Chapter 174

He watched for a moment, then relaxed.

It was like he already knew who it was.

"Why are you here again?" the man asked, sounding annoyed.

As soon as he spoke, the shadowy figure stepped forward, took off the mask, and smiled.

It was Dorothy.

"I just wanted to see you," she said, walking up to the man and playfully clinging to his arm.

"I told you not to come here so often. What if someone sees you?" the man frowned.

"Dad, I’m super careful. No one will find out," Dorothy said, acting coy.

"Really?" the man raised an eyebrow.

Dorothy nodded.

Her father, Baron Taylor, trusted her abilities, so he wasn't too worried. Besides, he was happy to see her.

"Did you upset your mother again?" Baron suddenly asked.

Dorothy blinked in surprise, not expecting him to know.

She wouldn't dare admit it, fearing her father's reprimand.

"No way, I’ve been so good to Mom. She even says I’m the best," Dorothy shook her head and said.

Baron snorted. He knew exactly what was going on with Dorothy. He also understood his wife's personality and the situation they were in. If it weren't for the pressure from The Sixth Elder, things wouldn't be like this.

But Molly was hard to read.

"You should come here less often. If The Sixth Elder sees you, it won't be good," Baron sighed.

Mentioning The Sixth Elder made Dorothy furious.

Her pent-up frustration surged.

"That Sixth Elder is a petty man, using his power for personal gain. If it weren't for him, you wouldn't be stuck guarding this filthy cave," Dorothy said angrily.

"Dorothy, watch your words," Baron scolded.

"But it's true!" Dorothy retorted.

Her eyes were red, filled with tears.

"If he hadn't tried to force me to marry his son, using such despicable means, you wouldn't be here, unable to return home. Mom wouldn't have to pressure me. We were a happy family, and he ruined it," Dorothy's tears finally spilled over.

Baron could only sigh.

In just a few days, he had aged significantly.

Who wouldn't resent The Sixth Elder? If it weren't for him, their family would still be happy.

But now, The Sixth Elder was powerful and likely to become the next chief. If he held a grudge, their future would be even harder.

"Dorothy, never speak of this to anyone," he sighed, his tone filled with helplessness.

Dorothy wiped her tears, understanding why her father said that, but she still felt resentful.

She fell into memories. Baron had been a staunch supporter of The Chief Elder. But a few years ago, The Chief Elder suddenly retired to the mountains, leaving all power to The Sixth Elder and other elders.

At first, The Sixth Elder did well, winning the villagers' favor. But soon, the other elders either died or were injured, weakening their power, and The Sixth Elder took control.

He gradually revealed his true nature, succumbing to greed.

But The Sixth Elder hid it well, and few knew his true nature.

Baron knew, and because he had supported The Chief Elder, he became a thorn in The Sixth Elder's side.

The Sixth Elder often assigned Baron menial tasks, but Baron was smart and hid his true feelings, diligently completing every task.

Despite the hardships, Dorothy's family was still happy.

But a month ago, The Sixth Elder proposed an alliance through marriage, wanting Dorothy to marry his son, Brent, a notorious troublemaker.

Baron and his wife adored Dorothy and refused.

The Sixth Elder said nothing at the time.

But days later, his home was robbed, and he set up a cave to imprison wrongdoers, assigning Baron to guard it, not allowing him to return.

Rumors reached Molly that if the Taylor family agreed to the marriage, Baron could come home. Otherwise, they might never see him again.

Molly spent a sleepless night and decided to agree.

The Sixth Elder came, pretending to be polite, but when Molly asked about Baron, he said, "There are many prisoners now, and Baron has heavy duties. He'll return after the wedding."

Dorothy was furious. There was only one thief in the cave. It was just an excuse.

"That bastard did it on purpose," Dorothy cursed.

"And The Chief Elder, after all your loyalty, he didn't say a word when Mom asked for help. They're all the same," Dorothy said angrily.

"Dorothy, stop talking nonsense," Baron scolded, frowning.

Such words were dangerous.

The Sixth Elder was already hard to deal with. If The Chief Elder got involved, there would be no hope.

Dorothy felt wronged. She wasn't wrong, but her father scolded her for an outsider.

Her mother pressured her, and her father didn't understand.

Dorothy cried, feeling wronged.

Seeing his daughter cry, Baron felt heartbroken.

But he didn't comfort her, wanting her to remember this lesson. If such words spread, their lives would be in danger.

After a while, she calmed down.

She remembered why she came.

"Dad, did a woman come here a few days ago?" Dorothy asked tentatively.

Baron nodded. "Yeah, a woman was brought in. Do you know her?"

Dorothy shook her head and walked inside. "I'll go take a look."

Before Baron could stop her, she ran in.

He didn't worry. They were all locked up, and he trusted Dorothy's abilities. She could handle herself.

Dorothy grabbed a torch from the wall and walked in.

The cave was deep and dark. She held the torch tightly, using its light to guide her.

She walked about 10 feet, feeling the ground level out, then slope downward.

The slope led to the deepest part.

She knew the end of the slope was where the prisoners were kept.

The small spaces on either side of the passage were empty, eerily silent.

As she neared the end, a strong wind suddenly blew.

She instinctively stepped back, the torch flickering. In the dim light, she saw a huge claw swing at her.

Her heart pounded, but she realized it wasn't an attack from a person, but a strange creature.

She frowned. She had never seen such a creature.

It had sharp claws and keen eyes, moving swiftly and powerfully, ready to attack.

Dorothy gripped the torch, ready to fight.

The creature, a Mossy Kappa, attacked first. Dorothy used the torch to fend it off.

The torch nearly burned the Mossy Kappa, but it dodged quickly.

Angry, it opened its mouth and charged again.

With the torch, Dorothy had the upper hand.

But the flame grew weaker with each movement.

The Mossy Kappa noticed and increased its attacks.

As the flame dimmed, it struck.

The torch fell.

The cave plunged into darkness.

In the dark, Dorothy's heart raced.

She was extremely tense.

She reached for the torch, hoping to reignite it.

But as she touched it, a gust of wind came.

"Damn!"

Dorothy cursed inwardly, raising the torch.

But then, a calm, powerful voice said, "Mossy Kappa, stop."

The torch flared up.

Dorothy saw the situation.

The Mossy Kappa's claw was at her throat.

If the voice had been a moment later, she would have died.

The Mossy Kappa stopped, turned, and reluctantly withdrew its claw.

It glared at Dorothy before running off.

After it left, Dorothy sat down, breathing heavily.

After a while, she recovered.

She guessed who had spoken and, supporting her shaky legs, walked toward the voice.