Chapter 266 Cecilia Mistakenly Enters the Treasure Cave

Chapter 266 Cecilia Mistakenly Enters the Treasure Cave

About ten minutes later, the sea fog started to lift. 

Sunlight broke through the clouds, casting a golden path across the water.

Alaric squinted and suddenly pointed into the distance, whispering, "Hey, check that out."

At the edge of the island cluster, a solitary island shrouded in thick fog appeared faintly. Its outline was blurry, as if it could vanish at any moment.

"Is that the legendary Ethereal Isle?" Caroline asked, blinking in surprise.

"Yep," Alaric replied coolly. "Scientifically speaking, it only shows up under specific tidal and light conditions."

Hearing this, Kian quickly pulled up the tidal data and observed for a moment before saying seriously, "Based on the patterns of the past few days, we've got at most two hours to land on the island. Otherwise, the fog will cover it again, and it'll be hard to see."

"You're reliable when it counts," Caroline said with a smile, giving Kian a light pat. "Let's go get Cecilia back now!"

Kian touched his nose, his lips curling up, clearly pleased.

Alaric pressed his lips together, wasting no more time, and accelerated towards the faintly visible island.

As soon as the speedboat docked, gunshots rang out from the island.

The muffled gunfire was particularly jarring in the silent island, startling a flock of hidden birds.

Alaric's pupils contracted, his heart sinking sharply.

"Cecilia is in danger," he said, his eyes turning cold. "I'll go first. We'll meet up before dark. If there's an emergency, fire a signal flare."

He finished speaking quickly and dashed off before Caroline and Kian could react.

Kian shouted, trying to stop him, "Do you even know the way?"

Alaric's figure disappeared into the dense foliage in the blink of an eye, leaving only the sound of hurried footsteps and rustling leaves.

Caroline frowned deeply. "This path is impossible to run on, it's full of vines and thorns! Alaric is so reckless."

Kian sighed, checked his gear, and said helplessly, "Forget it, let's stick to the plan, scout the terrain, and stay safe."

Caroline nodded, but her eyes couldn't help but glance in the direction Alaric had disappeared.

"No choice," Kian said, giving her a look and shrugging with a bitter smile. "You know he can't stay calm when it comes to Cecilia."

"True."

They exchanged a smile and said no more.

Ahead, Alaric paid no attention to the path under his feet. 

Sharp vines cut his arms, and the toxic thorns left burning red marks on his skin, but he didn't even flinch.

'Cecilia, you better be okay.'

He pushed through the last barrier of thorns, revealing a trampled clearing. 

Scattered on the ground were several shell casings and a few drops of fresh blood.

Following the trail of blood, he saw chaotic footprints in the damp soil, and some bushes seemed to have been trampled.

Cecilia was likely being chased.

Thinking this, Alaric's aura darkened, and the murderous intent in his chest almost overwhelmed his reason. 

He took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and followed the faint blood trail.

Deep in the jungle.

Cecilia's right arm burned with pain from the gunshot wound, blood seeping through her fingers and dripping onto the decaying leaves beneath her. 

She gritted her teeth, cold sweat beading on her forehead, and stumbled forward.

"She's hurt, she won't last long," shouted one of the pursuers behind her. "Spread out and block her!"

Cecilia panted lightly, using the dense foliage to barely conceal herself. 

Her vision was starting to blur, and the loss of blood and exhaustion made her mind heavy.

She couldn't stop.

Stopping meant being caught, used by Christopher, and facing a dead end.

Her nose suddenly tingled, her eyes reddened, and she felt a wave of grievance.

Why did trouble always find her? 

She just wanted to live this life well, without regrets, and reclaim what rightfully belonged to her and her parents.

Cecilia bit her lip hard, pinched herself, and stumbled out of the bushes.

The next second, a massive natural cave appeared before her, its entrance triangular, edges lined with weathered stone, resembling the fangs of some ancient beast, looking somewhat terrifying.

The cave's depths were pitch black, with a faint cold wind blowing out, carrying a musty stench.

Cecilia glanced back, hearing the pursuers' footsteps getting closer.

It seemed she had nowhere to run.

Taking a deep breath, Cecilia plunged into the cave without hesitation.

The bone-chilling darkness swallowed her instantly.

She moved cautiously inside. The temperature dropped sharply, and the cold air made her shiver. 

Her fingertips brushed against the rough wall, and she paused.

These uneven, clearly outlined lines didn't seem naturally formed but rather carved by someone.

Cecilia squinted, using the faint light from the entrance to barely make out some familiar symbols.

Just then, voices came from outside the cave, cursing, "Damn it, where did that woman go?"

"I saw a figure running this way!"

"Could she have gone into the cave?"

"You, go check!"

Hearing this, Cecilia froze, pressing herself against the wall and retreating deeper into the cave.

The footsteps grew closer, and flashlight beams flickered at the entrance. 

Cecilia's throat tightened, and despite moving slowly, the ground was difficult to navigate. 

She accidentally stepped on a piece of bone.

The sound was particularly jarring in the silent cave.

"She's inside!"

Cecilia cursed under her breath, gritting her teeth and sprinting. 

The pursuers immediately rushed in, their flashlights darting around, bullets hitting the walls, sending shards flying.

A bullet grazed her left waist, drawing a line of blood. Cecilia grunted, and suddenly, the ground beneath her gave way!

She fell into a vertical shaft, sliding uncontrollably down.

Cecilia landed heavily on a flat surface, her bones feeling like they were shattered, pain making her body tremble. 

She struggled to get up, finding herself in a vast underground space, the walls glittering with minerals that made her eyes widen in surprise.

She stared in shock, slowly moving forward, the ground littered with gold bars and artifacts, some oxidized but still showing their once magnificent patterns.

"This..." Cecilia's voice trembled. She hadn't expected the ancient records to be true.

Her gaze shifted to the central stone platform, carved from a single block of high-purity gold, gleaming brightly, with a black metal box on top.

Cecilia took a slow, deep breath, ready to approach, but then noticed a pure green snake coiled around the base of the golden platform.