Their ancestral land was precious, but they couldn’t defend it. Trying to hold on would only lead to the deaths of all their people. But if they left, they had nowhere to go and no guarantee they could find another suitable place to settle. Their small numbers would make survival in the future all the more difficult.
Joining the Undead Fortress seed like a genuinely good option. The fortress was massive, guarded by a legion of Undead, and the Master of the Undead appeared benevolent. He could protect them. Mumu couldn’t help but be swayed.
But no matter how tempted he was, he still had to discuss it with the rest of his tribe.
"Master of the Undead, I have heard your proposal. But could you give so ti? I need to discuss it with my tribe."
"Fine, but be quick. I can’t wait here forever."
"Alright, I’ll go right now."
As he spoke, Mumu got up and walked out, while Li Ziyu remained seated, quietly awaiting his return.
...
Once outside, Mumu gathered his people and relayed Li Ziyu’s words. The Minotaurs imdiately exploded in an uproar. Wasn’t this just jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire? They had just managed to repel the Demonized Minotaurs’ attack, and now they were supposed to abandon their ancestral land and join the Undead Race? If that was the case, what was the point of fighting the Demonized Minotaurs in the first place?
Even though Li Ziyu and the Undead had helped them, in the Minotaurs’ hearts, the Undead Race was still the terrifying race of legend—a force the living should avoid at all costs. They weren’t much better than the Demonized Minotaurs. What good could possibly co from living alongside the Undead?
Just as his people were voicing their dissent and Mumu was at his wits’ end, a young Minotaur child parted the crowd, stood before Mumu, and looked up at him. "I support you."
The mont the young Minotaur spoke, the Tabu Minotaurs fell into an eerie silence. Expressions of shock spread across their faces. They glanced at one another before turning their gaze back to the child and Mumu.
"Tas Tuling, do you think this is an opportunity?" Mumu’s expression grew solemn as he asked earnestly.
"I think this is our only chance." The young Minotaur nad Tas Tuling turned to face his people. "The Demonized Minotaurs won’t spare us. As long as we remain here, they will attack again. Can we stop them a second ti? Instead of abandoning our ancestral land, being hunted down, and fleeing into the Wasteland, we would be better off joining the Undead."
"This... Tas Tuling, are you serious?" a Minotaur elder asked in disbelief, leaning on his wooden stick.
"Yes, I’m serious," Tas Tuling affird with a nod.
The Minotaurs exchanged glances, then lowered their heads, signaling their acceptance of Tas Tuling’s judgnt. Mumu rested a hand on Tas Tuling’s shoulder and faced his tribe. "In that case, we will join the Undead."
Tas Tuling was the most unique Minotaur in the Tabu Tribe. He had not been born into the tribe; his father, who had so ties to them, had sent him to be fostered there after suffering a great disaster. In other words, Tas Tuling was effectively an orphan who had been raised by the entire community.
From a young age, he had displayed astonishing talent, possessing incredibly potent bloodline Energy. He had inherited the abilities of his father’s Thunder Bull clan as well as his mother’s Shaman lineage. He was designated to be the next Clan Leader early on. His Shaman abilities granted him imnse prestige within the tribe, even higher than Mumu’s.
Since Tas Tuling said joining the Undead Race was a better option than defending their ancestral land, the tribespeople were willing to trust him. After all, it was very likely that Tas Tuling would one day beco a Shaman.
As a Race, Minotaurs were naturally brawny and muscular, possessing superior Power that made them ideal Warriors. However, this also ant they tended to be simple and straightforward, with one-track minds. They were not known for their intellect, and it was rare to find one among them who could wield Witchcraft or Magic.
The Shaman was the sage, the genius, the keeper of knowledge for the Minotaur Race. As the Tribe’s Witch, their status could even exceed that of the Clan Leader, for they were the ones who guided the Tribe’s future.
Most Shamans were physically frail, fighting with Witchcraft and Curse Techniques. Tas Tuling, however, was different. He had inherited the best traits of both his parents: not only was he physically robust, but he also possessed Magic Power, allowing him to cast simple Witchcraft spells even at his young age.
It was no exaggeration to say that the Tabu Tribe had pinned all its hopes for the future on him.
Tas Tuling turned to look at Mumu and suddenly said, "I’m going with you to see the Master of the Undead."
"Absolutely not! You can’t go see the Master of the Undead! It’s too dangerous!" Before Mumu could reply, the elder interjected, trying to stop him.
They might agree with Tas Tuling on many things, but they would never allow him to walk into a den of danger!
Mumu was also conflicted. He didn’t want Tas Tuling to et Li Ziyu, either. While he considered Li Ziyu a friend who had helped them twice, their bond wasn’t strong enough to risk the Tribe’s future on. Mumu himself could die, but Tas Tuling absolutely could not co to harm.
Facing the elder, Tas Tuling raised a hand, stopping him from saying more. "Humans value bargaining chips. The Master of the Undead wants us to join him, but what chips can we offer in exchange for his protection? Our Power? He doesn’t need it. He has hundreds, thousands of Undead—far more than we have. So what will we use to secure our future?"
Though just a child, he spoke with a calm and maturity far beyond his years.
The elder opened his mouth but couldn’t find the words to respond. It was true—they had nothing of value to offer the Master of the Undead.
’We’re just a small Tribe with few resources. What could we possibly offer? Thatch? The Undead don’t exactly eat that.’
This was the Undead Race, a legendary Race. Mumu had made the Master of the Undead’s intentions perfectly clear: he was willing to protect them. It was up to them to play their cards right.
In the Wasteland, it was perfectly normal for a small tribe to seek the protection of a larger one. But if you wanted that protection, you had to pay a price. You couldn’t expect them to bleed and sweat while you sat back and enjoyed the fruits of their labor.
Tas Tuling’s intention was to offer himself as a bargaining chip in exchange for the Undead Race’s protection of their Tribe.
"Let’s go. I will go with you to see the Master of the Undead."
Seeing that his people no longer objected, Tas Tuling spoke to Mumu, then turned and headed for the thatched hut first. Mumu shot his tribespeople a firm, reassuring look, as if to say, ’Don’t worry, I’ll protect him,’ before hurrying after Tas Tuling into the hut.
...
"Welco—huh?" Li Ziyu looked up to see a young Minotaur child and swallowed the words he had been about to say.
Tas Tuling stood before Li Ziyu, his big, intelligent black eyes curiously sizing up the Human in front of him.
’So this is the Master of the Undead? A Human?’
Mumu followed him inside, placing a hand on Tas Tuling’s shoulder. At the slightest sign of trouble, he was ready to pull the boy behind him in an instant.
"Greetings, esteed Master of the Undead. I am Tas Tuling of the Tabu Tribe." The young Minotaur’s introduction was exceptionally polite, completely unlike the other Minotaurs Li Ziyu had t. His etiquette and way of speaking were much more similar to a Human’s.
Li Ziyu glanced at Mumu, confused as to why he had brought a child to see him, but Mumu offered no explanation. Li Ziyu narrowed his eyes, sensing that this was no ordinary situation. He rose to his feet, faced the young Minotaur, and offered a smile. "Hello, Tas Tuling. I am Li Ziyu, the Master of the Undead."
User Comments
0 comments from readers