Becoming a Leader in a Primitive Otherworld - Chapter 20

It took about two days to finish carving all the arrows, totaling over 1,200. Made from hardwood, they were sturdy and unlikely to break easily. Their streamlined curves reduced air resistance, allowing for greater speed in flight.

Some of the arrows were distributed among the tribespeople, as bows and arrows were no longer reserved solely for hunters.

Close-combat weapons like spears, arrows, and machetes had limited utility for tribespeople with lower-body injuries.

Arrows, however, offered a distinct advantage. Xie Yu ensured everyone received a few, storing the remainder as reserves.

The rain finally stopped after two days, leaving residual water dripping from the thatched roofs of the huts and forming shallow puddles on the ground.

Tribespeople rushed outside, exclaiming, “The rain has finally stopped!”

Lian grumbled, “If it had kept raining, we’d have run out of food. Then we’d have to hunt in the downpour, getting soaked to the bone. I hate that!”

“Yeah, I want to go hunting too,” Yan muttered. “I’ve been thinking about those wild boars we saw in the forest the other day. I want to eat wild boar meat.”

The others sighed regretfully, “Getting wild boar won’t be easy.”

Amid their clamor, Xie Yu emerged, carrying her bow, arrows, and stone spear, ready to hunt.

Just as Xie Yu stepped out the door, the ground began to shake violently, as if the entire earth were trembling.

“What’s going on?” Yan scratched his head, staring at the ground beneath his feet.

Keen-eyed observers immediately spotted a mountain-sized creature charging out of the forest—its body covered in coarse bristles, muscles bulging, and tusks bared.

“Yan, look! It’s the wild boar you were thinking about!”

The initial shout carried excitement and exhilaration, but fear gradually crept into the speaker’s voice.

As the tribespeople scrambled to defend themselves, Xie Yu’s heart leaped at the warning cry. She raced to an open area to investigate and confirmed it was indeed a wild boar.

But the boar was gaunt, as if it hadn’t eaten in days, and bl00d streamed from its body.

Why had it suddenly appeared here? Perhaps the relentless rain had made it impossible to find food. Or perhaps it had lost a fight with another predator and fled to the settlement in a desperate attempt to kill for sustenance.

Fortunately, the tribespeople were familiar with such situations and had some experience handling them.

During their earlier cave-dwelling days, wild animals had occasionally attacked. Now, the tribespeople immediately dispersed, creating multiple targets to confuse the boar and make defense easier.

Xie Yu reacted swiftly. She first instructed Yun Nai to stay inside, then hurried out, pulling the door shut behind her.

The wild boar was still some distance from the hut, and its current trajectory suggested it wouldn’t collide with the structure for now.

“Bows and arrows!” Xie Yu shouted. Some tribespeople had already been preparing for a hunt, their bows slung across their backs. At her command, they immediately drew their bows and fired at the boar.

The boar’s thick hide proved impenetrable to a single arrow, and even two couldn’t pierce it. Despite the dense barrage, only a few arrows managed to lodge in its body. Its beady black eyes couldn’t process the sight of so many people, so it simply charged at the nearest figure.

Its speed was astonishing, perhaps fueled by the pain of its wounds or its desperate hunger, driving it to find someone to devour.

A scream pierced the air.

At that moment, Xie Yu drew her bow and fired, her arrow striking the boar squarely in its left eye. Simultaneously, several other arrows from the tribespeople found their mark, one even grazing the edge of its right eye.

“Roar!” Disrupted and enraged, the boar’s fury intensified. Its memory for grudges was sharp; in the next instant, it charged directly toward Xie Yu.

Xie Yu had already moved away from the hut. Though the boar possessed some intelligence, it wasn’t enough to realize there were people inside.

Some tribespeople, spears in hand, rushed toward the boar, shouting loudly to intimidate it as they ran.

Wild boars fear bright flashes and loud noises, as well as fire. However, since it had just rained and the campfires hadn’t been lit yet, they couldn’t exploit this weakness.

Seizing the opportunity, Xie Yu continued to draw her bow, aiming for the boar’s remaining eye. Unfortunately, it dodged the shot.

Moments later, someone charged near the boar and swung a stone spear, aiming for the soft spot between its eyes. If luck was on their side, a single strike could prove fatal.

The boar was closing in on Xie Yu. Anticipating its movements, she rolled sideways, creating more distance between them.

At that moment, Li approached the boar from behind and thrust his stone spear into its anus.

Focused solely on charging forward, the boar was caught completely off guard. The sudden, agonizing blow made it howl in pain. It thrashed wildly, unaware that each movement drove the spear deeper into its body.

Li pushed forward with all his might, and the boar’s howls grew deafening.

Ke and the others trembled involuntarily at the enraged roars.

The other villagers had already scattered. The tribe’s best archers fired arrows from the flanks, while Ke seized the opportunity to blind the boar’s remaining eye.

Seeing the creature weakened to its limits, more villagers rushed forward with stone spears, stabbing relentlessly. Within moments, the boar lay motionless.

The tribespeople erupted in cheers, praising each other for securing a wild boar without any injuries.

Xie Yu gazed at the still-bleeding boar, then at the several wooden walls it had smashed through. Perhaps they should strengthen the settlement’s defenses, she thought, and build watchtowers. If another large beast charged into the settlement undetected next time, it would be disastrous.

Their success in killing the boar this time was largely due to its surprisingly low aggression.

Some of the weaker tribespeople had taken refuge in the huts, fearing the boar’s tusks.

She suddenly remembered the recent days of rain. If it hadn’t been raining, many tribespeople would have been hunting in the forest, leaving few behind in the settlement. The rain had inadvertently saved their lives.

Xie Yu rushed back to her hut, flung open the door, and found Yun Nai sitting quietly inside. A great weight lifted from her heart.

Yun Nai seemed remarkably calm.

No wonder Yun Nai hadn’t seemed worried when Xie Yu mentioned the wild boar in the forest. Xie Yu sought confirmation.

Yun Nai nodded. “I didn’t know about the boar specifically, but the Sacrifice showed no anomalies. I believed we would be safe these past few days.”

Xie Yu noticed Yun Nai’s slightly clenched hand, her fingertips red.

Yun Nai asked, “Are you hurt anywhere?”

Xie Yu shook her head, indicating she was completely unharmed.

Her body was covered in yellow mud from the earlier tumble. Now that she had calmed down, she could feel the sticky grime all over her. Xie Yu huffed, a hint of petulance in her voice, “Stupid wild boar! I want a bath.”