From Robinson Crusoe

Even from a great distance, Chen Zhou could only see the silhouettes of a few people.

Looking up from a low point, if the person on the cliff top steps back slightly, half of their body will be out of sight; if they step back further, they will disappear from view altogether.

The black-robed men, surrounded by the two groups, clearly noticed the hostility around them.

He has a mount, which is a significant advantage over the approaching challengers. If he is willing to leave on his camel, neither of the two groups can do anything to him.

But the man in black did not do so.

He stood at the very edge of the cliff, watching the challengers approaching from the left and right. Suddenly, he drew a knife from his waist and cleaved the camel in two at the shoulder and neck.

In the hazy dawn, the camel's head rolled down the cliff, the gushing blood more striking than the rising sun.

With practiced ease, the man in black sheathed his sword, turned to face the astonished challengers on either side, said something, and then leaped off the cliff.

At this moment, he displayed a flexibility that seemed completely out of place for his tall stature. As he fell, his robes fluttered, and he resembled a giant bat.

About ten seconds after he jumped off the cliff, the camel's body collapsed to the ground, exhausted.

The four people on either side were stunned by his actions and stopped in their tracks, not daring to continue the pursuit.

……

Even Chen Zhou, who was observing from a distance, was somewhat shocked—

This person's ruthlessness far surpasses that of any other challenger he has encountered. His physical attributes and courage are also remarkable. Moreover, he is completely covered by a black robe, making it difficult to ascertain how many weapons he possesses. Judging from his actions, he is likely a formidable opponent.

What puzzled Chen Zhou was that this person was so powerful, so why did he act alone? If he had a helper, he wouldn't have had to kill his mount and be forced to risk jumping off the cliff.

If the other party relentlessly pursues him and reaches the spot where he descends the cliff, they might throw stones at him from above. If he's unlucky, he could lose his life.

As he pondered the rules that led to the start of the challenge, Chen Zhou came up with a bold yet reasonable guess—

This man's partner, much like his mount, was usually killed by him at the beginning or during the challenge.

Rule number seven states that "if you are confident enough, taking survival tools from your partner is also a good option."

In most cases, a partner who can provide assistance, complement each other's weaknesses, and act as a sentinel during the long night is better than several tools.

Aside from extremely ruthless individuals who are confident they can survive alone, very few would choose to take away their partner's survival tools or even kill them outright.

"Dangerous person," Chen Zhou silently labeled the man in black, deciding to focus on dealing with him in his subsequent plans.

This was not only because of the black-robed man's fierce nature, but also because he could take care of his teammates—

Each challenger is a formidable force in their own world. Although there are varying strengths and weaknesses among the two in the same group, defeating one's partner is not an easy task.

The fact that the man in black killed his partner shows that he was ruthless and cruel, and also that his fighting ability far surpassed that of his partner.

Of course, it's not impossible for someone to be killed in a sneak attack.

Judging from this person's current behavior, Chen Zhou believes he is likely a very confident or even arrogant person. For such a person, crushing an insect head-on is far more in line with his nature than resorting to underhanded tactics.

……

Paul didn't have Chen Zhou's excellent eyesight; he could only vaguely see people moving around on the cliff top, but he couldn't make out the movements of the man in black robes.

Seeing Chen Zhou's expression gradually become serious, he couldn't help but ask what to do next.

Chen Zhou had only slept for two hours and his energy was not fully restored. He had originally planned to take Paul deeper into the Black Forest when it got light, but when he saw the man in black robes about to reach the bottom of the cliff, he immediately lost the desire to continue resting.

"Let's figure out the terrain first, then have a meal, and then go resupply directly below the landing site."

Chen Zhou got up, picked up all his weapons and equipment, and slung them over his back. He then beckoned the three saw-toothed tigers to come closer to him.

"Shall we stay here and continue observing the other challengers' movements?"

"Knowing the third team is enough. They are our first competitors, and some of them have already fallen off the cliff. We must maintain our lead."

With that, Chen Zhou walked into the Black Forest.

Although Paul didn't know why Chen Zhou suddenly changed his mind, obeying orders was a soldier's duty, so without hesitation, he immediately followed behind Chen Zhou.

……

The dark green primeval forest gives people a sense of mystery and vitality.

But this forest area, composed of black and dark gray, gives people a completely different feeling—

Oppressive, deathly silent, and with an ever-present sense of danger.

