"Allow me to present our tribe's most proficient hunters," Grom remarked as he strode alongside Wang Jun, indicating the ten individuals assembled before them.
Wang Jun acknowledged with a nod, casting a discerning gaze over the group. Each hunter possessed unique characteristics, yet they all bore a common mark. Among them stood three females, including Grom's granddaughter Freya, while the remainder were males.
His gaze lingered on the distinctive mark adorning each hunter. He knew that such a mark could hold various symbolic meanings. Turning to Grom, he inquired, "This mark... does it symbolize the spirit of our tribe?"
Freya stepped forward, the morning light illuminating her entire figure as she elaborated, "Indeed. This mark symbolizes not only our unyielding loyalty to the tribe but also our unmatched skill in the hunt."
Wang Jun nodded in acknowledgment of her words, while Grom beamed proudly at his granddaughter's explanation.
Then, turning to Wang Jun, he continued, "Each hunter among us has earned their place through trials that go beyond mere physical prowess. They have demonstrated not only strength and agility but also wisdom and compassion. They are not merely hunters; they are the guardians of our people and the custodians of our traditions."
Wang Jun recognized the weight of responsibility they bore and their unwavering dedication, traits he had observed during his explorations of the tribe. They were precisely the kind of people he needed—loyal to the tribe and committed to its well-being.
The tribe's current requirement was for a formidable guardian capable of protecting them, a role Wang Jun was on the brink of fulfilling. He understood that merely knowing about his gift and its connection to leveling up was insufficient.
He needed to explore its depths to truly harness its power. However, for the immediate task at hand, he only required five individuals.
Even though he needed more people, Wang Jun couldn't afford to distribute all the stat points indiscriminately. First and foremost, he needed to assess their strengths.
Checking the stats of each hunter one by one would be a tedious and time-consuming process. However, with the tribe growing stronger and now possessing an army, Wang Jun realized that he couldn't afford to micromanage each soldier's stats.
It would overwhelm him and consume too much time. Instead, he needed a select few individuals whom he could focus on, ensuring that all their stats were optimized. These individuals would then lead the army, allowing Wang Jun to direct his efforts more effectively.
Wang Jun assessed the stats of the hunters before him.
Freya stood out with the highest strength, boasting a formidable stat of 17.
Jacob, a young man with golden hair, excelled in dexterity with a matching stat of 16.
Grimlock, a towering giant with a long beard, possessed an impressive constitution of 16.
Draven, a middle-aged man with white hair and a distinguished mustache, displayed solid stats of 15 in both strength and dexterity.
Lastly, there was Wulfgar, an elderly hunchback supported by a wooden stick.
The reason why he chose Wulfgar was because of the dog beside him. Wulfgar possessed the skill of 'Dog's Best Friend,' a unique ability that endeared him to all dogs, who would treat him as one of their kind. Wang Jun recognized the importance of Wulfgar's dogs for information-gathering purposes, making him a valuable asset to the team.
In short, Wang Jun chose Freya, Jacob, Grimlock, Draven, and Wulfgar. He signaled to the elder, who responded with a nod of understanding. The other five hunters, left behind, displayed disappointment written on their faces as Wang Jun departed with his selected team.
"The elder had already explained to you but let me clarify why I only need five of you, because of my gift," Wang Jun said.
"Gift?"
"Yes, my gift allows me to grant strength to those I deem worthy. That's why I chose you five. The others were worthy as well, but they are not comparable to you five. So, consider yourselves special," Wang Jun explained
Grimlock scratches his head, his brow furrowing in confusion, "Hold on a minute. You're saying you've got some... strange power that makes us stronger?"
Wang Jun nodded, trying to find the right words to explain. "Not exactly a power, Grimlock. It's more like... a special knack I have."
"A knack? What kind of nonsense is that?"
Wang Jun sighed, realizing Grimlock wasn't quite grasping the concept. "Look, Grimlock, I don't have magic or anything like that. It's more like... a blessing from the gods if you will."
