The Survival of the Wild Tribe

163

"How did the crocodile dragon get here?"
"Don't let it run into the tribe! Do you want to lead the crocodile dragon there?" someone cursed loudly.
Since the small tribe's residence is not here, it's too risky to try to stop a beast like the crocodile dragon. The orc warriors quickly return to their tents and scatter their valuables as they collect them.
Though the crocodile dragon is not slow, its bulky body means it's not as agile as an orc warrior. As long as you stay away from it and don't become its target, you don't have to worry about becoming its food.
But for the tiger and lion tribe warriors near the tribe, watching the crocodile dragon's direction, they can't just sit back. If the crocodile dragon enters the tribe, it would be a huge loss for their tribe.
The remaining tiger and lion tribe warriors in the settlement surrounded the area, blocking the crocodile dragon's path. But they didn't rush forward. If the crocodile dragon changed direction before they attacked, they wouldn't have to expend a lot of effort hunting it down. After all, even a powerful tribe like the tiger and lion tribe would pay a high price to hunt such a fierce creature.
"Roar." The earth seemed to tremble with the beast's roar, and the flame ant hid among the hairs, ready to attack at any moment.
Lu Zhan jumped down from a tall branch, "The crocodile dragon is headed towards the river. Someone should use this chaos to head towards the tiger-lion tribe. Crocodile dragons have a very sensitive sense of smell. It's better if we don't confront it directly."
The three nodded. Although most of their luggage was exchanged for stone salt with the Tiger Lion tribe, they also acquired plenty of wild fruits and fur from other small tribes. While they may have less luggage than before, they now have more variety, including a dozen red, ripe pumpkins carried in net bags and hung on Zhan Er's body. There's no space for Lu Zhan to ride, but thanks to the strength of the staghorn horses, their running speed isn't affected by the additional luggage.

While Luo Zhen and the others wanted to avoid the crocodile dragon, they found themselves retreating in the direction opposite to it. However, it became clear that along with the crocodile dragon, another feared beast had entered the area this time - the dire wolf.
This pack of dire wolves was different from the one they encountered on the Southern Foot Plain. Though their numbers didn't seem large, probably only about a dozen, each one was formidable, daring to pounce and bite like the crocodile dragon.
Originally planning to avoid detection by the orc warriors of the Tiger and Lion tribe as they sneaked into their territory, they intended to take a detour. However, the scattered dire wolves blocked off all routes in three directions. Forced to avoid a direct confrontation with the dire wolves, their only option was to retreat towards the Tiger and Lion tribe.
The dire wolves clearly didn't expect so many orcs. Glancing dangerously at the scattered humans with bags ready to flee, they raised their heads and howled. The sound echoed across the colony, audible from anywhere.
Some who fled upon sensing danger ran into the dire wolves chasing from behind. The dire wolves, heedless of their prey's possessions, rushed forward. Barely escaping dire wolf bites, one man's belongings weren't as fortunate. The dire wolf tore apart the animal skin wrapping his items, scattering them on the ground.
Eyeing the orc in front of it with greed, the dire wolf knew brute force alone wouldn't work against the orc warriors. Glancing at another beastized orc coming to aid his comrade, the three orc warriors faced off against the dire wolf.
Lu Zhan cursed. They had relied on the staghorn horses' speed to bypass the Tiger and Lion tribe's orc warriors and rush into the nearby forest. Unfortunately, their luck was poor, encountering a pack of dire wolves.
The lead dire wolf, stronger than the others, aimed for Lu Zhan's throat. Only his quick reflexes saved him from being bitten.

Lu Zhan wasn't afraid of the dire wolf alone, though he was a bit wary of the crocodile dragon, which was challenging to defeat. It seemed the sudden attack from the dire wolf had angered him. Licking his lips, Lu Zhan said to Shan Qi, "Protect the great witch."
Shan Qi nodded, leading the staghorn horse and the others away. They weren't sure if more dire wolves were lurking nearby, but they couldn't risk being surrounded.
Once they were at a safe distance, Lu Zhan turned his fierce gaze toward the wolf in front of him, his expression cold. "This is the first time I've seen a dire wolf brave enough to hunt alone. How many of your kind did you kill to earn that courage?"
The wolf's pupils contracted, growling with saliva dripping from its mouth. Its sharp teeth gleamed. It didn't immediately attack, as if sizing up Lu Zhan.
"Even dared to hunt a crocodile dragon. Is there something on it that you desire?" Lu Zhan spoke as if chatting with a creature that understood human language, though he knew the wolf wouldn't respond.
Before he could make a move, the wolf leaped at him. Lu Zhan braced himself for the impact.
The white giant leopard and the gray dire wolf clashed, engaging in a wild, skill-less battle. They bit and tackled each other, causing chaos around the settlement. Tents toppled, and wild fruits scattered, with everyone focused solely on protecting the precious stone salt.
Meanwhile, more than a dozen tiger and lion warriors, along with tribes allied with them, transformed to fight the crocodile dragon. The earth shook with the roars of beasts - orc warriors, dire wolves, and crocodile dragons. Nearby creatures retreated to their dens or hid in the water.
The tiger and lion tribe warriors were too occupied with the crocodile dragon to notice the direction others fled. Those trying to run toward the tribe were blocked by warriors rushing to help.

Several staghorn horses moved in a neat line through the mountains and forests. Lu Zhan confronted the dire wolf as the other three approached smoothly. They chose a relatively steep cliff to settle on, ensuring that the dire wolves, not adept at climbing, couldn't sneak up behind them.
"Can our leader handle that wolf?" A Qing looked toward Lu Zhan's direction, but the thick trees obstructed his view. Even stretching his neck, he couldn't see beyond the settlement's wide expanse. Amidst the fighting, it was hard to discern if any noise was from Lu Zhan.
"Are you doubting the leader's strength? Be careful, he might challenge you to a duel if he hears that." Shan Qi left a mark on the cliff's edge for Lu Zhan to follow later.
A Qing shrank back, knowing not everyone could jest with the leader, especially considering the vast strength gap. When competing with Lu Zhan, victory or defeat wasn't straightforward; sometimes fights lasted a whole day, full of tricks. Even if A Qing got close to winning, Lu Zhan would find a way out. It was exhausting to argue with him.
A Qing observed Lu Zhan's distance, hoping to avoid another challenge.
However, A Qing wasn't questioning Lu Zhan's strength. On the contrary, he trusted Lu Zhan's power more than anyone in the tribe. Even if Lu Zhan couldn't defeat the wolf, he could lead them to safety.
As they talked, they noticed Luo Zhen frowning and staring into the distance, toward the direction of the crocodile dragon and the Tiger Lion tribe orcs' battle.
"What's wrong, Great Witch?" Shan Qi remained vigilant, aware of the dangers around them.
"It seems the crocodile dragon was chased here by the dire wolves," Luo Zhen guessed uncertainly.
He had just heard Shan Qi talk about the crocodile dragon's power, so it was surprising to see it being pursued by the dire wolf pack.
What could attract dire wolves to hunt a stronger opponent?
Luo Zhen furrowed his brows, thinking deeply. As far as he knew, only one thing could make a beast challenge a stronger foe: power, fueled by life energy.