The four of them stepped into the main hall of the palace.
Light slanted in through the hole in the dome, casting mottled patches of light and shadow across the dusty floor. The air was filled with the scent of old stone and dried plants, but mixed within it was another odor—the smell of smoke and fire, along with the faint, raw scent of air-dried meat.
Many bones were scattered on the ground. Some were the fine bones of small animals, neatly stacked in the corner; others were the leg or rib bones of large beasts, still bearing traces of gnawing.
A few simple wooden racks leaned against the stone pillars, hung with strips of beast meat strung up with vines, which had already air-dried to a deep brown. Dead branches and dry grass were piled in the corner, clearly fuel for starting a fire.
Although the entire main hall was dilapidated, one could see traces of it having been used by the System: a resting area, a food storage area, and a tool processing area, all divided simply yet orderly.
Leo rubbed the back of his head, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"Sorry, it's only been me here for a long time, so I've been using the palace as a temporary residence. If this affects your investigation of the ruins, I'll clean it up right away."
Serena scanned the surroundings, her gaze lingering on the traces of daily life for a moment before she looked up at the partially collapsed dome and the mottled murals. She clicked her tongue.
"I didn't expect this ruin to be so heavily damaged. From the outside, I thought it was well-preserved, but it's collapsed so much on the inside."
Satotz did not respond to Leo's apology; he had already entered work mode. He took a pair of white gloves from his inner suit pocket and put them on, his movements meticulous.
He first stood in the center of the main hall and slowly turned around once, his gaze sweeping over every detail like a scanner: the patterns on the stone pillars, the fragments of murals, the cracks on the floor, and the angle of the light.
"Thank you for your cooperation."
Satotz spoke in a calm voice.
"We will be staying here for a while to conduct a preliminary survey. You don't need to go out of your way to clean up; just keep it as it is."
As he said this, he walked toward the nearest stone pillar. Without touching it, he took a palm-sized instrument from his bosom and activated it, aiming it at the relief on the pillar.
The instrument emitted a low hum, and its screen lit up, scrolling with data and waveforms that Leo couldn't understand.
Casper also put down his bulging backpack. He deftly opened the bag, taking out not the excavation tools one might imagine, but a series of precision equipment: a high-resolution camera, an analyzer, a sample collection kit, a waterproof notebook, and several marker pens of different colors.
"Serena, the wall at the three o'clock position, take photos to record the current state first."
Casper said while adjusting the camera's settings.
"Mr. Satotz, I need to check the residual readings in the altar area; please notify me when you finish here."
"Understood."
Serena replied, having already put away her previous casual demeanor. She took her own camera from the side pocket of her backpack—it was professional-grade archaeological equipment with multi-spectral imaging capabilities.
She walked to the west wall, adjusted the angle, and began systematically photographing the mural fragments, recording the number and a brief description in her notebook for each shot.
Leo stood at the entrance of the main hall, observing the three of them at work with great interest. Their coordination was surprisingly tacit; there was no unnecessary communication, and everyone knew their own tasks.
Satotz was responsible for overall assessment and detection, Casper handled detailed recording and sample collection, while Serena balanced environmental recording with vigilance.
'A professional team,' Leo evaluated in his heart.
This was completely different from the "expedition team" he had imagined; it was more like a scientific research group. After finishing his inspection of the three stone pillars, Satotz walked slowly toward the central altar.
He took every step very slowly, his gaze constantly scanning the ground.
When he reached the edge of the altar, he crouched down and gently brushed the floating dust off the surface of the stone platform with his gloved fingers, revealing the complete inscriptions underneath.
"Casper," Satotz called out.
Casper immediately trotted over, holding his equipment. Satotz pointed to the inscriptions.
"Full-spectrum scan, focus on recording the character variants in the third spiral zone. The arrangement here is different from the Capet ruins I've seen on the Ejin Continent."
"Received."
Casper crouched by the altar and adjusted the angle of the analyzer's probe. The instrument slowly swept over the surface of the inscriptions. Serena had finished photographing the west wall and turned to start checking the bones and debris on the ground.
She did not rummage through them casually but used a measuring ruler to record the location and scale of each pile, while also taking photos for the archives.
