After a long time of procrastinating, Thorne finally spoke loudly, not willing to be outdone. "It's impossible for us to surrender to you, Korga. After all, our tribes have been enemies for centuries."
"Haha!! Don't refuse so fast, Brother Thorne," Korga smirked. "We are not the ones you'll surrender to."
"What do you mean?" Thorne asked, confusion etched on his face.
"Brother Thorne, the truth is that the Bloodfang tribe is already a subordinate tribe to one of the Lords of Silica Kingdom," Korga proudly declared, oblivious to the fact that the problems the Evergreen Tribe faced had already been solved. "And we are here by the order of the Lord to help you, knowing that your clansmen are injured and some have even died."
"What!!... Silica Kingdom?!" Thornek, Thorne's younger brother, exclaimed, feigning shock. In reality, Thornek was well aware of Korga's true intentions.
"Brother, Silica Kingdom is not to be trifled with. They have thousands of strong armies," Thornek continued, playing his role perfectly.
Thornek's words were meant to caution Thorne, hinting that he should consider Korga's offer. Seizing the opportunity, Korga immediately added, "Brother Thorne, although our tribes have been enemies for many years, we are willing to concede for the sake of serving the new lord."
"IMPOSSIBLE!!!," Leader Thorne shouted in rage. Korga was taken aback by Thorne's reply, left speechless for a moment.
"Korga!!," Thorne continued, his voice dripping with anger. "Did you know what you did? You betrayed the unwritten rule of all tribes."
"What unwritten rule?!" Korga asked, his voice laced with madness.
"The Wildbeast Border has been broken for many years," Korga declared, his ambition unconcealed. "I think it's time for someone to unite it!!! Old man, don't be stubborn. Surrender now, or you'll regret it later!!"
Thornek sensed that their plan was not unfolding as expected and urged his brother to reconsider. "Brother, I think you need to reconsider. We can't resist the Silica Kingdom if they invade."
"SHUT UP!!" Thorne bellowed, feeling betrayed. "You don't need to say more."
Thorne's eyes narrowed, his gaze shifting from Thornek to Korga. He didn't want to continue his brother's nonsense, despite sensing that Thornek and Korga might have conspired against him and the tribe.
"I don't have time for your games, Korga," Thorne growled, his voice low and menacing. "If you're trying to intimidate us, it won't work. I'll report your actions to the bigger tribes, and they'll take care of you."
Korga scoffed, a mocking glint in his eye. "The bigger tribes? Ha! They can't even fend for themselves, let alone help you. You think they're going to care about your petty problems?"
Korga took a step closer to Thorne, his voice dripping with disdain. "We're offering you a way out, Thorne. Surrender to us, and we might let you and your tribe live. But if you refuse... let's just say you won't be the first tribe to be wiped out."
Thorne's face twisted in anger, but Korga's words struck a chord. He knew that the bigger tribes were indeed struggling to maintain their own power, and it was unlikely they would be able to offer any significant help.
Korga sneered, his eyes gleaming with triumph. "We won't leave until the Evergreen Tribe surrenders. You have two choices, Thorne: surrender to us, or be destroyed."
Thorne's face darkened, his fists clenched in anger. But before he could respond, Thornek spoke up.
"Don't go too far, Korga. We will not surrender even if you threaten us," Thornek said, his voice firm. But as he spoke, he awkwardly shifted his weight, his eyes darting briefly to Korga before returning to Thorne.
Korga's expression didn't change, but Thornek's strange behavior seemed to go unnoticed by him.
"But I'll give you a chance," Thornek continued. "If your young ones can defeat our young ones, then maybe... just maybe... we'll consider surrender."
As Thornek spoke, he glanced at Usato, his eyes narrowing slightly as his planning something.
Korga's eyes seemed to gleam with amusement, as if he had caught on to Thornek's plan. "I like the way you think, Thornek," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Let's make it interesting, then. Three of our young warriors against three of yours. We'll have a series of matches, and the tribe with the most victories will claim the win."
Thornek nodded, a small smile playing on his lips.
Thorne, however, looked less than thrilled. He glanced at his tribe's young warriors, who were all eager to step forward and defend their tribe. But as he looked at them, he knew they didn't stand a chance against the Bloodfang Tribe's young warriors. Only two of them had any hope of putting up a decent fight: Kael, with his impressive strength, and Gorthok, who had awakened his Ancestral Totem before Kael.
