Chapter 30: A New Impact

"Are they the same group that attacked our tribe before?"

This was the first thing Zhou Xu needed to confirm. Facing the question, the tribe member shook his head.

"I’m not sure. The situation was too chaotic, and there were quite a few of them. I can't say for certain if it was the same tribe."

Zhou Xu nodded slightly upon hearing this.

"I understand. Go and call back the members of the gathering squad. As for Feique and his hunting squad, inform Feique of the situation and tell him to continue hunting for now, but to remain on standby."

"Understood!"

With that, the tribe member hurried off to relay the orders.

*Unless the primitives on the other side possess True Word powers similar to mine, it’s unrealistic for them to have spotted Dashan and the others while they were hiding at such a distance.*

*They likely discovered the Black Woods, realized it wasn't wise to approach recklessly, and retreated to report back.*

*From this perspective, the opposition is quite cautious.*

*Now, it just remains to be seen what their next move will be.*

He couldn't possibly have his entire tribe wait at the Black Woods just because he’d spotted other primitives. What if they didn't take further action today, or even tomorrow or the day after? Keeping everyone there would only waste their precious labor.

Of course, now that he was aware another tribe had discovered the Black Woods, he couldn't afford to be completely unprepared. After weighing his options, he decided to reassign the gathering squad. Unlike the hunting squad led by Feique, which was responsible for their primary food supply, the gathering squad was currently occupied with collecting coal, branches, stones, and insects. While the tribe needed these resources, they had a small surplus due to daily collection, meaning they could afford to stop for two or three days without significant issues. Besides, Zhou Xu had another plan.

"You lot, take these polished stone projectiles to the mine cave in the center of the Black Woods. On your way back, gather some supplies."

He summoned the patrol squad and quickly issued the instructions.

He had already confirmed the direction from which the two primitives had appeared. Considering their path of approach, the potential battle zone could be roughly delineated. As the one with the home-field advantage, Zhou Xu’s first thought was to use the Black Woods as natural cover and launch long-range attacks with slings. To execute this tactic effectively, a steady supply of stone projectiles was essential. If they were all kept at the main camp, it would be too late to transport them in an emergency. Storing them at the mine cave would be much closer to the battlefield.

At this moment, with the edge of the Black Woods serving as a natural defensive line, Dashan and his team stood watch in five-man shifts, ensuring they would detect the enemy the moment they appeared.

Zhou Xu’s mood was quite conflicted. Rationally, he wished they would arrive this afternoon, as he didn't have much else to prepare. Having to keep so many people on watch at the Black Woods was a drain; if the enemy attacked and reinforcements didn't arrive in time, the front line would collapse. Even with two or three extra days, his limited manpower couldn't produce anything new, and the wait would only cause more trouble.

But setting rationality aside, this was the first time since his transmigration that he would be facing another tribe. Unlike the giant spider, the prospect of taking human lives made him instinctively want to avoid the conflict. As for the idea of sitting down and talking with them... that thought hadn't crossed his mind even for a second. He wasn't naive; even if he wanted to negotiate, how could he be sure they did? They knew nothing of each other. In this environment, the safest approach was to crush the enemy and neutralize the threat.

As Zhou Xu waited in a state of mild anxiety, they did not disappoint. Shortly after noon, the silhouettes of a large group appeared outside the Black Woods. A tribe member, under Dashan's orders, ran back to deliver the message at top speed.

"They're here! They're coming! I estimate there are nearly twenty of them!"

Zhou Xu took a deep breath and stood up abruptly, gripping his bone spear.

"Hudie, stay hidden. Do not come out until we return."

He then quickly scanned the other tribe member standing by.

"Go tell Feique and the others to assemble. Head to the mine cave, take the polished stone projectiles, and intercept them on the outer perimeter!"

As the leader of the Salt Lake Tribe, facing this impending conflict, Zhou Xu forced himself to suppress his anxiety. This was a hurdle he had to overcome.

The enemy’s advance was slow, and Zhou Xu needed to be in position before them. Feique and his squad, having received his orders, were already rushing toward the area with the stone projectiles.

"What’s the situation?"

"I don't know." Dashan frowned as he watched the enemies appear outside the forest. "They are moving very slowly. Although they are moving forward, they haven't fully approached yet."

Zhou Xu frowned as well and immediately utilized the power of his 'Eye of Insight' to observe the situation. Under his enhanced vision, he quickly discovered that every single one of them was carrying a heavy load—a large wooden board strapped to their backs. In an era where people were skin and bone from having only one meal a day, the effort required to carry such things over a long distance was immense.

Just then, the enemy group came to a halt. The ones in the lead quickly unslung the large wooden boards and propped them up in front of themselves. Each board was large enough to cover a person entirely—they were clearly makeshift shields. A row of these large wooden shields joined together formed a wall.

Zhou Xu’s frown deepened. *Have these guys already discovered us?*

Before he could process this further, a gap wide enough for a person to pass through opened up between the wooden shields. The sight that followed made their hearts stop.

"Is that... a skeleton?!"

In the hollow eye sockets, two flickering green ghost fires danced. Emerging from behind the shield wall were eerie, terrifying skeletons! This brought a new, chilling shock to the worldview Zhou Xu had only just begun to stabilize.