At the Crimson Star Tribe's camp, the only brick structure stood tall as a symbol of change. Inside, Sovita stood facing Enzo, sipping a wooden cup of water handed to him by Amy. After a moment, he cleared his throat.
"My lord Enzo, the spring in the rear mountain is drying up. We're drawing more water now than ever. People have started hauling it from a spring five kilometers away. Even with the new pottery containers, it's slow and exhausting."
Enzo remained silent, his brow furrowed in thought.
Fields needed irrigation. Bricks demanded water for firing. The tribe's daily needs had multiplied several times over, far beyond what their old stream could provide.
"Is there any source closer than that?" Enzo asked.
Sovita nodded. "There's a lake to the south, near the marshlands. Only two kilometers from here. You can actually see it from the high ridges. But it's... dangerous. Wild beasts, and even extraordinary creatures, frequent the area. No one dares go near it."
Enzo's gaze grew sharp. Supernatural creatures?
Clara's earlier request echoed in his mind—the promise he made her, to grant the power of the totem. But that required the essence of a supernatural being. The fire was already his. The essence, though, was another matter.
And water… if they couldn't resolve this soon, the tribe's development would stall.
Enzo stood up straight. "We'll inspect the lake ourselves."
He didn't go alone. He brought a squad—twenty combat team members, with Clara, Amy, and Tia at his side. As they traveled, Tia struck up conversation.
"There's a tribe in the swamp—the Venom Tribe. I heard their priest can talk to beasts and insects. They even use floating plants to cross the marshlands."
She paused, trying to describe the plant. "Long stalks... hollow, quick-growing. Sturdy, but flexible."
Enzo's eyes lit up. "That's bamboo."
"Bamboo?" Tia tilted her head.
"If I get my hands on a single stalk," Enzo said, thinking aloud, "I can use divine arts to grow it. We'd have baskets, pipes—maybe even a system to channel water directly."
Clara nodded. "I've seen bamboo in other areas—further off, though."
Just as the group was considering the implications, Amy stopped suddenly. Her ears perked.
"Careful," she warned. "Something's close. Something big."
Tia responded without hesitation. "Formation!"
Shields rose instantly, surrounding Enzo. Leaves rustled. Then, from the brush emerged a towering silver-backed bear—massive, muscular, primal. Four meters long, two meters tall at the shoulder.
But more startling was the girl sitting atop its head, holding a slim bamboo blowpipe. Her white hair gleamed under the canopy, her eyes icy and wary.
"Who are you?" she demanded. "Why are you here?"
Enzo stepped forward. "We came for water."
She scoffed. "Lies."
With a sharp command, she ordered the bear—Betta—to attack.
The beast roared, slamming its paws to the earth. Tia held firm, her silver aura flaring as she stepped forward to intercept. The bear swung a heavy paw. She didn't dodge.
The impact sent her flying.
But Betta stumbled back too.
The silver-haired girl was thrown from its back, stunned. She watched in disbelief as her beast recoiled. Tia groaned on the ground, injured but alive.
Enzo ran to her side, already channeling divine power. Green light poured from his hands. "What were you thinking?" he scolded. "You don't fight something that size head-on!"
Tia said nothing, her head bowed.
Then, something strange happened.
Betta—the huge bear—approached slowly, head lowered, emitting a soft growl. Not aggressive. Curious. It stepped close to Enzo, rubbing against him.
Clara narrowed her eyes. "I think it's reacting to your power. It wants more."
Enzo cautiously extended his hand and channeled a sliver of the totem's energy. Betta shuddered and dropped to its belly like a tamed cub, tail wagging, tongue lolling.
"Uh... not the licking," Enzo muttered, sidestepping a wave of slobber.
Meanwhile, the girl scrambled to her feet and fled into the forest.
"Should we stop her?" Amy asked.
Clara shook her head. "She's marked. She'll lead us straight to her people."
They didn't wait long.
Soon, the jungle thinned, giving way to dense bamboo groves. Clara raised a hand. "This is it."
Enzo's goal was simple—get bamboo. Not provoke a fight. But things rarely went that smoothly.
Not far from them, the girl—Jessica—burst into the Venom Tribe's inner grounds.
