The Rise Of A Tribal Deadbeat - Chapter 41

Zok being unaware of what was going on in the tribe carefully made his way to the cave that had appeared recently. However, it didn’t seem like he was the only one there as Kaira picked up on an unknown scent.

“I didn’t think anyone from the tribe would be brave enough to venture into the glades.” Zok mumbled to himself when Kaira informed in about the smell through Hivemind, “You sure there’s only one person inside the cave?”

Kaira rigorously nodded and it appeared Cero was in agreement with her. Since both of his familiars had a decent sense of smell, Zok knew there was no way someone could have fouled both of them. Unless… that person was a shaman.

“Alright then. Even if someone is inside the cave, it doesn’t change our plan. We’ll inspect the cave from the outside and then decided what do we want to do.”

Both of his familiars agreed with him and Cero took the lead while Kaira walked at the back guarding Zok against dangers that might come from behind. The gigantic Cerotidae had grown quite possessive over Zok, just like Kaira had. So much so that sometimes there were short fights between Kaira and Cero when one of the two got too close to their master.

At these times, Zok was forced to use the Hivemind to reprimand them quite a bit and it was thanks to that, the two of them had been fighting less and less. But they still fought once or twice every couple of days. But something good did come out of their fights. Their fights made Zok realise what each of them was lacking and at the same time, it helped Zok come up with countless combinations of moves that he could use during battle both to protect himself and attack the enemy.

Zok was walking with his mind shut to the world around him. He was wondering who would be foolish enough to come here alone? It was also possible that just like he got played by the shamans and his father, someone else also got under their influence and was sent to die alone.

If it was the case then it could be either a good or a bad news for him. Starting with the optimistic possibility, Zok could gain a new ally from this cave, willing to raise a war against the shamans. Or he could find someone who would take him as the enemy and fight.

Zok was prepared for both of the situations. The man he had become now would not hesitate before killing anyone who would stand in his way. It wouldn’t matter to him if it was his family or friends. If they stood against him, he might try to persuade them once, however, if they decide to not believe him and rage war, then he wouldn’t shy away from killing them as well. After all, he was busy gathering more beasts for the same purpose.

Zok was so lost in this own world he forgot he was supposed to stay behind Cero and walked ahead. The moment he did so, Cero snorted loudly before stomping his cylindrical feet, snapping Zok out of his dream world.

“I get it, I get it!” Zok yelled before falling into the line once again, “You don’t have to yell at me.”

Cero huffed once again before shaking his head as if he was mocking Zok. For a second Zok almost forgot he was supposed to be the one in charge there, but eh, it wasn’t like Cero would agree to that. After all, he still had one level on Zok.

It didn’t take them much time after that to get to the cave and thankfully, the violet markings on the cave were clearly visible even from a distance. That meant, the cave wasn’t going to be as bad that the previous one.

‘Maybe that is also the reason why someone thought about clearing this cave as well. I mean, it shouldn’t be so hard to do that. Right?’

Upon seeing the willingness of his familiars to enter the cave, it was clear that whatever danger was waiting for them inside the cave could be dealt with pretty easily. After all, if anything was going to happen there, then at least Kaira should have shown the signs of hesitation like the other wolves who simply refused to enter the Arachnid’s cave.

“Let’s go inside.” Zok drew out his spear from the inventory and they walked into the unknown.

Appearance-wise, this cave wasn’t much different than the one Zok had previously been into. It was mostly the same dampness and similar terrain. The only thing different was the absence of the weird moss and the pond of acid.

However, there was something that the other cave didn’t have… a couple of half-eaten people corpses. it looked like someone was enjoying a meal when they stumbled upon them. Zok looked towards his familiars and they both simultaneously shook their heads. The smell coming from the corpses wasn’t the same one as they had smelled before.

Just like any normal being of Occuna, Zok’s first reaction was to think this was the work of some beast. He tightened his grip around his spear while the beasts looked around the cave. However, the moment they left Zok unguarded, something jumped on him.

Thanks to his increased agility, Zok not only managed to dodge the attack, but he also managed to counterattack his attacker who happened to be… an Occunian as well? There was a girl standing in front of him, with blue blood oozing out of her mouth.

She appeared to be of Zok’s age but she wasn’t unlike anyone he had seen before. She had red skin and her naked body was full of tattoos. But none of the tattoos resembled the ones Zok was aware of. Also, her eyes were completely black, just like her shoulder-length messy hair. To top of everything, she looked just like the two others who were lying dead there… she had been eating her own people.

‘Just what is going on here?’ Zok thought as Kaira and Cero rushed to his side.