Weakness is Not an Obstacle to Survival

Since the Garlic Tribe was established, every building the Pixelated Villagers constructed served a survival function.

The thatched huts of the past and the wooden houses of today were all shelters from wind and rain, while some of the larger buildings served as granaries.

There were also enclosures fenced with stone and wooden hurdles, used for raising camels and sheep.

Deep in the forest stood two Forest Cabins, temporary camps for the Hunters, allowing them to venture further into the woods to track prey.

The Simple Pier was a place for mooring dugout canoes and Fishing Boats.

Unlike past constructions, the Monument had no practical use—it was the tribe's first cultural landmark. Since its appearance, many villagers would pause there, gazing at the simple stone tablet's records and discussing the tribe's past history among themselves.

The Monument bore a brief inscription:

"Lie Tou: One of the tribe's earliest two heroes. He bravely fought against the Demon Cultists and died in battle defending the tribe and the Cave Dwellers."

After his closest comrade's death, Hero Fisher-Walk often came here.

He stood before the Monument in silence, his mind flooded with thoughts.

"If only I had fought alongside him to the very end, maybe he would have survived."

"If we hadn't attacked those Cave Dwellers, but chosen to avoid them and retreat, Lie Tou would still be telling me stories about the White Boar."

"I was too weak. My brother, I couldn't protect you—I only became your burden."

"...You were the hero. I was just a deserter."

"We need more training, better weapons, a larger territory—only then can we protect the tribe."

After experiencing Lie Tou's death, Fisher-Walk's personality changed drastically. He lost his former endless chatter and lively energy, becoming silent and withdrawn.

More often than not, he taught the Hunters combat techniques—how to kite, how to dodge, how to retreat.

Having witnessed death firsthand, Fisher-Walk became exceptionally steady from then on.

Under his leadership, the Hunters moved closer to becoming professional soldiers. They never took reckless risks or made unnecessary attacks, always observing the enemy patiently before battle—this became the Garlic Tribe's fighting style.

Lu Yao watched all this from above and suddenly thought of something the Garlic Tribe could use now.

He put on his shoes, locked the door behind him, and went downstairs.

A dozen minutes later, Lu Yao returned, an Iron Hammer in his hand.

This was the next [Blessing] he had decided on.

The Garlic Tribe had already learned [Mining Technique] and discovered minerals like copper, iron, gold, and crystal, but they had never mastered smelting. They only used the most primitive method of burning raw ores. The metal they produced was treated as collectibles rather than tools.

The root cause was that they were living too comfortably.

The Garlic Tribe's villagers had no worries about food or clothing, faced no pressure from strong enemies, and whenever trouble arose, Isabelle handled it. Above them, Lu Yao and Miracle could turn the tide at any moment.

Without need, there was no motivation.

So recently, the Garlic Tribe's civilization had essentially stagnated.

Lu Yao had thought many times about whether to harden his heart and hit them with a Hurricane or Torrential Rain, just so they'd understand that storms could strike without warning.

But in the end, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

Every one of these Pixelated Villagers was precious to Lu Yao.

But his mindset had changed now.

Spare the rod, spoil the child. Especially when dealing with a bunch of lazy dogs from the tribal era—sometimes you had to be ruthless. They needed to understand that coasting through life was still too early for this age.

Besides, there was now the Ghost City of Sanilo, which was the main base for faith production.

This place could serve as a testing ground.

Lu Yao activated [Miracle] and began [Rainfall].

At first, the Garlic Tribe didn't realize something was wrong. But as the rainfall grew heavier, mixed with a Hurricane, five granaries and all their grain were completely destroyed by the storm and heavy rain. Over a dozen fields were ruined, and several people died.

The villagers panicked completely.

The Torrential Rain didn't stop, and the Hurricane loomed menacingly at the tribe's edge.

They could only pray beside the Temple, hoping for the God's protection, begging for this terrifying natural disaster to pass quickly.

The Prophet knelt in the Temple.

"Great God Yao, the tribe does not know which God we have angered, bringing this calamity upon us. We beg for Your mercy, to restore peace to the tribe."

"The tribe feels deeply guilty. We have failed to offer You Sacrificial Offerings, committing the blasphemy of sloth. We implore Your forgiveness."

This time, Lu Yao gave him no hints. He simply watched coldly.

The Torrential Rain and Hurricane continued, hammering every member of the Garlic Tribe.

Lu Yao was determined this time.

He spent a total of 250 points of faith, showing the Garlic Tribe that Heaven's wrath was unpredictable and disaster lurked everywhere.

When he felt the pressure of the natural disaster was enough, Lu Yao guided the Prophet to the Monument.

The Prophet was silent for a moment, then an exclamation mark lit up above his head.

"Lord God, are You telling the tribe not to forget the shame of Lie Tou's death?"

"I understand now. Our tribe's outstanding hero died at the hands of monsters, yet we survivors remained unawakened, still relying on the Apostle's power... What arrogance and laziness this was."

"From now on, we will forever remember our current weakness, never stop, and always be ready to face disaster."

"We, the weak, have no right to rest."

The Prophet's realization was somewhat different from Lu Yao's original plan.

But the general direction was consistent.

Seeing his goal achieved, Lu Yao stopped the Miracle.

The sky over the Garlic Tribe cleared once more, and all the Pixelated Villagers breathed a sigh of relief as they began rebuilding their damaged homes together.

While busy repairing houses and Farmland, exclamation marks suddenly appeared above the villagers' heads.

"God's Blessing!"

"God Yao has bestowed his grace!"

"Divine revelation!"

"Merciful God Yao, great God Yao!"

"It's the Iron Hammer, the Iron Hammer, the unstoppable Iron Hammer!"

The Iron Hammer was taken from the Temple by the Prophet, and it was first put to great use in the hands of the Carpenters.

Both Carpenters were enamored with the Iron Hammer, giving it the highest praise. They considered it a great tool, an indispensable aid for building houses and wooden products.

Soon, a series of prompts appeared on the game interface.

[The Garlic Tribe has learned to use the Iron Hammer.]

[The Garlic Tribe has learned Copper Smelting.]

[The Garlic Tribe has learned Stone Construction.]

[The Garlic Tribe has learned the uses of copper.]

[The Garlic Tribe has gained prestige among other tribes for mastering new technologies.]

In the time that followed, the Garlic Tribe used stone to build a Furnace. The villagers began smelting copper inside it, then crafting the copper into Copper Hammers.

The Hunters improved their Bows and Arrows and Spears with copper, creating copper arrowheads and spearheads. Soon after, the Shaman personally crafted Copper Shields and Copper Armor. At this point, metallic copper finally began to be widely used throughout the tribe.

Lu Yao watched with some emotion.

These tribal villagers really did share a common human flaw... give them good food and drink, and they'd lose all drive; only when faced with disaster and hardship would they erupt with astonishing creativity and initiative.

He'd have to keep these tribal villagers feeling a bit of crisis.

At that moment, Isabelle finally crossed the heavy Mountains and found the Salt Pool Tribe on the other side.

Thanks to Wuyu Nanzhi for supporting with 100 Qidian coins.