Chapter Thirty: Entering the Heroine's Realm

"Ugh!"

Bai Mianmian was pinched awake.

The hand clamped over her mouth and nose effectively muffled her pained groan.

"Er'ya, they’re here," the chubby little girl whispered nervously in her ear.

Nearly suffocated, Bai Mianmian irritably swatted away the chubby hand pressed against her face. "Didn't you say they were in a rush?"

"They really are! While you were sleeping, they brought in two more groups—one with two people, another with three. They didn't bring them to our side. I counted; there are six people in that spot and nine in the other. I estimate there are about twelve over here."

Before the little girl could say more, the cellar door was pulled open. She quickly backed away, and the two maintained a discreet distance. Only then did Bai Mianmian notice that the girl had cleared away the sunflower seed shells she had been using as a pillow.

"Move quickly," a rough, stern male voice commanded. The light from torches soon flooded the cellar.

The men entered in an orderly fashion, beginning with the cage furthest from the cellar entrance and working their way down. The handkerchiefs, soaked in sedatives, were pressed one by one onto the faces of the unconscious captives.

This time, both girls held their breath again, avoiding inhaling too much of the drug. The transfer they had anticipated did indeed happen, though not immediately.

After the man locked the cellar entrance, he pulled aside a pile of hay to reveal a hidden door. The other men followed, carrying the captives on their backs.

"Where do you think they’re taking us?" the chubby girl leaned in again.

Bai Mianmian reached out her hand. Now that the cellar was lit by torches, there was plenty of light. The little girl looked at her hand, her expression stiffening.

"I think we should save some food. If we finish it all now, we’ll be starving later. Er'ya, I