Multiple Personalities

After the boulders stopped rolling, the dust gradually settled, and the smell of gunpowder filled the air. Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue, with dust-covered faces, peeked out from their hiding spot, looking at the hillside ravaged by the boulders, feeling a deep sense of relief at having survived.

"These mechanisms are too dangerous, it's lucky we reacted quickly," Lin Yue said, patting the dust off her clothes, still shaken by the experience.

Shen Jingqi nodded, his eyes firm: "The more it's like this, the more it shows that the secret inside the high tower is not simple. We must speed up our pace."

They resumed their journey, moving quickly yet cautiously. Finally, at the end of the valley, a towering high tower appeared before their eyes. It seemed to have traveled from ancient times, exuding a mysterious and solemn aura. The tower was built with massive stones, weathered by time, covered in moss and cracks, yet it stood tall. Strange symbols and patterns were engraved on its surface, some resembling twisted snakes, others like mysterious star maps, as if telling a story unknown to the world.

"This is it," Shen Jingqi said, eyes filled with excitement and nervousness. Excitement because they finally found their target, nervousness because they didn't know what awaited them ahead. His hands unconsciously clenched, knuckles turning white from the pressure.

Lin Yue looked at the tower, feeling both anticipation and fear. Anticipation for perhaps soon uncovering the secrets of the mysterious organization, fear for the countless dangers surely hidden within this tower. Her eyes flickered with hesitation and her steps faltered: "Do we really want to go inside? It must be dangerous."

Shen Jingqi took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He turned around, looking into Lin Yue's eyes, speaking earnestly: "Now that we're here, we can't quit halfway. We must unveil this secret, we can't let the plans of those people in black succeed." His voice, although not loud, was full of strength, as if encouraging both himself and Lin Yue.

Lin Yue bit her lip, her fear swept away by Shen Jingqi's determination. She nodded: "Alright, I'll follow your lead."

They approached the tower with caution. Each step they took made a slight sound from the ground beneath, as if warning them to stay away. Reaching the grand door of the tower, they found it tightly shut, with a line of strange script carved on it. The script twisted and turned, resembling tadpoles swimming, making their heads spin just by looking at it.

Shen Jingqi leaned in for a closer look, his brow furrowed deeply, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He tried to decipher it: "It seems to say that only those who pass the test can enter the tower. But what exactly the test is remains unclear." His gaze revealed a hint of anxiety, time was pressing, and they must quickly find a way to enter the tower.

Lin Yue stomped her foot impatiently: "What do we do now? We don't understand these words at all, are we going to be trapped here?"

While they were examining the script on the door, a group of mechanical guardians suddenly emerged from around the tower. These mechanical guardians were tall, over two meters high, their bodies made entirely of metal, glinting with a cold light in the dim surroundings. Armed, their eyes shone with a cold glint, like emotionless killing machines.

"It seems the test has begun," Shen Jingqi said, quickly drawing his weapon, a sharp dagger that gleamed with a chilling light in the dimness. His eyes turned sharp as he fixed his gaze on the mechanical guardians, readying himself for battle.

Lin Yue also gripped her tool tightly, a sturdy wooden stick wrapped with sharp stones. She looked nervously at the mechanical guardians, her heartbeat involuntarily speeding up: "These guys look tough to deal with."

The mechanical guardians let out a low growl, sounding like it came from the depths of Hell, chilling to the bone. They stepped forward heavily, charging towards Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue. Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue stood back to back, their bodies pressed closely together, as if drawing strength from each other.

The mechanical guardians' attacks were fierce, their weapons swinging continuously, stirring up gusts of wind. The sound of the wind howled past, as if death itself was calling. Shen Jingqi dodged nimbly, his body moving like a phantom through the mechanical guardians' attacks. His eyes fixed on the joints of the guardians, secretly pondering: "These mechanical guardians look incredibly tough, but there must be a weakness."

After some observation, he noticed that the joints of the mechanical guardians were relatively weak, so he aimed for the joints in his attacks. His dagger moved like lightning, swift and accurate, stabbing into the joints of the mechanical guardians. Each attack slowed their movements slightly.

Lin Yue assisted him on the side, swinging her wooden stick and using the sharp stones to disrupt the guardians' actions. Her eyes were filled with determination; despite her fear, she knew there was no retreat at this moment. She seized the opportunity, using all her strength to smash the wooden stick into the legs of the mechanical guardians, causing them to lose their balance.

However, more mechanical guardians were appearing, and their attacks grew increasingly fierce. Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue were starting to feel strained, their stamina dwindling as sweat soaked their clothes.

While fending off the mechanical guardians' attacks, Lin Yue pondered: "These mechanical guardians seem to follow a pattern, could we possibly find their control center and destroy it?"

Shen Jingqi's eyes lit up: "Makes sense, let's split up, I'll draw their attention, you look for the control center."

So, Shen Jingqi intensified his attacks, deliberately exposing some weaknesses to lure the mechanical guardians into focusing on him. As expected, they all swarmed towards him. Lin Yue seized the chance to sneak around the mechanical guardians' backs, beginning her search for the control center.

She carefully searched behind the mechanical guardians and suddenly discovered a box emitting a faint glow. Her heart leapt, guessing that this might be the control center. She cautiously approached the box, preparing to dismantle it.

Just then, a mechanical guardian noticed her actions and charged at Lin Yue with its weapon raised. Lin Yue was startled but didn't retreat. She quickly sidestepped and then swung her wooden stick hard at the guardian's joint. The mechanical guardian staggered, nearly falling.

Taking the chance, Lin Yue reached the box. She pried it open with force, revealing a tangle of complex circuitry and chips. Without hesitation, she pulled out several key wires. With a few "zzzz" sounds, the mechanical guardians suddenly froze, standing motionless on the spot.