Chapter 103: The Stone House Discovered

Since his base was in danger, Ye Da naturally had to prioritize the stone house and the wolf pups. The Queen Bee would simply have to fend for herself for the time being!

He moved rapidly toward the valley, hoping that the cannibals would not discover his stone house so quickly. Once he returned, he could immediately elevate the house to the middle of the cliffside. Even if the cannibals discovered his location, attacking the mountainside would be no easy feat. Ye Da would only need to hold his position inside, relying on the high ground to rain arrows down upon anyone trying to climb up.

"Whimper..."

Inside the stone house, the two wolf pups had been lying lazily by the door, waiting for their master to return. But as movement stirred in the medicinal valley, their ears pricked up, and they emitted low, whimpering growls. Perhaps sensing the sheer terror of the enemies outside, the pups did not bark loudly; they merely let out low, vigilant warnings, as if signaling their companions to stay alert.

"Stop!" The Chieftain, struggling through the snow, suddenly raised a hand. "I think I heard something."

"Whoosh!"

"Whoosh, whoosh!"

The cannibals stopped in their tracks, tilting their heads to listen. They heard nothing but the howling wind. The shaman, who served as an advisor to the new Chieftain, stepped forward to dissuade him. "Chieftain, I hear only the wind. Are you sure you didn't mishear?"

"Mishear?" The Chieftain paused, but quickly countered, "No, I am certain. I heard something."

"Could it be..." The shaman mused for a moment. "A wolf's howl?"

"Exactly!" The Chieftain’s eyes brightened. "A wolf's howl. It was faint and masked by the wind, but I heard it."

"There is no need to worry, Chieftain." The shaman, draped in tattered rags, stroked his goatee and chuckled. "We have entered the territory of the Carrion Wolves. Hearing them is quite normal."

"Carrion Wolves?" The Chieftain hadn't considered that.

The shaman gestured with his messy, graying hair. "Yes, Chieftain. Besides the soldier ants in the medicinal valley, there are also the immortal Carrion Wolves. Their hearts are excellent healing elixirs. I once hunted them with the previous Chieftain."

"I see." The Chieftain’s doubts were assuaged.

But just as he lowered his guard, a scout arrived to report: "Chieftain! We found footprints in the snow ahead!"

"They don't look like animal tracks, nor are they our own. They look like the prints of an outsider."

"Is that so?" The Chieftain sneered. "Take me to them!"

Led by the scout, the group of cannibals arrived at a snow-covered section of the cliff wall. Sure enough, they saw two long trails of footprints leading away from the rock face toward the back of the valley. It was clear that someone had stepped out from the rock wall and headed into the distance.

"Whimper..."

"Woof! Woof woof!"

As the cannibals approached, the two wolf pups could no longer contain their fear and began barking frantically. A wolf’s bark is not just a warning; it is also an attempt to drive off an enemy. After all, their master had told them to guard the house. With enemies now invading their territory, the pups could no longer pretend they didn't see them. Though Ye Da hadn't intended for them to engage, for a wolf, defending its territory was a natural duty.

"A wolf's bark!" The Chieftain didn't need any further warning; the sound was so loud that everyone heard it. He frowned, staring at the cliff face. "Why is there a sound, but no wolf in sight?"

"Chieftain, the sound seems to be coming from behind the rock wall!" The shaman pressed his ear against the stone and confirmed it.

The Chieftain’s brow arched. "Hmph, it seems to be another trick by those outsiders. Perhaps the outsider himself is hiding behind here! Men, blast this wall open!"

"Yes, Chieftain!" The cannibal warriors stepped back, preparing to unleash their skills against the rock.

The stone house blended perfectly with the cliff, making the entrance nearly impossible to find. But the cannibals were opting for the brute force approach: if you don't know where the door is, just blow the whole thing open.

This was a major problem. No matter how sturdy the stone house was, it was only a thin layer of stone. It might stop ordinary beasts, but it couldn't withstand the combined assault of a group of Tier 2 Black Iron warriors.

Especially as the shaman began his incantation, a golden glow manifested in his hands. He was a Metal-element mage! Metal magic was the natural nemesis of stone and possessed immense offensive power. Even if the first strike didn't shatter the door, a few more would certainly blow the house apart.

"Damn it!" Ye Da arrived just in time to see the cannibals surrounding his home. His heart sank as he realized they had already discovered the house.

"This is the stone house I worked so hard to upgrade!" Ye Da clutched his cheeks in horror. "I can't let them destroy it like this!"

He stepped out, planted his hands on his hips, took a deep breath, and shouted at the top of his lungs: "I'm here! I'm right here!"

The Chieftain spun around in shock. "Who?!"

The others turned their heads as well, but the shaman immediately hurled the golden spear he had conjured directly at Ye Da! Seeing the spear streak toward him, Ye Da frantically coated his arm in a layer of Stone Skin.

Yet, he still felt an overwhelming sense of dread. He had a premonition that if the spear struck, his Stone Skin would not be enough to stop it. In that split second of life or death, he didn't hesitate to activate the protective shield of his Black Iron Necklace.

"Whoosh!"

The necklace surged with immense energy, manifesting a transparent force field around his body. The energy was invisible, but Ye Da could see the air distort, pushing the snow at his feet away by a centimeter. Dust and snowflakes dancing in the air were all deflected by the barrier.

The instant the shield solidified, the shaman’s golden spear struck.