Originally, Andrew had planned to explore the rest of the ruins. However, the sudden appearance of the black-furred beast had really shaken everyone up. If they kept wandering around, the store ruins of the old village were tight and narrow, with terrible visibility.
If that creature decided to come back for revenge, Andrew would not be afraid—but the others were already spooked.
“Andy, what now? That thing just killed someone in broad daylight. We can either take it out first, or we find the entrance to the treasure—fast.”
Outside the ruins, Andrew had just finished scrubbing the blood off himself when Logan came charging up, furious and frustrated.
Andrew shot him a cold glance and asked, “Why are you panicking? A couple of people die, and you’re already panicking? If that’s the case, why don’t you take the Keller family and get out of here before you all end up dead too?”
Logan snapped, “I’m not panicking or scared. But it’s insane that a group this big is letting a single black-furred beast mess with our heads like this. I couldn’t care less about Ralph dying, but that monster killed one of us right under our noses. I want its damn head.”
Andrew did not waste time on Logan’s empty rage. He turned his eyes toward the endless mountain ridges around them and muttered, “Have you noticed something weird about that Dire Tiger? It’s way too big, and the timing is too perfect. It showed up right when we stepped into the village."
“More importantly, it attacked during the day. Even apex predators like tigers usually avoid humans during daylight.”
Logan gritted his teeth and growled, “Who knows where that monster got the nerve to come at us in broad daylight? But I don’t care. What matters is that we find it and kill it.”
Andrew let out a cold scoff. “Great. Then go track it down. You saw which way it ran, didn’t you? Take your crew and go after it.”
Logan suddenly went quiet, awkwardly laughing. “You want me to lead a team and chase that thing? Come on, Andy. You’re basically sending me to my death.”
Andrew ignored him and headed back to the temporary camp just outside the ruins. Natasha and Tiana were already eating, whereas Chantelle sat nearby, completely spaced out. Her hair was a mess, her face pale, and she looked like her soul had just left her body.
Clearly, that earlier attack had shaken her more than anyone else.
“Andy, we can’t keep searching like this. I think we should just head back to the village at the foot of the mountain and regroup,” Tiana said cautiously.
Andrew shook his head. “No. I’m sure the entrance to the treasure is hidden somewhere in these ruins.”
Tiana blinked in shock. “How can you be so sure?”
Andrew’s tone went cold. “Magnus wasn’t ambushed or taken by surprise. He came here alone, and he snuck into this place on purpose. Until now, he still hasn’t shown up. We made a hell of a lot of noise earlier, but he never came out. So, there’s only one explanation—he found the entrance and went in.”
Tiana’s jaw dropped, looking completely stunned.
Andrew grabbed some rations and began wolfing them down. He had to keep his strength at its peak.
Even though the fight with that beast was over in just one blow, it had drained him. There was only so much a human body could take. Fighting off a tiger was not some fantasy out of an old heroic novel.