Lu Yao rolled over and got up at first light.
Ever since he had come into contact with the Simulator, he had hardly slept in anymore. He was always worried that if he let his guard down for even a moment, the Garlic Tribe might be destroyed by some sudden disaster.
The tribal villagers were still far too fragile.
Winter was too long, summer too hot, food was insufficient, enemies invaded, infectious diseases... Any one of these could bring ruin upon the Garlic Tribe.
Lu Yao poured himself a cup of instant coffee and began surveying the tribal villagers as he drank.
The tribe now had a population of 311, with 270 Faith Points in reserve.
After surviving the winter, the Garlic Tribe's food supply had become plentiful again. Its grain reserves had gone from warning yellow back to healthy green.
Furthermore, though wood remained yellow due to insufficient reserves, its use was gradually becoming widespread under the efforts of two Carpenters. The tribe's thatched huts were also steadily transforming into plank houses.
Spring revived all things, but it also brought a group of unwelcome guests.
Five Dugout Canoes appeared on the eastern river, speeding along as they approached the shore.
The Pixelated Villagers steering the Dugout Canoes were all women. They had darker skin, loose hair, soft leather armor covering their bodies, and Bow and Arrows on their backs.
The leading female Pixelated Villager bore the title [Captain]. Unlike the others, she wore a helmet made from white bones, covered in sharp teeth that seemed to have come from some large beast.
Since the Pixel Game itself was unclear, Lu Yao could not make out any further details.
The [Captain] spoke from the shore. "You! Hand over your sturdy men! Otherwise, you will become enemies of the East River Tribe!"
The other villagers shouted along with their leader.
"Hand over the men!"
"Men! Men!"
"Send the sturdy men onto the boats!"
"Or we'll turn all of you into slaves!"
Lu Yao was completely baffled.
What was with these carnivorous tribal-era big sisters?
The Prophet and the Shaman hurried over. More than thirty Hunters armed with Bow and Arrows came with them, and the two sides faced off by the river.
Then, two monsters suddenly emerged from the river behind the Dugout Canoes, each marked [Sea Monster LV8].
The Sea Monsters were as large as five people put together, their bodies covered in scales. They had lizard-like heads and bodies, mouths full of sharp teeth, and looked somewhat like gigantic Crocodiles capable of standing upright.
The two Sea Monsters climbed ashore step by step.
The Garlic Tribe's Hunters fired arrows one after another, but the Bow and Arrows seemed utterly useless against the Sea Monsters' scales. They could not hurt them at all.
Smiley-face symbols appeared above the East River Tribe villagers' heads.
"The Sea Monsters are invulnerable!"
"You're too weak!"
The Female Captain said, "We raise many Sea Monsters. They can destroy your tribe at any time. But you have many sturdy men, and the East River Tribe likes them. Hand over the men, and we will protect you."
The other East River Tribe villagers spoke as well.
"Weak tribe, offer up your men! Sturdy men!"
"Don't refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit!"
"Hurry up and hand over the men. Otherwise, we'll sell all of you as slaves!"
Lu Yao took a sip of coffee.
This was not easy to deal with.
Of course, he could kill the two Sea Monsters with Lightning. But that would not resolve the immediate crisis. Instead, it would further turn the East River Tribe into an enemy.
The Garlic Tribe lacked the ability and technology to build boats, so it could not venture into the deeper parts of the river at all. The East River Tribe could come and go as it pleased.
Judging from its technological development, the East River Tribe could build Dugout Canoes, had Bow and Arrows, possessed distinctive tribal clothing, and even showed early signs of a Slavery System. They also raised Sea Monsters, so their civilization was not primitive.
Lu Yao felt that the Female Captain's threats were more of a Deterrence.
If the East River Tribe truly had the ability to swallow the entire Garlic Tribe, there would be no need for empty threats. They could simply attack, seize everyone, and turn them all into slaves.
The Pixel World in God Simulator differed from the real world. There were gods here, Apostles, Flames of Faith, monsters... The Pixelated Villagers evolved in unusual ways and could not be judged according to established human history.
Lu Yao decided to wait and see.
He wanted to see how the Garlic Tribe would handle this crisis.
They had to learn to deal with trouble themselves eventually. They could not turn to him, their God, for everything. If things truly went wrong, he could summon Isabelle.
The Prophet and the Shaman discussed matters for a while.
"We are willing to give you five men. That is the greatest number we can spare without affecting the tribe."
"But the East River Tribe must not attack the Garlic Tribe, and you must ensure the safety of the rivers around us."
The Female Captain readily agreed.
"The East River Tribe will protect you, weak little men."
"Send the men over now! They must be sturdy and good-looking!"
After discussing it internally, the Garlic Tribe used a lottery to select the men at the Prophet's suggestion. In the end, five tribal men were chosen and sent onto the Dugout Canoes.
Thus, the Garlic Tribe's first contact and conflict with the East River Tribe ended with the Garlic Tribe sending five men for a marriage alliance.
As the East River Tribe departed, the river boundary expanded farther east. A floating island made of wooden boats appeared on the water. It was one of the East River Tribe's settlements.
Lu Yao locked his view above the East River Tribe and observed closely.
The East River Tribe was a typical matrilineal clan. The overwhelming majority of its members were women, numbering more than a hundred by estimation. Their supreme leader was called [Grandmother], an elderly woman.
Their conversations revealed that the East River Tribe had originated from a large clan called the Donghai Clan.
The Donghai Clan lived farther east on the vast East Sea and controlled an enormous stretch of waters.
Several years ago, a collateral branch of the Donghai Clan had split off and traveled west until it reached the East River, becoming the East River Tribe. The East River Tribe claimed the broad, rushing East River as its territory. Its food mainly consisted of fish, shrimp, and aquatic plants. Occasionally, they also sailed ashore to Hunt wild beasts and Flying Birds with Bow and Arrows.
The East River Tribe possessed Sea Monsters as strategic weapons. The Sea Monsters usually moved beneath the water and surfaced only when called by the East River Tribe.
What caught Lu Yao's attention was that he saw Salt Pool Tribe villagers within the East River Tribe.
These tribal Merchants also did business with the East River Tribe.
They rode Dugout Canoes to bring salt, Bow and Arrows, and timber, exchanging them with the East River Tribe for fish.
Lu Yao focused on the five male Pixelated Villagers ceded by the Garlic Tribe.
They were assigned to several Female Captains and became their spouses. These Garlic Tribe men did almost nothing, wandering around Ship Island all day.
That was not entirely accurate.
They had obligations of their own to fulfill.
The East River Tribe women would drag them into Ship Cabins. When the men came out, weakness expressions would appear above their heads.
The Female Captains seemed accustomed to this arrangement of tribal men being shared.
It was a custom of the East River Tribe.
Since there were too few men, they were made into labor available for use by the entire tribe. Yet ownership of the men remained in the Female Captains' hands.
The East River Tribe treasured men from outside tribes, but treated women from outside tribes with extreme cruelty.
They sailed out in Dugout Canoes and occasionally captured women to bring back. The East River Tribe would usually make these female slaves perform hard labor, such as cleaning Ship Island, carrying wood, and processing fish and food.
If a female slave fell ill or was injured, they would throw her into the water and feed her to the Sea Monsters.
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