What caused the commotion was not what had happened but that someone had returned. Members of the Crimson Star Tribe gathered together, warmly greeting Gene and Lester, while curiously glancing at the person following Gene.
"Gene, you're back?"
"Who are they?"
"Lester, how was the harvest this time? Did you get any supernatural essence? I'd like to purchase some."
"…"
Within the Crimson Star Tribe, the Gene Adventurer squad is quite renowned.
At this moment, they were surrounded by the crowd.
Gene could only shout to everyone, "Fellow tribespeople, please contact Lord Amy. These people are from other regions and want to join the Crimson Star Tribe."
Upon hearing this, someone was about to deliver the message.
But seeing Enzo appear behind them, the person suddenly stopped, showing respect and calling out, "Lord Enzo!"
Immediately, all attention shifted to Enzo.
He walked over to Gene.
Seeing Enzo, Gene and the other members of the Gene Adventurer squad were overjoyed, their eyes full of fervor, and they respectfully said, "Lord Enzo!"
Enzo nodded and asked, "How did things go this time?"
Most adventurer squads, when venturing far from the tribe to explore other regions, not only follow their own plans but also take on missions from the Adventurer's Association, which involves documenting the surrounding areas.
This used to be the job of the Vanguard squad.
But now, the Vanguard squad has been disbanded.
Hearing Enzo's inquiry, Gene excitedly took credit, saying, "Lord Enzo, the place we visited is close to the Gold Oak Tribe."
"However, the Gold Oak Tribe has been at war."
"When we returned, the Gold Oak Tribe was being besieged by several other tribes, suffering heavy losses. They are likely to fall from their status as a major tribe."
This situation did not surprise Enzo.
Christina and others had informed him about the Gold Oak Tribe's circumstances, and conflict is a constant theme among intelligent beings. Unlike the Crimson Star Tribe, which has self-sufficient agriculture, other tribes are bound to clash.
Yet, Enzo hadn't expected it to happen so quickly.
Such is the unpredictability of the world.
He reflected briefly and then asked, "Is there anything else?"
After receiving the answer, he instructed, "Let them in. If these people want to join the Crimson Star Tribe, it's fine, but they must follow the tribe's established process."
Gene nodded eagerly.
He was well aware of the process—initially, new members would live as slaves and only after paying a sufficient amount of silver could they change their status.
This was not a problem for Gene.
Regarding Enzo's follow-up question, Gene seriously replied, "Yes. On our return, we encountered a large force, numbering over a thousand people, led by Crue."
Enzo's expression changed, anger flashing in his eyes.
He asked, "Crue? Are you sure it was the former Chagga Tribe priest Crue?"
Gene nodded firmly.
But then, what he said left Enzo stunned.
Gene continued, "At that time, we were hiding in the trees. Crue was leading his group, heading towards the jungle. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a lightning bolt struck Crue dead, and the rest of his group suffered heavy losses. As they panicked and fled, I vaguely heard something about the Golden Lion Tribe…"
The story sounded so bizarre.
Enzo was inclined to think Gene was making it up. However, Enzo knew Gene had no reason to fabricate such a tale, and in a supernatural world, anything could happen.
After all, who could predict whether tomorrow or an accident would come first?
"Crue must have sought refuge with the Golden Lion Tribe and was later tasked by Chloe to lead the way. But since Crue offended a powerful being, he was struck down by lightning…"Enzo was deducing the reason for what had happened in his mind.
What Enzo did not know -
Crue had already been killed by Chloe. The body of Crue was controlled by Chloe's mental presence. However, after Enzo encountered Colin and Veena, Crue's appearance was imitated by Chloe, and when Crue and the others were killed, the Solar Dynasty sent leaders who witnessed the "Crue" appearance and subsequently cast a curse.
"Crue" became a scapegoat.
No, it was Chloe.
At that moment, within the Golden Lion Tribe, Chloe's eyes had turned white, his consciousness collapsing. In just a moment, he was lifeless, his body rapidly decaying.
Enzo was unaware of all this.
Sometimes, the truth of a situation can be even more unexpected and convoluted.
