Olivia Carter's eyes glinted with coldness as he said, "Hawkeye, if I don't die today, then the one who will die is definitely you!"

"Is that so?"

Hawkeye sneered, "This girl called Olivia Walker does have some strength, but what about you? Kid, you're nothing but a useless weakling who can't even truss a chicken. You don't even have the power of the first level of the Human Realm. A waste like you is better off dead."

Olivia Carter remained silent.

Hawkeye raised his battle axe horizontally, and with a "ka" sound, drew a bloody gash across Olivia Carter's shoulder. Blood gushed out, and Olivia Walker was instantly terrified, looking at Olivia Carter with tearful eyes as she cried, "Aaron Brooks, it's all my fault, Senior Sister. If I hadn't taught you alchemy, you wouldn't be suffering like this. Aaron Brooks, it's all my fault..."

Olivia Carter endured the intense pain, turned around and gave a slight smile: "Olivia Walker sis, what are you saying... I don't regret it, it's fine... really, it's fine..."

Although he said it was fine, his heart was pounding. Would the Bloodthirsty Tiger really be drawn by the scent of his blood? If the Bloodthirsty Tiger came—a spirit beast of four thousand years—he had no strength at all. How could he possibly escape alive?

He looked up at Hawkeye's back, feeling an unspeakable hatred. These mercenaries were nothing but beasts, treating human life as worthless. A chill rose in Olivia Carter's heart—this world was truly a place where the strong preyed on the weak.

At this moment, Grace Brooks walked over, gave Olivia Carter a cold glance, and said, "Whether or not those first-grade Stone Skin Potions were refined by you personally... today, you will definitely die here. The number one alchemist among the younger generation in Silver Fir City will always be me, not you!"

So this was Grace Brooks's real reason for wanting to kill him—to keep his position as the top alchemist in Silver Fir City?

As he spoke, Grace Brooks walked over to Olivia Walker, lifted her chin with his hand, and leered, "Little beauty, I really can't bear to kill you. Come, let me enjoy you first."

With that, he lowered his head to kiss Olivia Walker, but Olivia Walker struggled desperately to break free. Unfortunately, Grace Brooks's grip was as firm as an eagle's claw, impossible to escape. In terms of strength, Grace Brooks was likely far above Olivia Walker. It seemed the rumors were true: the young city lord Grace Brooks was not only accomplished in alchemy, but his martial cultivation had also reached level 29 Battle Spirit. The rumors were not false.

Just as Grace Brooks was about to succeed, suddenly Hawkeye sneered from a distance, "Young city lord, don't get too caught up in your fun. If the Bloodthirsty Tiger is nearby, you might lose your head before you even get your clothes off. My brothers and I need to set up traps and mechanisms, so please leave at once."

Grace Brooks turned away in anger, his face full of unwillingness. He gritted his teeth at Olivia Walker and said, "Little beauty, you must survive. As long as you live, I'll make sure you experience my skills in bed!"

Olivia Walker, crying, spat at him, "Beast! Scum!"

Grace Brooks didn't care, laughing loudly as he strode away.

...

In the distance, Hawkeye was directing the mercenaries to set up an ambush. Two ballistae were hidden in the grass, aimed directly at Olivia Carter and Olivia Walker. They were practically insane in their pursuit of the Bloodthirsty Tiger. If the ballistae fired, Olivia Carter and Olivia Walker would likely die as well. In addition, a group of mercenaries armed with bows and arrows were already lying in wait in the grass, ready for orders at any moment.

As the strongest member of the Flame Eagle Mercenary Group, Hawkeye gripped his battle axe and sat on a tree branch nearby, coldly watching everything around him. Once preparations were complete, he immediately said, "Everyone, stay hidden! Before the Bloodthirsty Tiger appears, don't even fart. If anyone dares to act rashly, I'll chop off his head with my axe!"

The cold wind whistled. Only Olivia Carter and Olivia Walker were left tied to a lonely tree.

"Aaron Brooks, your wound..." Olivia Walker asked tearfully.

Olivia Carter put on a relaxed face and smiled, "I'm fine, Olivia Walker sis, don't worry about me. The wound has already started to clot and stop bleeding. It's nothing."

In reality, the blood was still flowing, and he even felt a bit dizzy. Hawkeye was a professional killer—he knew exactly where to cut to make the blood flow endlessly. In the blink of an eye, Olivia Carter's right arm was already stained red with blood.

...

More than an hour passed in a flash, but the Bloodthirsty Tiger still hadn't appeared.

"Olivia Walker sis?"

Olivia Carter shook the rope and said, "Olivia Walker sis, don't fall asleep. Listen to me, don't give up."

Olivia Walker's tears were almost dried up. "Mm, Senior Sister is listening. Aaron Brooks, go ahead."

Olivia Carter said, "If the Bloodthirsty Tiger appears, don't panic. Listen to my command. When I say 'duck,' immediately lower your upper body, then jump up with me within one second. This is our only chance to survive, understand?"

Olivia Walker was stunned. "Will... will that really work?"

"Will you listen to me?"

"Mm..." Olivia Walker nodded gently.

"Then do as I say."

"Okay..."