| GB | Intact Shell | 117
As summer gave way to autumn, the sweltering heat faded, and the mountains were bathed in the gentle hues of autumn light. The air carried the sweet fragrance of ripened fruits.
The indigenous orcs of the south were long accustomed to the changing seasons. Scattered orc groups began stockpiling food to avoid clashing with the hunting parties of the larger tribes.
The larger tribes were domineering and aggressive in their search for food, leaving little to no share for the smaller tribes and wandering orcs. Thus, the latter had no choice but to steer clear early on, lest their provisions be plundered entirely.
But this year was different.
The Huangyuan Tribe dispatched their warriors to hunt earlier than usual. Along the way, any wandering orcs they encountered were captured without hesitation and brought back to the tribe as slaves.
The captured orcs trembled in fear, their hearts filled with despair.
In the past, small tribes like theirs, with only a handful of orcs, had never been of any concern to Huangyuan. The tribes that had been annexed were at least of medium size or larger. Why were they being targeted this year?
Before these weak and vulnerable orcs could finish their lamentations, they were dragged into Huangyuan's territory, where they were immediately subjected to backbreaking labor day and night. The few females among them were also taken away!
As the cries echoed from the wooden huts, the slaves toiling in the square remained expressionless, unable to muster much sympathy for the newly captured wandering orcs.
The Lynx tribe, who had been enslaved by the Huangyuan Tribe for decades, cast a distant glance toward the wooden hut where the leader resided.
Their unkempt hair obscured their gaunt faces, and no orc noticed the smoldering fire in their eyes, as if they were waiting for something.
Ever since the Huangyuan's minor leader, H’ea had disappeared—it was rumored that he had been captured by another tribe—the Lynx warriors sent out as cannon fodder seemed not to have returned to the embrace of the Orc God but had instead survived in that tribe.
Because of this, the Huangyuan leader grew increasingly irritable, taking out his anger on them, making the
Lynx tribe’s life even more miserable.
Yet, every night, when they returned to their dirty, dilapidated shelters to rest, they would gaze into the darkness through their straw-like hair, and a flicker of emotion would appear in their otherwise numb eyes.
They had a vague premonition that their tribesmen were still alive in that tribe and were living better than before.
If the Lynx tribe members left in Huangyuan perished, so be it. As long as their tribesmen in that tribe were well, the Lynx tribe would not be extinguished, and there would still be hope for their descendants.
Taking advantage of the transition from summer to autumn, Huangyuan expanded its slave-capturing range. Any orc who hadn't fled in time was seized, and the strong males were assigned to the warrior ranks as cannon fodder for protection.
The Huangyuan leader had sent his subordinates to investigate and found that the chief and priest of Fantasy tribe were absent. With no leader in place, he believed that striking while the enemy was busy hunting and stockpiling food might allow him to conquer the entire tribe in one fell swoop.
Driven by this ambition, the leader of Huangyuan rallied his warriors, preparing to choose the right moment to launch a surprise attack on the Fantasy tribe.
—
Within the Fantasy tribe, the atmosphere was one of bustling autumn harvest.
Every day before dawn, Da He and Xiao He led their tribesmen to the fields to cut rice. Though the work was exhausting, no one complained. Instead, they were filled with joy and determination.
After months of meticulous cultivation, as soon as autumn arrived, the fields were laden with rice stalks stretching across the hills.
The rice was heavy and abundant, its dazzling golden color glowing like wildfire across the mountains under the setting sun.
The elderly orcs responsible for researching and cultivating the crops were moved to tears, eager to immediately share this good news with the priest.
Every day, Da He and Xiao He also prayed for the priest, hoping that he could safely reach the realm of the Water God, with the blessings of the Orc God!
The chief and the priest had already left the tribe for over a month. If it weren't for the pigeon sent by A’Xin successfully delivering the message scroll to the priest, none of the highly respected elders in the tribe would have been able to sit still. They were eager to immediately arrange for warriors to go out and bring back their chief and priest.
Every orc in the Fantasy tribe, regardless of age or strength, had been assigned tasks.
Some went to the fields to harvest rice, others went out to gather resources. Those with skilled hands processed and tanned hides, wove hemp cloth, while the experienced ones were responsible for hunting prey.
The male orcs accelerated the construction of houses in the residential area, striving to let more tribesmen move into better houses than the sheds before the cold weather set in.
On the mountain path leading to the tribe, Man and Ze had been out for three days and returned with over twenty wild boars and yaks.
They didn't kill these strong prey immediately but only injured their legs and brought them back to the tribe, handing them over to A’Xin for domestication.
Those that could be raised were kept longer, some could bear offspring, and others could produce milk. The wool from the sheep could be cut to make warm clothes and bedding. In short, the captured prey were no longer killed immediately as in the past.
Repeated utilization and value creation were all knowledge imparted by the priest.
Ah, how they missed the priest! They wondered how the chief and the priest were doing outside?
Not long after nightfall, warm and bright flames lit up the square in the territory.
The autumn in the south hadn't started to get cold yet. The orcs, having eaten and drunk their fill, some not wanting to rest so early, gathered around the square, working and chatting.
The male orc on duty at the watchtower noticed a few wisps of smoke drifting outside the pass. When he tried to investigate further, the smoke had disappeared without a trace.
The male orcs at the two watchtowers rubbed their eyes but didn't take it lightly. They first gathered to verify and, sensing it wasn't an illusion, reported the matter to the leader, Jiu Fe.
Jiu Fe summoned the warriors and divided them into several teams to guard the two passes leading to the territory.
