BXBX NOVEL Chapter 51: Searching for Ore
Lupus, Rhode, and Anse stepped forward, responding, "Yes, Lord Priest!"
Enzo continued, "Heru, Neville, each of you select ten people to form the Vanguard squad!"
Heru acknowledged, "Understood!"
Neville nodded in agreement.
Finally, it was the division of the Battle Squad.
Addressing Tia and Clara, Enzo said, "Clara, Tia, the two of you will lead fifty people to form the Battle squad, responsible for defending the camp."
Clara and Tia promptly responded, "Yes!"
With the selection of all combat members completed, Enzo ordered everyone else to disperse, but he kept Heru and Neville behind.
They were puzzled.
Enzo explained, "Heru, the information about the ore brought back by the Vanguard squad last time is highly valuable. This time, I will personally inspect those ores. You will gather the selected members and prepare the necessary supplies. We depart in three days!"
The ores include halite ore and iron ore.
In preparation for the impending threat from the Mpondo Tribe, it was essential for all tribe members to undergo intense training and form an army to maximize their strength.
Additionally, there was a need to replenish salt reserves.
Iron ore was particularly crucial as it could be forged into various weapons.
According to Neville, there weren't many iron weapons in the Mpondo Tribe, which was good news for the Crimson Star Tribe.
After instructing Heru, Enzo turned to Neville.
He cautioned, "Neville, your next task is crucial. You need to patrol the edge of the jungle. If you detect any signs of Mpondo Tribe invasion, report it immediately!"
Neville solemnly nodded, replying, "Yes, Lord Enzo!"
At that moment, Neville felt deeply grateful.
As an exile from Plata Plain, Enzo not only accepted them but treated them equally. Now, entrusting him with such responsibility was overwhelming, and Neville was moved beyond words.
...
After assigning tasks to Heru and Neville, Enzo returned to his bamboo hut.
Inside, there was no sign of Clara and the others.
The rainy season had ended, and with the division of combat personnel, training, establishment of training areas, and coordination of various camp resources, these responsibilities fell to them.
It was foreseeable that Clara and the others would be extremely busy in the coming days.
Therefore, Enzo did not plan to involve them in the upcoming expedition to collect the ores.
Enzo was confident in his current abilities—although the strength imparted by Bookstaver was gradually dissipating, some of it still remained, enhancing his power significantly. He should be at the peak of the Level.2, capable of easily defeating formidable creatures like the Giant Mountain Turtle.
Hence, this journey was deemed safe.
At that moment, Enzo retrieved collected seeds from a cabinet.
With the sun out, it was a perfect time for planting to see what these seeds would yield.
In front of his bamboo hut, Enzo had a large open space which he now designated as a courtyard.
He swiftly encouraged several vines to grow, then manipulated them to loosen the soil. He proceeded to plant seeds in each subdivided area of the courtyard.
With the power of the totems, the seeds quickly took root, sprouted, and grew rapidly.
In just a moment, the seeds blossomed into flowers and bore fruit.
Enzo inspected each plant one by one, "Chili peppers, tomatoes, pumpkins, wildflowers, weeds, some promising wildflowers, and red berries..."
Most of the plants Enzo grew were unfamiliar to him.
However, there were still a few plants that surprised him. Besides the already known chili peppers, tomatoes, and pumpkins were also quite good.There was an unknown red berry that tasted pleasantly tart and sweet, lifting Enzo's spirits.
The tribe would finally have a variety of food beyond the usual potatoes and stewed meat.
Next, Enzo took out several fruit pits.
He had already transplanted saplings of apple trees from the original campsite of the tribe. With Enzo's nurturing, they now bore fruit, albeit with a somewhat dry taste.
Enzo suspected it was due to lack of sunlight, so he refrained from harvesting them.
Around the apple trees, he planted the pits obtained from Douglas. With the infusion of totemic power, the pits quickly sprouted. After being infused with nearly half of the power, these new fruit trees finally bore fruit...These fruits were unlike anything Enzo had ever seen.
They had a purple, tough outer skin with black patterns.
Upon peeling, they revealed transparent flesh that tasted peculiar. Enzo took a bite and immediately regretted it, finding the taste odd.
He decided not to force-ripen the remaining pits.
Three days later, he would lead the Vanguard squad on an expedition, needing to ensure his own strength was at its peak.
