torch in the spiral staircase, feeling a chill.
Shortly after the two descended, Galon threw a rotten piece of the bookshelf down the stairwell. It fell silently, then vanished without a trace.
The two below stopped, Tarry lighting something and tossing it down the center.
The lit object fell, illuminating its surroundings, showing the endless spiral of stairs until it too disappeared into the darkness.
Realizing the depth, Tarry and White Eagle quickly returned, concluding the staircase extended at least five hundred meters down, perhaps hiding the castle's deepest secrets or Golden Ring's ultimate goal.
Despite their brief exploration, a pungent mustiness clung to them, their clothes cold and faces pale. Galon felt their chill even standing nearby.
"Let's conduct a thorough investigation in daylight. This might be where Golden Ring also struggles to explore," White Eagle suggested.
"By the way, I found this in the room. Galon, what do you make of it?" Tarry Mercury handed over a small black gemstone ring with a silver band, showing signs of red rust.
Galon examined it, identifying it as an ordinary iron ring with possibly a black crystal, estimating its age to be around fifty to sixty years.
"Perhaps this piece plays a significant role," Tarry murmured, reclaiming the ring.
"Also," White Eagle added, "when I found that Golden Ring member, he was still breathing. Strangely, he claimed we killed many Golden Ring members, though we hadn't encountered anyone he described. What about those corpses in the cellar?"
"It seems this castle harbors secrets beyond our understanding, housing someone capable of inflicting heavy losses on Golden Ring besides us," Tarry Mercury pondered.
"Let's leave for now and review the castle's documents more carefully," he concluded, ready to depart.
"Though I wish for Golden Ring's demise, being falsely accused is unsettling," White Eagle shrugged.
Agreeing, the trio quietly left the castle, heading towards Konu Town under the rain, disappearing into the night.
Hours later, as the night deepened and the rain lightened, Galon, now in a black suit and masked, hurried back along their departure route, effortlessly entering the castle through a ground-floor window.
Inside, he found a figure standing by the staircase, facing the cellar where the bodies were discovered, motionless.
Galon's expression hardened, but his footsteps inevitably made a sound.
"Who's there?"
The figure turned sharply towards him.
A flash of lightning revealed a golden earring with the number 10 on the figure's left ear.
Galon's gaze turned icy, stepping forward.
"If you're Golden Ring, hand over the item. I'll let you live."
Galon, standing slightly behind, paid close attention to his surroundings rather than the analysis between Tarry and White Eagle. While the conversation between the two in front could barely be heard through the rain, Galon focused on the surroundings behind him. Standing back, he observed the two in the shelter, one standing and the other crouching, their voices carrying intermittently with the wind. Looking up at the room they had descended from, he could vaguely see a figure standing by the window, a dark silhouette against the pitch-black room, indiscernible in detail.
Galon quietly watched the figure, remaining silent.
"Let's go! I've figured out the key to the problem!" Tarry Mercury came over at this moment, patting Galon on the shoulder and leading the way back towards the castle's main entrance.
Galon quickly followed. Looking back at the second-floor window, he found it empty.
The trio entered the first-floor hall, returning to where Tarry Mercury had previously collapsed. The detective crouched to inspect something on the ground, then looked at the brass cross medal still lying there as if calculating something.
Soon after, he stood up. "Follow me."
Galon knew Tarry must have grasped something significant. Following the detective with White Eagle, they proceeded to a concealed area behind the staircase.
Tarry fumbled around the corner of the wall for a while, then surprisingly pulled up a dark wooden panel, revealing an entrance similar to a cellar. A strong smell of blood wafted out as the square entrance was opened.
The trio exchanged glances, their expressions turning solemn. White Eagle lit a match, revealing the interior under the feeble glow.
The small cellar was filled with bodies, all dressed in black with golden earrings visible on their ears.
Despite being prepared, the sight of so many bodies startled them, causing them to gasp in shock. It took a moment for them to recover.
"Indeed, Golden Ring members! What's going on?" White Eagle, recovering first, dragged out the top body. "So many people died here! Number 89, double-digit numbers from Golden Ring are not easily killed."
"I stumbled upon a clue by accident and followed it here, never expecting this outcome. It seems this castle is more mysterious than we thought," Tarry frowned.
"They've been dead for no more than a day," White Eagle stated after inspecting the bodies. "What now, Tarry?"
"I still have some questions unclear! Let's leave this place first!" Tarry Mercury looked around warily, as if on alert for enemies. "It's no longer safe here; staying further isn't wise. We'll immediately return to report to the police and call in reinforcements."
"What about the medal?" Galon joked softly. "It didn't grow legs and return to that room, did it?" He managed a weak smile amidst the heavy atmosphere.
Hearing this, Tarry Mercury suddenly jolted, standing still as if recalling something crucial.
