Outside the secluded valley, on the grasslands, tension gripped the air as Mog laid out his conditions. Many individuals became nervous.
There were sparking discussions among them.
Not far away, Gene, who had brought the largest group of people, eyes gleamed with greed. He deeply desired to be in Enzo's position and consider Mog's terms. Living in the jungle meant death was unavoidable, and the deaths of tribe members were all too common. But opportunities to enhance one's own strength were rare.
Priest Lucy, on the other hand, remained solemn.
She worried that Mog might reveal the matter of the barren mountain's scepter. If he did, Enzo would discover her concealment of this information, potentially causing conflict and denying her access to the scepter.
However, advising against it now would also be inappropriate.
In the end, Priest Lucy chose to remain silent.
Meanwhile, Tia, Clara, and others found themselves equally conflicted. On one hand, they sought vengeance for Sovita and the others. On the other hand, with the rainy season approaching, the tribes faced inevitable food shortages. Compensating with the Chew Bone Tribe might significantly alleviate this issue.
Despite their dilemmas, Enzo alone held the ultimate decision-making power.
In this matter, Enzo did not hesitate.
He gave his response clearly: "If you all suicide now, I can forgive you. That's my only requirement. As for the secret you mentioned, I don't care about it."
Mog reacted angrily, shouting, "Are you playing me?"
Enzo smiled and replied, "Priest Mog, it seems you're not foolish. You guessed right."
Then, he glanced towards Gene not far away, surveying the assembly of tribes from different origins. Enzo spoke again, calmly and assuredly, "From now on, if anyone dares to attack the Crimson Star Tribe, we will retaliate a hundredfold, a thousandfold. We will completely annihilate that tribe. I mean what I say!"
After these words, the people of the Crimson Star Tribe were incredibly excited, roaring in agreement.
The faces of members from other tribes changed repeatedly, as they silently made decisions. When they returned, they vowed to warn others in their tribes never to engage in conflict with the members of the Crimson Star Tribe.
With the negotiations failing, Mog finally gave up.
He lifted his head towards Enzo, the red mist around him thickening to resemble blood.
Then, Mog taunted, "I have to admit, you're quite powerful. But you should have killed me earlier, instead of giving me the time and opportunity to gather this aura of slaughter!"
Suddenly, all that crimson mist surged into Mog's body.
He let out a beast-like roar as his form continued to grow larger, sprouting blood-red fur, eventually transforming into a humanoid monster over four meters tall. Opening his gaping maw wide, he bellowed, "Now,it's your turn to feel the taste of death!"
Enzo remained calm and asked, "Is this your final card?"
Mog felt uneasy and asked, "What do you mean?"
Enzo controlled the vines and looked up, saying, "If you have nothing else up your sleeve, you might as well die!"
While Mog's monstrous transformation might have been intimidating to others, Enzo had already vanquished creatures like the Giant Mountain Turtle and was not afraid.
In fact, if not for the purpose of allowing the tribe members to vent their anger and simultaneously improve their combat experience, he would have had the capability to eliminate all the plunderers in an instant at the very beginning of the battle.
This was the confidence brought by powerful strength!
However, Mog didn't believe it.
He wielded his long sword, his massive four-meter-tall frame rushing towards Enzo. Swinging the blade heavily, he attempted to cleave Enzo in half.
Mog couldn't accomplish it.
He couldn't even get close to Enzo.
During his running, he was pierced by several vines, which then unleashed a fierce tearing force that directly tore his massive body apart.
Upon witnessing this scene, Madeline cried out in grief, "Mog!"
As the deputy priest of the Chew Bone Tribe, Madeline had killed her fair share of tribe members, but in this moment, she tasted the pain of losing someone close to her.
Enzo was unmoved by this.
He swiftly manipulated vines to pierce through, killing all the remaining plunderers.
Next, the vines lost their control and scattered across the grass.
The entire field was littered with plunderers' corpses, permeated by the stench of blood, making everyone extremely uneasy. Gene and his companions, especially, felt fear and dared not look at Enzo.
At this moment, they suddenly felt that the Chew Bone Tribe seemed gentler in comparison to Enzo.
However, the resolution of the Chew Bone Tribe's plunderers did not signify the end.
Gene's expression changed repeatedly.
He hadn't forgotten how he had insulted the Crimson Star Tribe back in the tribe, even though the people of the Crimson Star Tribe were unaware. Who could guarantee that other tribes wouldn't find out?
Yet, who could have imagined that such a small tribe would have such a powerful priest?
It defied logic.
