By the stream, a fierce battle between man and beast raged, turning the world upside down.

Kains fought more valiantly as the battle progressed, his sharp sword qi leaving wound after wound on the tough hide of the Shaking Mountain Rhinoceros, which no longer possessed its previous ferocious momentum.

Both Arthur and the mercenaries of the mercenary group were stirred with excitement. As one of only two level 8 warriors in the city of Hua O'Leis, the mercenaries knew their leader was formidable, but few had seen Kains exert his full strength.

Now, the mercenaries truly understood why "Blood Spike" and "Wild Wolf Fox," two of the old mercenary groups, had always been dissatisfied with the rapid rise of "Blue Enchantress" but dared not voice their complaints, resorting to setting small traps in secret.

After clashing head-on with Kains once more, the Shaking Mountain Rhinoceros suddenly turned and ran upstream.

"Is it running away?" The mercenaries watching from afar were slow to react at first.

The first to respond was the elf Iraya, who leaped out of the bushes and chased after the direction the Shaking Mountain Rhinoceros had fled.

"Forget it, don't chase. This creature's vitality is too strong; we can't kill it," Kains called out in time to stop the elf archer.

"A level 7 beast. If we could have killed this big guy, our 'Blue Enchantress' would have made a big name for itself in Hua O'Leis!" Angus shook his head in regret.

"Stop dreaming. Even if we killed it, we couldn't transport it back," Adeline said, wiping the sweat from her forehead and slightly out of breath. The battle had nearly depleted her magic, and she would have had to withdraw if the Shaking Mountain Rhinoceros hadn't fled.

Suddenly, both noticed that Kains had stopped speaking. Looking up, they saw his face pale, his hands gripping his sword to maintain his stance, but his legs were trembling slightly.

"Boss, what's wrong?" Angus stepped forward to support Kains's arm.

The moment Angus touched Kains, his body swayed, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Did you get hurt just now?" Adeline also stepped forward, concerned.

"It's nothing, just an old injury that acted up because I overexerted myself," Kains said, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth and slowly sitting down.

"We're being followed. Find the person without attracting attention," Kains suddenly whispered in a very low voice.

Angus and Adeline were startled but showed no signs of it on their faces.

As the mercenaries gathered around, the two discreetly left the group.

The mercenary group decided to camp by the stream that night. After the fierce battle, the scent left by the level 7 beast deterred lower-level beasts from approaching, making it the safest place.

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When the campfire was lit, Angus and Adeline returned to the camp. The mercenaries were still excitedly discussing the battle, and no one noticed where the two leaders had been during this time.

Kains sat alone by a small campfire, sipping wine, with two grilled fish Arthur had brought him nearby. Knowing the leader had been injured in the battle, no one disturbed him.

Kains gestured for Angus and Adeline to sit down and asked eagerly, "Did you find anything?"

Adeline shook her head gently.

Angus also shook his head but quickly added, "Though we didn't find the person following us, there are indeed signs of other people having been nearby. I found two patches of grass that had been pressed down by someone."

As a hunter, Angus was very sensitive to various animal tracks, so if he said they were made by humans, he was certainly right.

Kains frowned deeply, showing a realization.

"How did you know we were being followed?" Adeline asked, puzzled.

"If I said I guessed, would you believe me?" Kains countered.

Adeline gave him a disdainful look.

Kains, feeling a bit embarrassed, continued, "From the moment we entered the mountains, we encountered a group of Bighan, which could be explained as coincidence. Then we fell into the territory of migrating Devouring Magic Worms, and after that, we encountered a level 7 beast that suddenly went berserk and left its territory. Too many coincidences indicate an inevitability!"

"Just because of these, you concluded someone is deliberately targeting us? It's impossible for anyone to control the Devouring Magic Worms and a level 7 beast," Adeline was still skeptical.

Kains looked at Angus, "Based on your experience, is it possible to do so?"

After pondering for a while, Angus slowly said, "Controlling a level 7 beast is possible for some, but it's impossible for low-intelligence beasts like the Devouring Magic Worms."

"Was my judgment wrong?" Kains's brow furrowed even tighter.

Angus suddenly changed the topic, "Boss, you're not wrong! I thought about it, and although controlling beasts is difficult, luring beasts to appear on our path is easy. As long as the beasts encounter us, they will naturally attack."

"How did they do it?"

"To lure the Shaking Mountain Rhinoceros, I know the method. During its mating season, if you get the urine of a female, it will follow the scent. As for the Devouring Magic Worms, although I don't know what method the enemy used, I've heard that dragon blood has a fatal attraction to these worms," Angus explained slowly.

"Stop joking. If someone had the ability to obtain dragon blood, would they need to use such methods against us? They could just attack directly, and we wouldn't be able to resist," Adeline still doubted Kains's judgment.

"No, the enemy doesn't need to actually get dragon blood!" Kains interrupted Adeline, "Don't forget there are many subspecies of beasts with partial dragon bloodlines. I think their blood might have a similar effect."

The three fell silent.

All the pieces fit together, indicating a huge trap had been set from the moment the mercenary group entered the mountains, or perhaps even earlier!

But a new fog of questions arose: who had set this trap for the mercenary group?

"Blood Spike? Wild Wolf Fox? Or did both join hands?" Adeline suddenly whispered tentatively.

Kains shook his head firmly, "None of them. Although the three are competitors, as old mercenary groups, they haven't stooped to that level, and most importantly, they don't have the strength to swallow us whole!"

"Then the problem lies with the mission? Someone has their eyes on what we're escorting."

Kains sighed softly, "I was careless. Did I underestimate the importance of what we're escorting?"

"I know I shouldn't ask, but at this point, don't you want to let us know exactly what we're escorting?" Adeline's tone was filled with urgency.

Kains smiled bitterly, "To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what we're escorting. So, not knowing might be better for you."

"Then let's abandon this mission and return the commission to the client," Adeline suggested.

"As mercenaries, once we accept a mission, we can't abandon it, even at the cost of our lives."

Kains softened his tone and continued, "The danger of this mission has far exceeded my expectations. You lead the team back tomorrow, and I will take the item to the Sorren Gorge myself. Now, I really want to see who the client is."

As he said these words, Kains's eyes flashed with a cold light...