C5 Totem

"Just leave it there. We can use it again tomorrow. Carrying it back and forth is such a hassle!" Yuan Ge didn't mind the big tree stump; it was no big deal if it went missing. The tribe had an abundance of such things.

As the two walked away, the children started to speculate about how Yuan Ge had managed to catch the rabbits. Jiekui, in particular, was curious. He sprang up from the ground and dashed over to the big tree stump. After driving away the other children with a few punches and kicks, he crouched down to examine it closely.

The other kids, though resentful, were intimidated by Jiekui's show of force and could only watch enviously from a distance. By now, they had all come to the conclusion that the rabbits must have knocked themselves out, making it easy for Yuan Ge to capture them.

Jiekui scrutinized the tree stump and then tried to herd the rabbits around it. But the rabbits, hopping and leaping, quickly scattered, showing no interest in staying near the stump. To them, it was just an ordinary stump with nothing special about it.

Exhausted, Jiekui was at his wit's end. He had worked so hard that he nearly chased the sun down, yet all he got in return were puzzled looks from the rabbits.

Unaware of the children's "rabbit-chasing" antics, Yuan Ge returned to the stone house with Jiesen and started preparing the rabbits for a feast.

Yuan Ge set aside the skinned rabbit pelts in the yard. The fur could be used to craft animal skin bags or simple garments for the winter chill.

He then placed the cleaned rabbits on the fire. Before long, the savory aroma wafted through the air. Yuan Ge even seasoned the meat with some salt, a luxury in the tribe since it came from a salt pond deep in the forest, an area fraught with danger and frequented by monsters and Dire Beasts.

As the two roasted the rabbits, a weary Jiekui, lugging his stone spear, trudged back from the grasslands. Passing by Yuan Ge's house, the scent of the roasting rabbit hit him like a slap in the face. Though the rabbit meat was tempting, he could only linger outside the door, taking in the aroma. With a disdainful snort, he turned and walked away.

Yuan Ge and Jiesen were thoroughly enjoying themselves in the courtyard, savoring the roasted rabbit meat that was crispy on the outside and succulent on the inside. The delectable flavor was so enticing that they quickly devoured it, leaving only a pile of bones behind. They licked their fingers and smacked their lips, seemingly longing for just a bit more.

As they sat contentedly by the fire, chatting away, Jiesen immediately rose to his feet with an air of utmost respect upon noticing the newcomer.

Yuan Ge sized up the man before him. In his twenties, with a round face and large ears, he had the broad chest of a wolf and the powerful build of a tiger. A scar that nearly split his face in two added to his fierce and formidable appearance. The flame totem on his shoulder, a mark of a high-level warrior, pulsed subtly with his deep breaths.

Such a totem was a unique emblem of an awakened warrior within the tribe, with new totems emerging as one's level advanced. The color of each totem indicated the tier of awakening. Jie'ao's red flame totem signified his status as an intermediate Yuan Gathering warrior, a rank that denoted a high-level warrior within the tribe.

Jie'ao, the son of the tribal chief Jieyang, was not only the tribe's warrior training instructor but also the captain of the hunting team. The scar on his face was a badge of honor, earned in a fierce encounter with a Dire Beast during a hunt.

Without so much as a glance at Yuan Ge and Jiesen, Jie'ao made his way to the fire, briefly eyeing the rabbit hanging from the eaves before taking a seat. Before either man could utter a word, he remarked, "I saw that you hunted quite a few rabbits today!"

He must have spotted Yuan Ge setting up rabbit traps earlier that day; otherwise, he wouldn't have mentioned it outright.

Indeed, that was exactly what had happened. While training warriors on the grassland, Jie'ao had noticed Yuan Ge's peculiar behavior. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that Yuan Ge was actually trapping rabbits.

"You should be practicing spear-throwing like the other kids. That's what a tribe's warriors are meant to do!" Jie'ao's voice was icy, each breath sending the flames dancing wildly.

In the tribe, Jie'ao was notorious for his staunch traditionalism and rigidity. Regardless of how much others feared him, Yuan Ge was not intimidated.

"I don't believe spear-throwing is the only way to get food, nor do I think rabbits are necessary for honing skills!" Yuan Ge had his own perspective. As someone who had crossed over with memories of an advanced civilization, he had no intention of wasting his time on such tedious training.

Jie'ao's anger flared at the retort, and with a sharp crack, he crushed a piece of wood in his grip to dust. Jiesen, standing nearby, shuddered with fear, involuntarily stepping back. Yuan Ge, however, simply offered a serene smile, unafraid.

After tossing the splinters into the fire, Jie'ao huffed, "We're bound to face larger creatures. You might snare rabbits, but can you trap Dire Beasts or even monsters? Your methods might net you some rabbits, but that's it. Only with a stone spear can you truly conquer them."

Yuan Ge smirked, unimpressed, thinking to himself, "I'm just catching rabbits for now. When it comes to wild beasts, I'll have other plans. What's it to you?"

Believing Yuan Ge had acknowledged his error, Jie'ao snorted dismissively and strode away.

It wasn't until Jie'ao had vanished from sight that Jiesen exhaled deeply, settling back across from Yuan Ge. "Jie'ao has a point. Your technique works for rabbits, but if we face Dire Beasts or enemies in the future, our spears will be our only defense!"

Jiesen had been tempted to try Yuan Ge's method, but Jie'ao's lecture quashed that curiosity. His ambition was to become a tribal warrior, which meant building a solid foundation in all areas to qualify for that role.

Yuan Ge maintained his silence, unable to confess to them that he was a man who had crossed over from a civilized world. In the face of nature, he felt less capable than these primitives.

Noticing Yuan Ge's reticence, Jiesen stood up, gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder, and walked away. He assumed Yuan Ge was in a terrible mood and preferred to be left alone with his thoughts. Little did he know, Yuan Ge was already contemplating alternatives to the stone spear.