"Catch him!"
The captain of the guards’ coarse voice exploded in the darkness.
Teresa’s green eyes glimred in the dark, clearly seeing the slave trying to escape ahead.
It was a frail young boy whose ankles had already been rubbed raw by chains, yet he continued to run desperately forward.
Teresa felt like her heart was about to leap out of her throat; she instinctively stepped back but almost tripped over the chains beneath her feet.
At that mont, a thin but powerful hand grabbed her wrist.
"Don’t move."
Quinna’s voice sounded in her ear, deep and calm.
"Ah—"
The sound of a whip slicing through the air reached them, followed by the boy’s piercing scream.
He wasn’t the only one.
Teresa saw the guards swinging barbed leather whips, brutally lashing at slaves who dared to resist.
Blood splattered, and the air was thick with a tallic sll and pitiful wails.
"Close your eyes," Quinna whispered.
But Teresa couldn’t do it; her single eye saw too clearly in the dark—she saw a guard raising a whip, heading in their direction.
"What are you looking at? Do you want a taste of the whip too? You two cursed scums!"
Just as the whip was about to descend, Quinna suddenly moved.
Though weak and thin, she moved with the agility of a cat, pulling Teresa aside as the whip cracked against the ground.
"Tsk! Quick to dodge!"
Teresa heard the guard curse, but Quinna had already led her into the shadows at the back of the group.
"Thank you, Miss Quinna," Teresa said, biting her lip in gratitude.
If it weren’t for her, she would have been whipped already.
"Your eyes?"
Quinna, not acknowledging her thanks, instead lowered her voice and asked, "Can you see clearly in the dark?"
Teresa hesitated but then nodded.
In the next mont, she saw a strange glow flash in Quinna’s eyes.
The guards’ shouts gradually quieted, the runaway slaves were all recaptured.
Teresa vaguely overheard them discussing giving the escapees so "special treatnt," and her stomach churned.
"Don’t be afraid."
Quinna patted her on the shoulder and whispered, "We won’t stay here forever."
There was a determination in her voice that Teresa couldn’t comprehend.
"Rember, no matter what happens, don’t reveal your ability."
Teresa didn’t know what this implied but nodded silently.
As the group continued to move, the torches around them beca fewer, and the light sources gradually turned into dim luminescent plants.
When the last of the torch embers disappeared deep in the crevice, she saw dark-purple moss on the stone walls moving slowly.
Other than Quinna, she hadn’t told anyone about her night vision ability.
A caravan guard’s boot stomped on a glowing slug, its luminous juice splattering onto a nearby barefoot slave’s ankle, twinkling like stardust, causing the slave to let out a cry.
They had been relocated from their previous place, moving towards their owner’s trading partner’s destination.
Dark Territory.
No, they were actually within the area of the Dark Territory.
The interior of the cavern was pitch black, impenetrable by sight, with only a faint glow flickering in the distance.
The light did not co from outside but from the unique luminescent plants within the cave.
These plants had bizarre forms; so resembled twisted vines, others looked like giant mushrooms.
Their surfaces covered by a faint luminescence, sotis deep blue, sotis sickly green, as if they were strange creatures growing from the depths of Hell.
The glow of the luminescent plants flickered in the darkness, casting eerie shadows, as if countless eyes were watching from the shadows.
The air was filled with a humid, moldy sll, mixed with an indescribable sense of decay, sending chills down the spine.
The ground beneath was uneven, strewn with slippery stones and unknown plant debris; each step had to be taken cautiously, as if one might fall into so unknown Abyss at any mont.
From deep within the cavern, a low humming occasionally emanated, like a creature whispering in the dark, or the wind wailing through narrow rock crevices.
The sound fluctuated, as if luring one further in, yet it inspired fear.
On the surrounding rock walls, one could occasionally see ancient symbols and patterns, but in this eerie environnt, they seed to be marks of so curse, avoiding prolonged gazes.
For Professionals, this place was also one requiring vigilance.
And for a village girl who grew up in the countryside, this place was sothing that existed only in legends.
It was said to have terrifying shadow creatures, dark-skinned Elves, and even Giant Dragons capable of manipulating shadows!
In many stories, the Dark Territory was synonymous with evil, with one of its races initiating attacks on the surface each ti.
Burning, killing, looting, committing all kinds of evil acts.
And the reality was not too different, hardly any deviation.
What kind of fate awaited them?
Even a village girl like Teresa could imagine.
The more she imagined, the more terrified she beca.
If they were sold to other humans, the slaves might face cruel treatnt but would still have a chance to survive.
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