They hurried back to the place where the symbols were recorded and resumed their research. After careful analysis, Dean Bruce noticed that several of the symbols seemed to correspond to the letters in some way.
"I think I'm starting to get it," Dean Bruce said. "These symbols might represent a sequence. If we enter those letters on the stone door in this order, we might be able to break the seal and stop the source of the smoke."
Krupp, excited, said, "Then let's try it right away!"
They arrived at the stone door, and following Dean Bruce's hypothesis, they pressed the letters "Z, X, C, V" on the door in sequence.
The moment they pressed the last letter, a beam of light flashed across the stone door, the smoke from the entrance gradually stopped pouring out, and the surrounding walls ceased their movement.
"We did it!" Prolo Hawthorne said, gazing at Dean Bruce with admiration. "Professor, you're amazing! How did you solve this puzzle?"
Dean Bruce smiled and said, "It's just a lucky guess. But never mind that for now. Behind this stone door is probably the path leading to the heart of the Black Hole organization. We need to be cautious."
Krupp tightened his grip on his sword. "Right, we should stay on alert. The Black Hole forces have definitely set up heavy defenses inside."
With that, Dean Bruce led the way toward the stone door, Prolo Hawthorne and Krupp following closely behind. As the door slowly opened, a strong wave of dark energy surged outward. Without hesitation, they stepped inside. Inside was a long corridor, its walls flickering with strange light, and the occasional low hum echoed through the space.
"This corridor looks really eerie," Prolo Hawthorne muttered, gripping his magic wand even tighter.
Dean Bruce kept a vigilant eye on their surroundings. "Stay quiet, everyone. There might be traps."
They walked carefully through the corridor, and suddenly, a fork appeared ahead.
"Which way should we go?" Krupp asked.
Dean Bruce looked at both paths, considering for a moment before replying, "I'm not sure. Let's see if we can find any clues."
They carefully searched around the fork and noticed strange footprints on the ground.
"These footprints look recent. Could someone have just walked through here?" Prolo Hawthorne speculated.
Dean Bruce crouched down to examine the prints more closely. "They don't look like human footprints. They seem more like some kind of magical creature's. Either way, let's follow them. We might find an exit or other clues."
They followed the footprints into the left corridor. After walking for a short distance, they heard a faint crying sound.
"What's that noise?" Prolo Hawthorne asked nervously.
"It sounds like it's coming from up ahead," Krupp replied.
They moved forward, and soon, they discovered a little girl sitting in the corner, crying.
"Little one, why are you crying here?" Dean Bruce asked softly.
The girl looked up, her eyes full of fear. "Uncle, it's so scary here. I'm lost. I can't find my way home."
Prolo Hawthorne stepped forward, wanting to comfort the little girl. "Don't be afraid, we'll get you out of here," he said gently.
Just as Prolo Hawthorne was about to touch the girl, Dean Bruce suddenly shouted, "Prolo, don't touch her!"
Prolo Hawthorne jumped back, quickly retracting his hand. "Professor, what's wrong?"
Dean Bruce looked at the little girl warily. "This might be a trap. How could a little girl be here all alone?"
Krupp also realized something was off. "Dean's right. We can't trust her just like that."
A group of people in black robes entered the room. The leader of the group, a tall figure in a hooded black robe, spoke sharply: "They must be here. Search thoroughly! We can't let Dr. Adelman get angry!"
"Yes, sir!" the others responded in unison.
The black-robed figures immediately scattered, searching the room.
"This is bad. We need to find a way to shake them off," Prolo Hawthorne whispered, watching the dark figures move around them.
Dean Bruce thought for a moment and then said, "We can use these magical instruments to create some chaos, then slip away in the confusion."
"That's a good idea," Krupp agreed.
They quietly began manipulating the magical instruments in the hidden room. Suddenly, the devices started emitting flashes of light and strange sounds. The black-robed figures were thrown into confusion by the sudden disturbance.
"Now's our chance, move!" Dean Bruce shouted.
They rushed out of the hidden room and sprinted toward another exit. The black-robed figures quickly regained their composure and began chasing them.
"Quick, we can't let them catch up!" Krupp yelled.
They dashed down the corridor, but suddenly, a massive magical barrier appeared in front of them.
"What in the world is this?" Prolo Hawthorne shouted.
Dean Bruce glanced at the barrier and said, "This could be another defensive mechanism. We need to figure out how to disable it."
They searched around the magical barrier for any clues and noticed strange symbols etched into the ground.
"These symbols are connected to the ones we saw earlier. They might be the key to breaking the barrier," Dean Bruce said.
As they were studying the symbols, the black-robed figures caught up with them.
"You can't escape!" the leader of the black-robed figures shouted. "Give up now. Outside, all my people are waiting for you."
Dean Bruce felt a tightening in his chest at the sight of the approaching enemies, but he remained calm and replied, "Don't get too confident. We won't be caught so easily."
Krupp raised his sword, taking a defensive stance. "Come on then, let's see what you've got. We can fight again if we have to."
Prolo Hawthorne, however, was focused on the magical barrier and the symbols on the ground. Suddenly, he exclaimed, "Professor, I think these symbols might need a specific magical energy to be activated. Maybe it's related to our magical affinities."
Dean Bruce paused for a moment, considering. "That makes sense. Let's try channeling our magic into the symbols according to their shape and sequence."
The three of them quickly moved into action, channeling their magical energy into the symbols. The magical barrier began to flicker, and cracks appeared on its surface.
"Stubborn fools!"
The leader of the black-robed figures shouted angrily. With a wave of his hand, the black-robed figures rushed toward them.
"You mess with me, Braun, and you'll pay the price!" the leader cried, and immediately launched a swift attack toward Dean Bruce.
Krupp snorted in disdain and charged forward to meet the attack. With a powerful swing of his sword, he intercepted Braun's strike. "Ha! You talk big. Let me show you what I can do!"
Braun sneered, "You? You dare boast here? You'll be begging for mercy soon enough!" With that, he swung his arm, sending a beam of black magical energy shooting towards Krupp.
Unfazed, Krupp swung his sword through the air, carving a golden arc that effortlessly blocked the black energy beam. "Is that all you've got? That's child's play!" he scoffed.