Chapter 40: Chapter 35: Never Mind Then
Isabel’s Mourning Prayer went smoothly.
However, the answer she provided was slightly different from what Luh Yao had expected.
According to the dead Burrower Monster, this is what happened.
This group of Burrower Monsters lived in a cave deep in the mountains. There were 28 of them in total. They were a species with scarce resources, incapable of farming or Trade, and with relatively low intelligence. Most of the time, they hid underground and ate insects.
The competition underground was too fierce, and there weren’t enough insects to eat, so this group of Burrower Monsters ventured to the surface to hunt.
Unfortunately, consecutive years of drought and long winters made the surrounding area arid and cold. The number of animals in the mountains had dwindled, and the few that remained had fled to the forest.
At this difficult time, the leader of the Burrower Monsters, the Mutated Burrowing Monster, made a bold decision: to go further down the mountain to find food!
In the process, the Burrower Monsters met a new group, the Salt Pool Tribe.
The Salt Pool Tribe from outside the mountains made a deal with them. They were willing to provide the meat, wheat, and salt the monsters needed. In return, the Burrower Monsters had to work for them.
Even Burrower Monsters needed to eat.
So they agreed.
The Burrower Monsters began to transport goods for the Salt Pool Tribe, dig tunnels in the mountains, mine underground, and log trees outside the mountains... In short, it was all hard, tiring labor. To fill their stomachs, the Burrower Monsters had to work themselves to the bone.
It was impossible for them to steal from the Salt Pool Tribe.
Because the Salt Pool Tribe was protected by the Corrupters.
Compared to the Burrower Monsters, the Corrupters were more ferocious, unafraid of death, and far more powerful. Even if their bodies were chopped into seven or eight pieces, they would slowly revive as long as the pieces could be reassembled.
Under the Corrupters’ Deterrence, the Burrower Monsters could only work obediently, earning a meager amount of food.
After days of hard work, the Burrower Monsters finally fulfilled the Salt Pool Tribe’s demands, reopening the passage through the mountains to the east and receiving some long-overdue food.
And it was at this moment, while they were carrying stones, that they encountered the Pig Fish Brothers from the Garlic Tribe.
The Pig Fish Brothers became very excited the moment they saw them, shouting "For the tribe!" and charging in to attack.
They were the ones who attacked first.
At the time, there were only two Burrower Monsters. The Pig Fish Brothers and their Hunters beat them so badly they fled for their lives, scrambling all the way back into the mountains. But the Pig Fish Brothers pursued them relentlessly.
Once the Burrower Monster reinforcements arrived, the tables began to turn.
The final result was that the Heroic Headhunter and four Hunters were killed in battle. Only Hero Yu Zou escaped with his life.
Luh Yao confirmed the truthfulness of the Wandering Soul’s words again and again.
"Low-level Dead are incapable of Lying under the Deterrence of the Sea of Mourning."
Isabel confirmed it was credible.
After hearing this account, Luh Yao pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyelid twitching.
’The human gene for courting death and overconfidence is stirring even in the tribal era.’
’You don’t die if you don’t court death.’
’Although many people know this, they still adopt an attitude of "I know, but I’m going to try it anyway."’
’On the bright side, the Pig Fish Brothers’ proactive attack did expose the hidden threat of the Burrower Monsters ahead of time.’
’The Salt Pool Tribe’s indirect control over this group of monsters was like a sword hanging over the Garlic Tribe’s head. Dealing with it early is a form of proactive prevention.’
What made Luh Yao wary was the Salt Pool Tribe behind it all.
Those little people had actually developed the ability to enslave monsters and force them to work. In Luh Yao’s mind, their threat level had just gone up another notch.
’Since we’ve run into them, I might as well start with this greatest threat.’
Luh Yao gave Isabel his latest directive: investigate the mountains and find the Salt Pool Tribe’s settlement.
After receiving her orders, Isabel began to search the mountains.
...
