The Survival of the Wild Tribe

35

Lu Zhan spent the night away. Although he had told Luo Zhen before leaving to digest, Luo Zhen still couldn’t help but worry. It was the first time Lu Zhan wasn't by his side since they arrived in this world. With soldiers taking turns defending, Luo Zhen still didn't sleep well enough.

If it weren't for considering that they might have a long journey ahead and needing rest, Luo Zhen would have waited for Lu Zhan to return before sleeping.

As the weather warmed up, the sun rose early from the horizon. Many people were gathered around the cedar tree early in the morning. Two cuckoo birds fluttered their wings and jumped up and down, accustomed to the daily presence of Luo Zhen. However, for others, the two cuckoo birds were still slightly startled but didn't fly away directly. Unfortunately, their feet were tightly bound by ropes made of animal skins, preventing them from flying away, and they could only groan quietly.

"Are you going to fight all night?" Luo Zhen, with dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep, looked at Lu Zhan with complicated eyes.

Lu Zhan's breath was still uneven, with sweat sticking his bangs to his face. Perhaps due to intense activity, his face was flushed, but his eyes shone brightly.

Lu Zhan had several red marks on his back left by wild animals, but they hadn't drawn blood. The animal skins used to cover the wounds were missing, revealing strong muscles. Apart from his unchanged face, one might not recognize him as the same person who always appeared sickly and pale.

"A Zhan, did you hunt all of these?" After a night's rest, Hei Fu had recovered. He circled the two prey under the cedar tree a couple of times, not daring to ask too confidently.

Luo Zhen had seen one of the two prey—a cat-like creature with a head several times larger than any he'd seen before. Its body was covered in scratches, large and small, with flesh exposed, indicating a fierce battle. Luo Zhen wondered if it had finally succumbed to its wounds and bled out.

The other creature resembled a bison but had a horse's head. Its fur was tougher than the cat-like creatures. Although its fur had been scratched, it hadn't been torn to shreds. However, there was a large bite wound on its neck, almost severing its head.

Luo Zhen glanced at Lu Zhan in disbelief. How much bite force was needed to inflict such a wound?

"Yes," Lu Zhan wiped the sweat from his face and nodded calmly. He noticed Luo Zhen's gaze and grinned, exposing his large, white teeth, which he clicked together, producing a crisp sound.

Luo Zhen: "... Are your teeth sharp?" Luo Zhen rolled his eyes, feeling a twinge of toothache.

Lu Zhan smiled happily.

"Let's move quickly. I saw another giant anaconda last night, but it got away. I'm afraid there's more than one nearby," Lu Zhan said to the soldiers, including Hei Fu.

Hei Fu had been the strongest fighter among the remaining group, and he was also slightly older than Kakutake and the others. He was faintly the leader of the group, but after yesterday’s giant anaconda attack, seeing Lu Zhan return with the two prey, Hei Fu was sure that Lu Zhan had concealed his strength.

Hei Fu didn't have a deep impression of Lu Zhan. He only knew that Lu Zhan was the child of a beast warrior who had left the tribe, his father being an outsider. Hei Fu vaguely remembered his father, but it had been a long time. Lu Zhan had always been low-key, and few people in the tribe interacted with him. Over time, Hei Fu even forgot about Lu Zhan.

However, from today onwards, Hei Fu would no longer ignore Lu Zhan. Though he didn't understand how a half-orc possessed such strength, in this dangerous world, strength was invaluable, and the soldiers gave their respect to strong individuals.