"Mr. Leo," Serena suddenly spoke, her eyes still fixed on the sketch in her notebook.
"These bones... the variety of prey you've hunted is quite rich. I can see the skeletons of at least eight different types of creatures."
Leo felt a slight chill in his heart. This woman's observation skills were very sharp.
"In half a year, I have to try different prey," he replied as naturally as he could.
"Some were actively hunted, others were defensive counterattacks. In this Secret Realm... there are indeed many dangerous creatures living here."
"For example?"
Serena looked up, her gaze sharp.
"In the eastern valley, there are Unicorn Bears, huge in size with astonishing strength; in the northern swamp, there are Giant Crocodiles, which are hard to detect while lurking underwater; in the western hilly region live variants of saber-toothed tiger packs, which are even more dangerous when they move in groups."
Leo listed them truthfully, "And there are some creatures I can't name; in short, they are not easy to deal with."
Serena recorded quickly in her notebook while asking.
"You can handle these by yourself?"
"Sometimes I can, sometimes I can't."
Leo pointed to a few scars on his leather armor. "Getting injured is common. Fortunately, my recovery ability is not bad."
A slight notification sound came from Satotz's side. He and Casper were staring at the analyzer's screen, talking in low voices.
"The energy residue is weaker than expected... but the activation traces of the divine character patterns are very obvious."
"The last activation must have been six months ago, Mr. Satotz. It coincides with the time this Mr. Leo entered the Secret Realm."
"Continue scanning the bottom of the altar to see if there is a secondary layer of divine character patterns."
Leo couldn't hear the full content, but he could guess what they were discussing. Time passed amidst the professional survey.
The sunlight moved through the hole in the dome, and the patches of light on the ground shifted slowly. Leo estimated the time; it should be approaching evening.
He watched the three of them, who were still busy, and an idea formed in his mind.
"Mr. Satotz," Leo spoke up.
"It's getting late. I plan to go out hunting to prepare dinner for today. You must be hungry, right?"
Satotz straightened up from the side of the altar and glanced at his wristwatch. "Indeed. Then I'll trouble you."
"I plan to catch a Red-Haired Armored Boar."
Leo continued, "The meat of this beast is quite good; it's very fragrant when roasted. Consider it... a treat to welcome you to the Secret Realm."
He said this cleverly, expressing goodwill without appearing to be deliberately fawning. Serena raised an eyebrow.
"A Red-Haired Armored Boar? That thing's hide is as hard as an iron plate; can you handle it?"
"I have my ways," Leo smiled.
"And I know where they often hang out. If things go smoothly, I can be back in about an hour."
Upon hearing this, Casper's eyes behind his glasses lit up.
"A Red-Haired Armored Boar? I've never seen a live one! Mr. Leo, if possible, could you..."
"Casper," Satotz interrupted calmly.
"Do not add extra burden to Mr. Leo. Finish the work at hand first."
"Oh... yes."
Casper sheepishly pushed up his glasses and continued operating the instrument. Leo nodded at the three of them and turned to walk out of the palace.
As he stepped down the stone stairs, he could feel the gazes cast from behind—Satotz's scrutiny, Serena's vigilance, and Casper's curiosity. But he didn't care.
His priority now was to build a relationship, and a sumptuous dinner was a good start.
More importantly, he needed to demonstrate his value—not just as a guide, but as a partner capable of surviving in this Secret Realm. The sunset in the forest stretched his shadow very long.
Leo gripped the stone knife at his waist and walked toward the area where the Red-Haired Armored Boar was known to be active in his memory.
Inside the palace, Satotz watched Leo leave and then gave a look to Serena.
The red-haired woman understood and moved silently to the entrance of the main hall, observing the direction in which Leo had left, hidden from view. A few minutes later, she returned to report.
"He indeed went to the east, his pace was steady, and his route selection was very skilled. He doesn't look like a novice."
Satotz nodded and crouched back down by the altar. His fingers gently brushed over those ancient inscriptions, his eyes under his purple hair thoughtful.
"Casper," he said in a low voice. "Check the energy residue here."
"Understood."
Casper nodded. The instrument emitted a low hum, and the lights lit up again.
And outside the palace, Leo's figure had already vanished into the depths of the forest.