79: Chapter 79 The Ingenious Use of Slaves! Exploring the Way and Clearing the Landmines

"Understood!"

Chen Xiao's voice was powerful and resonant, carrying a hint of excitement from being entrusted with a major responsibility.

She looked at the Slaves who had finally made their choice under the threat of death and the lure of survival, her eyes showing not a shred of pity.

In the eyes of war commander Chen Xiao, from the moment these people were captured, they were no longer "human," but tools in the hands of the Patriarch.

Since they were tools, they had to be used as such.

Soon, the one hundred and twenty Slaves were divided into twenty squads.

Among them, eight squads chose to take tools and give up food for the next four days.

In their eyes, there still remained a sliver of desire to "stay alive" and a gambler-like madness.

The remaining twelve squads of Slaves chose to eat that final dinner.

They wolfed down the fragrant roasted meat as if trying to memorize the taste of a lifetime.

After eating, driven by the cold gazes of the Valkyries, they walked empty-handed into that prehistoric rainforest that seemed capable of swallowing everything.

Their eyes were hollow, numb, and filled with a resigned despair.

"Move out!"

With Chen Xiao's command, the twenty exploration teams composed of Slaves were like twenty drops of ink dripped into the ocean, silently vanishing into the depths of the dark green rainforest.

They had three missions.

To find "Horned Sheep" cubs, which were docile and could serve as a food source.

To find "Swift Dragon" cubs, which were fierce and could serve as war mounts.

And, using their flesh and lives, to scout an accurate map for Qin Yu leading to the eastern part of the rainforest!

...

Time passed day by day.

The construction of the Dragon God Tribe was in full swing.

Towering Watchtowers rose from the ground on both sides of the valley, expanding the Tribe's alert range several times over.

The water-driven Mill had also been completed, beginning to grind the grains and nuts stored by the Tribe into fine powder, greatly increasing the efficiency of food processing and storage.

Under the dual halo of the totem pillar and the Holy Light Priest Lin Waner, the Tribe members were almost tireless, and injuries and illnesses were significantly reduced.

The entire Tribe was immersed in an atmosphere of prosperity.

However, beneath this prosperous scene was the silent demise of the Slaves in the outer rainforest.

Every dusk, a Valkyrie responsible for monitoring would report the latest situation of the exploration teams to Qin Yu.

"Patriarch, today, Slave Squad Thirteen accidentally entered a swamp; all six members of the squad perished."

"Patriarch, Squad Seven encountered a pack of swift 'Troodons' while exploring eastward. Five died and one was injured; the injured one was abandoned by the remaining Slaves in the squad and has lost contact."

"Patriarch, Squad Nineteen was swallowed by a 'Titan Python' while tracking 'Horned Sheep'... likewise, the entire squad was wiped out."

The cold reporting voices echoed in Qin Yu's magnificent palace.

Every sentence represented the passing of several lives.

The reporting Valkyrie also had a hint of reluctance on her face.

But atop the throne, Qin Yu's expression did not change at all.

He just listened quietly, playing with a smooth black stone in his hand, as if those dead Slaves were truly just a string of inconsequential numbers.

"And the map?"

Qin Yu asked indifferently.

"How is the drawing coming along?"

"Yes, Patriarch."

The Valkyrie hurriedly took out a crude map pieced together from animal skins from her bosom and respectfully presented it.

"This is the latest map compiled based on the information brought back by the surviving squads and the conditions we observed from high ground."

Qin Yu unfolded the map.

On the animal skin, the terrain around the Dragon God Tribe was drawn with charcoal.

Mountains, rivers, forests, swamps... the markings were becoming more and more detailed.

To the east of the map, a crooked black line was laboriously extending forward.

Beside the line, red 'X's were marked one by one.

Each 'X' represented a Slave squad that had been wiped out and a dangerous area confirmed as a 'Death Zone'.

Using human lives to sweep for mines.

Using death to eliminate wrong answers.

This was Qin Yu's strategy: simple, crude, yet incredibly efficient.

"Have them continue eastward."

Qin Yu's finger tapped the end of the black line.

