Death knell

The eerie spectacle instilled a sense of fear in the hearts of the trolls lurking nearby.

A roar followed by a scream echoed from afar.

John and Randy once again convened, communicating through hand signals.

"The enemy is smart, targeting our dispersed warriors. What do we do now?"

Hesitation was evident on John's face. Since the enemy's warning, they had already lost three bloodline warriors—a significant loss.

Retreating now, John knew he'd face difficulty explaining to the troll tribe's chief.

"Keep pursuing. We're already exposed. If we don't capture the ogre, the news might leak, and we might not even make it out of this area."

Internally, Randy disagreed with John's decision. They had the opportunity to withdraw safely, though it meant leaving behind all their hard-earned gains.

It was their unwillingness to abandon these gains that drove Randy and John to opt for the most drastic course of action.

"Alright, I'll follow your lead!"

"John, we can't keep splitting up. We must rally our kin!"

John nodded, and strange bird calls resounded in the dense forest.

Deep in the woods, the unusual behavior of the troll warriors didn't escape Alexander's notice.

"They want to retreat?"

That was Alexander's initial thought, but seeing the trolls regrouping and continuing their search, his eyes filled with intensified resolve.

"No, they don't want to be isolated and hunted by me. They haven't given up on encircling me!"

Realizing this, Alexander narrowed his eyes, watching the approaching trolls with an icy gaze.

"Good, let them all perish here!"

A terrifying roar shattered the forest's silence.

The hidden Abyssal Tyrannosaurus charged, toppling trees, and lunged at the troll warriors.

The heavy footsteps, the abyssal roars, and the sharp teeth and scales reminded John and Randy of a terrifying memory.

"Run, it's an abyssal beast!"

But it was too late.

The peak six-level Abyssal Tyrannosaurus, with unimaginable speed, emerged, its claws and jaws reaping the lives of the troll warriors mercilessly.

Despite their bravery, the trolls' weapons could only scratch the Tyrannosaurus, unable to breach its defenses.

A quarter-hour later, Alexander emerged from the forest, his expression slightly grim. He saw clearly that the two strongest troll warriors had escaped amid the chaos.

Alexander mounted the back of the Abyssal Tyrannosaurus, uttering a single word: "Chase!"

The Tyrannosaurus' roar echoed, and nearby beasts fled the area.

Its massive legs picking up speed, the Abyssal Tyrannosaurus pursued.

Ahead, in the forest, John and Randy, in their escape, were fraught with panic.

In their troll tribe, an Abyss Cave was sealed, which both John and Randy had entered in their youth.

Unfortunately, neither had tamed an abyssal beast, nearly perishing in the Abyss Cave, making them all too familiar with the abyssal beast's scent and roar.

"Damn it, the enemy must be one of the elder ogres!"

"It's your fault, John. I told you to leave this area early, but you just wouldn't listen!" Randy reproached John as they fled.

At that moment, the heavy footsteps behind them grew louder, and the terrifying roar of the beast seemed to be right at their ears.

John suddenly turned, giving Randy a glance filled with malice.

"John, what are you doing?"

Thud!

John didn't respond to Randy verbally; instead, his response came in the form of the massive hammer in his hands.

Randy's leg was smashed by John's surprise attack, shattering his knee.

"Randy, don't blame me. I need to go back and report. The ogres invaded us first!"

Randy, tumbling to the ground, unbalanced, instantly understood John's treacherous intent.

This venture into the ogre territory was driven by John's personal motives.

But, if all the other trolls except him perished here, once he returned to the tribe, he could tell the story however he wanted. His words would become the truth.

"By Vulmog, John, you don't deserve to be called a troll warrior!"

Randy, in despair, watched John's retreating figure, his eyes filled with anger and unwillingness.

Despite his situation, Randy still raised his weapon, using it to prop himself up.

Randy made his choice! Decided to fight!

He would confront the terrifying abyssal beast!

At this moment, Randy only wanted to delay the abyssal beast for a moment, to buy John more time.

As long as John was alive, the trolls had one more bloodline warrior.

One bloodline warrior could make a slight difference for the tribe in the upcoming harsh winter and Dark Tide.

This was Randy's obsession now, even though John had just betrayed him!

Roaring...

Sometimes, obsession is akin to a death knell.

The Abyssal Tyrannosaurus's cold gaze swept over Randy, its massive jaws opening, revealing rows of terrifying teeth that crushed mercilessly.

Randy, from the troll tribe, made a final death charge, his weapon emanating a white glow.

Zzzt...

Sparks flew, but the Abyssal Tyrannosaurus remained unscathed, biting Randy in half with one chomp.

Alexander leapt down from the back of the Abyssal Tyrannosaurus, picking up a stomach sac from the ground.

"Continue the chase!"

Returning atop the Abyssal Tyrannosaurus, Alexander issued the order to continue the pursuit.

A quarter of an hour later, Alexander gazed at the rapid river ahead, his brow furrowed.

Another troll tribe leader had escaped, fleeing through the river.

Alexander's expression turned grim as he looked downstream, his face showing hesitation.

After much deliberation, Alexander chose not to follow. He returned to the previous small camp to tally his gains.

In the dense forest, Alexander searched thoroughly but the results were disappointing. Apart from some leather armor and weapons, Alexander found no other valuable materials.

However, at the temporary campsite, he did find a large amount of magical beast jerky, some furs, and Beast Crystals.

Alexander packed all these spoils and loaded them onto the Abyssal Tyrannosaurus before leaving the area overnight, heading back to Alligator Turtle Valley.

Boom... Boom...

The Abyssal Tyrannosaurus, walking through the jungle, scared away countless magical beasts and birds.

The Abyssal Tyrannosaurus's aura was not concealed at all, just as Alexander wanted. He didn't want their journey back, burdened as they were, to be delayed by encounters with other magical beasts.

By noon on the third day, the Abyssal Tyrannosaurus finally appeared outside the stone gates of Alligator Turtle Valley.

"Look, it's the Abyssal Tyrannosaurus!"

"Open the gates, it's Alexander, he's back from the hunt!"

The stone gate was opened by the guards, and Alexander stood atop the Abyssal Tyrannosaurus, a smile on his face.

Meanwhile, the ogre warriors guarding the gate also saw the huge bundles hanging from the Abyssal Tyrannosaurus, their eyes revealing excitement and fervor.

"Alexander!"

"Alexander!"

The cheers of the ogres drew the attention of the bloodline warriors deep in the valley, and even Ferrer stepped out of his hut to look at Alexander from afar.

Soon, Alexander entered the bloodline warriors' hut area, and the ogre tribespeople dispersed.

"Great Elder!"

"Alexander, you're back!"

Alexander hopped off the Abyssal Tyrannosaurus and greeted Ferrer, the Great Elder, who approached.

"Look at what's on the Abyssal Tyrannosaurus!"

"Alexander, it seems you had a great haul this time!"

Alexander nodded, but he didn't dwell on the topic of his gains. "Great Elder, there are some matters I need to report to you!"