Up ahead, the howling Reed turned his head and saw the armored tusked beast chasing after Ethan Brooks. He stared blankly for a moment, then swung along the vines, circled around the herd, and chased after Ethan Brooks.

　　Ahhh!

　　Ethan Brooks shouted loudly. He had been infected by the people here and couldn’t help but howl like a wolf as well. Somehow, it felt imposing and gave him a boost of courage.

　　The ground behind him trembled, giant trees swayed, grass and shrubs toppled, and dirt flew everywhere. After hitting the beast’s young, the whole family was now biting at his heels, refusing to let go.

　　Roar!

　　Behind him, the armored tusked beast opened its bloody maw, releasing a strong, foul stench that almost made Ethan Brooks hold his breath. His hands slipped on the vine, and he dropped two or three meters. Fortunately, he was quick—he kicked off the tree trunk and swung himself farther away.

　　That was absolutely thrilling—just two meters behind him was that gaping mouth, and he could clearly feel the stench spraying onto his body.

　　The totem mark on his chest glowed with a blue light, and the power hidden throughout his body tensed up, allowing him to leap left and right in front of the armored tusked beast.

　　At this moment, he felt like he had endless strength. The divine totem pattern on his chest stirred a kind of external energy, supplying him with power.

　　“Chief.”

　　Reed, who had circled around, appeared next to Ethan Brooks, turned his head, and shouted with a wide grin.

　　“I’ll leave this to you. I’m going to check how the tribe’s preparations are going.”

　　Hearing Ethan Brooks’s shout, Reed stomped his big foot on a giant tree in front of him, flipped his body, and swung his stone knife at the armored tusked beast chasing from behind.

　　Roar!

　　The leading armored tusked beast let out an angry roar, its two tusks raised high, clashing with the stone knife. Its five-meter-long body shuddered violently, while Reed’s powerful impact sent him swinging along several vines before finally crashing into a big tree and coming to a stop.

　　But this strike also drew the armored tusked beast’s attention. Seeing their leader chase after Reed, the remaining tusked beasts all shifted their targets again.

　　Ethan Brooks managed to escape and headed toward the valley. The behavior of these beasts clearly showed that their instincts still dominated their thinking, with little intelligence. Otherwise, it would be a disaster for the people of the tribe.

　　Outside the valley, the isolation barrier had long been completed. Wolfskin trees were piled high on the open ground outside the valley, forming mounds like small hills.

　　“Chieftain.”

　　Bishop came up to Ethan Brooks, his staff hung with knotted animal hide ropes.

　　Ethan Brooks said, “The more wolfskin trees, the better. It’d be best to fill the whole valley with them.”

　　He had seen the armored tusked beasts’ attack power earlier. If he wanted to burn them to death, there had to be enough firewood. This was about establishing his authority in the tribe, so he had to be well prepared.

　　After all, these beasts were alive. If they ran deep into the mountains, was he supposed to block them with his small body?

　　“And make sure the ignition points are ready.”

　　After thinking for a moment, Ethan Brooks added. To ensure the fire would catch, it was necessary to have several people light it at once.

　　After giving instructions to Bishop and Wade, Ethan Brooks found Reed again, taking on the role of beast guide. Fortunately, these brutes were completely enraged and inhuman, chasing after them relentlessly.

　　He vaguely felt that the shaman was deliberately staying in the cave this time. Was the old man testing him?

　　……

　　Outside the tribe’s valley, a strong oily smell filled the air. After the wolfskin trees were cut, some oil seeped from their cores, gathering into tiny streams.

　　When Ethan Brooks ran back again, he realized his thinking had been off. With such a strong oily smell, there was no need to get close to light it. Just throw a few torches from a distance, and the fire would ignite completely.

　　“Everyone retreat into the tribe and seal off the valley entrance.”

　　Wolfskin trees were piled like mountains, filling the open ground outside the valley. He stood on a distant hill, with Wade following behind, holding a firestone.

　　At his feet were more than thirty wolfskin tree torches, all whittled down, while Bishop was still using a stone knife to carve more torches.

　　“When Reed and I lure the armored tusked beasts in here, cut off their retreat by lighting the fire.”

　　With that, Ethan Brooks grabbed a… well… let’s call it a stone spear, about two meters long and as thick as an arm, which he would use to enrage the armored tusked beasts.

　　It would be best if he could provoke them into a complete frenzy, with no trace of clarity left.

　　“Chief, let me do it.”

　　Wade had just spoken when Ethan Brooks interrupted him.

　　“I’ll do it!”

　　With a grand wave of his hand, full of spirit and confidence, he felt he had reached his peak at this moment.

Chapter 9: Setting the Mountain Ablaze, The Totem Manifests

　　What a pity.

　　At such a dazzling moment, no one in the tribe was watching. Life, alas, is lonely as snow.

　　After a brief sigh, Ethan Brooks grabbed the stone spear beside him and walked into the forest.

　　As long as he pulled off this big move, the days ahead would be much easier.

　　Go for broke.

　　If he succeeded, he would be the master of the tribe.

　　At this moment, Reed had already lured the beasts close to the valley. The momentum of more than a dozen armored tusked beasts shook the earth, their thunderous roars echoing through the land.