After sighing quietly to himself a few times, Gene led his team forward.
The people of the Crimson Star Tribe all turned their heads in unison, their gazes vigilant as they looked at Gene's group.
Gene looked at Enzo and, with a brave face, spoke up, "Respected Lord Priest of the Crimson Star Tribe, we thank you for dealing with these plunderers. Previously, the Chew Bone Tribe captured some of our people. We wish to take them back, with your permission."
Enzo nodded, "You may."
Upon hearing the response, Gene was overwhelmed with gratitude and exclaimed, "Thank you, Lord Priest!"
But his smile froze as soon as it appeared, hearing Enzo's inquiry: "How did you find out that the Chew Bone Tribe was hiding here? And how did you confirm that your captured people are still alive and not killed by the Chew Bone Tribe's plunderers?"
Enzo was curious about the source of information from the Giant Bear Tribe.
Gene hesitated briefly but ultimately dared not conceal the truth, responding, "It was revealed by the priest of the Chagga Tribe."
"Crue?" Enzo exclaimed in surprise.
Gene nodded and continued, "Crue informed me about the Chew Bone Tribe and assured me that he would arrange everything so that Chew Bone Tribe wouldn't notice any activity outside the valley. When the time came, I could lead my people in a surprise attack to completely eliminate the Chew Bone Tribe, thereby gaining immense prestige, absorbing many people, and strengthening our tribe."
Enzo carefully scrutinized Gene's expression, confirming that he was not lying.
He then asked, "So what do you need to pay in return?"
Gene scratched his head and truthfully replied, "Pay? Nothing at all. Priest Crue didn't ask for anything. He even said that all the spoils after eliminating the Chew Bone Tribe are ours to take."
"Nothing at all?"
Enzo's suspicion grew.
Something didn't add up.
Just then, Clara approached and reported, "Enzo, there's no trace of Crue in the Chew Bone Tribe. He likely left early."
Clara's report plunged Enzo into contemplation.
He had thought killing the leader of the Chew Bone Tribe would resolve everything, but now with Crue's mysterious involvement, it was clear that his motives were elusive.
With things as they were, Enzo decided to set this matter aside for now.
However, Crue's killing of Crimson Star Tribe members demanded vengeance.
After finalizing their current plans, Enzo immediately ordered Crimson Star Tribe members into the valley to search for loot and rescue captured tribe members.
The valley was not large, with only a stone altar in the center and some caves scattered within.
Other than that, there were only piles of rocks and patches of weeds.
Shortly after, Heru and the search team returned, their expressions grim. They carried only a couple of animal hide bags containing skins and meat.
The materials were little significance.
The Chew Bone Tribe was composed entirely of plunderers, who did not have the habit of storing food. For the Crimson Star Tribe members to find even these supplies was considered fortunate.
Apart from these findings, the most notable discovery was the ancient scepter held in Tia's hand.
At the top of the scepter was embedded a sky-blue gemstone.
Gene's people glanced at it briefly but quickly lost interest.To them, it was merely a uniquely shaped scepter without much significance.
However, Enzo noticed Priest Lucy's excitement.
He asked, "Priest Lucy, is this what you wanted?"
Priest Lucy nodded but seemed unsure how to respond.
She had desired this scepter greatly and had volunteered to help deal with the Chew Bone Tribe. However, Enzo's overwhelming power had left her no opportunity to act.The Chew Bone Tribe was decimated by Enzo before she could contribute much beyond initial scouting.
Despite her dedication, she now feared she might not obtain the scepter after all.
However, what surprised Priest Lucy was that Enzo unexpectedly spoke up.
He said, "Priest Lucy, I can give you this scepter. But I need those bamboo slips inscribed with the barren mountain's script that you've been keeping, as well as a substantial amount of bamboo. Additionally, I require members of the Venom Tribe to teach the Crimson Star Tribe how to construct houses and weave furniture using bamboo."
Priest Lucy eagerly agreed.
In her view, exchanging these pieces of knowledge for the barren mountain's scepter was well worth it.
However, she felt a sense of uncertainty and feared that Enzo might change his mind. She couldn't help but remind him, "Enzo, this scepter is the barren mountain's scepter, a treasure left behind by the extinct barren mountain's tribe."
Enzo didn't react much, simply asking, "So what?"
Priest Lucy continued, "The barren mountain's scepter can bring tremendous power and possesses incredible abilities. I led my people to the barren mountain's area precisely to obtain this artifact. I don't want to deceive you in this matter. If you want to take the scepter back, you can do so now."