Chapter 22: Wolf God, Liar?
"What exactly is this?"
The group stared at the familiar crops before them, momentarily unable to recall what they were called, yet feeling a sense of déjà vu.
"Lead, doesn't this look like rice?" a young man asked uncertainly, stroking a bundle of rice stalks laden with hundreds of grains.
He was immediately scolded by the deputy leader: "Are you joking? If this is rice, I'll step down as deputy leader."
Did he think they were blind, not knowing what rice looked like? Where in the world does rice have such full grains, bear so much, and grow so vigorously?
It must be some species similar to rice.
Although the others didn't speak up, they shared the deputy leader's skepticism.
If this truly were rice, then right there and then...
"According to the Silver Mirror's analysis, these are indeed rice."
As the group argued heatedly, leader Jones lifted a silver mirror, expressing astonishment, "Even I have my doubts, but this mirror, a gift from the gods, cannot be wrong."
The vast fields before them, laden with bountiful crops, were indeed rice, yielding at least forty to fifty times more than the rice they cultivated.
Shocked!
The group was rendered speechless.
No wonder this small tribe could survive here so peacefully. With such high-yield rice, there was no need to risk their lives hunting.
What if we introduced this rice to our own tribe? Could we achieve sufficient sustenance without hunting?
Just as they were about to touch the rice and collect some seeds, a roar exploded near them, and the ground trembled.
A line of armored rhinos, kicking back their hind legs and glaring with red eyes, charged at the intruders with their spikes.
These ten or so armored rhinos were kept by Alex in the White Wolf Village. He had warned that if anything happened to the rice fields, they would be held accountable.
Fearing the cruel methods of the Snow Wolf Lord, several armored rhinos shivered involuntarily. For the rice fields, they must fight!
"Armored rhinos? Weren't these brutes driven away? How did they appear here?"
The group recalled the fearsome lord-level armored rhino, filled with dread.
Although they had managed to kill the lord-level with numerical advantage, the loss was too great, more than they could afford.
"Flames of Heaven!"
Jones spread his arms, condensing spiritual energy into a vast wall of flames, blocking in front of the group.
The intense heat melted even the stones on the ground into red magma.
Feeling the scorching temperature, the furious rhinos halted, cautiously eyeing the group.
The strongest among these rhinos were only elite-level, no match for a lord-level human.
"Beasts, I'll deal with you!"
One man, previously humiliated by the rhinos to the brink of death, was particularly incensed.
"Wait!"
Suddenly, an elderly man with a staff emerged from the village. He was the Shaman of the White Wolf Village.
Such a commotion could not go unnoticed by him. Otherwise, his title as a Shaman would be in vain.
"Please be merciful, this is the tribe's rhinos used for plowing, the rhinos still has a bit of a temper, and I'm here to give my sincerely apologize if they've upset you all."
Shaman rushed over with a group of young men, relieved to see fellow humans.
He was fearing powerful beasts from the Forgotten Forest had invaded, which would be a true disaster.
"What? You use armored rhinos for plowing?"
Jones and his men were dumbfounded.
What kind of tribe was this?
First high-yield rice, and then using elite beasts for plowing—utterly unthinkable.
Normally, everyone avoided such beasts, yet this village defied expectations.
The White Wolf Village was incredibly hospitable.
Not only did they show Jones and his men around the village, but they also told them how fortunate the village was to be protected by the Wolf God.
Innovations like the high-yield rice, curved ploughs, and silk production were all guided by the Wolf God.
"Have you ever heard of the Wolf God as a deity?"
"There shouldn't be any, especially not residing in the Forgotten Forest."
During a moment when the villagers were greeting each other, members of the Judgment Squad gathered to discuss.
The sudden mention of a Wolf God, specifically within the Forgotten Forest, was intriguing. Jones thought of their mission's target: Blackwolf Mountain, or more precisely, its lord. Could there be a connection to this Wolf God?
The group exchanged looks, agreeing silently not to raise any alarm for the time being.
"The Shaman of the White Wolf Village, I'd like to discuss something with you."
Jones spoke politely and earnestly.
"We are faithful devotees of the Flame God. If the White Wolf Village is willing to share your rice seeds and techniques, I believe the Flame God will welcome you."
"Accept the blessings of the Flame God, deeply understand the supreme power of fire, and you will realize how fortunate you are."
"Trust me, you won't regret it."
Jones, as a devout follower of the Flame God, revered the deity of fire, Vurun, and was obsessed with the power of fire.
The Shaman and the villagers exchanged uncertain looks. They had come to the Forgotten Forest because they were forsaken by the gods.
Now they were being asked to worship the Flame God?
"Foreigners, our Wolf God is the totem and supreme deity of the White Wolf Village."
"With the Wolf God's protection, we have today's White Wolf Village. Therefore, we will not worship any deity other than our Wolf God."
The Shaman firmly shook his head. After receiving so many benefits from Alex, how could they turn to worship a new god?
However, Jones was not ready to give up.
"Shaman of the White Wolf Village, since you claim to worship the Wolf God, let me ask you a few questions."
"Do you have doctrines?"
"No."
"Do you have divine commands?"
"Also no."
"Do you have a God statue?"
"The God statue is currently..."
Jones's barrage of questions left the Shaman speechless.
Before the Shaman could mention that the God statue was under construction, Jones scoffed and pointed towards Blackwolf Mountain.
"Is that where your so-called 'Wolf God' resides?"
After getting a firm answer, the members of the Judgment Squad laughed.
"Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!"
"This wolf pretends to be a god but is clearly not a deity!"
"True gods dwell high above the heavens. Where is your god? Living on a small hill?"
"True gods' words become law, with divine commands to guide their followers. What about your god?"
"With nothing to show, you dare to call it a god?"
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone