The inside of the cave was dry and warm, in stark contrast to the ice and snow outside. Mark and the Ice Abyss Beast entered carefully. Although the entrance of the cave was narrow, the inside was unusually spacious, as if it was a huge cavity dug by nature in the belly of the mountain. There were some strange stalactites hanging on the top of the cave, and they flickered faintly under the faint light emitted by the Ice Abyss Beast.
Mark took the metal sphere into his arms, sat cross-legged, and began to regulate his breathing to restore his energy. The Ice Abyss Beast stood guard at the entrance of the cave, his nose twitching slightly, and he observed the surrounding environment vigilantly. Outside the cave, the wind whistled, rolling up fallen leaves and snowflakes, making a "rustling" sound. The cave was dark and humid, and the air was filled with the smell of soil and ice and snow. The Ice Abyss Beast made a low whimper from time to time, as if responding to the whistling wind and snow outside the cave.
An hour later, Mark slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a turbid breath. He felt that the energy in his body had recovered a little. Although it was not fully recovered, it was enough to deal with some emergencies. He looked down at the metal sphere in his arms and found that it was emitting a faint red light. The frequency of the light flashing was synchronized with his heartbeat.
"This thing... seems to have some kind of connection with me..." Mark muttered to himself, frowning slightly. He stretched out his finger and gently touched the metal sphere. He felt a warm feeling at his fingertips, and the red light on the surface of the sphere also increased.
Mark tried to inject energy into the sphere again. This time, the sphere did not reject his energy like before, but greedily absorbed the energy he input. The red light on the surface of the sphere became more and more intense, and finally turned into a dazzling blood red, reflecting the entire cave in blood red. Strange light and shadows were projected from the depths of the cave, swaying with the beating of the red light. The Ice Abyss Beast also noticed the change in the sphere. It walked to Mark's side and let out a low roar, seeming a little uneasy.
Suddenly, the sphere shot out a blood-red beam of light, and the beam projected a strange symbol on the stone wall of the cave. The symbol was complex and mysterious, composed of various curves and circles, like some ancient text, and also like some mysterious pattern. Mark and Bingyuan Beast were both startled by this sudden change and immediately stood up to guard. Mark instinctively held the ice sword in his hand, and looked vigilantly at the symbol on the stone wall and the metal sphere in his hand. Bingyuan Beast also let out a low roar, arched his back, and prepared for battle.
The red light lasted for a few seconds and then disappeared, and the symbol also dimmed, but a clear mark was left on the stone wall. The mark was dark red, as if it was carved with blood, and it was particularly eye-catching in the dim cave. The wind and snow outside the cave were still blowing, and the whistling wind sounded like the roar of a beast, adding a touch of weird atmosphere to this mysterious scene.
Mark walked to the stone wall and carefully observed the symbol. He found that this symbol was very similar to the tattoo he had seen on the mysterious man before, but it was more complicated and more complete. An inexplicable sense of familiarity surged in his heart. He felt as if he had seen this symbol somewhere before, but he couldn't remember it for a moment. He reached out and touched the brand on the stone wall. His fingertips felt warm, just like when he touched a metal sphere.
"What... is this?" Mark muttered to himself, frowning.
The Ice Abyss Beast walked to Mark, sniffed the symbol on the stone wall, and let out a low roar, as if it had sensed something. It rubbed Mark's shoulder with its huge head, as if reminding him to be careful. Mark nodded. He knew that the Ice Abyss Beast's intuition was always accurate, and this time was probably no exception.
Mark took out a dagger from his backpack and carefully carved along the outline of the symbol. The dagger was extremely sharp, leaving thin marks on the stone wall, making a slight "rustling" sound. The sound of wind and snow outside the cave seemed to be louder, as if urging them to leave this place as soon as possible.
After carving, Mark put away the dagger and carefully examined the marks on his palm. He compared his palm with the brand on the stone wall, and after confirming that there was nothing missing, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"I hope this thing can help us." Mark said to the Ice Abyss Beast, with a hint of expectation and a hint of uneasiness in his tone.
The Ice Abyss Beast growled and nudged Mark's arm with his head, as if to express his approval.