Theoretically, once this door was opened, it should have closed automatically. But now, not only had it failed to shut, something had wedged it open, leaving a gap wide enough for one person to pass through.
Li rubbed his chin as he studied the gap. From dozens of meters away, with the light so poor, he could not make out what had happened ahead. He signaled to the other two and walked forward. When he reached the crack in the door, he found that something really was preventing it from closing—two shields.
Though he could not tell at a glance what material the shields were made from, they had to be exceptionally sturdy to withstand this Refined Gold door. The two shields had been pressed together and forcibly braced against the door, though no one knew what had happened back then to require such a measure.
Li then rose and walked over to the switch beside it. This was no longer a wheel-shaped switch, but a lever-type switch with a single handle that could be pressed down. However, the lever had already snapped and could no longer be used. Li signaled to the two behind him and said, "Be careful as you pass through. Don't touch those shields. We need to be especially cautious from here on. Since someone used a method like this, people hostile to Behemoth have clearly entered this place before."
After walking a little farther, Li twitched his nose and crouched down, brushing the ground with his hand. "It's damp. There must be a water source nearby."
Timaria frowned. "Yeah, it's damp and hot. So annoying. Is every underground place like this?"
Li tapped his forehead. "No. The dampness makes sense if there's water nearby, but the heat..." He sniffed again. "Come with me."
Li led