After a simple meal, I sent out several scouts from the Du'an tribe, skilled in reconnaissance, to search for the footprints of those people.
As the vanguards of the exiles, they wouldn't have gone far. The most likely scenario was that they had found a hiding place nearby.
Just as I expected, about an hour later, the Du'an scouts I had dispatched discovered their whereabouts in the forest.
"Let's go!"
We followed the warrior, weaving through the forest. We tried to minimize our movements to avoid making too much noise.
The sound of flowing water drifted from ahead. As I pushed aside a bush, an arrow whizzed past my cheek and lodged itself in the body of the warrior behind me.
"Damn it! Kill them all!"
Despite our caution, the snow underfoot eventually betrayed our presence. The exiles resting by the stream had still spotted us.
Since a surprise attack was impossible, we'd just have to eliminate them all!
Drawing my hunting knife, I led my men out from the undergrowth. As soon as I emerged, I saw a dark, clawed paw reaching for my face.
Damn it, were there orcs on the other side too?
Instinctively, I ducked and rolled to the side. When I looked up again, I found myself facing a strangely shaped tiger!
This was a rare white tiger, entirely white and standing a full two meters tall at the shoulder. It wore a collar around its neck, seemingly allied with the exiles.
Meanwhile, the Du'an warriors, led by Da Zhi, had already engaged the exiles in battle. I kept my eyes fixed on the white tiger before me and waved my hand to the warrior beside me.
"You go reinforce Da Zhi. Don't let a single exile escape. I can handle this tiger myself!"
The warriors who wanted to protect me, spurred by my urgency, charged towards the exiles.
I didn't ask those warriors to leave out of arrogance. Firstly, a beast of this size was a formidable weapon on the battlefield. If it were allowed to charge into our ranks, it could inflict heavy casualties, even leading to our complete annihilation. I had to find a way to keep it occupied.
Secondly, I had developed many contingency plans for dealing with such beasts, and this was the perfect opportunity to put them into practice.
I retreated with light footsteps, intending to lure the white tiger away from the battlefield. I took a step back, and the white tiger advanced, its feline eyes locked onto me.
The battlefield was momentarily divided. On one side, the wild men were locked in a fierce melee, while on the other, a single person and a single beast faced off.
Seeing that neither side was willing to yield, the white tiger finally made its move. It let out a roar, its powerful hind legs digging into the snow, and launched itself at me like a cannonball.
I sneered inwardly. A beast is still a beast. This is what I was waiting for!
While we were in a standoff, I had slowly reached into my backpack. Now, seeing the white tiger lunging at me, I nimbly dodged to its side and quickly pulled something out of my backpack with my left hand, throwing it at the tiger!
"Taste this, my good friend!"
*Boom!*
Flames erupted, engulfing the white tiger as it landed. The smell of scorched fur permeated the air.
This was the Molotov cocktail, improved by Kayah and me!
Not only was its power increased, but it also contained sulfur stones unique to the island. It didn't need to be lit beforehand; violent impact would trigger an explosion. That's why I had kept it carefully in my backpack, afraid that this "ancestor" might accidentally take me with it.
The burning Molotov cocktail produced thick smoke that swallowed the giant tiger. The crackling sound of burning could be heard from within.
I retreated several meters, wary of the flames catching onto me. The smoke quickly spread, and my expression grew grim.
It wasn't that I felt pity for the white tiger's pristine white fur. For such a beast that sought my life, I wished I could slaughter them all.
My grim expression stemmed from the fact that there was still no movement coming from the smoke.
The current silence was unnaturally so. Even ordinary people experience a final surge of energy before death.
How could a ferocious tiger die so silently, without a death struggle?
Damn it, what do the animals on this island eat? They're all so resilient!
I wiped the sweat from my hands and tightly gripped my hunting knife.
Even if this beast wasn't dead, it was severely injured. If fire couldn't kill you, I'd chop you into mincemeat!
My body trembled. The rush of adrenaline made me more excited, and also more cautious.
Unbeknownst to me, the feeling of being on the brink of death during battle had become deeply ingrained in my mind. This feeling was something I found myself drawn to.
Thick smoke billowed into the sky. The stench of burning sulfur mixed with the smell of scorched fur, creating a peculiar odor that made me frown, wishing I could stop breathing.