He never really knew where his gift came from. He could consider it a blessing from a higher power, like a divine blessing. Nevertheless, whether it was considered a blessing or superpower, it wasn't particularly important to him.
Grimlock snorted, crossing his massive arms over his chest. "Gods? I've never seen any gods, and I've certainly never been blessed by 'em."
"I know it sounds strange, but trust me, Grimlock. This 'knack' of mine is real. And I've chosen you because I see something special in you."
Grimlock grunted, still unconvinced. "So, what? You're gonna wave your hands and suddenly I'll be as strong as a mammoth?"
Wang Jun shook his head, suppressing a smile. "Nothing like that, Grimlock. It's more subtle. You'll feel it when it happens."
Grimlock narrowed his eyes, studying Wang Jun carefully. "Well, I ain't one for fancy words or strange powers. But if you think this... knack of yours can make me a better hunter, then I'll give it a try."
"Thank you, Grimlock." Wang Jun smiled.
Grimlock grunted in response, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his lips.
Wang Jun didn't feel offended by Grimlock because he couldn't sense any disrespect in his words; it seemed more like curiosity in the way Grimlock spoke. If Grimlock had shown even a hint of disrespect, the elder would have reacted. After answering Grimlock's question, Wang Jun simply smiled as the others began to question him.
He chose to reveal his gift for various reasons. Firstly, he wanted to demonstrate that he was not just a leader with knowledge; adding the revelation of his gift would make him more than just a leader to them.
While knowledge could be acquired through learning, his gift was innate and unique to him. Additionally, he anticipated that the hunters would eventually question any sudden surge in their strength, so it was better to tell them about it later rather than sooner.
By being transparent about his gift, he hoped to foster trust and understanding among the group.
---
Inside the forest, not far from the tribe's settlement, a green figure lay concealed in the bushes. Silently, it observed the tribe for a moment before suddenly darting off in the opposite direction. However, as it fled, a sharp projectile sliced through the air, striking the figure, and causing it to collapse to the ground.
'Your subordinate, Jacob, killed a goblin. Do you wish to add him to your list of subordinates?'
In the branches of the tree, Jacob squatted, holding a bow in his hand. Suddenly, he leaped to the ground, where five more figures emerged.
Yes, Wang Jun silently uttered in his mind as he gazed at the corpse of the goblin.
'Jacob has been added to your subordinate list. You can now gain the experience points of your subordinate.'
'You gained +5 EXP.'
Wang Jun stood near the corpse of the goblin, with the hunters around him examining the body.
"It seems like this goblin was scouting the tribe," he remarked. "Thanks to your friend, Wulfgar, we caught wind of it quickly. Otherwise, we might have been caught off guard by a surprise attack."
"Yes," Wulfgar answered with a nod, his hand gently caressing his dog.
"There's a goblin tribe nearby, with numbers too great for us to contend with," Freya explained at Wang Jun's side. "Fortunately, they've been turning a blind eye to our tribe as of late, for reasons unknown. But with the recent sightings of goblin spies among us, it appears their stance has shifted, and an attack is imminent."
"We'll shift our hunting focus from goblins to beasts for now," Wang Jun nodded. If they keep attacking the goblins, the goblin tribe may decide to react promptly, as Freya said they turn a blind eye for whatever reason.
He needed to observe the stance of the goblin tribe first. If they're planning an attack, then he must act as quickly as possible. If not, they only remain vigilant and lay low.
The group moved on, encountering many beasts and monsters that Wang Jun had never seen in his life. There were wolves larger than adult humans, taking a minute to kill and providing him with 10 EXP each.
They also encountered a gorilla with two heads and four arms, yielding 10 EXP. However, the most alarming encounter was when they came across goblins moving in a group.
What are they doing? So they're not planning to attack the tribe?
The goblins were moving in the opposite direction of their tribe, heading towards the center of the forest.
"What do you think? Where are they going?" Wang Jun asked.