The Purple Agate Tribe.

Priest Isaiah and the other tribe members looked at each other with incredulity, even wondering if they were hallucinating. They heard something—

Lord Enzo!

The esteemed caravan leader Moregard referred to that stranger as Lord Enzo!

Isaiah wasn’t very clear about the matters concerning the Crimson Star Tribe.

However, he could see Moregard’s respect for Enzo.

This indicated that Enzo’s status was definitely significant, likely being a great personage of the Crimson Star Tribe. But just now, Moregard not only insulted Enzo but also wanted to kill him.

This was truly disastrous!

Priest Isaiah collapsed to the ground, his eyes vacant, as if he had lost his soul.

The other tribe members fared no better.

The thought of offending the caravan and never being able to buy those exquisite goods or use those fine tools left the members of the Purple Agate Tribe in confusion.

At the same time, there was an unnamed anger rising.

It was all because of Fitow!

Indeed, everything was caused by Fitow!

The group quickly found an excuse for their actions, and since Fitow had been slapped to death by Enzo, he could not refute them. He truly was the perfect scapegoat.

Of course, for Per and old Valencia, it was a shock.

They never expected that the person they had casually rescued from the isolated island would turn out to be a great personage of the Crimson Star Tribe.

This was unbelievable!

Per was especially delighted, as Enzo was her teacher.

…

Meanwhile.

Beside the caravan led by Moregard.

Enzo, with a calm expression, asked the worried Moregard, “What’s the matter?”

Enzo had some impression of Moregard.

He had heard from Douglas that Moregard was the leader of a caravan responsible for Qaidam Lake, possessing an exceptional sense of direction. He was the only one capable of negotiating successfully with the tribes in Qaidam Lake without a map, given that the tribes lived on similarly-sized islands surrounded by lake waters, making it easy to get lost.

Upon hearing Enzo’s question, Moregard replied, “Lord Priest, while we were traveling, we discovered some mutated creatures.”

“Mutated creatures?”

Enzo asked with curiosity.

Moregard nodded and led Enzo to a beast-skin-wrapped package. When opened, it revealed a fish about a meter long, but with the fangs of a beast, claws where the gills should be, and strange patterns on its tail.

Enzo’s expression turned serious as he asked, “What is this?”

Moregard shook his head, unsure, and speculated, “In Qaidam Lake, many beasts have mutated because of a strange reagent. I suspect this is a result of the potion.”

“No, it isn’t.”

Enzo refuted Moregard’s guess.

Pointing to the claws on the strange fish, he said, “There are signs of splicing here, which means this mutant fish was assembled by someone. It’s highly likely that this is a man-made creation.”

Moregard was greatly surprised and muttered, “You think it’s man-made?”

Enzo didn’t elaborate but said, “Moregard, we need to return to the Crimson Star Tribe immediately. The situation at Qaidam Lake might be more severe than expected. I need to get back as soon as possible.”

“Understood!”

Moregard responded promptly.

Though he was curious why Enzo didn’t simply return himself, considering it was well-known that Enzo could fly, Moregard refrained from asking.

There must be a deeper reason for Enzo’s choice.

Enzo then returned to the Purple Agate Tribe.

As soon as he entered, Priest Isaiah approached him with utmost respect, saying, “Respected Lord Enzo, it was all Fitow’s fault that we misjudged you. Please forgive us!”

Enzo ignored the apology.

Then he went directly to old Valencia and Per, asking, “Old Valencia, Per, do you want to join me in going to the Crimson Star Tribe? I can promise you a place there.”

Old Valencia was thrilled and asked, “Really?”

It was the Crimson Star Tribe!

The Crimson Star Tribe had become a legend in Qaidam Lake, a tribe of immense wealth and power, with endless food and clothing.

The idea of becoming a member was overwhelming.

Old Valencia trembled with excitement.

Per, however, was more concerned and asked, “Master Enzo, could this cause you any trouble?”

Enzo placed his hand on Per’s head, gently rubbing her slightly discolored hair, and said, “Don’t worry, it’s fine. Few people oppose my orders.”

From this, Per sensed a strong confidence, and her worries disappeared.