Man was enjoying a steaming hot pot at Ze's house. Halfway through the meal, a patrolling warrior came to relay a message.
Man took the last bite of a thigh, accepted the hemp cloth handed to him by Ze, and wiped his greasy mouth.
"Autumn is the time to eat and drink and grow fat. It seems someone is restless!"
Ze washed his hands and smiled faintly.
"Man, you've been feeling bored lately. This should help you pass the time."
Man laughed heartily, his long arm reaching out, but before his claws could touch Ze, he clicked his tongue and said, "Force of habit!"
Saying so, he thoroughly wiped his hands with a wet hemp cloth and finally managed to put his arm around Ze's shoulder.
"Let's go, gather them and have some fun with them."
The night enveloped the entire Fantasy tribe, and the bonfires in the square were all extinguished.
The female orcs and sub-female orcs didn't wait passively. They gathered the young orcs together, armed themselves with wooden spears and stone knives, and with determined eyes, watched the surroundings in the darkness.
After years of training, even the female orcs from the original Yuan tribe sometimes went out hunting with the male orcs and now had the ability to fight.
As for Da He and Xiao He, who had recently joined the tribe, having endured physical and mental torment in Huangyuan, they had become much more resilient, both physically and mentally, compared to the past.
Perhaps they are not yet capable of bearing the responsibility of fighting on the front lines like the male orcs, but the young orcs in the tribe will do everything in their power to protect them!
Man, Ze, A’Lin, and Jiu Fe, the leaders, have all taken their respective warrior teams out, leaving Mao Mao in charge of defending the tribe.
Over the past six months, Man, along with a few giant orcs skilled in controlling earth and stone, has created several secret tunnels and traps. The team is now lurking underground, ready to catch the enemy off guard.
In this era, orcs have no concept of setting traps. When Man manipulated the earth, causing the pre-dug pit to collapse, the warriors led by Huangyuan cried out in alarm.
But no matter how they struggled, they couldn't climb out of the wet, sticky clay. The more they struggled, the deeper they sank!
What's going on?! Why is there such a large patch of wetland underground?
Man chuckled darkly, "The trap Bai mentioned really works."
After saying that, he blew a sharp whistle. Ze and Mao Mao, who had already circled around to the rear through the secret tunnels, emerged from the grass with their teams, flanking the warriors of the Huangyuan tribe from both sides and engaging them head-on!
The slaves used as shields and the vanguard warriors fell into the wetland. Jiu Fe flapped his wings and circled above. With his excellent night vision, he would lookout for anyone trying to crawl to the edge of the wetland and shot them with his bow.
"Is there anyone from the Mountain Lynx tribe here?! The chief and the priest have ordered not to harm the Mountain Lynx! Your tribesmen are doing well in Fantasy tribe. If you don't want to die, stop struggling—"
Gradually, low, disbelieving responses came from the wetland.
"I... I'm from the Mountain Lynx tribe..."
"Me too..."
"What about Da He? Is he really still alive?"
...
Ze and Mao Mao led their warriors in a fierce battle with the Huangyuan tribe. Seeing that Jiu Fe had almost finished his task, Man summoned the power of the Mountain God and quickly led all the giant orcs to the Huangyuan tribe.
Boom—
In the darkness, the gates of the Huangyuan territory were shattered by a massive boulder.
The orcs on guard in the square cried out in alarm. Before they could assemble their forces, a dark mass of figures appeared at the entrance. These orcs were like a small mountain, muscular and menacing, and even more terrifying, they could control earth and stone!
The giant orcs laughed eerily, those who could control the power of the Mountain God wreaked havoc on the square and the surrounding houses and warehouses!
Stones rolling down from the mountain smashed the wooden houses where the Huangyuan orcs lived. The ground of the square shook and collapsed, and the grain storage warehouse tilted and fell, buried in a large pit!
Even the giant orcs who couldn't control the Mountain God's power were equally ferocious. They were naturally incredibly strong, easily picking up any orc who came close and throwing them into the air, some even getting stuck in the treetops.
The most powerful warriors of the tribe had all been sent out, and those left behind faced a group of giant orcs with the power of the Mountain God, were completely unable to resist.
Man roared, "If you don't want to die, crouch down and hold your heads! Orcs captured by Huangyuan as slaves, don't come out. As long as you don't resist, the Fantasy tribe won't harm you—!"
Seeing that they couldn't hold out, the priest of Huangyuan gritted his teeth and fled with a few guardian warriors in a certain direction.
They arrived at a stone pit, and the priest ordered, "Destroy the salt pit!"
The most valuable asset of Huangyuan was this salt pit. Even if they had to leave, they couldn't let another tribe benefit from it!
The sky began to lighten.
The struggle lasted the entire night.
Man obtained the location of the salt pit from the surrendered orcs and rushed there alone, only to find the site severely damaged.
"Tsk," he shook his head and looked up at the sky, "I wonder if Big Huo and Bai have found salt in the Water God's domain."
He licked his lips, it had been a long time since he had tasted proper salt.
—
By the sea.
A few more tents had been set up along the shore, adorned with shiny shells and pearls both inside and out. Several disciples of the Shell tribe’s priest lived here, as their priest is still in the hands of the Giant orc!
Yu Bai cooked fish soup today. The Shell tribe, who had lived in the water for years, were used to eating raw food and had never seen sea fish prepared this way.
The shell orc priest had regrown half of its damaged shell over the past few days.
Smelling the aroma of the fish soup, the shell opened.
"Ying ying ying"
Oh~
Yu Bai touched the intact side of the shell and fed it a bit of fish meat.
When Elder Meng arrived, he was felt speechless with the priest...
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