"Grandmother!" she cried. "I lost Betta!"
Lucy, the tribe's elder priest, remained calm.
"It's alright," she said gently.
She retrieved a pouch from Jessica's robes and opened it. Yellow powder spilled from the seams. A tracking mark. Jessica had been led home.
Lucy turned to her guards. "Welcome the visitors. Invite them in."
In the bamboo village, Rita led Enzo's party across wooden bridges and floating platforms. Their surroundings brimmed with life—hand-woven nets, water-filtering contraptions, and elevated bamboo dwellings. This tribe, small though it was, had a unique culture of its own.
On a raft at the center, Lucy welcomed them warmly. She offered fruit. They sat.
"You came for bamboo," Lucy said. "But there's more to discuss."
Jessica jumped in. "Return Betta!"
Enzo raised a brow. "I didn't steal it. It followed me."
"You're lying—!"
Lucy's voice cut sharp. "Jessica. Enough."
She turned to Enzo, studying him.
"You carry something rare," she said. "Not priestly power... but a totem's. I've seen it before, long ago. I once bore it myself."
She raised her hand. A soft glow shimmered into the shape of a strange insect.
"The Golden Worm," she said. "Native to the archipelago. With it, I could sense beast auras and calm them. That's how we crossed the sea to come here."
She explained more, but left one point untouched.
Finally, Enzo asked, "So why do you want me to father a child with Jessica?"
Lucy didn't flinch. "Because I want to return home."
She elaborated. "To cross the sea, we need strength. Talent. Leadership. You have all three—but not enough. Your child might."
Tia scoffed. "Enzo's already the strongest!"
Lucy gave a gentle smile. "You've yet to see real power."
She turned to Enzo. "If you accept, I'll teach you how to grow your totem's strength."
Enzo rose. "Thanks, but I'll pass."
Jessica blocked his exit. "Give me back Betta!"
Enzo looked down at her, calm but firm. "It was never yours. And next time you try to kill someone, expect the same in return."
He turned to Lucy. "You're wrong. Crossing the sea doesn't take just strength. It takes foresight. Strategy. Unity."
And then, they left.
Rita looked ready to strike, but Lucy held up a hand. "No."
Jessica, though angry, said nothing more. She returned to her grandmother, eyes burning.
Lucy replaced the bamboo scrolls in their box. "One day," she said quietly, "you will take this to Enzo. He and you... that child is our future."
Jessica nodded, face set. "I'll win him over."
Back in the forest, Enzo regrouped with the others and summoned Betta. The bear charged happily toward him, letting him climb atop its back.
"Feels good," Enzo muttered, grinning.
They reached the lake soon after.
Animals scattered at their approach. Carnivores eyed them warily. Birds remained indifferent.
"Looks... calm," Enzo observed.
Then the lake exploded.
A monstrous crocodile, ten meters long, surged from the water, jaws wide. It swallowed two other beasts in seconds before vanishing beneath the surface.
Clara's voice came out breathless. "Supernatural."
Enzo's jaw clenched. "Too many to fight. Fall back."
Before they left, he infused a stone with totemic power and tossed it into the lake.
Seven crocodiles burst from the depths, lunging toward it.
The group stared, pale and shaken.
"We were one step from death," Amy whispered.
Enzo had another idea. What if they baited the beasts again—only this time, with poison?
Clara shook her head. "Toxins that work on supernatural creatures are almost impossible to find."
Amy added, "Unless... we used a supernatural plant."
Enzo's eyes lit up. "And what if I could grow one?"
They rushed back to camp, Betta charging ahead and accidentally crashing through the tribe's walls.
"BEAST ATTACK!"
Weapons flew up. Enzo shouted, "It's fine! He's with me!"
Cheers erupted.
Sovita approached. "Lord Enzo, is this the supernatural creature you captured?"
"No," Enzo replied, brushing past him.
He called for Rhode. "Are there any toxic plants nearby?"
Rhode thought for a moment and listed several. One stood out.
"A flower that puts you to sleep. Smell its scent, and you collapse."
"Dig it up," Enzo said. "Tomorrow."
Just then, Clara stepped into the room.
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