Next to a massive lake, hundreds of yaks were lowering their heads to drink water. Standing beside these yaks were hundreds of bewildered slaves, their eyes filled with confusion. Shackled with wooden cuffs on their limbs, their movement was restricted. They glanced around the unfamiliar surroundings, feeling the coldness of the snowflakes and a sense of despair creeping into their hearts.

It’s so cold here, it could freeze a person.

Douglas muttered, the traveling merchant who had bought them from the slave market.

“Damn it!”

“Christina, I swear I’ve never hated snow this much!”

“At this rate, these slaves won’t last more than a few days in this weather. We might end up not only unable to sell them for a good price but also losing everything!”

“Damn it, why did winter come so early this year!”

Douglas cursed.

Christina, draped in a fiery red cloak that concealed her graceful figure, smiled wryly as she replied, “Douglas, as a traveling merchant, business failures are quite normal.”

“But it was my money that bought those slaves! It cost over a thousand gold leaves!” Douglas lamented.

Roman and Fierro approached, their expressions serious. “Boss, this weather isn’t right. It’s snowing so early this year, more than a month ahead of schedule.”

Christina didn’t respond immediately.

She had tried to use her Farsightedness to foresee the future but had received no insights.

This winter seemed likely to bring unexpected challenges.

After a moment’s thought, she said, “Give the slaves more food and use the animal skins to keep them warm. Have them travel on yaks. Once we cross Plata Plain, we’ll reach the jungle in at most half a month.”

Douglas remained concerned. “Half a month, who knows what other problems might arise…”

But Christina’s proposal was the only viable option for now.

Giving orders to his men, Douglas directed them to continue the journey after the yaks finished drinking, heading towards the jungle.

Meanwhile.

At the Thorn Bush Tribe in Plata Plain…

It was been several days since the destruction of the Mpondo Tribe. The sudden cold weather had prevented the bodies in the Mpondo Tribe’s camp from decaying quickly, allowing several tribes to witness the tragic scene, especially Reg’s body, which had been examined by many to determine his cause of death.

Reg offered no resistance. There were no other wounds on his body, just evidence of strangulation.

In the central tent of the Thorn Bush Tribe, someone spoke.

Chief Linda listened and affirmed, “Regarding that, I’ve already sent people to confirm and have spoken of it. It’s not worth repeating. What we need to discuss now is how to handle that tribe and perhaps the entire coalition of tribes in the jungle.”

“Linda Chief, do you have any specific information?” someone asked.

“Yes!” Linda acknowledged directly. “In these past few days, I had someone infiltrate the tribe and found out that the Mpondo Tribe was indeed wiped out by the Crimson Star Tribe. Moreover, I’ve learned many interesting things. The leader of the Crimson Star Tribe is remarkably young but possesses exceptional wisdom. He has introduced currency in the jungle, established markets, and even created an organization called the Adventurer’s Association…”

As Linda spoke, the expressions of those present turned serious.

They realized a formidable tribe had emerged in the jungle, posing a significant threat to the numerous tribes of Plata Plain, with whom they had no means to contend.

Unless they united.

However, was that even possible?

If they were to unite, who would manage the affairs afterward?

Despite calls from the Thorn Bush Tribe for representatives from other tribes and days of discussions, they had yet to reach a consensus.

Now, they had to make a choice.

Either they united to eliminate the Crimson Star Tribe and ensured the safety of the major tribes in Plata Plain.

Or they acknowledged the Crimson Star Tribe’s status.

The decision weighed heavily on everyone present.

At that moment, someone suggested, “Chief Linda, I believe it’s necessary for us to first understand the attitude of the Crimson Star Tribe. After all, they only attacked the Mpondo Tribe and haven’t shown hostility toward other tribes on the plain.”

Many voiced their agreement with the proposal.

After pondering, Linda nodded and said, “I agree with this proposal, but who should we send as an envoy?”

As soon as the words fell, a young man standing beside Linda stepped forward and said, “Mother, I volunteer to be the envoy and go to the jungle to gauge the Crimson Star Tribe’s attitude.”

“Kevin, are you sure?” Linda was somewhat surprised.

She had three sons in total. The other two had died from illness, leaving Kevin as the sole survivor. Because of this, she was very protective of Kevin and not very keen on him taking on the role of envoy.

