Chapter 23: Chapter. 23 Infiltrating Zekora's Lair

Carol's POV

After they caught Logan. I quietly followed them from a safe distance. It turned out that they entered the ground through a hole that would open after they succeeded in performing a movement that became a special password. I frowned at what they were doing. It felt like their movements were familiar to me. After they all entered one by one. I slowly approached. It turned out that there was a special track of their feet because looked arid. I saw a picture of a foot that appeared to have been stepped on multiple times. So that it forms a foot relief on the ground. I frowned in confusion. However, I had to help Logan inside immediately. Finally, I ventured to place my foot on the footprint on the ground. I closed my eyes as I prayed to the Moon Goddess to escape their unexpected arrow attacks.

The Moon Goddess seemed to grant my prayer. Nothing happened there. So I began to continue my steps, following the foot drawings.

I found a picture of an airplane made from a row of boxes in the Engklek game after a few steps. Engklek is a children's game that I used to play with Haidar. Two boxes were lined up vertically, connected with two pictures of boxes horizontally, followed by one more vertical box. The connection continued with two boxes lined up horizontally and one more vertical box until finally reaching a large circle at the end of the game.

I remember the rules of this game very well. One foot and if filled one square I found a stone in the square. It meant that I could not step the box on. Because other players has marked it. In addition, the players are also not allowed to step on the boundary line of the box. If all the rules are violated. Then the player will get punished. I don't know what the punishment will be. If I break one rule. But I'm sure it's not as simple as my punishment to Haidar back then. I'm sure it's more like a code for the Rogues to give information to their partners on the ground. If they were part of the Rogues. Because of course they all made it through this game.

I exhaled heavily. Looking at the game. The only box with no stones in it was the last vertical one. That meant I had to jump from where I was standing to the box with one foot and not step on the box's boundary line. Really, this was quite a challenge. Although I used to win this game a lot, but now I haven't played it in a long time. That means I'm very likely to get punished later.

However, this was the only way to get inside and help Logan. I couldn't possibly let him get hurt in there. I closed my eyes for a moment while taking a deep breath. After calculating in my heart. I immediately jumped into the box. Then landed on one foot. I opened one eye to check where my foot was now. Hooray! I managed to land right inside the box. Although it was slightly shifted to the left side. Fortunately, my foot didn't touch the boundary line.

Not long after, the circular image in front of me began to move and opened up a path. It revealed a set of stairs that rolled inward against a solid-looking dirt wall. I stared into the hole that looked dark. Because the door was almost closed again. I quickly went inside.

I descended each step very carefully. Just in case any of the Rogues’ guards noticed my actions. Then they attacked me suddenly. Because they would definitely overwhelm me to face them alone in the dark like this. Fortunately, that didn't happen. Until I stepped on the last step, everything was still safe.

It's just that I was a little dumbfounded by the scenery inside. It was nothing like what I had imagined before. The dark alley that I had in my mind. It turned out to be a small city on the ground filled with torches in almost every corner.

I just found out. If the Zekora werewolf or the cave dweller in the ground was really real. Not just a fairy tale from a book I've read before. But, what looks different about them? There are no women or children here. They were all men and looked busy. What exactly were they doing? I could only peer at them from behind the dirt wall. One thing that made Zekora's appearance so different from other werewolves was their appearance. Zekora is very sensitive to sunlight. Because their lives only rely on the dim lighting of torches. In addition, their skin is always exposed to gases in the soil, such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide, as well as methane and ammonia. It makes their skin burn easily. When exposed to direct sunlight. That's why they always use robes and head coverings as their main clothing.

It's just that in this room there are two types of appearance that I can see. One is exactly like the Zekora and the other is wearing clothes like werewolves in general. What had happened here, exactly? Could it be that they were already living together? But what for? Isn't the Zekora notoriously reclusive and difficult to socialize with werewolves outside of their group? I could only wonder in my heart. However, Herduro's figure coming out of one of the rooms in the place answered all those questions for me. I immediately hid. Afraid that the werewolf from the Rogues’ group would see me.

"How was it? Has we has properly captured Logan?" Herduro asked the Zekora.

"Yes, sir. We've done very well," replied one of them, making me dumbfounded.

Sir? They're calling Herduro, sir? What is the meaning of this? Why would the strongest and most independent werewolf like the Zekora nation want to become a slave to the despicable Herduro? What is Herduro's role here for them? The more I thought about it. More and more questions sank into my mind.

"Good! I'll check it out myself," Herduro said and walked away. I can't keep hiding. I had to find out what was really going on here. When a Zekora nation passed beside me. I immediately grabbed the back of his neck. Then I quickly broke his neck with all my strength. After he didn't move anymore. I pulled him behind the wall and stripped off his clothes for my use.

With this appearance. I can walk like the other Zekora. Without the fear of being caught by them again. I walked in the direction Herduro had gone. No one was suspicious of me because I tried hard to follow their way of walking, which was a little downcast and didn't talk to each other.

Several times, I turned my head left and right to find out what was around there. It turned out that there were a lot of different rooms. From rooms for eating, storing arrows and bows to the one that really caught my attention. A place of worship. In the center was a statue of the Moon Goddess, but with a frightening facial expression. She looked angry with a hand that looked like she was cursing someone. Very different from the Moon Goddess that the werewolves in my Pack are used to upholding who is very patient, loving and happiness-giving.

"Hey! Why are you just standing there? Come in and worship our Great Moon Goddess," someone said from inside the room.