It didn't take long for the distant, guttural cry of Cas to echo through the air. Immediately, everyone rushed to the riverbank, driven by the scent of fresh blood in the air. The group pushed forward even faster.
The bright red blood stood out against the snow-covered landscape. Klu was the fastest, leaping ahead, but to his surprise, Cas wasn't under attack; he had caught a large fish, and the blood came from the fish.
Klu exclaimed in excitement, rushing to embrace the fish as if he had caught it himself.
Quickly, everyone gathered around, observing everything. Minh Vu breathed a sigh of relief, feeling his stomach fill with anticipation for tonight's meal.
Although there was oxygen in the water, the thick layer of snow had significantly reduced the oxygen content, causing aquatic life to surface in search of more oxygen and food.
Perhaps that's why the large fish surfaced, presenting itself as a target for Cas.
The fish, about a meter long and weighing at least 70 kilograms, was a testament to the strength of the primitive people. Despite his disability, Cas managed to pull the large fish onto the bank.
With a triumphant smile, Cas disregarded the winter cold and continued to embrace the large fish.
Then he proceeded to process the fish himself, as if declaring to everyone that he had caught the biggest fish the tribe had ever caught!
Cas expertly gutted the fish, first removing its organs, then beginning to skin it. However, handling all these tasks alone would take too long, so the group of skilled workers joined in to help.
Minh Vu didn't know what kind of fish it was, with its orange belly, black back, and orange flesh with white veins. It looked incredibly appealing.
The fish bladder was kept, while all the discarded parts such as fins, guts, and scales were thrown outside the riverbank to attract prey for tomorrow's fishing.
And so, the Stone Tribe returned with a glorious catch in the winter. However, Minh Vu didn't consider the potential danger they had left behind on the riverbank.
Returning with fresh fish, the tribe members were eager to have a satisfying meal tonight.
The women took charge of preparing the food under Minh Vu's guidance, while everyone else pitched in with their tasks—practicing archery, gathering materials, clearing snow, knitting, and more.
In the silent night, the entire tribe slept peacefully, except for the hunting team, who split into two to guard the tribe.
Tonight, Luca and Uly were on night duty, standing silently on the watchtower, gazing towards the forest and snow-covered fields beyond.
Despite the freezing winter sky and bone-chilling wind, the fur coats, a blazing fire, and hot water helped alleviate some of the cold.
"The fish today tasted amazing!" Uly exclaimed as he munched on dried fish.
"You! You're such a glutton!" Luca responded somewhat annoyed with his food-loving companion.
Luca, slightly taller with dark, lively eyes, was constantly practicing archery, his gaze focused.
Suddenly, in the cold winter night, a distant howl echoed through the air.
"Wolves! Wolves are coming!" Uly immediately dropped his casual demeanor, adopting a more serious stance.
Unexpectedly, pairs of eerie eyes emerged from the darkness of the night, suddenly appearing.
"Wolves! Wolves are attacking!" Luca shouted! Immediately, Uly ran into the cave to sound the alarm.
The tribe remained relatively calm, but the pack of ferocious wolves began to focus their attention on the Stone Tribe. The leader of the pack, a large wolf, sniffed the air continuously, as if conveying some sort of command.
In no time, the snow-covered fields began to stir, with pairs of bloodthirsty eyes appearing everywhere.
"Wolves! Wolves! Wolves! Attack!" Uly shouted, running into the cave to sound the alarm.
Outside, the tribe was bustling with activity. The hunting team armed themselves and rushed out of the cave.
Orc and Klu used their strength to block the cave entrance with rocks, protecting the tribe inside.
The archery team, consisting of 34 members, climbed onto the walls, ready to defend the tribe from all sides.
"Light the fires! Light as many fires as possible!" Minh Vu commanded.
Immediately, five people jumped down from the walls, quickly gathering wood and starting a large fire. Meanwhile, the archers above took aim, ready to shoot at any moment.
In the distance, pairs of glowing eyes continued to approach, their main target being the Stone Tribe.
After observing for a while, Minh Vu understood the situation. Through the light and reflection of the fire, he could roughly estimate that there were more than 50 wolves approaching.
Despite their intimidating appearance, Minh Vu saw them as valuable resources.
Wolf fur was warm and comfortable, perfect for making fur coats. Wolf meat was delicious, whether cooked in a stew or grilled. Wolf bones could be boiled to make nutritious bone broth, especially beneficial in the cold winter.
"Haha, no need to be afraid! These wolves are nothing to fear. Wolf meat tastes even better than potatoes!" Minh Vu emphasized, focusing on the delicious food, which seemed to be the biggest lure in this tribe.
Today, Ashi had a taste of a baked cake that left her enraptured. The sweet taste lingered in her mouth, and now the leader was saying that wolf meat tasted even better than potatoes, stirring the gluttonous worm in her stomach even more.
Meanwhile, the gluttonous Orc seemed even more excited, his mouth watering as he watched the wolves, seeing them as pieces of meat preparing to enter his stomach.
At this point, the wolf pack had entered the range of the archers, but Minh Vu didn't give the order to shoot directly.
He knew that although the arrows had a range of 100 meters, their damage was not good, especially against these ferocious wolves, who were very agile, making it difficult to hit them accurately.
However, the tribe members were determined, their arrows ready to fly at any moment.
80 meters!
Preparation.
70 meters! Take aim.
65 meters.
60 meters.
"Fire!"
"Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!" The sound of arrows cutting through the air echoed.
Immediately, there were cries of agony.
It started with a wolf rushing forward, its eyes pierced straight through from its eye to the back of its neck. It only managed to let out a pitiful cry before succumbing to its injuries.
Next was a fierce onslaught, with four or five wolves in a row being shot.
Although there weren't any fatal shots, hits to the chest or legs were unavoidable, and the scent of fresh blood filled the air.
The fresh blood only made the pack of wolves more ferocious.
Seeing their comrades severely injured, they didn't retreat but instead pushed forward, charging towards the wall.
At this point, they were only 20 meters away from the wall, but a barrage of arrows hindered their advance.
With the target so close, the accuracy increased, and over eight wolves were hit, instantly killed.
Yet the wolves continued to charge forward without fear of death!