"Roar—roar…"
Su Bai hazily heard strange beastly roars. As his mind cleared slightly, he suddenly opened his eyes, staring at the unfamiliar beast-hide tent ceiling above him.
He listened carefully for a moment and realized the roars were coming from very far away. Only then did he relax, muttering,
"What kind of beast can roar that loudly? Aren't they afraid of going hoarse?"
"System, I want to sign in."
Once he fully woke up, Su Bai immediately thought of the system.
"Ding! Sign-in successful."
"Claim the assistance pack and open it," Su Bai commanded mentally.
"Ding! Assistance pack opening…"
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining a Primary Assistance: A fruit knife."
"A fruit knife?"
Su Bai froze, then felt something appear out of thin air in his palm.
He quickly sat up and examined it. It was a fruit knife nearly twenty centimeters long, entirely black, with a plastic sheath.
"This thing would probably cost twenty-something yuan at a supermarket."
Su Bai didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He asked in his mind,
"System, will daily assistance packs always give things like fruit knives?"
"Ding! Yes. Any kind of item may be obtained."
"Alright then."
Su Bai shrugged and played with the knife. At the very least, it was something he desperately needed—useful for cutting things, and in a pinch, even usable as a weapon.
After fiddling with it for a while, he sheathed the knife and put it into his pocket. Then he lifted the tent flap and stepped outside, only to see people throughout the tribe carrying logs.
"You're awake?"
Yan Hua appeared behind him at some point, handing him several unfamiliar wild fruits.
"Eat some. Fill your stomach first—meat will come later."
"You picked these?"
Su Bai accepted the fruits. They resembled wild mountain peaches from Earth, about the size of a thumb—but their color was an eerie blue.
Crunch—
Yan Hua chewed on one, speaking indistinctly,
"I found them during patrol last night. They taste pretty good."
Crunch—
Su Bai wiped one on his clothes and took a bite. The texture was sandy, the flavor strange—nothing like anything he remembered.
After quickly finishing one and spitting out the pit, he asked,
"What are these called?"
"Sha-lan Fruit. A very rare kind," Yan Hua said, her cheeks puffed up like a greedy little squirrel.
"What are they doing?"
Su Bai turned to look at the people constructing something—it looked like a raised platform.
"Preparations for the inheritance ritual," Yan Hua said with a yawn.
"You stayed up all night. Go get some sleep," Su Bai said softly.
"No need. One night without sleep is nothing," Yan Hua waved it off.
After finishing all the Sha-lan fruit, she revealed teeth stained blue and said,
"Let's go. I'll take you to see the shaman."
"Your teeth…"
Su Bai's eye twitched as he followed behind her.
"Dyed blue?" Yan Hua said indifferently.
"Eat more meat later and they'll turn white again."
"..."
Su Bai spread his hands helplessly. Thinking of girls back on Earth, then looking at this carefree horned girl—completely different worlds.
The two arrived in front of the massive tent. Yan Jiao and Cang Shi stood guard outside, each holding a long spear with stone tips still stained dark red with blood.
"Go in. The shaman is waiting for you," Yan Jiao said, lifting the tent flap.
"Alright."
Su Bai took a deep breath and stepped inside.
Inside the tent, the shaman sat upright on a piece of beast hide, his deep eyes fixed on Su Bai.
"Sit, child," the shaman said, gesturing to the spot before him.
"Shaman," Su Bai greeted respectfully, sitting cross-legged on the hide.
"I know you have many questions,"
the shaman said kindly, his aged voice calm.
"I will tell you everything—then you may make your own choice."
"Alright," Su Bai nodded quietly.
"You likely don't know what a shaman is, do you?"
The shaman spoke slowly, yet irresistibly drawing one's attention.
"I don't," Su Bai answered honestly.
"Then let me first tell you what a shaman is."
The shaman straightened his back, stroking his beard as he spoke in a deep voice,
"A shaman's duty is to protect the tribe, to carry on its future, and to guide its path."
"How does a shaman protect the tribe?" Su Bai asked.
"The power of the totem—this is the tribe's foundation."
The shaman's expression turned solemn.
"A shaman controls the totem's inheritance. Only with a shaman can the totem marks within warriors' bloodlines be awakened."
"What is a totem warrior?"
Su Bai asked directly—this was something he'd been wanting to know.
"Did your ancestors never tell you about totems?"
The shaman looked surprised.
"No. My elders passed away when I was young," Su Bai shook his head. From the age of understanding, he had lived in an orphanage.
"Poor child. Then let this old man take on your_bp ancestors' responsibility."
The shaman patted the back of Su Bai's hand gently.
"Totem warriors are the strongest individuals aside from shamans. The totems we believe in are revelations passed down by our ancestors."
"Every person possesses immense potential. That potential is represented by vitality and blood. Totems are the means by which that vitality is mobilized."
He explained in simple terms,
"Without a totem, one cannot draw upon their vitality—no matter how great the potential, it cannot be unleashed."
"I understand," Su Bai said immediately.
In simpler terms:
The totem was like an internal cultivation manual. Without it, no matter how strong someone was, they would still only be ordinary.
The shaman was the one who taught the cultivation method—and guided its practice. That was why a shaman was so important.
"Good," the shaman nodded in satisfaction, comforted by Su Bai's sharp understanding.
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