Thornek's eyes met Thorne's, and for a moment, they just stared at each other. Then, Thornek nodded, almost imperceptibly.
Thorne took a deep breath, knowing they had no choice. "Very well," he said finally. "We accept your proposal, Korga."
"Introduce your fighter ." Thorne unwillingly continued.
Korga, confident in his tribe's superiority, randomly selected three of his young warriors to participate in the matches. Thorne, on the other hand, called out to Kael and Gorthok, asking them to step forward and represent their tribe.
As Thorne scanned the crowd, searching for a third fighter, Thornek suddenly spoke up, his voice loud and enthusiastic.
"Brother, I have the perfect solution! Usato, our guest of honor, is a great fighter, even if he hasn't awakened yet. He's strong, agile, and has a natural talent for combat. And let's not forget, he's already proven himself by defeating Kael in a sparring match! If anyone can help us win, it's Usato. Let's choose him as our third fighter!"
Kael's face turned sour at the mention of his defeat, his eyes narrowing in annoyance.
Thorne's eyes widened in alarm, and he quickly vetoed Thornek's idea. "Absolutely not! We can't ask Usato to fight for us. He's our guest, not our warrior."
But Thornek's suggestion had already sparked a reaction from some of the tribe members. A few of Thornek's accomplices, who had been quietly observing the exchange, began to nod and murmur in agreement.
Syka, who had been watching the scene unfold in silence, suddenly burst out in indignation. "Shameless! You're all shameless! Usato is our guest, not some pawn to be used in our conflicts. How can you even suggest such a thing?"
She turned to Thaggar, her uncle, who was standing nearby. "How about you, Thaggar? Why don't you fight for our tribe?"
Thaggar, caught off guard by Syka's outburst, hesitated for a moment before responding. "My dear niece, I'm afraid I'm not in any condition to fight. I suffered some injuries during a sparring session a while back, and I'm still recovering."
As Thaggar spoke, he winced and clutched at his side, as if to emphasize the extent of his injuries. Syka's eyes narrowed, clearly unconvinced by her uncle's excuse.
Usato witnessed this happen, although calm on the surface, but a little bit disappointed inside. He had already helped them once without expecting anything in return, and yet, they were now asking him to fight for the Evergreen tribe's survival.
While looking at Syka and Thorne, and ignoring Thornek and Thaggar's shameless attitude, he first asked Sky internally:
"Sky, if I accept to fight, can I request the Tribal Leader to have a slot for my Ancestral Totem awakening?
Sky's response was immediate. "Host, chances are high that the Tribal Leader will grant your request if you accept the fight. However, there's also a possibility that you'll be severely injured or worse... killed."
Usato took a moment to consider Sky's words, weighing the risks and benefits. After a brief moment of contemplation, he made his decision.
"I'll do it," Usato said, looking at Thorne with a determined expression. "I'll accept the fight, but I have a request."
Thorne's eyes narrowed slightly, his interest piqued. "What is it, Usato? If it's within my means, I'll grant it."
"I wish to awaken my Ancestral Totem," Usato replied directly, his voice firm and resolute. "Please grant my request."
Usato bowed slightly to Thorne, showing respect and gratitude.
The Evergreen tribe murmured to each other, some nodding in agreement while others shook their heads in disapproval. A few voices rose above the din, calling Usato shameless for requesting an Ancestral Awakening, a privilege reserved exclusively for members of the tribe.
"How can an outsider ask for such a thing?" one of the tribesmen protested.
"It's not right," another voice chimed in. "Ancestral Awakening is a sacred tradition, not some favor to be granted to outsiders."
Thorne's expression remained neutral, his eyes fixed on Usato as he considered the request.
After a few moments of deliberation, Thorne's expression changed, and he nodded his head in acceptance. "I accept your request, Usato. You will be granted the opportunity to awaken your Ancestral Totem."
The crowd's murmurs and protests died down, replaced by a mixture of surprise and curiosity.
However, Thorne's next words silenced the crowd completely. "But I have one condition: you must win the fight."
The weight of Thorne's words hung in the air, and the crowd's attention focused intently on Usato. The pressure was palpable, and Usato could feel the burden of responsibility settling onto his shoulders.