Aside from the normal residents, the Garlic Tribe also had a few Ghost Soul residents from the Ghost City Saniluo. Of course, ordinary people didn’t know this, nor could they see them.
The leader among them was a Ghost Soul named Scott. In terms of his job, he was something like the Garlic Tribe’s resident Death God.
They searched the area for lingering Ghost Souls and, through persuasion and guidance, led the willing ones back to Saniluo.
Scott went to the place where Headhunter had fallen. His body had already been moved to the forest and buried by the Garlic Tribe.
He called out, "My kin, slumbering and wandering here, please show yourselves."
Five Ghost Souls slowly emerged from the ground.
Headhunter and the others had translucent bodies, completely different from the normal pixel people.
"Beyond the southern desert, there is a city of the Dead named Saniluo... They also believe in the great Yao God. The God’s mighty power created that place..."
Scott had only said a few words when Headhunter declared, "I am willing to go to Saniluo!"
The other four Hunters were also willing to go.
Unlike ordinary little people, Ghost Souls moved much faster. They ignored many geographical obstacles, so they traveled in a straight line, crossing mountains, ridges, and deserts.
Since Isabel had killed so many Sand Worms that they no longer dared to emerge from the ground, the desert was currently quite safe.
After entering Saniluo, Headhunter’s group also obtained abilities Exclusive to Ghost Souls.
...
[Hero Lv2] Headhunter
Attack 3 Defense 2 Knowledge 0 Mana 0 Luck 0 Morale 0
[Abilities]
Tracking Technique Lv1: Can identify the tracks left by various people and animals.
Evasion Lv1: Can evade some damage from attacks. The probability is higher against weaker life forms.
...
The only thing Luh Yao regretted was that Headhunter and Yuzou, the Garlic Tribe’s first great duo, both had very average talent. To this day, they were still stuck at Lv2.
This was partly because Luh Yao hadn’t focused on cultivating them.
’In the end, this is still the era of tribal civilization. I can’t afford to lose population, so most of the time is spent on development and management. Plus, with a strategic nuclear weapon like Isabel, I really don’t have a use for the Pig Fish Brothers.’
...
While the Ghost Souls were entering Saniluo, the Garlic Tribe was holding a funeral for their Hero, mourning and commemorating everything Headhunter had done for the tribe.
"He was one of the two Heroes born in our tribe. He once fought bravely against the Demon Believers, risking his life to save others."
"He was a Believer approved by our God, the embodiment of strength and courage, a symbol of unyielding will."
"He was our pride, our forerunner, and proof of our existence."
The Prophet and the Shaman each delivered their eulogies for Headhunter.
A somber mood permeated the entire Garlic Tribe, and sad expressions appeared above the little people’s heads.
A lightbulb suddenly lit up above the Prophet’s head. "We must build a Monument!"
"To commemorate the Heroes who dedicated themselves to the tribe, and to remind future generations not to forget this glorious and difficult History!"
The other little people of the tribe all agreed.
"A Monument!"
"A Monument! The tribe’s Monument!"
"Record the Heroes! Record the tribe!"
And so, under the guidance of the Prophet and the Shaman, the many little people used stones to build a square stone tower, which looked like a large tombstone.
A message appeared on the game screen.
[The Garlic Tribe has invented the Monument. Everyone’s intelligence has slightly increased.]
[Potential Wonder prototype discovered: Monument.]
[Faith cost for constructing a Wonder for the first time has been reduced.]
Luh Yao was taken aback.
’Something like this could happen?’
He clicked open the Miracle tab and scrolled to the [Wonder] section at the very end.
Sure enough, the cost for a [Wonder] had been reduced from 5,000 Faith to 4,500, a 10% discount.
Luh Yao mulled it over and understood the reasoning behind it.
’The simulator is encouraging players, as Apprentice Deities, to build a Wonder early, enter the Divine Hall of the Gods, move from the safe zone to the Crawling Area, and start the next stage as soon as possible.’
However, Luh Yao had no such plans for now.
His plan was to first achieve the small goal of dominating the Newbie Village.
