The atmosphere in the underground hall suddenly became tense. The slight but definite sound of footsteps echoed between the stone walls, as if an invisible hand was choking everyone's breath in the air. Alex and his teammates were immediately put on alert, knowing that the enemy they had been guarding against had finally emerged.
"Quick, hide! Calvin motioned for the others to hide, quickly searching for suitable cover. His past adventures have enabled him to respond quickly in an emergency.
Alex, Lina, Thomas, and Leona follow Calvin's lead and quickly hide behind a large stone monument, surrounded by columns and shadows that provide temporary cover. Alex clenched the short blade of his hand and sweat broke out on his forehead. The enemy's footsteps came nearer and nearer.
In the darkness, they held their breath nervously, their eyes fixed on the entrance. Gradually, a faint figure appeared in the entrance, the outline is faintly visible. It was three men in black combat uniforms, agile and holding high-tech weapons that glowed cold in the dim light.
"They were well equipped and looked like professional mercenaries." Leona whispered, her eyes as calm as ever, but you could feel her analysis of the enemy unfolding at breakneck speed.
"This is no ordinary enemy," Alex whispered back, wondering what force these men were from. Enemies have followed them ever since they embarked on their quest to find Atlantis, but until now Alex was unsure of their identity and motives.
"What are we going to do? Lina asked in a low voice, nervously watching the approaching enemy.
Calvin leaned forward slightly, gesturing for silence. He whispered, "We can't open fire. We don't know how many men there are. We have to find their leader."
At that moment, the three men in black were near the center of the hall, scanning with their scanning devices, apparently looking for some kind of target. Alex glanced at the huge stone tablets and star charts in the hall and wondered if they, too, had come for clues to Atlantis.
"Keep searching. The target may be here." A man in black at the head said in a calm voice. His accent was strange, with an undecipherable foreign tone.
Alex scowled lightly, keenly picking up the nuance of the sentence. The other side clearly has a clear goal, but what exactly is still unclear. As he pondered his next move, the enemy seemed to sense something unusual.
'There's movement! One of the men in black suddenly shouted alarm, and the muzzle of the gun immediately pointed in the direction they were hiding.
Alex's heart was pounding, but he kept his cool and exchanged a quick look with Calvin. Calvin nodded gently, a hint of determination in his expression. He slowly removed a pistol from his waist and motioned for everyone to prepare for battle.
The enemy has discovered them, and the next situation can only be a head-on conflict.
"Come out! We have seen you!" "Said the man in black at the head, coldly, his voice echoing through the hall with a hint of disdain and menace.
Alex's fist clenched involuntarily, his heart weighing. He knew that confrontation was not the best option, especially against a well-armed enemy. He looked back at Lena and Leona, remembering that their goal was to find clues in these ruins, not to tangle with the enemy.
Just then Thomas whispered, "I can distract them."
Alex was stunned and immediately shook his head: "It's too dangerous, they are well armed, once they find you..."
"I know." Thomas's tone remained calm, but with an unmistakable firmness, "But now we have no choice." If I don't distract them, we'll all be exposed, and the clues will fall into their hands."
Lina was speechless for a moment, and seemed to know that Thomas's plan made sense, but her face was full of worry.
Alex took a deep breath and finally nodded. "Okay, but be careful. Don't be brave."
Thomas gave a smile, and though it was a forced one, the firmness in his eyes said enough. He quickly emerged from behind cover and moved nimbly around the other side of the pillar, trying to attract the enemy's attention.
Sure enough, the man in black immediately noticed Thomas's figure, turned and ran after him in unison.
"Now is the time! Alex whispered, and quickly led the others to the other side of the stone, buying time to find what they wanted in the brief moment of distraction.
Lina ran quickly to the stone tablet, the scanning equipment in her hand began to work quickly. She anxiously analyzed the data and quickly read the symbols. Alex and Calvin are on guard, ready for any eventuality.
A few minutes later, Lena suddenly let out a low cry: "Eureka! These symbols point to Pointing to an ocean... It's a coordinate!"
Alex immediately approached and looked at the device in Lina's hand. The coordinates on the screen made his heart beat faster. It was the clue they had been looking for - the location of the next site of Atlantis.
"Quick, write it down!" Alex said eagerly, his notebook open, ready to record the crucial coordinates.
At that moment, however, there was a rapid sound of gunfire from Thomas's side.
Alex's heart sank and he turned to look in the direction of Thomas. It was clear that Thomas's plan had succeeded in attracting the enemy's attention, but now he was in the middle of a fierce battle.
'Go! Alex shouted the word almost unconsciously. Now they had to make a decision -- keep looking for more clues or save Thomas.
"Is Thomas holding up?" Leona whispered, a little anxious in her eyes.
Alex clenched his teeth and looked at Calvin. Calvin nodded, "I'll back him up, and you leave with the coordinates." The clue must not fall into the hands of the enemy."
Before Lina could respond, Calvin had emerged from behind cover and was sprinting in Thomas's direction.
Alex's heart was full of tension and unease, but he knew that now they could not hesitate. Every minute counts.
'Let's go! Alex grabbed Lena and Leona and led them quickly back down the hall.
There was tension in the air, and the echoes of battle kept ringing behind them. Despite his worries, Alex knew they had to get out of here as soon as possible to get the key coordinates to safety.
After passing through a long strip of stone steps, they finally reached the exit. At the very moment when they had just burst out of the underground hall, a loud noise came from behind, followed by heavy footsteps and the roar of the enemy.
'Come on! Alex yelled, gesturing to Lena and Leona to pick up the pace. The other side obviously realizes that they have found an important clue and is desperately chasing it.
Just as they were about to ascend an open SLATE path, a strong beam of light suddenly flashed across the sky, illuminating their path ahead. It was an enemy drone, hovering above them, watching their every move.
"Damn, they're sending a drone!" Lena gasped and shouted angrily.
Alex looked around, quickly assessing the situation. They must somehow get rid of these trackers, or risk not only putting themselves at risk but also having their discovery taken away from them.
"Come with me. I can get rid of them." Alex leads the charge into a nearby stone forest, enemy drones buzzing overhead, but by this time, Alex is already planning their next step - how to escape safely with these precious clues and continue their search for the truth about Atlantis.