"Do not stop until you find 'Hope Barrier'."

"Yes, Patriarch!"

The Valkyrie replied respectfully, then added another sentence.

"Patriarch, the Slaves... their food is almost exhausted, and their mood is... very unstable."

"Especially those squads that chose to take tools initially; they have been hungry for three days, and several have already starved to death on the road."

"Unstable?"

The corners of Qin Yu's mouth curled into a cold arc.

"Then let's make them a bit more 'stable'."

He turned his gaze to a pile of glittering gold and gems in the corner of the palace, seized from the Bloodfang Tribe.

"Pass down my command."

"From tomorrow, any squad that can bring back a 'Horned Sheep' cub will be rewarded with ten catties of jerky for the whole squad!"

"If they can bring back a 'Swift Dragon' cub..."

Qin Yu's voice paused, a hint of playfulness flashing in his eyes.

"Not only will they be rewarded with a hundred catties of jerky, but everyone in their squad can be promoted from 'Slave' to 'Provisional Commoner'!"

"Furthermore, I will personally select the woman among them with the greatest contribution to receive my 'favor' tonight!"

Boom!

This last sentence caused the reporting Valkyrie's body to tremble violently, an expression of disbelief appearing on her face.

To let a lowly female Slave receive the King's favor?!

This... to those Slaves struggling on the line of death, was an allure no less than reaching the heavens in a single step!

"Go, tell every one of them my words exactly as they were said."

Qin Yu waved his hand.

"Yes!"

The Valkyrie, her heart full of shock, quickly withdrew.

She could already foresee that when this news reached the rainforest, those already desperate Slaves would explode with a madness of survival instinct and ambition!

Using hope and desire as whips to drive this group of livestock, squeezing out their last drop of blood and sweat for him.

This was their King.

Cold, heartless, yet controlling everyone's destiny.

Silence returned to the palace.

Qin Yu looked at the increasingly complete map, but his mind was pondering another matter.

"The Tribe's development speed is still too slow..."

He murmured to himself.

Whether it was construction or reproduction, everything required time.

And that 'Hope Barrier' was like a sword hanging over his head, preventing him from truly relaxing.

"Perhaps, I should find some fun."

His gaze passed through the palace window, looking toward the back mountain of the Tribe.

There was a natural hot spring there, steaming all year round.

Previously, because the Tribe was small and there were many things to do, he hadn't had the chance to develop it.

Now, the Tribe was on the right track and had over a hundred cheap laborers.

It was time to enjoy the fruits belonging to the victor.

The corners of Qin Yu's mouth curled into a wanton smile belonging to an Emperor.

He stood up and walked out of the palace.

He wanted to personally see that hot spring.

Then, using his power as 'King', build himself a... bathtub worthy of his status!

A paradise of ultimate bliss belonging only to him and his women!

Just as he walked out of the palace, a tall, valiant figure approached him.

It was the war commander, Chen Xiao.

"Patriarch."

Upon seeing Qin Yu, Chen Xiao immediately stopped and bowed respectfully.

"Is something the matter?" Qin Yu asked.

"It's about those Slaves..." A strange expression appeared on Chen Xiao's face. "The Valkyrie just sent to deliver the message reports that those Slaves have gone mad after hearing your new command."

"Oh?" Qin Yu raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, they've started venturing deep into the most dangerous areas regardless of the cost," Chen Xiao reported. "Just now, Squad Five, in order to hunt a pack of 'Horned Sheep', took the initiative to charge into a forest filled with poisonous pollen. Although they successfully caught two cubs, they themselves..."

"They themselves what?" Qin Yu's tone remained indifferent.

Chen Xiao took a deep breath and said in a heavy voice: "Of the six people in their squad, only one remained when they returned."

"Moreover, that person is already delirious, his body covered in festering sores; it's clear he won't survive."

"But before he died, he kept muttering one sentence."

"What sentence?"

Chen Xiao's expression became even more complex. She looked up at Qin Yu and said word for word:

"He said... he wanted to see you. He wanted to know if he could... be promoted to 'Provisional Commoner'?"