Chapter 267 Hand Over the Chest

Chapter 267 Hand Over the Chest

Alaric followed the trail of footprints and the sound of gunfire to the edge of the dense forest. 

He crouched behind an ancient tree, his eyes coldly fixed on the dozen or so men in black outside the cave.

Slowly, he drew his knife, the blade glinting ominously in the dappled light filtering through the trees. 

He waited for one of the men to patrol around the cave alone, then silently approached. 

His left hand covered the man's mouth and nose, while his right hand drove the knife precisely into the back of the man's neck. 

The man collapsed to the ground without a sound.

The others seemed to sense something was wrong and turned their heads to look around. 

Just as one of them turned, his throat was slit. Blood sprayed onto the moss, and Alaric's figure vanished back into the shadows.

"Shit!" The leader outside smelled the strong scent of blood and finally noticed his fallen comrade. 

He raised his assault rifle and shouted, "It's an ambush!"

Alaric's eyes darkened. He deliberately made a small noise. The leader quickly opened fire in response.

Bullets tore through the underbrush as Alaric rolled to avoid them, drawing his pistol.

One shot, one kill. No hesitation.

The remaining men in black panicked, firing wildly in all directions. 

Alaric, his face cold, used the terrain for cover, each shot taking a life. 

When the last man fell, his magazine was empty.

He reloaded, glanced at the sky, and entered the cave without hesitation. 

Navigating the narrow passageway inside, he used tools to cushion his descent, making only a slight noise as he landed.

"Let's see where you can run now," a man's sneering voice echoed nearby. "Mr. Taylor hates traitors. Handing you over to him alive, you'll wish you were dead!"

Cecilia backed away step by step. 

She was having the worst luck. She thought she was safe here, but those lunatics had followed her down.

She squinted, catching sight of a shadowy figure across the cave. She couldn't be mistaken—it was Alaric!

A smirk played on Cecilia's lips as she suddenly spoke, her voice dripping with sarcasm and temptation. 

"Are you really content being Christopher's lackeys for life? The treasures in this cave are countless."

"The chest Christopher has been desperately trying to get his hands on is right in front of you. Too bad, for all his prowess, he hasn't found the entrance yet." 

She paused, glancing at the golden pedestal in the center, lowering her voice with a sly smile. "Only I know how to open it. If you cooperate with me..."

"Shut up with your nonsense!"

"Really? Then tell me, why did Christopher bring me to the island?" Cecilia taunted. "Idiots. Sure, you can take me back to claim your reward, but you won't get a single piece of gold or that chest."

The shortest of the three men swallowed hard. "York, maybe we should do as she says. There's no signal on this island, no way to track us. We could take the treasure and leave first..."

"Shut up!" York snapped. "Cecilia's always full of tricks!"

The short man hesitated, then suddenly pointed his gun at his companion. "I've had enough! Why should you and Christopher get all the benefits? This is a deadly job. I just want to make a lot of money and live easy!"

Alaric's lips curled into a smile, his eyes meeting Cecilia's with amusement. 

He moved swiftly, like a beast extending its claws, slashing the man's throat with his knife.

York clutched his neck in disbelief, blood seeping through his fingers as he staggered and fell. 

The other two hadn't even reacted before Alaric twisted the short man's wrist, breaking it. 

The last man, terrified, accidentally fired his gun, hitting the cave wall.

The gunshot echoed in the enclosed space, causing debris to fall from the ceiling. The man fell to the ground, crying and snot running down his face.

"I don't want to die, I don't want to die!"

Alaric frowned, his eyes full of disgust. He was about to act when Cecilia softly stopped him. "Let him fend for himself."

"Alright, as you wish." Alaric's frown eased into a smile. He tied the man up with rope, gagging his incessant mouth.

Silence returned to the cave. 

Cecilia sighed in relief, then suddenly threw herself into Alaric's arms, her forehead resting on his shoulder, her voice muffled and a bit aggrieved. 

"Why did you take so long? Do you know how scared I was? If I were any weaker, you wouldn't have found me alive!"

"Sorry." Alaric lowered his gaze, gently stroking her back. His eyes widened slightly when he saw her arm. "You're hurt?"

"It's nothing." Cecilia looked up, her eyes bright. "It doesn't hurt anymore. There's something more important now."

She glanced at the chest. 

Alaric understood, but noticed a green snake nearby. He frowned, carefully shielding Cecilia.

Cecilia shook her head, gently pressing his wrist. "Don't worry, it doesn't seem to want to attack me."

The green snake slowly slithered away, stopping a short distance away, its emerald eyes fixed on Cecilia.

Though puzzled, Cecilia knew that if she really had the gem called Isis's Tear inside her, these strange occurrences made sense.

She approached the chest slowly. As her fingers were about to touch it, a fleeting blue light appeared on its surface. 

Cecilia bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, then cautiously picked it up.

The entire cave began to shake violently, more intensely than before, threatening to collapse at any moment. 

The tied-up man struggled desperately, his eyes wide with fear, wanting nothing more than to escape, completely forgetting about the treasure.

"Let's go." Alaric grabbed Cecilia's hand and ran. 

The slope collapsed behind them, the sound of falling rocks and the man's faint, heart-wrenching cries echoing. 

The green snake slithered deeper into the cave, soon disappearing into the darkness.

When Cecilia and Alaric finally scrambled out of the cave, they were met with an unexpected sight.

"Hand over the chest."

Christopher's voice was cold, the chill seeping down from above. 

Cecilia looked up in shock, meeting Christopher's dangerous, blood-red eyes.

She tightened her grip on the chest, her blood running cold as she looked back.

Over twenty gun barrels were aimed directly at them.