The Survival of the Wild Tribe

185

From a distance, I didn't realize the cave was much smaller than their temporary settlement. Lu Zhan listened carefully at the cave entrance, then walked in slowly after confirming it was quiet inside. The first half of the cave was very dark, with only faint moonlight outlining its shape. Luckily, a dim fire inside provided some light. The cave wasn't large, and Lu Zhan could see to the end at a glance. Besides the flickering flame, there was a black hole and a piece of raw meat with blood stains nearby.

Approaching the pit's edge, Lu Zhan saw a huge black panther leap out from below, its claws scraping the cave wall. Though it was just a beast in the form of a black panther, Lu Zhan recognized it as Black Mountain, specifically after returning to its ancestral form. Perhaps sensing an unfamiliar aura, Black Mountain lunged twice before disappearing into the darkness. Lu Zhan glanced at him with mixed feelings, then moved on to find the mermaid.

According to Ah Chun's memory, the mermaid was locked in a damp cave near water. Lu Zhan observed a stone cave closer to a water pool between the first and second floors. It showed few signs of artificial excavation, covered mostly by vine plants. As it wasn't flowering, Lu Zhan couldn't recognize the plant's name.

In primitive society, entertainment was scarce, so by midnight, most people had fallen asleep. Even the orc warriors, affected by croton powder, were drowsy. A few guards, yawning, seemed ready to sleep at any moment. With the Klushi tribe's defenses weakened, Lu Zhan silently approached the cave like a shadow. Unlike the previous cave, this one had several burning torches, dimly lighting the inside.

The inside of the cave was very humid, with a salty taste. Lu Zhan stepped in, immediately stepping into a puddle on the ground. The tunnel was long, with several forks in the middle, making it hard to determine the right direction.

However, guided by the salty smell, Lu Zhan didn't need to test each fork. He simply followed the strongest scent. After about two or three minutes, his sight was fully illuminated. A large space opened up, lit by two bright white beads placed on the cave walls, brighter than torches outside, making it seem like daylight.

Two-thirds of the cave was occupied by a pool, appearing to be man-made with traces of excavation on its edge. The salty smell emanated from the pool. A long-haired man with shiny white skin sat quietly at the pool's edge, motionless like a statue, his lower body a beautiful, huge gray-white fish tail. Despite being near a large pool of water, he appeared dry, with even cracked lips.

It was Lu Zhan's first time seeing a fully animalized mermaid. Unlike orcs, most mermaids live in their primitive state, dependent on water sources. Prolonged absence from water can cause sickness or death.

Despite Lu Zhan's surprise, the mermaid showed no interest in the intruder, not even moving his eyes. Lu Zhan circled him, stopping in front of him. The mermaid's features were delicate, with slightly longer ears than humans, and his long, unkempt hair draped behind him, covering his ears completely except for the tips.

"Mermaid," Lu Zhan called out, but there was no response. His gaze fell on the mermaid's tail, noticing many overturned scales, exposing tender flesh and slight bleeding.

As a half-orc with the second form, Lu Zhan understood the pain of torn scales. He had experienced it himself during battles, the pain nearly causing him to faint.

Although the mermaid's tail appeared strong with solid scales, it became much weaker once those scales were gone. Thus, unless necessary, Lu Zhan didn't like to maintain the second form.

The mermaid paid no attention to Lu Zhan, as if he didn't exist. Lu Zhan didn't mind either. He was considering the likelihood of being discovered the next morning if he took the mermaid and Black Mountain out tonight. In that case, their current stone cave might not remain safe for long.

"If I don't act tonight, I won't find such a good opportunity next time," Lu Zhan thought to himself. He was a person of action, and several thoughts were quickly confirmed in his mind. He retrieved a small but lethal crossbow from behind. Although the bow was small, the arrows used were specially made, soaked in the saliva of flame ants, making them more potent than a single flame ant bite.

However, making these arrows was difficult and required soaking them in flame ant saliva, so their number was limited, and they were usually used sparingly.

As Lu Zhan took out the crossbow, the mermaid, who had been sitting motionless like a statue, suddenly yelled at him. His delicate face instantly turned savage, with sharp teeth exposed. Despite his hands being nailless, he lunged weakly at Lu Zhan, then fell to the ground.

The anesthetic on the arrow took effect slowly. It took a while for the mermaid to stiffen up and become immobile, eventually fainting. Lu Zhan checked his breathing and, relieved, lifted him up, intending to leave.

After a few steps, Lu Zhan removed the two white beads illuminating the cave wall, wrapping them in animal skins to block the light. Satisfied with this, he headed towards the cave entrance.

Of course, Lu Zhan didn't forget to take Black Mountain. As a returning orc, he couldn't be as docile as a mermaid with his claws removed. Even with special arrows, it still required a lot of effort.

Fortunately, Lu Zhan recalled Luka's instructions not to leave any traces of the cave disturbance. He had fought Black Mountain in the pit, but no orc warrior came in. This saved him a lot of trouble.

Despite Heishan's huge size, Lu Zhan had no trouble carrying it. Taking advantage of the darkness, he and A Qing returned to their camp smoothly.

Luo Zhen had arranged the flame ants to keep watch during the night. Despite A Chun's pregnancy, Luo Zhen didn't want him to tire himself, but A Chun insisted on waiting for Lu Zhan and the others to return. Currently, he was with the black panther cubs, his head leaning against the cave wall.

Before Lu Zhan entered the cave, Luo Zhen received a signal from the Flame Ants. He quickly greeted them and saw Lu Zhan and A Qing walking in with a giant leopard and a mermaid. If someone didn't know the situation, they might have thought the two were out hunting in the middle of the night.

"Where is Shan Qi?" Luo Zhen asked.

"He went to keep an eye on Luca. He should be back soon," Lu Zhan explained, then dropped Heishan he was carrying to the ground without gentleness. Heishan's heavy figure made a dull sound upon landing. "Clean up. We'll leave here once Shan Qi returns."

Luo Zhen glanced at Black Mountain and the mermaid on the ground, then nodded. By this time, A Chun was fully awake, staring at the mermaid in front of him in disbelief, thinking he was still dreaming. Was this person really rescued?

But now wasn't the time to dwell on it. Luo Zhen called him over to help pack things up. A Chun calmed himself, glanced at the mermaid with closed eyes, and quickly went over to assist.

Shan Qi returned shortly after, and upon seeing Black Mountain and the mermaid in the cave, he was also surprised. "Luca and the Black Witch followed a group of people towards the Black Forest. It might take them a while to come back."

"Headed to the Black Forest? What are they doing there?" Luo Zhen asked.

"I'm worried. We couldn't get too close to hear what they were saying. But one of them, like us, was riding a beast. It looked like a camel tortoise. They might be heading to the Wizard Hall across the Black Forest."

"A camel tortoise?" Luo Zhen recalled hearing from Heiyuan that only the most powerful wizards in the Wizarding Hall used camel tortoises as transportation. According to their knowledge, the Wizarding Hall's civilization was several levels higher than that of the Klu Lion Tribe. Why were they suddenly in contact with each other?