Andrew’s sharp eyes immediately recognized the man–Axel, the village chief.

So, it had been him all along–this manipulative snake playing ghost, pretending to be the tomb’s long-dead ruler just to indulge in a sick fantasy of him being emperor.

Stanley was indeed cunning as well. He had gotten down on his knees just to test out the truth from the fake. Even more decisive was that after discovering the results of his test, he directly ordered the gunfire.

That was the mark of someone who had lived over 100 years–ruthless, calculating, and without hesitation.

“What the hell? When did he sneak in?”

“Isn’t that Axel? The village chief?”

“Doesn’t matter. Kill him–shoot now!”

Kevin and the others had also recognized Axel. However, Rafael did not waste time with words and barked the order to open fire.

Axel whistled sharply, blood oozing from his shoulder where one of the stray bullets had grazed him. His face twisted with hatred. “You outsiders… and you–you old bastard who should’ve rotted in hell years ago! You want to take this underground treasure from me? Then die here! All of you!”

He burst into laughter and shouted, “Come, my child! It’s time to feast–eat your fill! Gorge yourself! Devour them all!”

Following Axel’s series of calls, a roar echoed through the palace. Then, a massive Dire Tiger charged through the collapsed palace entrance.

The nearest person did not even have time to turn his head before the black-furred beast slapped him against the wall with one paw, leaving him a bloody mess and killing him instantly.

Someone shrieked, “Shit! It’s a Dire Tiger!”

“Run quickly–this beast is powerful and hard to deal with!”

“Shoot! Shoot the damn thing! Move your asses!”

Rafael’s group immediately fell into chaos. Some fled for their lives while others opened fire. Several people who had never seen such a massive tiger were frozen in terror on the spot. The next second, they were bitten to death or crushed.

Andrew watched clearly from behind the artificial rock formation. The Dire Tiger that Axel raised on human flesh had incredible combat power. Even with bullets lodged in its body, its ferocity did not diminish at all. On the contrary, the sight of blood made the black-furred beast go completely berserk.

At close range, it moved with incredible agility and flexibility. With just one pounce, a foreign mercenary’s head was instantly crushed into the ground, spilling red and white matter everywhere.

Rafael pushed Stanley’s wheelchair frantically.

Stanley was panicking so badly he started cursing “Fuck! Fuck! Oh shit! Shit! Fire! Fire! Kill the beast!”

Andrew did not waste the moment. He quickly said, “Ms. Garcia, I’ll draw Stanley and Mosby’s attention. You use the chaos to get Mrs. Rhodes and the others out.”

Chantelle nodded. “Got it. I’ll cover you–just be careful, Mr. Lloyd.”

Andrew turned and sprinted toward the center of the underground lake. However, someone had already gotten there first–Axel.

He was already swimming across, fast and desperate. He climbed onto the pavilion’s platform and charged straight for the golden teak wood safe.

Andrew’s eyes narrowed. If there was anything in this tomb worth killing over, it was that Elixir of Immortality. He had never seen it, but he had heard enough to know it was not just a myth.

Without hesitation, Andrew launched himself forward. His feet skimmed across the water’s surface like a water strider, fast and fluid.

He reached the pavilion in a flash, closing the gap in seconds.

“You again?” Axel spun, both shocked and furious. With a wild cry, he slashed a curved blade straight at Andrew’s face.

With a cold snort, Andrew easily dodged and struck back with his palm, sending the village chief flying.

“Chief Flintspire, I don’t want to kill you! But your practice of feeding human flesh to tigers is unforgivable.”

Axel got back up, clutching his chest with a vicious expression.

“This priceless treasure belongs to me and my ancestors. Back then, our ancient village of Gallow’s End suffered a terrible disaster–a massive rainstorm washed out the burial goods from this ancient tomb.

“From then on, my ancestors gradually discovered that there was something extraordinary hidden in these mountains and found this Fallen Crimson Dynasty burial site!

“Do you know I spent half my lifetime digging the tunnel to reach this underground palace? Do you know that I’ve been planning for this tomb my entire life–my whole life! I will never