...
On the other side.
Neville led his team away from the tribe towards the edge of the jungle.
Unbeknownst to Neville and his group, a slender member of the Mpondo Tribe was concealed in a nearby tree. Wrapped in a fur cloak, he carefully retrieved a bamboo chip and meticulously recorded messages with sharpened charcoal. Once finished, he silently descended from the tree.He made no sound or movement, and quietly left.
Even the footprints he left behind disappeared under the cover of fallen leaves.
Over two hours later, this Mpondo Tribe member arrived at the edge of the jungle, crossing into the vast Plata Plain. After a hurried journey of more than ten miles, he reached a grassland campsite dotted with numerous large tents. Finally, he entered the largest tent and addressed a tall man seated inside, "Chief Reg, I've found Neville's trail. It appears he has allied with a tribe within the jungle!"
Upon hearing the scout's report, Chief Reg sneered, "Neville really disgraced the Plata Plain tribe! Hmph! The tribes in the jungle are nothing but a bunch of scrawny monkeys, and Neville was cowardly enough to seek refuge with a group of monkeys!"
After his tirade, Reg remained furious.
However he did not issue orders for capture. Instead, he turned to a wheat-skinned woman standing beside him and said, "Willa, gather your men. Lord Freya has commanded us to find a powerful young priest! Once found, Lord Freya will reward us handsomely!"
Willa, expressionless, asked, "Any additional instructions?"
Reg shook his head and replied, "Just that the priest's power is related to plant cultivation."
Willa coolly responded, "Understood. I will bring this person back as an offering to Lord Freya."
With that, Willa left the tent and began assembling her team.
Whether Reg or Willa, both instinctively avoided the jungle area, knowing the timid nature of its inhabitants—they dared not provoke the powerful Lord Freya.
...
Amidst their busy schedules, time passed quickly.
Three days flew by in an instant.
Heru, leading the Vanguard squad members, found Enzo as ordered. After receiving Enzo's command, they set off, while Clara and her team continued to train the Battle squad members tirelessly.
Despite their hectic tasks, they managed to spare a moment to bid farewell to Enzo.
Soon after, Enzo rode on the giant bear Betta, accompanied by the Vanguard squad, leaving the tribe behind.
...
On the muddy grasslands, the group made their way forward.
Leading the pack were soldiers clad in specially crafted leather armor, wielding spears and carrying bows on their backs. They used their spears to poke at the ground, dispersing any snakes or insects that might lurk there.
In the middle of the formation lumbered a massive silver-white bear.
To accommodate the soldiers, the bear deliberately slowed its pace, occasionally lying down on the ground.
Behind the bear, more than ten people herded three yaks. Vines were tied around the yaks, connecting them to bamboo-made carts with wooden wheels.The wheels of the cart were made of wood, carved into circles, making it easy to roll on such smooth grassy ground.
On the cart, there were placed some supplies.
This group was none other than Enzo's expedition from the Crimson Star Tribe.
They had been traveling for nearly a day, crossing vast stretches of rain-soaked mud, heading towards a rocky cliff.
Heru walked up to Enzo, pointing at a crooked tree ahead, and said, "Lord Enzo, we're almost there! That's where we'll find the halite ore we're looking for!"
On the back of the giant bear, Enzo lifted his head.
The tree ahead indeed looked peculiar enough, with branches sprawling in all directions, twisted and gnarled, serving as a distinct landmark.
However, despite nearing their destination, none of the group felt particularly jubilant.
The relentless downpours had dealt devastating blows to many parts of the jungle—soil washed away, flash floods erupted, mudslides engulfed everything... The negative effects brought by the heavy rain rendered the ore distribution previously discovered by the Vanguard squad almost useless. At present, there are still some unexplored areas with uncertain conditions.
Heru could only pray in his heart.
In this tense moment, cheers erupted from the front, "Lord Enzo, Captain, the vein of halite ore is still here, and it seems to have been exposed by the rain!"
Enzo and Heru hurried over.
On a somewhat steep rocky cliff, a large amount of white grains adhered to the rock face, resembling a snowy scene.
At a glance, Enzo recognized it as the halite ore he was searching for.
Finally, a piece of good news!
Enzo dismounted from Betta's back and bent down to pick up a handful of white grains washed down by the rain, examining them closely. He nodded and confirmed, "It's salt!"