C2 Expedition

"Alright, Yuan has arrived. Everyone, let's start with dinner," the patriarch spoke calmly.

Upon hearing this, the group before the patriarch made their way to a corner of the cave, where Chen Yuan noticed a substantial stash of food.

Despite its dark appearance and some items being unidentifiable, it was undeniably food.

The group of twenty to thirty people didn't hesitate to grab and devour the food voraciously. Meanwhile, the seventy or so frail and infirm individuals swallowed hard with longing but remained motionless, showing no sign of approaching the food.

Chen Yuan understood that the food was reserved for the explorers. Only with full bellies could they venture further and return with more provisions.

Those left in the cave were mostly retired explorers, injured from past expeditions.

Aware of the exploration team's significance, they were content with just enough to stave off hunger. This was the environment in which Chen Yuan had been raised.

"Yuan, come on, eat up. We'll be out for at least three or four days this time. Without a full meal now, we'll be in a world of trouble later," urged the man who had brought Chen Yuan, as he too began to eat heartily.

"Yuan, aren't you eating?" the old patriarch inquired, his gaze fixed on Chen Yuan.

Not just him, but the eyes of the other seventy to eighty people were all trained on Chen Yuan.

"Alright," Chen Yuan replied, his expression tinged with complexity as he scanned the crowd.

Among these vulnerable individuals, some were limbless, their bodies emaciated. Their eyes shone with hunger, particularly the children, who seemed ready to pounce on the food if not for their parents' restraint.

Yet, there was no chaos—survival was the order of the day.

With resolve, Chen Yuan approached the food. The scant leftovers and the crowd's size meant only a few large chunks of unappetizing dried meat remained. He saw the man who had called him over gnawing on a piece.

Without further delay, Chen Yuan bit into a piece of the jerky.

Blech...

He nearly spat it out instantly. The overwhelming stench hit him as soon as he tasted the meat, and he found the flavor unbearable.

Not particularly hungry, he decided not to force it down.

"Yuan, you're not eating? You'll be left eating dirt out there if you get hungry," the man beside him remarked.

Chen Yuan, however, decisively handed his piece of jerky to the man, who accepted it eagerly, unfazed by the bite marks, and began chewing it with gusto.

At that moment, the patriarch, still perched on the high platform, spoke up: "You are the pride of our tribe, our most formidable warriors. I trust you're well aware of the crisis we face.

Currently, we're grappling with a food shortage and the looming threat of our tribe being flooded by rising underground waters. Thus, you are tasked with two great missions on this expedition.

First, bring back as much food as possible. Second, explore new territories in hopes of finding a suitable new home for our tribe. If we succeed, we can relocate and escape the constant fear that plagues us. Have you all understood?"

"Yes, we'll definitely work hard to gather more food to bring back, and we'll search for suitable caves for our tribe to inhabit!" came the unanimous response from the group.

Chen Yuan, however, picked up on a subtle detail: despite the collective response, their voices were remarkably soft, barely above a whisper—less than forty decibels. Had the cave not been so silent, those further away might not have caught a single word.

"This time, we'll split into six teams, each heading in a different direction. Explore as much as you can, but remember, safety comes first—especially with the Arch Dragon lurking about. Da Mao and the others recently spotted fresh signs of its droppings near our tribe. It's likely there's one nearby, so stay alert!" the elder chief cautioned once more.

"Yes!" they replied in chorus.

By now, the food had all but vanished, devoured by the hungry team. Many licked their lips, their appetites still unsatisfied.

"Alright, off you go!" the chief gestured with a wave of his hand.

The team of thirty-plus members made their way toward the stone wall behind the chief. As they neared their destination, Chen Yuan noticed the person at the front enter another chamber, only to reemerge swiftly.

When he reappeared, he was clutching a large bundle of weapons. Calling them 'weapons' was generous—Chen Yuan observed that among the assortment of swords, spears, and halberds, rust was common, and some were so notched they were barely recognizable. Yet, the person handled them with great care as he laid them out on the ground.

One by one, team members selected their preferred armament, lovingly polishing them as if they were cherished toys.

Soon, it was Chen Yuan's turn. Only one weapon remained: a pitch-black Burning Stick, its pointed end making it a makeshift spear.

"This one's for you!" Chen Yuan said with a smile, picking up the Burning Stick.

At that moment, the group's leader moved a large stone nearby, revealing a dark, concealed entrance—the tribe's sole passageway to the outside world.

"Alright, teams, split up and depart. First team, you're with me!" the man called out softly, then stepped into the opening.

Five others quickly followed, vanishing from sight.

"Second team, with me!" another voice called, and five more disappeared.

Then came the third, fourth, and fifth teams.

Just as the fifth team was about to fade from view, the man who had led Chen Yuan out reemerged from the cave, shooting Chen Yuan a stern look. "Yuan, what are you dawdling for? Come on, keep up!"

"Oh, right, I'm coming!" Chen Yuan realized he was part of the fifth team.

Ducking into the cave, he found it much narrower than expected, forcing him to stoop as he made his way through.

After navigating the cramped passage for several hundred meters, the tunnel finally opened up, revealing not rock walls, but dark, earthen ones.

The team tread more cautiously here, and Chen Yuan noted an increase in the number of branching paths—six tunnels, each leading to a different location.

The captain paused briefly, then motioned for the five team members to follow him into the passage on the far left.

But just then, Chen Yuan's face took on a dramatic shift in expression!