Exotic Battlefield: I Can Activate Dual Talents-Chapter 701 - 490: Fox God’s Favor, Camphor Tribe (2)

Taking advantage of no one noticing, he swiftly leapt onto the rooftop, concealing his presence as he observed the situation inside the house.

Once inside, the red fox gave a proud call, prompting the High Priest next to it to quickly speak.

"Chief, the Divine Envoy says that this year, the Fox God requires us to offer forty people."

"W-what?"

The clan leader took a step back, looking at the High Priest beside him with some surprise, as if he thought the other was deceiving him.

"Hai Lin Sacrificer, wasn't it only ten people in past years? Why is it forty people this year?"

"Roar——"

As soon as the clan leader whispered this question, the red fox standing in front of him immediately let out a displeased cry.

"Chief, the Divine Envoy says this is a critical moment for the Fox God's Metamorphosis, so naturally, the number required is larger."

"Not only does our Camphor Tribe need to increase the number of offerings, but over a hundred other tribes under the Fox God's protection must also increase their offerings this year."

"But..."

The clan leader furrowed his brow and whispered, "Hai Lin Sacrificer, this year our tribe doesn't even have forty newborns. If we offer so many to the Fox God, our tribe might soon face extinction."

The Chief of the Camphor Tribe was named Jie Yi, though his surname wasn't Hatano.

Thirty years ago, when Jie Yi first became leader, the previous High Priest passed away, leaving Hai Lin Sacrificer as the only disciple to take his place as the tribe's High Priest.

At that time, the Camphor Tribe was not much better off than the Step Tribe is now.

But once Hai Lin Sacrificer came to power, he first saved many of the tribe's elderly, infirm, and disabled members and assisted the women in childbirth. Not a single newborn died that year.

Later, Hai Lin Sacrificer led the clan members in preparing resources for winter in advance and found a cave with a hot spring. That winter, no one in the tribe froze or starved to death.

Over the course of a year, Hai Lin Sacrificer became a figure in the tribe far surpassing Jie Yi, his words carrying immense weight, even though Jie Yi once dragged back half a demon beast's corpse to share with the clan members, which didn't change a thing.

Afterward, firmly established and with increased authority in the tribe, Hai Lin Sacrificer frequently claimed that the Camphor Tribe had been abandoned by the God of plants and trees, becoming a tribe without God's favor.

Initially, no one believed these words.

But after several demon beast attacks and a new demon beast occupying a regular hunting area, people in the tribe began to half-believe, half-doubt.

That summer, a lightning bolt struck the tribe's oldest giant tree, igniting a raging fire. If not for Hai Lin Sacrificer's loud warning, many people would have been burned to death.

Hai Lin Sacrificer told everyone that all the recent unfortunate encounters were because the God of plants and trees had forsaken them, and they had become a race without God's blessing.

Thunderstorm, fire, despair, hopelessness.

For over a month, the people of the Camphor Tribe were in a state of panic, not knowing how they would survive in this terrifying world.

Life was already incredibly difficult, and now the Camphor Tribe didn't even have a spiritual harbor.

At this time, Hai Lin Sacrificer claimed he had received a summons from a God.

Thus, he led the desperate tribe members to migrate here, which was thirty years ago.

After settling here, he discovered a newly born red fox. Just as the clan members were about to kill the fox for meat, Hai Lin Sacrificer said it was the Fox God's Messenger.

From then on, the red fox was to serve as the tribe's divine beast, growing and living with them.

Everyone was skeptical. How could Humans and demon beasts possibly live together?

Moreover, in the Pine Mountain World, Humans have always only worshipped the gods of natural elements and never worshipped beastly deities.

Every year, countless Humans were devoured by demon beasts, and asking them to worship demon beasts as Gods was akin to a death sentence.

Yet the developments that followed were beyond anyone's expectations. After the Fox God's Messenger descended, hordes of demon beasts brought the tribe various demon beasts they had hunted.

Over a few years, not only did the Camphor Tribe not lose members to battles and hunting, but due to the Fox God's favor, their population exploded; nearly eighty to a hundred people were added each year, and this number continued to grow annually.

When livelihood was no longer a concern, Humans naturally sought to expand their population.

In just a little over ten years, the Camphor Tribe had developed into a tribe exceeding five thousand people, something previously unimaginable.

But then, a sudden demon beast attack caused significant losses to the Camphor Tribe.

After Hai Lin Sacrificer and the Fox God's Messenger led everyone to safety, they revealed the cause: the Fox God, who watched over them, was attacked by an evil god and could die at any moment.

The people of the Camphor Tribe, just having begun to lead a good life, couldn't accept that the Fox God, who had just started favoring them, might die. They clamored, asking how they might save the Fox God, willing to sacrifice themselves if necessary.

At this point, the Grand Priest Hai Lin, under the persistent demands of everyone, revealed the method to save the Fox God.

Sacrifice.

A willing self-sacrifice, only by offering life and Spirit could they save the Fox God, allowing it to recover quickly. Dozens immediately volunteered, declaring their willingness to be sacrificed.

Under everyone's sorrowful gaze, these warriors faced death without fear, entering the dense forest, never to return.