The flickering flame cast dancing shadows on the cave walls resembling shifting beasts.

Step inside.

You lead the way, Eli ordered, grabbing the limping man and tossing him in front of the cave.

The man's face pad further, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Boss lie, you said you would only take us to the cave entrance.

He protested.

Light kicked the limping man into the cave, threatening, if you utter another word.

I'll break that leg of yours.

The group ventured into the cave.

the torch illuminating their path with an orange glow.

As they delve deeper, an overwhelming sense of pressure began to heighten their tension.

"Be boss lie.

Once you find the gems, you'll keep your word, right?" The limping man stammered, taking small steps forward.

"Shut up, Lie snapped.

If there are indeed monsters here, your chatter will attract their attention.

But I'm scared.

You know me.

Speaking helps ease my fears," the limping man replied, his voice laced with a whimper.

For heaven's sake, be quiet.

Look over there, at Jim, he suddenly exclaimed.

On the ground 2 m ahead, nestled in the center, was a ruby the size of pinky finger.

The expressions of Lie and his companions instantly brightened.

Indeed, there were gems.

They were on the brink of fortune.

Lie picked up the ruby, wiped it clean with his clothing, and after confirming its authenticity, joyfully tucked it away into his bosom.

Let us move forward, brothers.

We are on the verge of wealth, lie whispered, urging them to continue.

Upon reaching the end of the cave, they found themselves in a spacious clearing.

The ground was level and remarkably clean.

There were no beasts, as imagined, nor corpses were the remains of animals.

There were not even piles of gemstones, nothing at all, merely an ordinary cave.

What was going on? Where are the jewels? LGO turned back only to find that Lame Leg was standing at a distance attempting to extinguish the torch in his hand.

What are you doing? Bring him back.

Ligo commanded.

Seeing Ligo's subordinate approaching, Lame Leg hurriedly extinguished the torch.

Shouting in panic, I brought them in.

Hurry out.

Hurry out.

Upon hearing Lamele's cries, Ligo and the others instantly became tense.

At that moment, they realized they had fallen into the traps set by their adversaries.

Lured into this place on purpose, they drew their weapons from their waists, entering a state of combat readiness.

Yet, the open space was limited.

There were no other figures in sight.

After a few breaths, nothing occurred.

Ligo chuckled.

It seems your companions have not followed the plan.

Just as the words left his lips, a sound akin to a blade piercing flesh echoed from behind.

He turned abruptly to see one of his own holding a torch, collapsing as a sharp blade slashed across his neck.

As he fell slowly to the ground, the group finally discerned their foe, a woman of Slenderbuild.

Chapter 325.

The demon mask a woman of graceful stature appear behind several individuals.

The precise moment of her arrival was unclear to Lie Go and his companions.

However, her slender waist and feminine allure alleviated the tense atmosphere considerably.

"You brought a woman to deal with us?" Ligo scoffed, brandishing the machete in his hand.

The woman, evidently wellprepared, obstructed the only escape route.

"Yet with just a single woman, it seemed implausible for them to be at a disadvantage.

" "Are you Ligo?" the woman inquired, her tone calm, and measured.

"What are you looking for me?" Ligo handed the torch to one of his subordinates, brushing his fingers across the scars etched on his face.

"Do we know each other? It would be best to reveal your identity so I can understand who you are.

" As Ligo engaged in conversation with the woman, one of his subordinates discreetly drew back the bowring, using Ligo's form to obscure the woman's line of sight and slowly knocked an arrow.

"Duck," the subordinate urged.

Ligo immediately complied with a resounding thud.

The bowring twanged and the arrow flew toward the woman with a whoosh.

The entire sequence unfolded with startling abruptness.

However, the woman s figure dissipated like ink smudged on parchment, vanishing before their eyes.

The arrow sailed through the space she had occupied, hurtling down the cave's passageway.

What has happened? Where did she go? Liego and his companions expressions shifted as they realized they were facing a formidable adversary.

Amidst the ensuing chaos, shadows began to writhe.

A gleaming sword emerged from the darkness, piercing the chest of one subordinate with lethal precision.

Here, as the others slashed at the shadows, their strikes merely etched scars into the stone walls.

The stricken subordinate collapsed slowly, breath escaping him as he succumbed to death.

The battle raged on, transforming the dim cave into a stage for the woman s dead deadly performance.

One by one, subordinates fell.

Each assault aimed at critical points, delivering fatal blows.

Run, get out quickly.

Ligo shouted in panic, initiating a frantic retreat.

The remaining two subordinates followed closely, discarding their torches and fleeing with reckless abandon.

Suddenly, the woman emerged from the shadows, striking down another individual, feeling her presence dangerously close.

Ligo turned and swung his weapon, only to hear the anguished cry of a subordinate.

Upon closer inspection, he realized the woman was nowhere in sight.

His blade had inadvertently sliced open his companion s abdomen, blood gushing forth from the wound.

"Boss, take me with you, please.

" The subordinate cried, clutching his injury, pleading for Liego to save him.

Damn it, that insane woman.

Liego cursed vehemently, stumbling as he fled.

At last, the sunlight filtering through the cave's entrance came into view.

Just a few dozen meters remained before he could escape, leaving the madwoman far behind.

As Ligo sprinted toward freedom, he suddenly felt a warmth at his ankle, causing his body to pitch forward uncontrollably.

He desperately attempted to continue his flight, but a sharp pain shot through his foot.

At this moment, he finally realized that his ankle had been severed by the woman, likely injuring his tendons and rendering him immobile.

Please don't kill me.

I can give you.

A dull thud echoed as a heavy force struck the back of his neck.

His eyes rolled back and he instantly succumbed to unconsciousness.

The once cacophinous cave fell silent.

The woman dragged the man towards the cave's exit.

After a considerable time, the limping man cautiously emerged from the cave.

Both the woman and the man had vanished, leaving behind a pouch of coins upon the rocks at the entrance.

His agreed upon remuneration with the woman in a state of disarray, he glanced around, seized the pouch, and hobbled away into the distance.

On the other side, Fongo's team had reached the location marked on the second map, the mountain bandit camp.