Chapter 162

Kurt stood at the edge of the dense forest, his brow furrowed.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on his face. His eyes were resolute, and despite the natural barrier of trees before him, he showed no sign of giving up.

He knew this vast, primeval forest, with its towering trees and tangled vines, was far more mysterious and dangerous than any place he and I had been before. The air was thick with the scent of dampness and decay, hinting at hidden perils.

His steps were light and cautious, the forest around him silent save for the occasional bird call and the rustling of leaves in the wind.

Kurt was searching for Evelyn, but all he found was dense vegetation.

He decided to change direction, but as he turned, he found himself at the edge of a cliff, staring into a bottomless abyss.

A cold wind blew, sending a shiver down his spine.

"Was what I saw earlier real?" Kurt muttered to himself, filled with doubt and unease about the vision of Evelyn.

"Of course it was." A melodious female voice suddenly whispered in his ear, making his heart race.

"Evelyn!" He turned around excitedly, hoping to see her.

But instead, he saw my face, wearing a mischievous grin.

"Kevin!" Kurt shouted angrily, his voice filled with the fury of betrayal.

He was not only angry that I had deceived him, but also that I had mimicked Evelyn's voice to do it.

He reached out to grab my collar, but I easily evaded his grasp with a flick of my hand.

We immediately engaged in a fierce fight, exchanging blows and kicks, and within moments, we had traded over a dozen moves.

Despite Kurt's aggressive attacks, he couldn't gain the upper hand.

"Why so angry?" I taunted as we fought, my tone provocative.

"Shouldn't you be happy?"

Kurt's face was as cold as ice, his gaze piercing like a sword, "Not in the slightest."

"Evelyn, such a familiar name," I continued, probing for a reaction. "The person you saw earlier must have been her."

I stated confidently.

A complex emotion flickered in Kurt's eyes, and his clenched fists trembled slightly, indicating that this person held special significance for him.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, then replied coldly, "That's none of your business."

I shrugged, seemingly indifferent to Kurt's coldness, and turned my gaze to the distant forest, a thoughtful look in my eyes.

"Do you really think you can avoid the problem this way?" I asked, my tone carrying a hint of concern.

Kurt didn't answer, his eyes once again scanning the deep forest, as if searching for something.

I knew that the doubts and unease in his heart couldn't be resolved with a simple conversation.

We both understood that the secrets hidden in this forest might be more complex than we imagined.

"Alright, let's head back and come up with a plan," I suggested, knowing now wasn't the time for a head-on confrontation.

Kurt was silent for a moment, then nodded.

We turned and left the mysterious forest, walking one behind the other along the forest path back to the camp.

As soon as we entered, I stopped in my tracks, noticing the chaotic footprints on the ground, and frowned.

Kurt, who had been walking behind me, saw me stop and was about to say something when he too noticed the footprints.

They were large, clearly made by men.

I touched one of the prints, feeling a bit of warmth, indicating they were fresh.

A sense of foreboding washed over me, and I rushed into the cabin.

Kurt followed closely behind.

The scene inside made my heart sink.

Helen was bandaging Mary's wounds, and the place was a mess, evidence of a fierce struggle.

"What happened?" I asked urgently.

"After you left, someone started throwing rocks at our windows. We were too scared to go out, but Emily cautiously peeked outside," Mary explained, her voice trembling, her face swollen, and her arms scratched.

It was clear she had been injured protecting Laura.

Helen also had some cuts on her face.

I quickly checked Mary's injuries, my expression growing darker.

Mary had a gash about three inches long from her hand to her arm, a gruesome sight.

"Hold still."

I tore off some gauze Emily had brought, sprinkled some medicinal powder, and bandaged her wound.

Mary trembled from the pain but bit her lip, not making a sound.

"Where's Mossy Kappa?" I asked, my voice tight with concern.

With Mossy Kappa around, this shouldn't have happened.

"Mossy Kappa was unresponsive for some reason and just emerged from the water. After asking what happened, it chased after them," Helen said, her voice shaky.

Hearing this, I frowned. These people were clearly prepared.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms.

But I chose to reassure them, "It's okay, I'm here."

At that moment, Emily walked in, her face covered in dirt, her eyes wet, looking nothing like her usual composed self.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice breaking.

I patted her head gently, "It's not your fault."

Seeing Emily like this, everyone felt a bit down.

"It's okay, with me here, we'll find Laura and Mossy Kappa and make those guys pay!" I declared, trying to lift their spirits.

Then I turned and began inspecting the cabin for clues.

I knew this was a premeditated attack.

If I had to suspect anyone, it would be Hubert and his group.

But Mary said she didn't recognize these people.

I had to stay calm to find the key to solving this.

"What did you see that made you go out?" I asked Emily.

Emily looked at me meaningfully, then said, "There were people from my clan."

My brow furrowed. Emily's words made me realize the gravity of the situation.

"You mean the faction that left in defeat?" I asked, understanding that if this involved internal clan conflict, things could get very complicated.

Emily nodded, worry in her eyes, "They don't know I'm The Emerald Matron, so you can't let them know you're The Verdant Guardian, or they might target you."

"I understand," I replied.

From Emily's disheveled appearance, I could tell there were strong opponents among them, ones even Emily couldn't easily handle.

If that was the case, I couldn't guarantee I could handle them either.

Even though I knew my abilities were strong, I was aware of the gap between Emily and me.

"I'll go with Kurt to rescue them. You stay here," I said firmly.

"You can't be reckless. Even I couldn't beat them..." Emily frowned.

But before she could finish, I interrupted, "I have to save them."

Emily was silent for a moment, then said, "I'll go too."

"I want to go," Helen stood up, her voice weak but determined.

Having spent so much time with Laura, she considered her family.

So she was very worried about Laura and wanted to help.

However, Helen soon realized her limitations and lowered her head, tears welling up, "I know I'll just be a burden."

Mary also wanted to go but had the same concern about holding us back.

I gently hugged Helen, patting her back, "Take care of Mary. I'll bring Laura back."

Helen's tears flowed, worried I might not return.

My words gave her some comfort, but her fear remained.

Before leaving, I looked at Emily, silently saying, "Take care of them."

Emily nodded.

After grabbing our gear, Kurt and I quickly left the cabin, heading in the direction Emily had indicated.

Meanwhile, at Hubert's camp, a plot was brewing.

"Are you sure you saw correctly?" Hubert asked, his voice tinged with doubt.

"I saw it clearly," said Zane Romero, one of Hubert's men.

"Earlier, a few of us went hunting and saw a group of fierce-looking people heading towards Kevin's camp."

"Out of curiosity, we followed them but didn't get too close. I'm sure they took that fierce woman, Laura."

"After they left, I saw Kevin and his group heading in the same direction."

Zane described what he saw.

Hearing this, Hubert stroked his beard, hesitant.

"You're saying there are only three women left in the cabin?" he confirmed.

Zane nodded, "Just the three women."

"And that green creature followed them when Laura was taken."

"So, Hubert, if we seize this chance, those women are ours." His eyes gleamed with a sly, lecherous light.

Hubert squinted, thought for a moment, then stood up, clapping Zane's shoulder decisively, "Gather the men, we're going!"

"Yes!"

Everyone agreed, as if waiting for this moment.

Zane quickly got to work, knowing this was a chance to prove his loyalty and capability.

Hubert swiftly gathered the others, preparing to launch an attack on our camp.

Their goal was to capture the remaining women and use them to leverage against me.

Hubert's ambition was clear; he not only wanted revenge but also to solidify his power.