The ground was exceptionally solid; apart from a thin layer of dust blown in by the wind, there was nothing else soft to be found.

The trees, now jade-like, stand tall, their dark trunks forming a canopy that blocks out the sun. Once inside the forest, even the sunlight dims considerably, as if one has stepped from dawn into afternoon.

Chen Zhou, Paul, and the three-headed sawtooth tiger disappeared into the shadows of the trees, observing the terrain of the forest among the intertwined giant trees, occasionally crossing the boundary between the edge of the Black Forest and the outside world to spy on the movements of the other two groups of challengers.

As one of the first challengers to reach the edge of the tundra, Chen Zhou could understand the thoughts of the other challengers.

When you've traveled hundreds of kilometers toward a distant goal, and you're exhausted and even starting to doubt yourself, you discover that the goal is real and right in front of you. Who could possibly suppress the excitement in their heart?

If they hadn't arrived so late yesterday, these two groups of challengers probably would have already taken the risk.

After a night of torment, they finally waited for the sun to rise. Naturally, they couldn't contain their desire to reach the area directly below the airdrop. The two groups of challengers strangely maintained a tacit understanding of not interfering with each other, either weaving ropes or looking for a safer way down the mountain, trying to climb down the cliff as quickly as possible.

Fortunately, when Chen Zhou and Paul went down the mountain, they deliberately used moss to "hide" the stones that were used to tie their belts.

On a cliff face stretching for thousands of meters, a protruding rock was inconspicuous. The two teams of challengers were focused on figuring out how to get off the cliff when no one expected that someone had already gone down the cliff first and left behind a ready-made "ladder to heaven".

Although they didn't find a shortcut, the two teams of challengers still descended the cliff at a remarkable speed.

One group brought ropes and, after selecting a stable anchor point, began to climb down.

The other team, lacking ropes, became anxious upon seeing their competitors begin their descent. They grabbed sharp, short weapons and used them as climbing axes, attempting to descend the mountain by hand.

Compared to their opponents who had safety measures in place, this team was naturally much slower.

But it was precisely because they were slow that they escaped a deadly disaster—

After descending the mountain, the man in black robes did not enter the Black Forest. Instead, he found a secluded hollow and hid there, where he remained for most of the day.

The challenger who was descending the mountain using a rope was attacked by him just as he was about to reach the bottom of the cliff.

Although the challengers were on guard, their vigilance was more directed at the other challenger team.

No one, including Chen Zhou, expected this guy to be so ruthless and patient, waiting motionless at the bottom of the cliff for five or six hours just for revenge, even giving up the chance to be the first to enter the Black Forest. A challenger near the bottom of the cliff was hit by a long-range weapon, a bloody flower bloomed on his back, and he screamed as he fell off the cliff.

Before falling off the cliff, he was at least 8 meters above the ground. After being attacked, he was unable to adjust his landing posture and crashed solidly onto the rocks at the bottom of the cliff. Even if he did not die on the spot, the serious injuries would have been enough to kill him.

The other challenger descended the cliff at a slightly faster pace, and was about 3 meters from the ground when he was attacked. Seeing his companion fall, he was afraid of following in his footsteps, so in a moment of panic he jumped down and then drew his weapon to chase after the man in black.

The man in black robes succeeded in his plan, turning a two-on-one situation into a one-on-one duel.

This seems to be exactly the result he wanted—

Now, if he kills this survivor, he can obtain all the survival tools that the challenger possesses, thus securing victory.

However, when faced with the challenger charging towards him, the man in black robes once again made a choice that no one expected.

He escaped.

Turning around and facing away from the challenger, the man in black robes began to run.

Although he was tall and looked like a clumsy person, he was surprisingly fast when he ran; in fact, he could be described as swift.

The challenger who had just descended the cliff was already some distance away from him and was not as fast as him. No matter how angry he was, he could not catch up and could only watch the man in black rush into the distance, the striking black figure fluttering in the wind and eventually becoming smaller and smaller.

……

"what!"

With a loud roar, the challenger collapsed to the ground, put down his weapon, and clutched his head, unable to stand up for a long time.

Not long ago, he and his partner were discussing which direction to take after descending the cliff, how to distribute the supplies after obtaining them, and were also discussing with great interest what was inside the airdrop.

Less than an hour later, their conversation vanished into thin air, disappearing from reality and remaining forever in memory.

