Night.

At the foot of a hill, a bonfire blazed fiercely.

Two thieves, one tall and one short, were keeping watch.

"The boss is really furious this time. He didn't want to chase at first, but those people in the small camp actually tricked him." The short thief whispered.

The tall thief glanced at the firelight below and lowered his voice. "Right? Two pathfinders died instantly. If not for the captain of the trackers, we'd still be fooled. He smelled the trail and realized it was from days ago."

"Mm… I just hope when we return, we get more water rations."

Suddenly, the short thief pointed. "Eh? Look over there, there's light in the distance!"

The tall thief's face darkened. "Don't stare. Too much curiosity at night will kill you."

"Why? What if it's people? Should we go grab a handful?" The short thief's eyes gleamed greedily.

"Are you stupid?" The tall thief scolded coldly. "Fierce beasts at night are terrifying—and cunning. Some even use light to lure prey."

The short thief shivered. "R-really?"

"You'll see. That light will vanish soon."

And sure enough—

"Huh? It's gone."

"Told you. The beast making that glow might be as big as a hill."

"…Alright, stop scaring me."

Silence returned to the night.

---

By dawn, before the sky even brightened, the Bloodbeard bandits set out again toward their valley base.

The atmosphere was heavy. Along the way, Bloodbeard's temper erupted several times—he injured more than one of his own men in his rage. Even the captain-level leaders of the Night Jackals and the Trackers dared not breathe too loudly in his presence.

When they returned to the valley by evening, they found Blood Knife, leading two hundred men, waiting outside.

"What are you doing here? Who's guarding the base?" Bloodbeard's face turned black. His hand was already on the hilt of his blade.

If the answer didn't satisfy him, his son would suffer.

"F-Father… the nursery room is gone."

Blood Knife shrank back, voice trembling. "A thief snuck in and stole the important things."

"What? Where's the crystal fish!?" Bloodbeard's eyes went bloodshot as he grabbed his son's collar, saliva spraying in his fury.

"Also… gone." Blood Knife stammered, terrified. "Only… some water and jerky are left."

Smack!!!

Bloodbeard's palm struck like thunder, sending his son flying several meters.

The crystal fish was the foundation of their entire bandit group—the core resource that kept everyone in line. Without it, the thieves would scatter sooner or later.

If Blood Knife weren't his only son, Bloodbeard would have cut him down on the spot.

"Get lost." Bloodbeard waved away the crowd, leaving only his four boss-level captains and Blood Knife.

He didn't even enter the valley, but sat on a roadside boulder like a coiled beast. His voice was low and dangerous. "Tell me everything. Clearly."

Blood Knife held his swollen face, speaking vaguely. "The night before, the thief climbed up from behind the hill. He blocked the door from inside. Yesterday, when we opened it, he was gone. We searched the entire camp but found nothing."

"You idiots! Anyone who can climb that hill wouldn't sit around waiting for you to catch them!" Bloodbeard roared, his crimson eyes blazing.

"Boss, what matters now should we track the thief." Cunning Fox, one of the four captains, stepped in cautiously.

"Yes. He can't have gone far. We should be able to catch him," the Tracker captain added.

No one dared say the truth—that two days had already passed.

Bloodbeard sucked in a heavy breath, forcing down his rage. "What did he leave behind?"

"Some white ropes." Blood Knife pulled a bundle of semi-transparent cords from his pocket.

"Tracker. You handle it." Bloodbeard tossed it over.

"Yes." The Tracker lifted the rope to his nose and sniffed deeply.

His eyes narrowed in shock. "Boss… this scent matches the one left at that small camp we checked before."

"You mean… the same people who lured us there also stole my crystal fish?" Bloodbeard's voice was deathly cold.

"Yes. Without a doubt."

"Good. Very good…" Bloodbeard grinned, baring yellowed teeth. His voice dropped to a growl. "They dare calculate against me? I'll drag them out myself."

"Yes, Boss."

The Tracker sniffed again, then stiffened.

"Well? Spit it out." Bloodbeard's tone cut like a blade.

"…There are two other scents on this rope. One faint… the other strong. Very strong. It doesn't smell human."

"I don't care if it's human or not!" Bloodbeard slammed a fist into the rock, cracking it. "I only want to know if you can track them!"

"Yes. With this scent, I can follow them. It hasn't faded yet." The Tracker's confidence returned.

"Good." Bloodbeard's killing intent spread like a storm. "Bring out all the water and meat. Let everyone eat their fill—we set out tonight."

He would lead all five hundred bandits in a frenzied pursuit.

The crystal fish had to be recovered. Without it, he would rather see half his men die than let the group collapse.

"Yes, Father." Blood Knife quickly ordered men to distribute the food and water.

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