Silence, is the harbinger of death

Five days later, Alexander left the ogre tribe alone.

Although he now had a hundred Beast Nourishment Pills, these were just supplementary food for the Abyssal Tyrannosaurus. Given the Tyrannosaurus's enormous appetite, Alexander needed to take it out for hunting.

This time, Alexander was traveling solo, as James had led a hunting party out a day earlier. James's hunting expedition included an extra trip to the territory of the Succubi to propose an alliance through marriage.

Meanwhile, Ferrer had to stay behind in Alligator Turtle Valley to protect their home.

Alexander's objectives for this trip were clear: to feed the Abyssal Tyrannosaurus and to accumulate more dried meat, fur, and Beast Crystals. Thus, hunting more magical beasts was his primary goal.

Alexander didn't summon the Abyssal Tyrannosaurus immediately. Its overwhelming presence and massive size would scare away all nearby prey.

Armed with a spear, Alexander moved swiftly through the jungle, heading to a more distant area. He personally killed lower-level magical beasts he encountered with his spear.

When he came across beasts of level five or higher, he would release the Abyssal Tyrannosaurus, allowing it to feast. During this process, Alexander also collected a significant amount of fur and Beast Crystals.

On the night of the second day, instead of setting up camp, Alexander stealthily roamed the jungle in search of a rare prey.

The Gluttonous Bird!

The Gluttonous Bird was a level four magical beast, an omnivorous bird-like creature known for its mild temperament and reluctance to attack.

Though classified as a bird, the Gluttonous Bird could not fly high and was capable only of short-distance, low-altitude flight.

Alexander sought the Gluttonous Bird because of its stomach's remarkable ability to contract and store food up to a hundred times its body size, making it akin to a small, portable storage space – a truly rare item.

In the ogre tribe where Alexander had been, there were only two Gluttonous Bird stomachs. One was with James, and the other with Elder Ferrer. Given the current circumstances, it was challenging for Alexander to obtain them.

Therefore, instead of trying to take the two existing Gluttonous Bird stomachs, he decided to try his luck in finding one himself.

In the Black Forest, Gluttonous Birds rarely appeared, but Alexander was now in a region where they had been sighted before.

The dense forest at night was more lively than during the day. Alexander moved through the thickets, listening attentively in all directions, earnestly searching for any sign of the Gluttonous Bird.

However, Alexander didn't find any trace of the Gluttonous Bird. Instead, he stumbled upon a campsite of uninvited guests.

Alexander concealed himself behind an ancient tree, peering through the gaps in the branches at the troll campsite in the ogre territory.

"John, we must leave this area early tomorrow morning," one of the trolls said.

"Randy, are you afraid?" another troll asked.

John, the elder leading the troll hunting party, had ventured into the ogre territory seeking more prey, especially a Gluttonous Bird, despite the risks involved.

"John, don't tell me you're unaware that this is ogre territory. We'll be in grave danger if they find us," Randy, another elder troll, said from inside a hut, where the two sat facing each other, clearly divided in their opinions.

"I know the risks," John replied, tearing a large piece of magical beast meat with a hint of recklessness, seemingly dismissing Randy's concerns.

"Our territory has plenty of game, John. Don't pretend others don't see through your motives," Randy countered.

"Why not stay a few more days since we're already here?" John argued.

"Do you want to spark a conflict between our tribe?" Randy challenged.

John scoffed at the idea. "Ha, don't try to pressure me with that. A conflict... Well, first, the ogres would have to find us!"

Just as John finished speaking, a scream echoed from outside the camp, and the troll on watch duty fell dead.

"An attack... an attack..." the trolls cried out in panic.

John and Randy exchanged a glance and quickly left the hut, rushing towards the source of the noise.

At that moment, Alexander's cold, bloodthirsty voice echoed through the dense forest, reaching the entire troll camp.

"This is a warning, you invaders!"

"Leave behind your prey and get out of this area, or face the consequences!"

Alexander's words caused John and Randy's faces to turn pale with fear. The troll warriors also woke up in a frenzy, their faces filled with terror and anxiety.

John and Randy exchanged a quick look, and Randy stepped forward, shouting into the surrounding forest, "We entered this area by mistake. Please, put down your hostility, and we will leave immediately."

Hiding behind a large tree, Alexander heard Randy's shout. He frowned, noticing that Randy had agreed to leave but made no mention of leaving their prey behind.

"Leave all your prey and then leave, or face death!" Alexander's cold voice sounded again, but this time he received no immediate response from Randy.

In the brief moment while Alexander pondered, John had already quietly slipped into the forest from behind the hut, searching for Alexander's location.

It was clear that Randy was buying time.

John's infiltration into the forest had two purposes: to gauge the number of ogre warriors present and to find a way for the other trolls to escape.

Realizing the scarcity of ogres in the area, John's panic subsided, and his intent to kill surged.

"Ow-ow..."

A series of strange, rhythmic bird calls echoed through the jungle, startling Randy, who was getting ready to move out with his tribesmen. His body stiffened upon hearing the sound.

Similarly, the other trolls also tensed up.

Hidden behind a huge ancient tree, Alexander's pupils contracted when he heard the bird call. 

It was a special form of communication used by trolls. Although he couldn't understand its meaning, Alexander guessed that the situation had changed and the trolls were about to take some action.

The next second, a murderous intent flashed in Alexander's eyes.

He dared to face this small group of trolls alone because he had confidence. The Abyssal Tyrannosaurus, a peak level six abyssal beast and a killing machine, was with him, and Alexander was curious to see how it would perform against a group of trolls.

So, Alexander quickly stood up and retreated into the forest behind him.

Simultaneously, Randy in the opposite campsite slowly raised his right hand and silently made a signal for encirclement and annihilation.

The next moment, all the trolls picked up their weapons and entered the dense forest, starting to encircle and attack Alexander.

Soon, John and Randy met up.

"John, we must kill this small group of ogres and leave immediately. There might be a larger force of them nearby!" Randy said.

John nodded. Although he often disagreed with Randy, they were surprisingly unified in critical moments.

Deep in the forest, Alexander released the Abyssal Tyrannosaurus and communicated with it telepathically to attack the enemy.

The Abyssal Tyrannosaurus nodded, its eyes shining coldly, and its horned head looking ferocious.

Moments later, a loud roar erupted from the nearby forest.

The roar was brief, and then the forest fell into eerie silence.

Silence, sometimes, is the harbinger of death.