Chapter 128 : It Must Be the Wrong Way to Open It
Chapter 128: It Must Be the Wrong Way to Open It
“Hiss…”
Lilia sucked in a breath of cold air, rubbing the sore outer side of her thigh.
Was this the price of cheating?
Lilia walked up to the first carriage.
Although the massive black cloth had been lifted at one corner by the aftermath of the battle, most of the carriage body was still shrouded in shadow.
Only the wrist-thick refined iron bars reflected a chilling gleam under the moonlight.
With this level of security, it would be enough to hold even a tiger.
“Everyone, I am…”
Lilia cleared her throat, trying to strike the pose of a righteous savior. Her hand had already reached the lock of the iron cage.
With just one pull, she would be greeted by hundreds of admiring gazes—maybe she could even trigger some kind of hidden achievement like [Savior].
However—
When her gaze passed through the gaps in the bars and she truly saw inside the cage, the half-sentence stuck in her throat.
Empty.
The massive iron cage was completely empty.
Not to mention people—there wasn’t even a single hair.
Lilia blinked.
She must have opened it the wrong way.
Unwilling to give up, she leaned in closer, even pressing her entire face against the cold iron bars, her eyes wide like bronze bells.
Still empty.
This was… awkward.
Still unwilling to accept it, Lilia dragged her heavy legs and stumbled toward the second and third carriages.
“Clatter—”
She violently tore off the black cloth.
Empty.
All empty.
More than a dozen carriages, dozens of massive iron cages that could hold hundreds of people, now stood like silent steel beasts, their hollow mouths open in mockery of her wishful thinking.
“What the hell?!”
Lilia’s mind buzzed as if she had been struck hard on the head.
Where were the people?!
The intelligence clearly said “fully loaded cargo.” Those guards had just risked their lives protecting these broken carts—were they performing some kind of performance art?
Or could it be…
A chill instantly crawled up her spine to the top of her head.
Lilia recalled the monsters that crawled out of eggs in Batori’s mine, recalled what Camilla had said about the lunatics of the Immortality Society who treated humans as raw materials.
Could it be that these people had already…
“No way…”
Lilia’s face turned pale, her hands trembling like someone in the late stages of Parkinson’s.
If those hundreds of people had already been… dealt with by those perverts on the way, then what was the meaning of the battle just now?
She even began imagining that the bottoms of those cages might still have traces of strong acid corrosion, or indescribable chunks of flesh.
【If you want to vomit, go do it somewhere else.】
A cold voice suddenly sounded in her mind.
Hera.
Lilia jolted violently, nearly jumping on the spot.
“M-Master!”
Lilia frantically protested in her mind, “This isn’t logical! Hundreds of people just gone like that? Could it be the Immortality Society knows some kind of mass teleportation magic?”
【Is your brain filled with mush?】
Hera’s voice carried undisguised disdain.
【Look at the bottom of the cage.】
Lilia froze, then subconsciously lowered her head.
On the wooden floor of the cage, there was a thin layer of dust.
Dust?
Lilia’s pupils shrank sharply.
If hundreds of people had been transported over a long distance, even for just one day, the interior would absolutely be filled with excrement, sweat stains, even blood and scratch marks.
“This…?!”
Lilia suddenly slapped her thigh, wincing in pain. “These bastards were acting? This is like sending an empty package for delivery just to scam insurance!”
【Not completely stupid.】
Hera’s voice remained lazy, as if she had expected this all along.
【Since they’re empty carts, why go to such lengths and lose so many people?】
Lilia’s mind raced.
To mislead others?
To create a diversion?
Or to…
Wait.
Lilia suddenly turned her head, looking toward the winding path deep within the canyon.
Just now, those few “trash” guards Hera had let go ran in that direction.
If this was a decoy trap, then the real “cargo,” or rather the true transaction location…
Lilia almost shouted, “The real deal isn’t here at all! This convoy is just bait, specifically to lure people like us… uh, righteous individuals!”
【Heh.】
【A few just ran off.】
【Follow them.】
【Since the cages are empty, those guides should know where the real rat hole is.】
Lilia instantly understood.
So Master hadn’t spared them out of laziness—this was deliberately letting the line out to catch a bigger fish!
She loved it.
“Understood!”
Lilia no longer felt tired—her waist didn’t ache, her legs didn’t hurt. Grabbing her two daggers, she was about to dash deeper into the canyon.
【Wait.】
Hera suddenly stopped her.
Lilia slammed to a halt, nearly face-planting, and asked in confusion, “What is it, Master? Any other orders?”
【Left pocket.】
【There are two potions.】
【Drink the red one. Apply the blue one to your legs.】
Lilia froze, then fumbled through her upper pocket.
Sure enough, she felt two small, cold glass bottles.
When were these put there?
She hadn’t felt a thing!
Lilia pulled out the stopper of the red bottle. A rich aura of life rushed into her nose.
Without hesitation, she tilted her head back and drank it.
A warm current instantly exploded through her body, flowing into all her limbs.
The tearing sensation and soreness caused by muscle overload just now visibly faded at an astonishing speed!
This effect…
Lilia’s heart warmed.
【Don’t waste it.】
“……”
The tears that had just welled up in Lilia’s eyes were forcibly held back.
She hastily smeared the blue potion onto her legs. Instantly, her legs felt so light it was as if she could fly.
Woohoo!
Takeoff!
…
Deep within the canyon.
Three guards in tattered leather armor were stumbling and running wildly through a field of rocks.
They gasped for breath, their faces filled with terror, occasionally glancing back fearfully at the pitch-black canyon behind them.
What had just happened—
Was simply too horrifying.
That silver-haired woman wasn’t human!
“Damn it… this job is impossible!”
The one-eyed man in front cursed as he ran.
“The steward just died like that? Didn’t even make a sound before getting instantly killed?”
“Shut up! Save your strength for running!”
The tall, skinny man behind wiped the cold sweat off his face, his voice trembling.
“If that female devil catches up, we’re all dead!”
“She… probably didn’t follow us, right?”
The fat man at the back glanced behind. Aside from the howling wind, there was nothing.
“I think she’s gone blood-crazy and doesn’t care about small fry like us.”
The one-eyed man slowed down, leaning against a rock and gasping heavily.
“Damn bad luck! The higher-ups must have brain damage, sending an empty convoy to die!”
“Enough complaining.”
The tall, skinny man looked around and lowered his voice.
“As long as we make it back to ‘that place’ and bring the news, it’ll be a great achievement! The rewards will definitely be ours!”
“That place…”
The fat man swallowed, greed flashing in his eyes—along with fear.
“Are we really going there? I heard over there…”
“If we don’t go there, where else? Wait to be caught and chopped into meat paste by that female devil?”
The one-eyed man glared at him fiercely.
“Besides, the real cargo is over there! As long as nothing happens there, this trip won’t be for nothing!”
“Stop talking! Hurry up! Once we turn ahead and enter that foggy forest, we’ll be safe!”
The three didn’t dare delay any longer. Forcing out their last bit of strength, they rushed toward the gray mist-shrouded forest not far ahead.