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Chapter 14 - Settlement

"Thank you, my lord," Kael's heart swelled with delight and gratitude. He knew that he wouldn't be able to find this place without the help of his lord.

The power he held and now this place that would shield them from the winter, he owed everything to his lord.

Without his guidance, who knows what would have happened to him and his tribe?

Kael's faith value shot up even more at this moment.

In the chamber, Ethan couldn't stop smiling. He was impressed by Kael's rising faith in him. Every follower had a faith value from zero to one hundred, zero being the lowest and one hundred being the highest.

Kael had a whopping faith value of 90, making him a fanatic.

Now, if Ethan were to tell him to die, Kael wouldn't hesitate to die for him. That was the level of faith he had in Ethan.

[The tribe of Wolf-kin has discovered a floodplain to settle]

[This land is fertile and supports growth; however, frequent flooding might destroy fields and buildings. Proceed with caution— nature is both a blessing and a curse.]

[Tile bonus: Incredibly fertile for agriculture, Frequent water sources, and lush green]

[Penalties: High risk of seasonal flooding, Weak soil structure for permanent settlements]

[Would you like to settle here?]

"Well, it's time I put Farming to good use," Ethan mumbled as he stared at the screen.

Then he proceeded to select the location as his founding settlement.

Kael and the others headed to the Floodplain. The land stretched far and wide. Upon closer inspection, it looked even better than witnessing it from afar.

Breeze rustled through the slender stalks of the vegetation scattered around the place, and small creatures fled upon sensing them.

Kael and the rest, however, couldn't help but rejoice. The sight around them made their hearts flutter.

The children chased after the creatures, attempting to catch them while the adults wandered their gaze around in satisfaction.

Everybody was excited to settle into this new place.

"Let's scout the area before setting a camp," Kael said.

His voice echoed throughout the pack, and the pack members nodded their heads in agreement.

After scouting the surroundings for a while, the wolf-kin pack decided to settle in one of the places close to the river.

"Let's divide the work. We need to secure some food before the dark, and we need to secure some raw materials to set up a camp."

While everyone was gathered, Kael took to the stage to allocate the responsibilities. Though there was still some time left for the sun to set, he knew that he had to divide the task to stabilize the camp.

They couldn't just focus on setting up the camp and forget about securing food.

Just because they were in a bountiful land didn't mean that food would pop on its own. They still had to work for it to secure the food supplies.

Hence, Kael formed groups and divided the task.

The able warriors of the tribe were tasked with hunting, while the others were tasked with securing raw materials to build the camp. Kael, himself, joined the hunting expedition to secure the food supplies.

With this, the tribe members became busy. 

The sun tilted towards the western horizon, its golden rays illuminating the surface beneath. The tribe members who had set out to hunt, sensing the impending night, decided to return.

Kael and the others had managed to catch a large prey that could feed the entire camp.

Lifting the prey, the group then started to retreat.

"Finally, we can eat to our hearts' content today," one of the tribe members said.

"Let's have a banquet today," another added in excitement, his voice cheerful.

Kael didn't utter a word. But he couldn't refuse that he didn't like this atmosphere. It was better than the gloom from before.

Smiling, he once again thanked his god for the hunt.

'Thank you, your grace, for this magnificent hunt.'

As dusk draped its veil over the floodplain, the soft golden light faded beneath the horizon. The world slowly bathed in hues of violet and blue, signaling the arrival of night.

The returning hunters brought good news.

Each group had managed to secure something, be it fruits, herbs, or fresh prey.

However, among them was a large river beast resembling a water buffalo, which Kael and his group had hunted.

Seeing the massive prey, the children of the tribe couldn't help but surround the group. Their eyes gleamed with excitement and awe as they ran around it.

"Just how did you even manage to catch it?"

"It must have been hard to catch such a massive prey…"

The tribe members were full of awe.

The tribe stirred to life.

Laughter and murmurs echoed through the clearing as the wolf-kin gathered around the felled beast. One of the older warriors crouched beside it, skillfully slicing through the hide using a blade made from obsidian, black and sharp like a shard of night.

Blood sizzled as it hit the warm stones, while the savory aroma of fresh meat made stomachs grumble in anticipation.

There was no bonfire, only the dim light of the moon, bathing the tribe in its cold, tranquil glow.

Even so, it wasn't enough to dull the joy in the tribe. The wolf-kin possessed excellent vision, which allowed them to see even in the dim light.

Relying on their sight, the tribe members moved.

As the meat was carved and shared onto makeshift leaf platters, someone called out from the back of the gathering:

"Kael! Say something before we begin!"

"Yeah!" another chimed in. "You led us here, and you played the most important part in hunting this prey. So, it's only right that you make a toast."

The others around cheered in agreement as the tribe members encouraged Kael to make a toast.

Kael blinked. He was caught off guard. He hadn't expected such a situation to take place. He had been silently watching the ongoing preparations, musing on the moment of glee. He was just glad to see the tribe members happy.

But now, all eyes were on him.

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