However, Kevin had volunteered himself.

Moreover, this would greatly benefit Kevin’s growth. After a brief consideration, Linda agreed to Kevin’s request.

Subsequently, a few others from the tribe also volunteered and formed the envoy team.

Equipped with enough food, Kevin and his companions set off riding Giant Bone Wolves towards the jungle.

…

In the following days, the jungle remained quiet.

The cold weather was not only a calamity for humans but also for many predators. They had to curl up and reduce their activity to conserve energy.

However, some predators, unable to capture enough food to survive the winter, had no choice but to hunt.

“Kitty, keep quiet and steady. We’ve finally encountered this magnificent horned leopard. Don’t let it slip away.” Yara whispered to Kitty, who was drawing her bow, as they crouched on the trunk of a large tree.

Kitty nodded, aligning her arrow with the horned leopard below.

As one of the formidable beasts in the jungle, the horned leopard was incredibly agile and acutely aware of danger. However, this sudden onset of winter had left it weak, having gone half a month without food, and it was unaware of the impending threat.

Soon, the horned leopard entered bowshot range.

Kitty released the arrow, which easily pierced the leopard’s body.

Yara exclaimed with joy, “Well done, Kitty!”

Unable to contain her excitement, Yara calculated aloud, “The fur of this horned leopard could fetch around 20 silver coins. Its unique horns, when ground into powder, are valuable for their hemostatic properties. Together with the money we’ve saved from making hemp clothing and farming, we now have a total of 206 silver coins. After deducting necessary expenses, we’re almost ready to apply for the Adventurer squad certification.”

Upon hearing this, the others were also filled with excitement.

The Adventurer squad certification, announced by the Adventurer’s Association just two days ago, allowed anyone to register as a team for a fee of 150 silver coins.

The team started at level F, with a maximum of ten members.

There were higher levels such as E, D, C… apparently whimsical classifications determined by Lord Enzo himself.

Completing missions would increase the team’s level and grant more benefits.

What Yara and her companions valued most was the opportunity to become team members and unleash their potential, which was said to significantly enhance their strength.

Yara and her group jumped down from the tree trunk and approached the fallen horned leopard, its neck pierced by the arrow, blood slowly pooling around it.

“During this time, let’s hunt more prey.”

Yara instructed as they prepared to lift the leopard.

In winter, especially after heavy snowfall, the tracks left by beasts in the snow were clear, provided they weren’t covered completely.

Currently, there was no snow.

That made it an opportune time for hunting. Not just Yara’s group, but many members of the Crimson Star Tribe and other tribes in the jungle had begun their hunts. They needed to stockpile enough meat before the extreme cold set in.

At that moment, a rustling came from the low bushes ahead.

Yara immediately became alert, pulling up her bow and aiming towards the source of the commotion.

In the next moment, several massive Giant Bone Wolves leapt out, each carrying something on their backs and riders seated atop them.

Yara’s expression turned to shock. “Giant Bone Wolves… they’re from Plata Plain!”

The group riding the Giant Bone Wolves were indeed messengers from Plata Plain. Upon hearing Yara’s shout, Kevin, their leader, though disdainful towards these “jungle monkeys” managed to force a smile and said, “We come from Plata Plain with good intentions. We wish to visit the Crimson Star Tribe and meet their priest.”

Yara wasn’t quick to trust them.

Remaining vigilant, she responded, “Stay back. And tell us your information.”

Ordered in such a manner, especially by someone from the jungle, Kevin struggled to maintain his forced smile and sneered, “Are you commanding me, you bunch of jungle monkeys?”

Before he could finish his taunt, Kevin immediately commanded his Giant Bone Wolf to attack Yara’s group.

However, someone stepped forward to stop him.

It was Gorn, another member appointed by the Thorn Bush Tribe, roughly the same age as Linda and respected as an elder in the tribe. He had plenty of experience in inter-tribal diplomacy and approached situations with caution.

He cautioned, “Kevin, we are here for friendly communication, not conflict.”

Turning to Yara’s group, he continued, “My apologies for Kevin’s rudeness just now. We sincerely wish to speak with the Crimson Star Tribe and hope you can assist us.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep