Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren)

Ralph, barely able to move and covered in blood, suddenly cried out, his voice cracking. "Mr. Lloyd! You're here! Please, help me—I don't wanna die!"

He screamed with desperate joy and tried to crawl toward Andrew.

Andrew cursed under his breath, "Shut up, you idiot! Don't make a sound!"

However, it was too late. The Dire Tiger, though momentarily distracted, let out a thunderous roar and snapped its head around.

In an instant, it lunged and clamped its massive jaws down on Ralph's skull.

A loud crunch echoed, and the survival expert Chantelle had paid a fortune to bring along was killed on the spot, his eyes wide in disbelief, even in death.

Rage surged through Andrew like an explosion. With a roar, his muscles tensed, and his left arm gripped the rooftop edge so hard that it bulged as his strength erupted to its absolute limit.

In the shocked and disbelieving gazes of the others, Andrew leaped high into the air. In mid-air, his grip on the knife shifted from one hand to both, and he brought the blade down from above, slashing wildly at the black tiger's massive head.

At this life-or-death moment, the beast seemed to sense the deadly threat this man posed. It twisted its head mid-pounce, dodging Andrew's blade by a hair's breadth.

Andrew's hunting knife struck deep into the creature's chest instead. Instantly, a massive spray of blood erupted, covering Andrew's entire face and body in crimson.

The Dire Tiger howled in pure agony, stumbling back across the rooftop. It nearly slipped, barely holding its balance.

Andrew landed and immediately rolled, reversing his knife's grip and carving a graceful arc through the air before continuing his assault on the tiger with lethal intent.

For the first time, the beast's vicious eyes flashed with confusion and fear. Its primitive mind could not comprehend how a mere human dared to go toe-to-toe with it.

Humans had always been prey-soft, screaming prey.

But fear, the universal instinct, gripped the Dire Tiger's heart. It roared furiously at Andrew before grabbing Ralph's mangled corpse in its jaws and leaped off the rooftop. In just a few bounding strides, it vanished from sight, racing up the mountain path like a black whirlwind.

No human could ever outrun something like that, especially given its speed and agility in traversing the mountainous terrain.

Wiping the blood from his face, Andrew picked up his hunting knife to examine it. He silently cursed, 'Damn it!'noveldrama

The steel blade, which had been perfectly tempered, now had a chunk broken off the edge.

That beast's bones were incredibly hard.

Chantelle climbed onto the rooftop, her face pale with lingering fear. "Mr. Lloyd, are you okay?"

Andrew shook his head, "I'm fine!"

With a loud wail, the normally frigid woman threw herself into Andrew's arms and burst into tears.

Andrew winced slightly. "You can borrow my shoulder for a bit, but don't get too comfortable."

He had not expected Chantelle to be scared to tears. But thinking about it, he could understand her reaction. In this desolate and dangerous place, a man-eating tiger had appeared and claimed multiple victims. Content

Chantelle might act cold, but at the end of the day, she was still just a woman. Moreover, she was a pampered official's daughter, raised in privilege. Facing death multiple times would naturally reduce anyone to tears.

They had not found the entrance to the treasure, yet they had already lost Ralph.

The entire group felt somewhat disheartened as they retreated from the ancient village.