I Will Be Chieftain

Life—those two words were simple. Split apart, they meant: be born, stay alive.

And Luo Chong was working for those very words. To achieve that, he first had to claim the position of chieftain. New sources of food, new hunting methods, new weapons—all of these needed him to reform them. But if he did not become chieftain, no one would listen to him.

The way to choose a chieftain was simple and brutal: bare fists only, no weapons of any kind, and no beating anyone badly enough to seriously injure them. Whoever was strongest became the next chieftain.

Elder would not take part in the contest. Lame knew his own limits. Six-Finger was a little foolish; though his fighting strength was not low, he could not lead the entire tribe. Feather and Stone ranked lower in strength, but both were clever. That left the competition between One-Ear, Beast Tooth, and Big Strength.

The tribespeople had already formed a large circle. Even the youngest little brats had come to watch. Several two- and three-year-old children were already wearing simple animal-hide clothes, made just last night.

Luo Chong stood within the circle as well, but he had no intention of making a move yet. The others had not planned to let a child like him become chieftain either. They had merely let him join to make up for the Hunting Team's losses.

Luo Chong held back because he knew his current body was at a disadvantage. If he fought now, he would have to face a gauntlet of opponents. So all he needed to do was defeat the final winner. He still had that much confidence. If he could not handle a few primitive people, then all the tactics and combat skills he had learned in his previous life would have been for nothing.

One-Ear and Beast Tooth had already begun fighting. One punched, the other kicked. There was nothing pleasing to watch, nor were there any moves to speak of. Neither had a weapon; they only knew how to punch and kick. At a time like this, it came down to who was stronger and who was more ruthless.

One-Ear and Beast Tooth had tangled together, each gripping the other's shoulders and arms, trying to bring the other down. If those two guys had not looked human, Luo Chong would have thought he was watching two bulls locking horns.

One-Ear's endurance was not much, but his explosive power was good. After struggling for a while, Beast Tooth seized his shoulders and pushed him backward. As One-Ear staggered back, his feet scraped two shallow grooves into the ground. Only when one foot braced against a rock did he find his chance to strike back.

At that moment, One-Ear's explosive strength showed itself. He forcefully kicked off the rock with both legs, pressed his upper body down, and lunged forward, pinning Beast Tooth beneath him. Beast Tooth struggled a few times but could not turn himself over. He panted heavily through his mouth and could only admit defeat unwillingly.

The two climbed to their feet one after the other. One-Ear looked at the green Feather Crown in Elder's hand, his eyes shining. It was not only the symbol of the chieftain, but also the symbol of the strong.

Beast Tooth shoved One-Ear and pointed at Big Strength, reminding him that there was still one more opponent. Do not celebrate too early.

One-Ear gave an excited shout. Luo Chong did not understand what he said, but it looked like he was provoking Big Strength. Big Strength also looked eager to give it a try.

There was dew on autumn mornings, and the ground was still damp and soft. A heavyweight like Big Strength left a pit with every step. When One-Ear, who stood only a little over 1.7 meters tall, faced Big Strength, who was nearly 1.9 meters, the difference between them was obvious at a glance.

This is fucking unscientific! In Luo Chong's understanding, early primitive people should have averaged around 1.5 meters in height. Yet the adults here far exceeded that figure and were already close to modern Earth's humans in height.

He was not an expert in ancient human studies, so he did not dwell on the issue. In the end, he could only explain it by telling himself this was not Earth. There were two moons in the sky already—what was there to keep agonizing over?

Big Strength, standing at well over 1.8 meters, looked like a little tower. One-Ear had the distinct feeling that he had nowhere to start. This was an unequal contest.

"Ah!"

One-Ear roared and launched the first attack, but primitive people's hunting methods really were terrible. Their most common method was to pounce on prey, then smash its head with a stone. But that left them utterly helpless against prey larger than themselves.

The situation before them was the same. One-Ear charged before Big Strength, wrapped both arms around his waist, and violently drove his head into Big Strength's chest, trying to bring him down with a bear hug.

One-Ear's explosive strength was formidable, and that blow was truly fierce. Even Big Strength, that little tower of a man, was knocked back a step—but only one step.

Big Strength spread his feet apart, front and back, steadying himself again. His two hands, each as large as small dustpans, seized One-Ear's shoulders at once. When his strike failed, One-Ear wanted to pull away quickly, but Big Strength caught him in an instant. Before he could react, a roar sounded beside his ear, and then he felt himself flying.

Gripping One-Ear by the shoulders, Big Strength swung him sideways and flung him out.

Thud.

After a dull impact, One-Ear flew straight out of the circle and landed face-down in the grass, with a mouthful of dirt.

Um... the little companions watched One-Ear groan on the ground with expressions like they were badly constipated, as if they themselves knew exactly how much he hurt.

Fortunately, the open ground before the cave was all dirt, with very few rocks. Before long, One-Ear groaned his way back to his feet. But it also proved how tough these primitive people's bodies were. They could really take a beating.

But in this battle for the chieftain's position, One-Ear had already lost his right to compete. Being KO'd in under five seconds would be humiliating to talk about. One-Ear stood off to the side dejectedly and watched Elder hand the Feather Crown to Big Strength.

Luo Chong finally moved as well. He knew that if he wanted to live well in this world, he had to seize leadership for now. Otherwise, no one would listen to him. And now, as long as he defeated the big man before him, everything would fall into place.

Big Strength happily accepted the Feather Crown, grinning foolishly. The tribespeople watched this freshly minted chieftain, ready to hear the first task assigned by their new leader.

Just then, a discordant voice rang out. "Don't be in such a hurry. There's still me."

Luo Chong took two steps to Big Strength's side and grabbed the Feather Crown from his hand.

Roar!

Big Strength roared, anger flashing in his eyes. Elder looked surprised and puzzled. The onlookers around them were completely bewildered. Why was this not over yet? If they finished quickly, the new leader could assign work. If they did not gather more food, how would they survive this winter?

Big Strength grew angry. He grabbed the Feather Crown, but Luo Chong did not let go. With a snap, several feathers drifted down between them. Seeing the damaged Feather Crown in his hand, Big Strength was furious. He beat his chest and shouted at Luo Chong.

Luo Chong refused to yield. In the tribe's few rough words, he expressed his intention to Elder: "I defeat him. I become chieftain."

My dear handsome and dashing, beautiful and charming readers, raise your lovely little hands and shower me with recommendation votes and comments...