The Purple Agate Tribe members, however, were filled with envy and regret. They lamented why they hadn’t treated Enzo better before, as they might have been allowed to join the Crimson Star Tribe.

But, as is often the case, there are no second chances in life.

It wasn’t until Enzo, Per, and old Valencia left, with the caravan moving out of view, that the Purple Agate Tribe members began to regain their senses.

After a while, someone nudged Priest Isaiah and said, “Lord Priest, they’ve left.”

Isaiah snapped out of his daze and issued a new order: “From now on, any stranger who comes to the tribe must be treated with respect, as long as they do not pose a threat to the tribe.”

“Yes!”

The tribe members responded in unison.

This command would indeed bring changes to the Purple Agate Tribe in the near future.

However that was a story for later.

…

On the calm lake surface shimmering with light.

Moregard’s caravan moved swiftly in wooden boats, creating white waves and startling the fish below.

In the vast Qaidam Lake area, wooden boats were the most convenient means of travel for merchants.

At that moment, a crew member responsible for observing the front called out, “Captain Moregard, there’s something!”

The boats came to a halt.

In the distance, the once green lake surface had turned red, and a strong smell of blood was unsettling.

Moregard glanced sideways and immediately ordered, “Move the boats to the small island on the left. Everyone disembark and drag the boats and supplies ashore!”

Moregard’s command was timely.

Once everyone was on land, a group of massive mutant fish suddenly appeared on the lake.

These creatures were similar to the one Moregard had found—strange in shape, with blood-red eyes and a wave-like crimson stripe on their heads, reminiscent of the curse Freya had suffered, which also had a blood-red wave pattern.

Was there a relationship between these two?

Enzo sensed an unusual connection between these phenomena.

The mutant fish, agitated by the presence of people on land, leaped out of the water, opening their terrifying jaws and spraying large water balls, though none reached the people onshore.

After a while, the fish retreated.

With the danger passed, Moregard instructed the caravan members to put the boats back in the water and take advantage of the opportunity to leave.

“What exactly were those things?”

Per asked with great curiosity on the boat.

Moregard, somewhat puzzled, asked in return, “Haven’t you encountered these creatures before?”

Per shook her head and explained, “We’ve never seen anything like this before.”

Enzo then inquired, “Moregard, how many times have you encountered these mutant fish?”

Moregard thought for a moment before replying, “Lord Enzo, at least five times. The first time we encountered them, we mistook them for ordinary piranhas, but we underestimated their intelligence and strength. As a result, our boat was damaged, cargo fell into the water, and several caravan members were injured.”

“And after that, we encountered them several more times. “

“These mutant fish possess a certain level of intelligence and astonishing strength. Some can even shoot water balls or jets, which must be supernatural powers.”

Moregard shared all he knew with Enzo.

The rest of the journey was much smoother. When they reached the shores of Plata Plain, they did not encounter any more of the mutant fish. However, Moregard and the others did not notice that, deep in the lake, at a depth of several dozen meters, a giant mutant fish several meters long was following them.

Once Enzo and his group disembarked, the giant fish also left, swimming toward a specific location.

Entering Plata Plain, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

With Audrey enslaved by Enzo, although Enzo couldn’t command her to directly deal with the supernatural creatures, Audrey was equally unable to assist in their defeat. The situation on Plata Plain had dramatically changed, with the Crimson Star Tribe’s adventurer teams now actively searching for the supernatural beings.

Many of the original Plata Plain tribe members had returned to join the fight.

Moreover, Plata Plain’s vast terrain and abundant pasture made it ideal for raising herbivores like yaks and wild rabbits. Watt had arranged for the construction of several interconnected animal pens on Plata Plain, a significant project that only the Crimson Star Tribe could undertake.

For Per and old Valencia, everything was new and intriguing.

They were increasingly curious about what the real Crimson Star Tribe camp was like and whether it was truly as prosperous as the rumors suggested.

Before long, Enzo and his group arrived back at the Crimson Star Tribe.

After instructing Moregard to arrange accommodations for old Valencia and Per, Enzo gave a few more brief instructions and then headed toward the Potion Hut to meet with Mina.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep