Chapter 25.2

When the dryads had left the kitchen, they had tied Kevin and his companions' hands and feet tightly with thorny vines. Any movement would cause the spikes to scrape and stir in the flesh, causing burning pain.

Kevin did not care about the pain. He moved his body slightly to make himself lean more comfortably.

Nick and the others were lying around in a haphazard manner, overlapping like sacks. Ben's feet were just right across the face of an officer.

In the corner of the wall behind them, seven or eight stone statues stood motionless for no reason. The statues were pressed against the wall with their backs to Kevin. They looked like they were dressed in human form. They might have been carved by the dryads, or they might have been moved from the tomb of Phae.

Kevin wondered why they were in a place like the kitchen.

Kevin was about to take a closer look when he heard footsteps outside the door. The footsteps stopped on either side of the kitchen door, and two dryads appeared. They began to chat, apparently unaware that Kevin could understand them.

"How long are we going to be standing here?" one of the dryads asked.

"Don't complain," the other replied. "Everyone else is busy. If we don't stand guard, who will?"

"I don't want to! It's raining outside, and the sky is too bright. I don't want to have to change my skin."

"That's the way it is. There have been too many trespassers lately, so we can't expect to be idle."

"The two groups of people we captured look the same. Are they the same group?"

"The taste is different. Did you hear? One of the people we just captured has a very special taste."

"How special?"

The dryad lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "It's like 'that one'."

The other dryad gasped. "Isn't that what we're looking for?"

"That's right. The one we captured this time, plus the ones we captured yesterday, is enough for a living sacrifice. And with that special smell, it should be enough to last us for many years."

"No wonder we're here to watch."

"Don't forget, we need to get as much blood as we can before we peel off their skin. After all, it's not easy to find someone who tastes so similar."

Kevin was horrified to learn that the dryads' definition of "useful" included sacrificing the captives and draining their blood. He had no idea that the dryads were planning to sacrifice the captives. He had to find a way to escape and warn the others.

Kevin's mouth twitched with annoyance. He felt that he had been caught off guard this time. He could easily escape if he wanted to, but he was content to lie there for now.

He looked out the window without saying a word, then at the other captives lying around him. He silently began to formulate a plan to escape from the dryads' lair.

The dryads outside were busy preparing for what they called a "living sacrifice." Kevin could hear them coming and going, gathering dead branches, stone flakes, and boiling water. It sounded like they were preparing to cook meat.

Taking advantage of the commotion outside, Kevin found a sharp corner of a raised rock on the ground. He used it to grind a cane that he was holding, and then he used the cane to wake up the others.

"Huh... what's that smell?" a low, hoarse voice asked.

Kevin glanced out vigilantly. The dryad outside the door was talking to the others who were busy coming and going, so he didn't hear the question. Kevin sighed in relief, and he kicked the officer who had just opened his eyes with his toe.

The officer woke up instantly, and he immediately realized his situation. He shut up, and he stared at the feet that were lying across his face with a sad expression.

He frowned and turned his head sideways, and the feet rolled to the ground. With this movement, Ben also woke up.

The senses of beasts are much more sensitive than those of ordinary people, and their vigilance is also higher. Ben was on guard as soon as he opened his eyes, but he relaxed a little when he saw Kevin.

"Is this the monster's lair?" the officer asked silently, using exaggerated mouth shapes.

Kevin nodded, and he also mouthed, "Monster Kitchen."

The officer was silent for a moment, and then he pointed out with his chin and asked, "What are they doing so loudly?"

Kevin replied, "We're going to be sacrificed."

The officer was silent again.

After thinking about it for a moment, he couldn't help but ask again, "Do you know what the sacrifice is?"

This was also what Kevin was wondering. What could these dryads be sacrificing?

The officer said again, "Could it be Fae, the God of Light?"

Kevin shook his head without hesitation. "Impossible."

"How is it impossible? Is there anything else that can be sacrificed here besides Fae? It's gone!" The officer couldn't figure it out.

Kevin opened his mouth to speak, but he was interrupted by a commotion outside the door. Several dryads rushed over and shouted, "Someone! Someone broke in!"

The tree spirit guarding the gate said slowly, "What's the matter? There have been too many people breaking in these past few days. It's enough to catch them back. Wouldn't it be better if there were more sacrifices?"

"It's different, it's not the same!" the dryad interrupted. "This time—" It was interrupted by a distant hawk cry before it could finish speaking.

Kevin exclaimed, "Ah!"

The officer looked tense. "What's wrong?"

Kevin said, "That hawk cry sounds familiar."

The next second, a more familiar voice came from a distance. "I was dizzy by the waterfall! I can't keep my direction! What the hell is this place? What are these sneaky tree forks? They're so annoying! Is the instruction map that the little white-faced commander drew for you reliable? If you don't give me a look, I'm worried!"

As the voice spoke, it moved from far to near. Kevin also caught another voice.

The man replied coldly and arrogantly, "No."