The warm sunlight scattered across the land, driving away the chill and bathing the surroundings in comforting warmth.
However, no matter how warm the sun was, it could not dispel the cold fear gripping the hearts of the tribe members standing in its light.
Under this sunlight, a fire burned beside one of the tribe’s caves, surrounded by people wrapped in animal hides.
Their spirits were low. Even though their faces were caked with layers of grime from who knew how long without washing, the sorrow on their faces was still unmistakable.
The air was thick with an unpleasant odor, carried by the rising smoke from the flames.
Within the fire lay a body.
If it had been an ordinary death, the tribe would have grieved, but not .
This time, the one who had died was not just anyone—it was their chief!
If the chief had died from illness, been bitten by a wild beast while hunting, or even stepped on a venomous snake—such tragic ends, while painful, would have still been within the realm of acceptance.
The newly chosen chief stood at the front of the fire, watching as the flames slowly consumed the old chief’s body. His entire frame trembled uncontrollably.
His mind kept replaying the moment when those people arrived at their tribe’s doorstep, armed with weapons made of black stone.
They had demanded that the tribe hand over food to them.
For any tribe, food was a matter of survival—how could they possibly agree to such a thing?
So, their bravest warrior—their chief—picked up his weapon and stepped forward to battle the enemy’s leader, the one wielding that strange black stone weapon, hoping to drive these unreasonable intruders away.
Like the rest of the tribe, the new chief had been furious but confident.
Undoubtedly, their chief—the strongest warrior among them, capable of taking down even the fiercest prey—could defeat that outsider.
But the reality that unfolded shocked everyone.
The fight had barely begun when their chief’s weapon was cut in half by that black stone blade.
Before he could react, the enemy’s black stone weapon pierced his thigh, sending him crashing to the ground, unable to rise…
The devils with black stone weapons left, but before they did, they gave a chilling command:
Before every full moon, the tribe must offer them food.
The new chief wanted to refuse. He wanted to rush forward and kill those grinning demons, their weapons still stained with his chief’s blood.
But fear rooted him to the spot.
Their strongest warrior had been felled so quickly—what could he possibly do?
And the enemy tribe… every single one of them wielded those terrifying black stone weapons.
If they attacked together, his people wouldn’t stand a chance.
That night, the old chief, his leg wound gaping, succumbed to death.
Before he passed, he named the new chief as his successor and ordered him to lead the tribe far away, away from these devils.
As the flames consumed the last traces of his predecessor’s body, the new chief trembled violently.
He feared the terrifying tribe that wielded black stone weapons.
But he also feared leading his people into the unknown.
Their tribe had migrated before, and many of its members had died as a result.
Now, on the very first day of his leadership, he was faced with an impossible choice.
Fear gripped his heart.
Yet, the true horror was still to come…
Shu Pi led his people forward, watching the smoke rising in the not-so-distant area.
As he observed the familiar surroundings, he knew they were nearing the tribe.
Taking a deep sniff, Shu Pi caught a scent he knew all too well.
It was the same smell that filled the air when his tribe was destroyed by that terrifying enemy, when they burned the bodies of the dead.
Someone had died here.
Did they eat some poisonous fruit?
Hopefully, not too many of them had died…
With this thought, Shu Pi slowed his pace. He then signaled for his people to follow his lead, gripping their bows and nocking arrows before splitting into two groups, advancing toward the rising smoke.
Just as they had done while hunting, Shu Pi led his group forward stealthily—until they finally saw the people gathered around the fire.
Seeing that a good number of them were still left, Shu Pi felt slightly relieved.
After moving a little closer, he stopped hiding, let out a loud shout, and charged toward the people gathered by the fire, his group following closely behind.
As they ran, they began releasing arrows.
At the same time, the second group, approaching from another direction, also sprang out in response to Shu Pi’s call.
Since Shu Pi had already instructed them beforehand, most of his people did not aim directly at the crowd. However, a few unlucky individuals were still struck by the chaotic barrage of arrows.
The mourners, who had been drowning in grief and fear, were caught completely off guard by the sudden commotion and attack.
The new chief, like the others, froze when he heard the unexpected shouting and saw the figures charging toward them.
His soul nearly left his body.
Had the terrifying Black Stone Tribe come to kill them again?!
When they had left their cave to burn the chief’s body, they hadn’t brought their weapons.
And after their recent encounter with the Black Stone Tribe, fear was already deeply embedded in their hearts.
Now, seeing these attackers able to strike them from a distance and hearing the pained cries of those who had been hit, the new chief was overwhelmed with terror.
Letting out a panicked yell, he turned and bolted toward the cave.
The cave could shield them from wind and rain, protect them from wild beasts at night—and now, it could serve as a barrier against this sudden enemy.
More importantly, their weapons were inside.
If they could reach the cave, they might have the courage to stand their ground against these attackers.
Seeing them flee without putting up a fight, Shu Pi and his people were momentarily taken aback.
But the feeling quickly faded.
They had bows—powerful, magical weapons.
It was only natural that these people, terrified by such power, would flee.
However, watching them rush toward the cave made many of Shu Pi’s warriors anxious.
As cave dwellers themselves, they knew exactly how valuable caves could be.
If these people made it inside and sealed the entrance, attacking them would become incredibly difficult.
Some of Shu Pi’s warriors immediately gave chase.
Seeing this, Shu Pi let out a loud shout…