Outside the valley, on the grassy plains, Enzo remained indifferent to Priest Lucy’s words.

Hearing her hesitation, he interrupted with a smile, saying, “Priest Lucy, I understand you want to tell me about the power of the barren mountain’s scepter. But even if the barren mountain’s tribe, who possessed the scepter, and the Chew Bone Tribe are no more… What does it matter if the scepter holds great power? I believe that true strength lies within oneself. Only by being strong enough can we face any challenge and lead the tribe to greatness, rather than relying on such artifacts.”

Enzo’s words left Priest Lucy silent.

Despite being more than three times Enzo’s age with vast experience from traversing the vast barren mountain region.

Today she felt for the first time that her choices might have been wrong.

What good would obtaining the barren mountain’s scepter do?

Could she truly lead her people back to the archipelago with it?

Could she?

These questions plagued Priest Lucy’s mind.

She was unsure .She did not get an answer.

As she pondered, a large group of people began emerging from the valley, tribe members captured by the Chew Bone Tribe. Many were heavily injured, their eyes filled with fear. Among them were several pregnant women, huddled in fear.

Witnessing this scene ignited even more fury in Enzo’s heart.

The methods used earlier to eliminate members of the Chew Bone Tribe were perhaps too lenient.

Enzo sighed lightly and addressed the people brought by Gene, saying, “Some of these are your tribe members. Identify them and take them back.”

Gene and his group thanked Enzo once again and led their tribe members away.

Before long, a significant portion of this group had departed.

But there were still over three hundred people left.

It was evident that the tribes to which these individuals belonged had already been completely destroyed by the Chew Bone Tribe.

They had become exiles

Without a tribe to take them in, they would be vulnerable prey for jungle predators.

Enzo hesitated.

Should the Crimson Star Tribe absorb these people?

If it were just a dozen or so, he could easily accommodate them.

But over three hundred people exceeded the current population of the Crimson Star Tribe, especially considering many were injured from the torment inflicted by the Chew Bone Tribe. Even though he could use the life tree’s leaf totem to heal them physically, their mental scars would not heal so easily.

Not to mention, the rainy season was approaching.

As the rainy season approached, hunting would become severely hindered.

It would impact the Crimson Star Tribe’s food supply. Supporting the current tribe members alone was already a concern, let alone adding over three hundred more.

Clara understood Enzo’s dilemma and suggested, “Enzo, let’s go back.”

From a purely rational standpoint, there was only one choice—to abandon these three hundred plus people.

It was a fundamental rule of the primitive era: do not show sympathy to others!

Tia stood by Enzo.

She remained silent. Regardless of Enzo’s decision, she would support him.

The rescued group of over three hundred people also understood their predicament. The initial joy of being rescued faded quickly from their eyes, replaced by a sense of despair.

They knew no one would accept them at this moment.

Reality was harsh.

Just then, Enzo spoke up. He declared, “I am the priest of the Crimson Star Tribe. If you are willing to join us, you can follow me back. I can assure you that during the upcoming rainy season, you won’t go hungry. But there’s one condition: you must obey orders and contribute your labor!”

The eyes of over three hundred people lifted in unison, filled with determination as they looked at Enzo.

They shouted in unison, “We are willing to join the Crimson Star Tribe, forever loyal to Lord Priest!”

Enzo nodded approvingly and immediately gave the command, “Now, return to the tribe!”

…

In the jungle, Enzo led the group back to the Crimson Star Tribe’s camp.

With the complete elimination of the Chew Bone Tribe members, the conflict had come to an end. Despite not finding any trace of Crue, the arrival of the rainy season prevented the Crimson Star Tribe from allocating more resources to search for him.

It was an exhausting and thankless task.

Back at the camp, Enzo called for Ward.

Sovita was killed, and the daily management and various affairs of the tribe are now handled by Ward and Amy. While Amy is still in the learning stage, Ward possesses seasoned experience.

Essentially, Ward is now half of the managers of the Crimson Star Tribe.

Ward spoke up, “Lord Enzo, did you need me?”

Enzo nodded and said, “Arrange accommodations for those rescued individuals. Have them stay here first and instruct them on vegetable cultivation and pottery making techniques. As for our original tribe members, I plan to relocate them across the lake and establish a new camp.”

“A new camp?” Ward exclaimed in surprise.

