“Watch out!!”

His body, frozen in place, couldn’t dodge in time. At that same moment, without a word, the nameless young man launched into action from his spot.

Drawing his sword, he dashed toward Zacky, his left hand forcefully shoving the bald man backward to the edge of the pool, leaving him coughing in pain.

In one swift, skillful motion, his right hand gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. His sharp eyes locked onto every arrow shooting from the mouth of the dragon serpent statue crowned before him. Without missing a single shot, he expertly swung his Sambara sword, slicing through each arrow flying toward him in relentless waves.

Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank!

Each calculated step churned the water beneath him, sending waves in all directions.

His arms moved constantly, parrying arrows in every direction. Even when forced to kick, he somehow managed to fend off the endless stream of arrows that surged toward him, each wave more intense than the last.

“Are you two just going to stand there?!” Kairav yelled, both worried and puzzled, watching Prince Arkana and Casildo remain completely still, showing no sign of helping their friend.

With a calm look and folded arms, Arkana replied flatly, “He doesn’t need our help.”

“But those arrows don’t look like they’re stopping anytime soon!” Kairav snapped back, a bit frustrated. He looked anxiously at the nameless young man and shouted to him, “You need to block the source of those arrows!”

The nameless young man glanced briefly at Kairav before Casildo called out to him, “Bro! Take this!” The burly man quickly kicked a rock from the ground toward the nameless young man.

Nodding in understanding, the nameless young man jumped, then kicked the rock forcefully toward the crowned dragon serpent statue.

The rock flew straight and hit its target squarely, sealing the statue’s mouth and stopping the onslaught of arrows.

The rain of arrows ceased, leaving the pool littered with scattered arrows. The group quickly approached the nameless young man, who remained motionless in place. Carefully, they waded into the pool, avoiding the sharp arrowheads scattered across the surface.

“Are you okay?” Kairav asked, checking on his new acquaintance.

As usual, the nameless young man responded with a slight nod. Kairav turned sharply to the bald man beside him.

Slap!

He smacked the bald head hard, venting the irritation that had built up in his chest. “You bald idiot! Are you trying to get us all killed?!”

“I swear, I didn’t mean to!” Zacky protested, flustered.

“If you cause any more trouble, I won’t hesitate to put you down myself!” Trisha threatened, equally annoyed.

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“Don’t be too hard on him,” Arkana said from behind them. “He actually helped us find the mechanism—by accident.”

“What do you mean?” Kairav asked, frowning.

Prince Arkana walked up to the statue of the woman in ancient royal attire, raising his finger to point at the four remaining golden hairpins embedded in her head.

“These hairpins are the hidden mechanism we’ve been looking for,” he explained. “He just pulled the wrong one, which activated a deadly defense mechanism instead of opening the door.”

“Looks like you’ve got some luck after all, Baldy!” Casildo quipped with a broad grin, giving Zacky’s head a playful slap.

“So, we need to pick the right hairpin to open the entrance?” Baron clarified.

Arkana nodded. “Yes, but we still have four pins left.”

Trisha moved closer to the statue, studying each hairpin carefully. Her brow furrowed as she noticed distinct engravings on each one. “They have different symbols engraved on them,” she said.

Everyone leaned in to examine the four hairpins. Each pin had a round top surrounded by a flower-like frame, with a unique symbol etched at the center of each one.

The first pin had an engraving resembling waves, the second depicted a woman in royal dress dancing, the third showed a sword, and the fourth was a crowned dragon serpent.

Trisha grabbed the hairpin Zacky had pulled out earlier and checked it. “An arrow,” she said, noting the engraved arrow in the center of the circle.

Kairav’s eyes narrowed as he thought. “He pulled the hairpin with an arrow engraving, and we were hit by a barrage of arrows. This probably means each symbol on these pins represents what will happen if we pull it.”

“So we need to figure out the meaning behind each of these symbols?” Gavin asked, and Kairav nodded in agreement.

“Tsk! Why bother? Isn’t it obvious?” Casildo said with his usual irritating tone.

“Look! The sword symbol means sword attacks, like the arrow barrage just now. The woman in royal attire probably relates to this statue and the crowned dragon serpent…” He paused and shook his head, looking annoyed. “Don’t pick that! I am not facing that giant worm again!” he exclaimed, waving his hand dismissively.

“What’s wrong, scared your bull will lose to the dragon serpent?” Baron sneered.

Kairav huffed in frustration. “So, which one should we choose?” he snapped, losing patience with Casildo’s chatter.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Trisha interjected. “We should choose the one with the wave symbol. That symbol likely represents the eternal sacred water mentioned below the niche, which is probably inside the stepped pyramid,” she explained.

“Well, for once, I agree with this witch!” Casildo shouted, raising one hand. “What about the rest of you?” he asked, seeking the group’s input.

One by one, Trisha’s companions nodded in agreement. “We’re with you, Boss!” Andi said on behalf of his friends.

Casildo beamed and looked over at the others. “So, what do you say?”

Baron and Gavin exchanged glances. “Sounds reasonable to me,” Gavin said, speaking up.

Then Prince Arkana let out a sigh. “We’ll try, but let’s stay alert,” he decided.

Casildo grinned, and Trisha smirked confidently.

“I’ll pull it,” said the nameless young man in his usual calm tone.

The young prince nodded and then looked at the others. “Let’s step out of the pool first,” he instructed.

One by one, the group left the nameless young man to his task and exited the pool—except for Kairav, who stayed put, deep in thought, the worry etched on his brow.

“Kairav, what are you thinking? Let’s go,” Arkana urged, patting his shoulder.

“Failed Product, get out of there! Or do you want to go for a swim?” Casildo taunted.

The curly-haired young man shook his head and expressed his unease, “Something feels off.”

“What feels off?” the prince asked, puzzled.

“I have a bad feeling,” Kairav replied, tension clear in his voice.

“Tsk! Your hunches always bring bad luck!” Casildo muttered in frustration.

Kairav shot him a glare. “For a mechanism guarding a place this important, it seems too easy to figure out. I don’t think the answer is the wave symbol.”

The nameless young man, standing nearby, spoke in a steady voice. “I can handle it.”

Kairav glanced at him, considering, while Arkana placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “He’s right. If things don’t go as planned, he’ll take care of it.”

Still hesitant, Kairav’s mind wrestled with doubt. Casildo, having had enough, grabbed his jacket. “Enough, Failed Product! Move it!” And without further delay, the burly man dragged Kairav out of the pool.