"Right! The location of the medal! How could I overlook this key point? I didn't think of it just now!" He muttered to himself.
"Come with me!" Suddenly, he started jogging, looking at the wall reliefs as he ran.
Galon and White Eagle, confused, followed him from the staircase's backside directly into a library-like room.
Tarry moved a vacant bookshelf, tapped the floor, and soon found another ring. With a pull, a large wooden board lifted, revealing a wide entrance below.
Tarry took the match White Eagle had lit, shining it inside. A metal staircase was revealed, extending downwards.
Galon leaned in to see. The entrance was spacious, with a black metal staircase spiraling down.
Without further ado, Tarry Mercury, after making sure the board stayed open, tucked his shirt into his pants and descended.
White Eagle followed closely, with Galon watching from the entrance.
The staircase spiraled down endlessly into darkness, like a twisting funnel.
"We'll check it out first, keep watch above. If anything happens, just shoot," Tarry instructed before descending.
Galon nodded, watching the diminishing light from the torch in the spiral staircase, feeling a chill.
Shortly after the two descended, Galon threw a rotten piece of the bookshelf down the stairwell. It fell silently, then vanished without a trace.
The two below stopped, Tarry lighting something and tossing it down the center.
The lit object fell, illuminating its surroundings, showing the endless spiral of stairs until it too disappeared into the darkness.
Realizing the depth, Tarry and White Eagle quickly returned, concluding the staircase extended at least five hundred meters down, perhaps hiding the castle's deepest secrets or Golden Ring's ultimate goal.
Despite their brief exploration, a pungent mustiness clung to them, their clothes cold and faces pale. Galon felt their chill even standing nearby.
"Let's conduct a thorough investigation in daylight. This might be where Golden Ring also struggles to explore," White Eagle suggested.
"By the way, I found this in the room. Galon, what do you make of it?" Tarry Mercury handed over a small black gemstone ring with a silver band, showing signs of red rust.
Galon examined it, identifying it as an ordinary iron ring with possibly a black crystal, estimating its age to be around fifty to sixty years.
"Perhaps this piece plays a significant role," Tarry murmured, reclaiming the ring.
"Also," White Eagle added, "when I found that Golden Ring member, he was still breathing. Strangely, he claimed we killed many Golden Ring members, though we hadn't encountered anyone he described. What about those corpses in the cellar?"
"It seems this castle harbors secrets beyond our understanding, housing someone capable of inflicting heavy losses on Golden Ring besides us," Tarry Mercury pondered.
"Let's leave for now and review the castle's documents more carefully," he concluded, ready to depart.
"Though I wish for Golden Ring's demise, being falsely accused is unsettling," White Eagle shrugged.
Agreeing, the trio quietly left the castle, heading towards Konu Town under the rain, disappearing into the night.
Hours later, as the night deepened and the rain lightened, Galon, now in a black suit and masked, hurried back along their departure route, effortlessly entering the castle through a ground-floor window.
Inside, he found a figure standing by the staircase, facing the cellar where the bodies were discovered, motionless.
Galon's expression hardened, but his footsteps inevitably made a sound.
"Who's there?"
The figure turned sharply towards him.
A flash of lightning revealed a golden earring with the number 10 on the figure's left ear.
Galon's gaze turned icy, stepping forward.
"If you're Golden Ring, hand over the item. I'll let you live."
The tall woman with a ponytail, her eyes a pale shade of purple and her demeanor icy, exuded a sleek, cold elegance in her tight black attire. "Let me leave alive? Nonsense," she said coldly. "Are you here for that item as well?"
"What do you think?" Galon scoffed, suddenly flinging his hand backward.
Bang! A figure dressed in black was sent flying, rolling several times upon hitting the ground before crashing into a wall, motionless.
"I've said, hand over the item, and I'll let you leave alive," he stated, advancing towards the purple-eyed woman without glancing at the assailant he had dispatched. The closer he got, the more palpable became the aura of potential emanating from her.
The woman snickered. "Good, you're worthy of my serious effort."
She slightly bent forward, her purple eyes deepening in hue. With her hands positioned as if grasping something at her chest, leaving an oval space between her palms, she prepared her stance.
"Tian Gang... Ba Lie!!!" With a sharp intake of breath, her body began to swell rapidly, her muscles bulging out covered in veins like thick ropes.
Her breathing sounded like a giant bellows, and within seconds, the slim, cold woman transformed into a muscular powerhouse, matching Galon in stature.
Her body, now a network of taut muscles, seemed to pulse under her skin, generating a heatwave around her, warming the air with her intense body heat.
"Secret martial arts?" Galon's eyes narrowed as his muscles tensed.
He took a deep breath, adopting the starting pose of the Giant Elephant Style.
It was clear, to obtain the accidentally discovered cursed antique today, a fierce battle was inevitable.