As Ars looks around at the people in the cave who are rounding up to eat millet porridge, he notices that these people have an unusual look. It's very hard not to notice; people here seem to come from different races.
There are people who are blond, brunette, or ginger, even natural redheads; some have different eye colors—blue, brown, amber, or black—and look Caucasian, or some look Arab with the pointy noses and serene eyes Arab people have, and the rest look like East and Southeast Asians, like Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Malaysian, Vietnamese, Filipino, or Thai people.
Clearly some things here—if they were a natural tribe that came from single roots, they wouldn't look different like this.
Ars looks like a mix of Caucasian and Asian, since his father looks Caucasian and his mother, Annette, whom he saw a day ago, looks Chinese.
But it doesn't matter anymore; race doesn't matter in the face of danger. Racism only matters. when there are abundant resources that a group of people are entitled to.
Ars gets up, noticed by the other tribesmen. The men quickly get up. Ars speaks up with a low voice that clearly came from a man: "Uncle Dan, I'm going outside now. Make sure to properly close the entrance."
Other men bow their heads, and the leader—several men, some around his age and older—also wants to join; we don't want to be a burden to you.
Ars shook his head in refusal. "I understand that you guys want to help me, but all of you, if you join me, will be a burden. You guys are clearly weaker than I am before I become an awakener."
If you want to help me do this.
Ars shows them how to do a proper push-up.
This was called a push-up. It will strengthen your upper body, so next time you want to join me, even if not awakened, you have enough strength to do a physical task.
Also do this: Ars showed them a proper squat; it was called "squats." Doing this will strengthen your lower body.
So next time that I need you guys, your legs will be strong enough to run when a monster chases us, and you guys will have enough stamina to keep up.
The men were confused about what those are; they think Ars is messing with them, but suddenly Uncle Dan follows how he did a push-up.
With Uncle Dan's belly protruding from eating millet every day and weak arms from not doing exercise, he couldn't even do a single push-up.
Uncle Dan was struggling to do even one push-up.
"Chief never knew doing these things was hard."
Others also tried; some young people did until 5, and some eighth- and average-looking guys around 30 managed to do 11 push-ups.
They even tried to do squats; they were able to do 15-20, and after that, most of them struggled.
"See these basic things you guys can't even do? And you guys think you can help me outside?"
Ars's intention is not to mock them but to strengthen their resolve that they need to be better to be a help because no matter how strong Ars becomes, if he's the only one, it will be hard for him.
Ars grinned. "If you guys couldn't do even a hundred push-ups and squats continuously in one go, you are all unfit to join the gatherer team in the future. Train yourselves until you guys are worthy."
Ars slowly walks towards the exit, Uncle Dan following him. Uncle Dan removes the wood cover; the other side of the wood has grass on it—a perfect cover to camouflage their exit, hiding from the outside world.
Uncle Dan gives him instruction that the exit will only be open if you knock with a pattern: 1, 2, 12345, 1, 2.
That's the code making sure for safety.
Ars simply nodded and got outside.
Outside were truly magnificent views; they are on the steep side of the mountain base. Outside he can see a view a thousand miles away; the trees are endless—it's like a green utopia, a rain forest.
He scanned through his view; that's where he noticed that it seemed like a few hundred kilometers away there were giant monsters that looked like humans. He wasn't sure how big they were, but they were clearly towering over tall trees and around over a hundred meters tall.
He wasn't surprised; he was already heated about these giants before. They were Titans, a high-ranking demon species.
Just around 300-400 meters away there's a river; he knew that rivers hold clean, fresh drinking water, unlike what he has in the tribe camp dug under the ground, which tastes terrible.
When there's a river monster, worse demons like orcs, trolls, and goblins will occur.
He needs to be cautious about not meeting anyone of this creature.
He's a tier 1 hunter, and he cannot even fight the lowest monster at this point.
A kid goblin is stronger than him.
He walks cautiously and uses the Fox Walk walking method he learned and used when he became a cadet during his military service way back on earth (males on earth have to be in the military at age 18 or above for 2 years).
He's walking cautiously, but it isn't slow, or he will be doomed when nightfall comes; after all, using a torch means exposing your location to everyone.
It was still morning around 8 am; in just 13 minutes he reached the river. Hidden from the bushes, not exposing himself, he knew that this river was a home of mutated beasts or a monster.
After all, since he walked, he never met any monster.
When suddenly he heard a howl, awooooo!!!
Ars shivers in fear; those are wolves.
"Shit, wolves were known for their keen sense of smell." Ars saw mud and smeared it on his body to cover his smells.
Suddenly a loud noise was heard from the forest; he saw some purple gradient with dark silver fur wolves, with the biggest wolf he had ever seen. The wolves, each one, are as big as an elk, and the alpha is slightly bigger with a mane like a wolf.
He knew that if those wolves found him, he was fucked; he wasn't even enough as a snack for the whole wolf pack.
When suddenly a louder thud was heard slowly, coming in the direction of the wolves, that's where Ars saw a mid-rank mutant beast. It's a bull-like creature with stone-like skin, towering over the wolves as big as the elephant. With the horns that can pierce even a tree.
The wolves' bark sounds slightly different than dogs'. The wolves encircle the bull, seizing if they could take down the bull.
When suddenly, bang, the bull dashed forward with terrifying speed; in just a second, a wolf was tossed into the air. And the other one was Pierce on its horn.
The bull shakes its head and throws the corpse of the wolf onto the ground; blood drips from the wolf.
When suddenly the alpha wolf rushed forward and bit the bull in the back, the bull shook violently in agony, followed by the other wolves.
The bull was thrashing around like mad. Some wolves were thrown around, and the bull slammed its hooves into the ground, and the ground collapsed, followed by a strong shockwave and violent gust of wind.
Several wolves thrown into the air. And one of the wolves landed on our position.
Even the alpha wolf was injured; blood dripped into its eyes from the cut on its forehead.
Even the bull was also injured.
The wolves were howling, but the bull didn't back down either.
That's when a green aura followed, and the bull's wounds suddenly healed.
The alpha wolf saw it, and it backed down, clearly admitting its defeat.
The alpha wolf lowered its head, showing its submissiveness towards the bull.
Loudly, suddenly a few meters away from him, he spotted wolves bigger than he had ever seen in a zoo before.