Chapter 118: Chapter 118: Death Canyon

Lila’s POV

My cheeks grew warm, and I shot him a glare. “In your dreams. Let’s take care of business first.”

Kael had his men regroup and prepare to set out again. The way they looked at Jasper now had completely changed. Their initial suspicion and wariness had transformed into reverence and awe.

“Mr. Hale,” Kael said respectfully as he walked up to Jasper, “please guide us for the road ahead. We are willing to follow your command.”

Jasper raised an eyebrow, seemingly a little surprised by this change. He glanced at me, the corner of his mouth curling into a playful smile.

“Forget about commanding,” he said lazily. “I promised not to get involved in your power structure. You continue leading the way. I’ll help when needed.”

Even though that’s what he said, I could feel a subtle shift in the team’s cohesion. Jasper had used his strength to win the respect of these proud Werewolf Warriors.

We continued our advance toward Death Canyon. The setting sun stretched our shadows long behind us. In the distance, the silhouette of the canyon known as “Death” had faintly appeared on the horizon.

————

The last rays of the setting sun stained the rock walls of Death Canyon a bizarre, dark red, like dried blood. Standing at the entrance to this massive natural chasm, a gust of cold, dry wind rushed toward us. It carried the scorched scent of rock baked by the scorching sun and an indescribable hint of decay.

“This is Death Canyon.” Kael’s voice was a bit hoarse. He pointed at the intricate rock faces ahead, his brow furrowed. “The terrain is extremely complex, like a giant maze. I’ve only ever been to the outer edges. Any deeper, and even I could easily get lost.”

I nodded, sensing the oppressive fluctuations in the air. The Moon Power within me seemed to have sensed something too, and it trembled faintly, as if warning me of the danger ahead.

“Let me try.” I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and tried to extend my Perception.

Just as my fingertips touched a hint of coolness and I prepared to guide my Moon Power to scout the path ahead, a hand suddenly rested gently on my shoulder.

“Don’t move.”

Jasper’s voice came from behind me. It held its usual laziness, yet it was imbued with an undeniable gentleness.

I opened my eyes and turned to look at him. He had walked up beside me at some point, his golden eyes appearing especially bright in the dim light. He shook his head, a helpless smile playing on his lips. “Lila, have you forgotten what you did last night?”

I froze for a moment. “But…”

“No buts.” He cut me off, his tone growing a little more serious. “You used up almost all your energy detoxifying the Queen and helping deliver that little one. Your body is like a fully drawn bow right now. Any more strain and it’ll snap. This canyon is huge. How far can your Perception even reach? Even if you find the cave, will you have any strength left to deal with a crisis?”

His words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing my impatience. I did indeed feel waves of exhaustion coming from deep within my body; it had just been masked by the tense atmosphere.

“But we can’t waste time here,” I said in a low voice.

“Don’t worry, I’m here.” Jasper patted my shoulder and turned to Kael. “Lead the way. I remember a fork in the road up ahead. Take the path to the right.”

Kael looked at him, a little surprised. “To the right? That’s a dead end. It’s all quicksand up ahead.”

“That’s a dead end for you,” Jasper said with a raised eyebrow, a glint of confidence flashing in his eyes. “Follow me. You’ll be fine.”

Although he was still doubtful, Kael nodded and ordered his team to follow Jasper.

The path ahead was just as difficult as Kael had described. The gaps between the rock walls grew narrower, and the ground began to feel soft. We could occasionally see the skeletons of animals half-buried in the sand, creating a particularly grim scene.

But Jasper walked with exceptional steadiness. He didn’t rely on memory and sight like Kael did. Instead, he would stop from time to time to sniff the air or listen to the sounds on the wind. Whenever we came to a fork, he would unhesitatingly choose what looked like the most dangerous path.

“Left.”

“Straight ahead.”

“Careful, falling rocks ahead.”

His voice was calm and clear, as if he had walked this path countless times before.

After walking for about four hours, the sky gradually darkened. The shadows in the depths of the canyon grew thicker, like gaping mouths ready to devour everything.

“There’s a cave up ahead.” Jasper suddenly stopped and pointed at a pitch-black opening in the rock face. “That should be it.”

Kael went forward and carefully observed the traces around the entrance, a flash of surprise in his eyes. “That’s right… There are indeed signs of human activity here. And… the shape of this entrance looks a lot like the legendary ’Snake Eye Cave.’”

“Snake Eye Cave?” I asked curiously.

“Legend has it that a giant sand python once lived here, and its eyes were this shape,” Kael explained, a hint of awe in his voice. “I can’t believe Derek would dare to hide in a place like this.”

“I don’t care if it’s a snake’s eye or a dog’s eye,” Jasper said with a lazy yawn. “Since we’re here, let’s go have a look.”

We walked cautiously into the cave. It was even colder and damper inside than out, and the air was filled with a thick, musty odor and a strange, fishy smell. The cave walls were covered in slippery green moss, and we could occasionally see strange symbols that looked like some kind of ancient totems.

“Everyone, be careful,” Kael warned in a low voice. “Places like this usually have guardian beasts or traps.”

Jasper walked at the very front, his figure appearing especially tall and straight in the dim cave. He seemed oblivious to the surrounding traps and mechanisms, nimbly avoiding several loose-looking flagstones.

“There’s an open area ahead,” he said, stopping and turning back to us. “Let’s make camp there for the night.”

We passed through a narrow passage and arrived in a relatively spacious cavern. The ground here was flat, and there were some dry branches, clear signs that someone had stayed here before.

“Let’s rest here,” Jasper said. “We won’t go any deeper tonight. Venomous creatures tend to come out at night in places like this, and the terrain is too complex. It’s easy to get lost.”

Kael nodded and ordered his men to start setting up simple tents and build a bonfire.

Night fell. The wind howled outside the cave like a roaring beast. Inside, the light from the bonfire danced on the rock walls, casting long shadows.

Jasper and I crawled into our tent. It wasn’t big, just enough for two people. I leaned wearily against my pack and finally let out a sigh of relief.

“Tired?” Jasper asked, sitting beside me and handing me a waterskin.

I took the waterskin and had a drink, feeling the dryness in my throat ease a little. “Yeah, a little. We walked a long way today.”

“Get some sleep,” he said softly. “I’ll keep watch.”

I shook my head. “You’re tired too. Let’s sleep together.”

He smiled and reached out to tidy my slightly messy hair. “Don’t worry. You sleep first. I know my limits.”

I really was too tired. My eyelids felt as heavy as lead. I forced my eyes open and saw his silhouette in the faint firelight. He looked a bit lonely, yet he exuded a sense of security.

“Jasper…” I called out softly.

“Hm?”

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