However, he quickly realized the necessity.

According to the intelligence brought back by Heru, this rainy season was expected to bring heavy precipitation. Although the current location of the Crimson Star Tribe had yet to experience rain, they couldn’t afford to be complacent.

Any unexpected event could potentially lead to the tribe’s demise.

Enzo explained simply, “The Chew Bone Tribe has been eliminated, and the jungle will remain calm for a while. The supernatural creatures in the lake have also been cleared out. The new camp will be close to the lake, making water access convenient. It’s situated on higher ground, so there’s no need to worry about floods. Furthermore, we’re not completely abandoning this place. In the future, this old camp will serve as a production site for the Crimson Star Tribe, responsible for pottery making and vegetable cultivation.”

Ward understood the reasoning behind Enzo’s decisions.

Following Enzo’s instructions, Ward grouped the newly joined three hundred plus tribe members into designated areas. He then had people chop up bundles of wild vegetables and throw them into large clay pots, along with fresh meat slices, water, and cooked them into a rich vegetable and meat stew.

The aroma wafted out continuously, causing the new members to involuntarily salivate.

This kind of flavor was unheard of for many of them, not even experienced in their previous tribes or during their captivity in caves.

In many tribes, hunting didn’t always guarantee sufficient food.

And even when successful, priority was given to the hunting squad members and stronger tribe members, leaving many without meat.

Before long, the stew was ready.

Ward called several original tribe members to distribute ceramic bowls and allocate food.

The tribe had produced a large number of pottery bowls, with enough even for each new member to receive one, and still had surplus.

During distribution, there was no squabbling or contention.

The shadow of their past torment under the Chew Bone Tribe lingered, ensuring they kept quiet to avoid punishment, especially with patrols still active in the camp.

Despite the weariness from the recent battle, the Battle squad remained vigilant and did not relax their guard.

As the bowls were filled with stew, the new members eagerly blew on the hot broth and began to drink it down in large gulps.

The warmth of the soup filled their bodies, alleviating some of their hunger.

Yet more than gratitude, they felt unease.

Several approached Ward, who was distributing the stew, and collectively knelt before him, earnestly pleading, “Lord Manager, please do not exile us. We are willing to do any labor.”

This was a first for Ward.

He felt somewhat overwhelmed.

Fortunately, Amy quickly summoned Enzo. As Enzo looked upon the growing number of people kneeling, eventually all the new members who had returned with him were on their knees, their faces displaying unease.

These individuals had lived in the jungle and understood its dangers, as well as the harshness of jungle life.

To them, drinking the meat stew and using the ceramic bowls typically reserved for tribal leaders seemed surreal and illogical.

Many people’s first reaction to things that go against their own understanding was fear.

And these people were no exception.

Enzo gazed at them calmly and said, “Stand up.”

With that simple command, over three hundred people rose to their feet, all looking towards Enzo.

Enzo reiterated, “My promise still stands. What you use and eat now will only get better and better. If you don’t believe me, ask the tribe’s elder members. So, on this point, you can trust me! The future of the Crimson Star Tribe is not confined to this jungle alone. I will lead you out of the jungle, across the grasslands, and make the Crimson Star Tribe the most powerful clan. Never again will plunderers like the Chew Bone Tribe dare to provoke us! But to achieve this, it will require everyone’s effort, and you are already members of the Crimson Star Tribe! Therefore, the tribe’s strength also depends on you!”

“Lord Priest is right!” Ward exclaimed loudly, fully agreeing.

The over three hundred new members felt something ignite within them as they looked at the man still marked with blood. They felt the call and couldn’t help but shout, “For the tribe! For Lord Priest!”

Their cheers grew louder and spread further.

Nearby, Clara watched this scene with pride swelling in her heart.

This was the person she had vowed to follow.

And she had not been mistaken.

Tia’s face also lit up with a smile, as she suddenly remembered rescuing Enzo from the boars’ territory before. She recalled vividly his frantic state when he had just woken up. Comparing then and now, there was no doubt that the current Enzo was even more charming.

At that moment, Enzo himself sensed something different.

With the new members formally joining the tribe, the gathered tribal fire surged dramatically, pushing the power of the leaf totem of the life tree to a new level.

Enveloped in an unprecedented sense of strength, Enzo found himself captivated.

He knew this was a significant advancement for the totem.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep