The monk looked from his bookshelf at the two children hugging Adam's legs and Adam trying to advance step by step through the long corridor with annoyance, after thinking about it a bit he said:
—Oh, young hero, for your great actions the librarians trust you, you are a hero in their hearts, you just have to show them the way to follow in the right way.
Adam turned around and watched the monk disappear into his bookshelf after saying that. Following his hunch after hearing the advice told in the form of a riddle. He took off his glasses and looked the two boys in the eye, the two boys looked at him in a daze and Adam shouted as if he was giving an order:
—Let go of my legs and let me walk!
The two boys looked at him less dazed, but only tightened their grip on their legs as if fearing that Adam would escape. Adam looked at the two boys and knew he was doing something wrong, bookshelves don't usually give pointless advice.
The young man tried to stare at the boys again, but this time he tried to say it in another way, with his usual tired voice he dragged the words:
—Please, let go of my legs, so we finish this problem, and we all go home...
The boys still didn't let go of the legs, but they seemed much more scared, even Apolo began to cry on Adam's leg out of fear, making everything even more complicated.
Seeing the scandal of the crying child, several heads came out from the shelves and looked suspiciously at Adam, the eyeless old man also came out and shouted with concern:
—Do you want to be killed that badly? Make the kid stop crying, idiot!
Adam, dazed, looked at the shelves in the aisles, the old man was not lying. The bookshelves had the same look as when the baron looked at Sofia that time, it seemed like they were thinking whether to attack or not.
With fear Adam tried again, he knelt on the ground at the height of the boys, causing the boys to release him. The young hero looked the boys in the eyes and, pleading with them, he said:
—Please don't cry, or you'll kill me!
Now both Apollo and Hermes burst into tears and hugged Adam, it seemed that in the minds of the children they had entered a terrifying forest at this moment and they were already too scared to just take a single step. Adam watched as more bookshelves scrambled out, even a giant wooden head forming in the middle of the aisle.
—Damn! You do it on purpose! Isn't that right, Adam? —Shouted the eyeless old man in desperation when he saw that a giant head was forming in the corridors, if the situation continued he would have thrown 10 mushrooms in the trash and lost his hero.
With hatred for having forced him to give more advice, the eyeless old man shouted:
—Idiot, remember! What phrase did you say every time you left my cave?
—A good day of adventures...—Adam murmured, more and more nervous, seeing the giant wooden head that had formed a large eye on his forehead and was staring at him—...but it's time for the hero to go to House
—You've got to be kidding…—Adam muttered incredulously as an idea popped into his head, but he noticed that a mouth was forming on the giant wooden head in front of him and the eye in its head was staring at him very angrily.
There was no more time to hesitate, Adam shot up from the ground and ignored the giant head. The young man looked at the two boys who had fallen to the ground from suddenly standing up. With both hands on his waist and trying to feign as much courage as possible, he shouted with emotion:
—Yes, this adventure is dangerous! Yes, these halls are hellish! But don't be afraid! Because the red-haired hero is here to save them! Let's go get those sweets, boys!
The two boys stopped crying as if a spark had occurred in their brains and stood next to Adam, but this time without fear and without the need to grab him.
—Yes, a true hero does not doubt: not even his own stupidity —said a hoarse and fierce voice from Adam's back, he seemed to be grinding some wooden planks while he spoke and a putrid smell was accompanied by the voice.
Cold sweat broke out on Adam's back, but as much as he was scared to death inside, he tried to keep a forced, trusting smile on his face for the two boys who were watching him intently.
Adam noticed that something was staining his feet and from the periphery of his eyes as he kept his gaze fixed on the children, he noticed that blood-red ink was coating the children's feet and himself.
Adam summoned all his courage and continued his speech with the emotion of a hero who understands that his life depends on these words:
—Looks like we've met a very dangerous beast! But as long as you don't doubt me and move forward: We'll make it out alive! Repeat after me: Heroes never fail!
— Heroes never fail! — The two boys shouted, raising their arms with emotion as they prepared for the fight.
Hearing them, Adam gathered his courage and turned around, but in a daze he noted that none of the three were in the middle-floor wooden hallways.