Of course, this was of little consequence.
The return of the Gene Adventurer squad sparked considerable discussion in the camp. Especially after learning that Gene had amassed dozens of supernatural essence samples, many members of the Crimson Star Tribe approached Gene and Lester, eager to purchase the supernatural essences, with offers becoming increasingly generous.
In response, Lester suggested holding an auction.
Gene wanted to invite Enzo to the auction, but Enzo declined.
He was currently occupied with other matters. The new system for the tribe had been established and would ensure smooth development moving forward, but there were still issues to address.
One such issue was repairing the High Tower.
The repair required spatial stones, which were difficult to find in the barren mountain region and could only be located in ancient ruins.
Another problem was the strange Potion situation at Qaidam Lake.
With ongoing reports, Enzo gained a more detailed understanding of the situation at Qaidam Lake. The strange Potion had turned most of the tribe members living there into monstrous entities—senseless but highly aggressive, attacking all living things without warning.
Furthermore, those who were injured also gradually transformed into these monsters.
That indicated a high level of contagion.
Enzo needed to see it for himself.
This time, he did not inform Amy or the others about his visit to Qaidam Lake.
In the room, Enzo activated a spatial portal, setting the coordinates to an edge of Qaidam Lake. He stepped into the portal and, moments later, arrived at Qaidam Lake.
Before him was a large boulder.
Enzo moved the boulder aside, revealing the concealed entrance to an underground cave.
"I didn't have time to explore last time. Perhaps I can conduct a more thorough investigation this time and make some discoveries. According to Mina, those who have turned into monstrous entities haven't actually died; it's more like they've been cursed, but not in the usual sense. Therefore, the curse-cleansing Potion is ineffective.
The only solution is the tribal fire's burning…" Enzo entered the cave, observing the wall murals as he pondered.
He recalled that the cave contained knowledge about the promotion of the tribal fire.
Soon, Enzo reached the deepest part of the cave.
There, he found a descending path blocked by a pile of stones.
This presented no challenge for Enzo.
He casually threw an energy orb that concentrated its power, blasting the stones apart. Once the debris cleared, a passage deeper into the cave was revealed, and Enzo proceeded without hesitation.
However, as soon as he entered, Enzo's expression changed drastically.
The scene before him shifted instantly. The ruins were still the same, but time seemed to reverse, transporting him back to the past. Enzo could feel the Ring of the World totem recording some peculiar information again—traces of time and the power of ages. He also heard voices.
"Everyone be careful. This place is very strange."
"Captain, it's just a ruin. What's there to be afraid of?"
"Mina! Pay attention!"
"Captain Maude, please address me as the Great Fighter Mina, not just by my name!"
"..."
The voices Enzo heard made him shiver.
It wasn't the abruptness of the sounds but the names—Mina and Maude.
Mina was someone from the Barren Mountain Tribe era.
Maude, according to Bookstaver, was the last priest of the Barren Mountain Tribe, the creator of the scepter of the barren mountain and the stone tablet of the barren mountain. After failing to resist a disaster known as the "Curse," he disseminated the tribe's accumulated knowledge as soul seeds, passing the inheritance to future generations.
Enzo had to admit that without Maude, the Crimson Star Tribe wouldn't have developed so rapidly.
Why were these people here?
And Mina was supposed to be a Potion Master—why was he now calling himself a fighter?
The ancient mysteries were partially revealed at this moment, raising numerous questions that left Enzo both confused and excited. He had a strong premonition that this time would yield significant discoveries.
However, just then, Enzo sensed something unusual.
Maude, the last priest of the Barren Mountain Tribe as described by Bookstaver, was now a middle-aged man of average stature with a gentle smile, giving an impression of a warm spring breeze.
Yet, Enzo felt an icy chill.
Maude was looking directly at him.
As were the others.
The young Mina with his hair still intact even approached him.
Can they see me?
Damn it!
Aren't they supposed to be mere phantoms created by the time distortion?
Enzo forced himself to stay calm. He tried to return to the entrance blocked by the stones but heard Maude speak, "Enzo, are you going back, or will you join us in searching for the truth?"