Next, Grant gathered the other two half-totem warriors in the tribe, Reed and Wade, as well as the elderly and frail Bishop. Bishop was the last of the half-totem warriors, while Wade was a female warrior whose strong physique was no less than that of a man.

Facing the scrutiny of the totem warriors, Ethan Brooks once again switched to his shaman-impersonation mode, causing the totem pillar to emit a faint blue light, which made the two half-totem warriors submit in awe, their eyes shining with excitement.

Accompanied by Grant and the totem warriors, Ethan Brooks walked out of the cave and summoned all the members of the tribe.

Grant walked to the very front, instantly silencing everyone. His eyes swept over the surrounding figures: “There is a powerful tribe outside the mountains, and their chief can resonate with the totem. Now that Ethan has resonated with our tribe’s totem, he is our chief.”

“Ethan!”

“Ethan! Chief! Chief!”

“Ethan! Ethan! Ethan!”

First, he had the merit of digging a well and finding water, and now, with Grant and the totem warriors supporting him, the tribe’s resistance to Ethan Brooks was gradually fading. Especially after learning that he had also become a totem warrior, their eyes were filled with reverence.

Under everyone’s gaze, Ethan Brooks looked around and said, “Call me Patriarch!”

Chief, my ass. Anyone who doesn’t know would think I’m some terrorist leader.

“Patriarch! Patriarch! Ethan! Patriarch!”

“Ethan!”

“Patriarch! Patriarch!”

“Chief, chief.”

“Patriarch!”

Looking at the excited tribespeople crowding around him, all howling and shouting, Ethan Brooks felt he should wave his hand.

“The one who’s still calling me chief, this patriarch will remember you.”

In the crowd, Harris’s burly body shrank a little.

...

Following behind Ethan Brooks, Bishop hunched over, his temples completely white, his right hand leaning on a wooden staff from which several hemp ropes dangled, each tied with a few knots.

At this moment, he plucked a snow-white, smooth beast bone from his hair with his left hand—about as thick as a thumb and three inches long—grabbed one of the hanging hemp ropes on his staff, tied the beast bone to it, and then grinned widely.

This was a major event in the tribe; it had to be recorded.

...

“From now on, I am your patriarch.”

The freshly appointed Patriarch Brooks, after saying just two sentences to the enthusiastic tribespeople around him, rather unapproachably patted his butt and walked back into the cave.

No choice, he was just too exhausted.

The day’s experiences had truly been intense—from acquiring the system to killing it, from being a prisoner to becoming the tribe’s patriarch—it was all thanks to his shamanic trickery.

Now that he didn’t have to worry about his life for the time being, he was mentally drained. He returned to the cave where Grant was, found a piece of animal hide, and wrapped himself up.

Sleep, sleep.

This time, Ethan Brooks slept deeply. He dreamed of the totem spirit deep within the totem pillar dissipating, the totem pillar collapsing, and himself dying along with it.

With a start, Ethan Brooks woke up from his deep sleep.

“Even in death you won’t let me go? I’m not dying! I’ll revive the totem, piss you off, and then piss you off again!”

With a heavy dose of morning grumpiness, Patriarch Brooks opened his eyes to see an old face almost pressed up against his own, nearly making him cry out.

“Chief.”

“It’s Patriarch.”

“Yes, chief.”

In the end, Ethan Brooks decided not to argue with this stubborn old man. There was plenty of time ahead; he believed he could eventually get Grant to change.

After greeting Grant, Ethan Brooks walked out of the cave. Although he had inherited some memories from his predecessor, they were a mess, and with his life still tied to the totem pillar, he needed to check on the state of the tribe.

Looking up at the sky at a 180-degree angle, the golden bird was already directly overhead, making Ethan Brooks sigh once again.

There weren’t many people moving about in the tribe. Although he had become the tribe’s leader yesterday with Grant’s announcement, the whole tribe was still operating as before.

The people in the valley had survived all these years thanks to Grant, so they had never chosen a patriarch; Grant had always led the tribe.

The hunting party, led by Reed, had gone out to hunt, while the female totem warrior Wade led the strong women of the tribe out of the valley to gather fruits and plant roots.

The well in the center of the valley had already been lined with stones, and a few people were guarding it.

When Ethan Brooks arrived, Harris, who was guarding the well, seemed at a loss, opening and closing his mouth but unable to speak.

In just one day, the little guy he’d carried in his hand had not only become the tribe’s chief, but also a totem warrior.

“Raise the well’s edge a bit higher, so the children won’t accidentally fall in.”

Seeing the awkward and uncertain Harris, Ethan Brooks felt no urge for revenge.

After all he’d been through, he’d long since let go of such things. Besides, he needed to unite the tribe’s strength—there weren’t many people to begin with, so how could he cut off his own arm?

Come to think of it, he really should thank Harris for yesterday. If it had been some other blockhead, no matter how much he pretended to be a shaman, they’d have just thrown him in the river to feed the terror crocs, and he’d have been dead long ago.

Chapter 5 Grant, let’s have a talk

“Chief.”

“Call me Patriarch.”

“Patriarch.”

“Mm.”

Seeing Harris so obedient, Ethan Brooks nodded in satisfaction.