When he landed, he could see clearly that his partner had been stabbed in the back with a hole three fingers wide, and the ground next to him was covered in blood; he was no longer breathing.

From that moment on, he became a lone wolf, forced to face all the difficulties that followed alone, while the man in black robes, the culprit, was able to leave with ease, and he couldn't even catch up with him.

Anger, but powerlessness—this is suffocating despair.

……

"let's go."

Having witnessed everything, Chen Zhou immediately led Paul in pursuit of the direction the man in black had fled.

From the moment the man in black attacked from below, he marked him as a high-threat individual and regarded him as his biggest competitor for supplies, and his killing intent towards him reached its peak.

As long as this person is alive, he will never feel safe.

With the enemy in the open and him in the dark, he wanted to catch up as quickly as possible and eliminate them while they were not fully on guard.

There are now four teams of challengers at the edge of the tundra. Besides him and Paul, two of the other three teams are incomplete, and the only full-strength team is not strong enough and does not seem to have much competitiveness. As long as they can kill this man in black, getting supplies will be a piece of cake.

……

The two men and three tigers darted through the forest. Chen Zhou tried his best to keep pace with Paul, and made sure to give him important instructions.

"Try to let me face him alone; don't rush into the fight."

This person's fighting ability is far superior to yours. Your help is likely to make me hesitant, and it may not only fail to have a positive effect, but may also have a negative impact on me.

If he runs away, I will chase after him. You must not stay where you are; find a secluded place to hide.

I'm not sure if I can outrun this person. Judging from his previous behavior, he's extremely vengeful. If you stay put and he targets you, there's a high probability he'll attack you.

Finally, if he manages to catch you and it becomes a one-on-one situation, remember to defend with all your might, shout for help and try to reveal your location. I will rush back to support you as quickly as possible, so you must hold on.”

"Have you written it all down?"

"take note of it."

Seeing Paul nod firmly, Chen Zhou remained silent and quickened his pace.

The black-robed man's temperament was unpredictable. It was hard to say whether he would run into the depths of the forest in one go, or whether he would turn back to ambush another group of challengers or kill a lone challenger.

They could only do their utmost to shorten the distance between themselves and the man in black robes and to ascertain his movements as soon as possible in order to stop him.

……

The closer Chen Zhou got to the location where the man in black had disappeared, the slower he became.

All three saw-toothed tigers sensed the solemn atmosphere and lowered their heads. Their paws had soft pads, making their footsteps very quiet; as natural hunters, their body structure was better suited for stealth.

Sniffing, Chen Zhou took a deep breath—

He was now less than 100 meters from where the man in black had disappeared from sight, and he had just caught a whiff of a scent that seemed out of place in the Black Forest—

It has the unique stale smell of dried willow branches, along with a mixture of stone, blood, and earthy odors.

Apart from a few mosses, lichens, and wild grasses that have survived thanks to the relatively warm climate, there are no small shrubs to be found in the Black Forest. The scent of willows that can be found here must have been brought by outsiders.

As for the smell of stones, blood, and earth, Chen Zhou guessed it was from the black-robed man descending the cliff or lying in ambush for too long.

The bloody smell came from the black-robed man's mount, the camel. He hadn't cleaned his weapons after killing the camel, and it was impossible for the bloody smell to have dissipated in just a few hours.

He made a shushing gesture, indicating that Paul should slow down again.

Chen Zhou was almost certain that the man in black was nearby, no more than 50 meters away from them.

If it weren't for the countless thick "tree walls" in the Black Forest blocking their view, they could see each other at a glance from this distance.

Unsure if his whereabouts had been exposed, Chen Zhou secretly increased his vigilance, tucked his spear into the strap on his back, took out his longbow, nocked an arrow, and waited to find his "prey" or face a sudden encounter.

……

In the Black Forest, there are only dead trees, no surviving branches or leaves still rotting.

Walking through it, you feel an extreme silence at every moment, so quiet that it seems as if all living things in the world have disappeared.

This naturally occurring atmosphere can make people relax their guard, or it can instinctively make them feel uneasy and thus irritable.

The towering tree trunks and monotonous colors can also interfere with people's vision and make it difficult for them to concentrate.

Following the scent of blood, Chen Zhou carefully circled around a tree trunk so thick it would take several people to hug it, and continued forward, forward… (End of Chapter)