Chapter 67 - 67 64 The First Meeting Please Follow_1

67: Chapter 64 The First Meeting (Please Follow)_1 67: Chapter 64 The First Meeting (Please Follow)_1 “The old switcheroo,” Gaven said with a laugh, adding, “No matter how good a strategy is, it all comes down to execution. If you can’t carry it out, even the best plans are futile. You did very well. If Blood Claw knew you had been hiding right under their noses all this time, they’d probably die of anger.” There was no way for the Pitfall Tribe to escape without alerting the Blood Claw Tribe to their presence. The hunting zone of the Collapsing Beast had become a deadly obstacle. Gaven decided to turn the disadvantage into an advantage, using the unique trap-making ability of the Pitfall Tribe for a classic bait-and-switch. Using the Collapsing Beast’s hunting grounds as a natural barrier, they created the illusion for the pursuing Blood Claw Tribe that the Pitfall Tribe had already safely passed through the area. In the absence of reliable information on the enemy, the adversary wouldn’t rashly attack under the barrage of the Collapsing Beast’s rolling stones—at least, no wise person would initiate an attack. If an attack was indeed launched, it was no big deal. They would engage in a sniper battle if possible, and if not, they would retreat. By drawing away the Goblin pursuers, the Pitfall Tribe would be safe as well. The leader of the Blood Claw Tribe was clearly a rational person, and such people were the most fearsome. “If we could make him die of anger, that would save us a lot of trouble,” Susie said seriously. “The current Blood Claw of the Blood Claw Tribe is an ambitious fellow. Without us holding him back, he’ll certainly expand his forces wildly. It’s only a matter of time before he turns his attention to Blackwell.” “In this world, is there a Hobgoblin without ambition?” Gaven asked with a smile. Susie couldn’t help but laugh, “It seems not.” When Blood Claw found out that the Pitfall Tribe had previously hidden in a cave less than a hundred meters away from them, his face turned green with fury. Although he didn’t vomit blood, being played for a fool was not a pleasant feeling. This was an adversary worth taking seriously; he would make them pay for their actions today. Successfully welcoming the Pitfall Tribe back was not as simple as just adding a little more power to the Blackwell Tribe. The formerly frail defenses of their settlement had seen significant improvements. In less than ten days, the Blackwell Tribe had surrounded itself with numerous pitfalls, serving as a temporary defense. Gaven directly formed a ground construction team, based on the framework of the Pitfall Tribe. In Gaven’s opinion, those Trap Makers should not be limited to simply digging traps and pitfalls; they should fully utilize their Stone Control and Stone Shaping abilities for other construction endeavors, such as leveling the ground, digging foundations, excavating caves, and so on. While their Stone Control and Stone Shaping abilities were not on par with the Stone Shaping Spell, they were valuable in large numbers, and the collective efficiency far surpassed that of Zack alone. Stone caves, stone houses, and stone walls of the Blackwell Tribe sprung up like bamboo shoots after a rain. The Collapsing Beast that had been captured alive was thrown into a five or six-meter-deep pit and penned up. In its special environment, it was indeed a formidable force, but away from that setting, it was like a toothless tiger, completely at the mercy of others. Gaven planned to see if there were potential for domestication; if successful, this could become a special defensive asset. Gaven’s workplace and living quarters moved from a temporary tent into a two-room stone cave, with one room for personal living and the other as an office, which also served as the meeting room for the Blackwell Tribe. Considering the special existence of the Half-Ogre, the meeting room was built particularly spacious, allowing even Hou to enter and exit freely. Zack, the former leader of the Cangya Tribe, and the former Chief Warrior Cangya, happened upon each other outside the meeting room and couldn’t resist sizing each other up. Although both were now living under the banner of the Blackwell Tribe, their different duties—one working on the surface, the other underground—meant they hardly ever crossed paths. In just a short span of twenty days, both had undergone tremendous changes. Zack, who had been skinny, became somewhat muscular, which spoke volumes about the dietary standards of the Blackwell Tribe, especially in terms of his spirit; he exuded an indescribable confidence in his demeanor. As for Cangya, not only had his muscles become more defined, but even his height seemed to have increased a bit. Being only ten years old according to Gnoll years and just reaching adulthood, there was still potential for growth, especially with ample nutrition. “You…” “You…” Both of them seemed to want to ask about each other’s recent situation, but seeing each other’s expressions, they felt it unnecessary. In the Blackwell Tribe, they were both highly valued and held important positions, with even more power than when they were with the Cangya Tribe, as the two tribes were incomparable in scale. What was most important was that they were witnessing the rise of the Blackwell Tribe, and they had no doubt that this was just the beginning; no one could predict how far the tribe would grow in the future. It was Cangya who first bowed to break the silence, “Supervisor, do you know why the Leader has summoned us? Sёarᴄh the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I heard that the other Chiefs have all been called here as well.” “You don’t need to be so formal now, we are equals,” Zack replied hurriedly, returning the gesture, “I’ve just come up from the mine and know nothing. I thought perhaps you would know something.” “Regardless of rank, it’s proper to respect our seniors,” Cangya said sternly, “I’ve just come back from leading a team out for field training.” Zack smiled and said, “We don’t need to stand here and guess. The Leader’s thoughts are always elusive and far beyond what we can fathom. Once we enter the conference room, it will only be a few minutes before the mystery is unveiled. I guess we are the last to arrive.” “Indeed, after you,” Cangya said, stepping half a pace behind Zack. Zack understood Cangya’s personality and did not argue, entering the meeting room first. Gaven, Anna, Vick, Hou, Gos, Susie. All the renowned Chiefs of the Blackwell Tribe had already arrived and taken their seats. Yet everyone in the room was doing their own thing. Gaven was at the main seat, writing and drawing furiously. Next to him, Anna was engrossed in a thick book, murmuring to herself. Vick and Hou were battling with the fruit platter in front of them, and the trash bin at their feet was nearly filled with fruit peels. Gos and Susie were whispering to each other, seemingly trying not to disturb Gaven, keeping their voices very low. Seeing two empty chairs at the conference table, Zhaxi and Cangya took their places without any ceremony. The moment they stepped in, Gaven put down his pen and paper and tapped the table saying, “Everyone is here. Let’s focus and begin. Today’s meeting is called ‘Finding and Fixing Flaws, Pooling Wisdom’.” A human, a half-ogre, a goblin, and four Gnolls all blinked and stared at Gaven, completely baffled by the latter eight words. Gaven massaged his forehead. During this time, he had been delving into the memories of his past life as Zhang You, and his tendency to quibble over words was strong—even when translated into the common language of Felen, his vocabulary remained esoteric, no wonder they were confused. Adjusting his mindset, Gaven used simpler terms, saying, “After all, I am a foreigner and can only grasp the broad direction of Blackwell’s development. On many details, especially individual needs and future directions, you, the natives, understand far more than I do. Especially now as we are developing so rapidly, there must be many details I haven’t noticed. I need you to help me fill in the gaps. Do you understand what I am saying now?” “I roughly understand.” “I’m somewhat clear now.” Half of them seemed to grasp the meaning, while the other half remained clueless. Most of those present were illiterate, so Gaven could not expect too much from them and resorted to calling on individuals, “Supervisor Zack, in your opinion, to further increase the mining speed at Blackwell Mine, what methods should we employ?” Gaven singled him out first for a reason. Zack, after all, was one of the highest-ranking professionals there and had once been the Leader of the Cangya Tribe; he was the eldest and had the richest experience in many aspects. Zack did not disappoint Gaven’s expectations and answered without hesitation, “Tremor Bombs. If we have enough Tremor Bombs, our mining speed will increase significantly.”