Chapter 2 - Witch
With furrowed brows, the man with thick eyebrows and big eyes asked, “Why aren’t you speaking? Can’t you?”
Lu Yu didn’t have time to think much and carefully chose his words, saying, “I am… from afar… and I’m leaving… I mean no harm…”
The man with thick eyebrows and big eyes planted his wooden club into the ground, scratched his chin, pondered for a moment, then his eyes lit up as he confidently declared, “You are a wildman.”
Lu Yu: “…”
Well, if you really have to say that, it’s not wrong. After all, he had been living in this wilderness for more than ten days, so rounding up, he could be considered a wildman. But—
How dare you, a genuine primitive man, say such a thing! You look like you’ve rolled around in a garbage dump. Who actually looks more like a wildman?! How are these distinctions even made, damn it!
Lu Yu flashed a friendly smile, trying to explain in his best standard Mandarin that he wasn’t a wildman, “Um, you see, I’m dressed quite neatly, and I even washed my hair with water from the river to the east yesterday—”
“Shan Pu, what are you doing?” A deep voice suddenly sounded from behind.
Lu Yu’s eyebrows jumped, swallowing back the words he hadn’t finished. He had a bad feeling in his heart.
He stiffly turned around.
All the Matai people who were originally hundreds of meters away had unconsciously gathered around.
Thirty-odd wheat-skinned, sturdy men stood in unison.
They even brought over the mammoth carcass that looked to be about 4 or 5 tons—just four people were carrying it. Two long pieces of wood were threaded through the elephant’s legs, one person lifting each end, doing so effortlessly…
Lu Yu wiped his sweaty palms on his grass skirt.
“King, you’re here!” the man with thick eyebrows and big eyes ran excitedly to the Matai man standing in the middle.
Lu Yu looked over.
Deep-set eyes, high nose, thin lips, well-defined facial features, a rugged yet sexy jawline, a cold complexion, ink-black pupils devoid of any emotion. Robust and tall, exuding a majestic and oppressive aura, faintly emanating a smell of blood.
Was this the Matai King?
Lu Yu’s previously somewhat calm heart also became unsettled.
“King, he’s not prey, he’s a wildman,” the man with thick eyebrows and big eyes said.
Lu Yu twitched his mouth corner.
Fine, you have more brothers, so you call the shots.
The Matai King, expressionless, gave Lu Yu a glance, and then asked in a low voice, “Can you speak? Where are you from? Where are you going?”
Could they communicate?
Lu Yu’s eyes lit up, hastily extending his hand and pointing, “I came from the grasslands over there, and I’m about to leave.”
“Okay,” the Matai King replied, then looked at the young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes, “Shan Pu, kill him.”
Shan Pu crisply replied, “Got it!”
What?!
Lu Yu, caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, almost didn’t react.
Weren’t we just talking? Why suddenly kill him?
Seeing the stick in the hands of the man with thick eyebrows and big eyes about to descend on his head, Lu Yu’s heart was about to leap out of his chest. He quickly reached out to stop, “Wait a minute!”
Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, Lu Yu, unwilling to give up, rapidly racked his brain for solutions.
His gaze fell on the leg of a Matai man.
It seemed that the man’s leg was injured, crudely wrapped in some unknown leaves, but the leaves seemed to have no effect, with a large amount of fresh blood seeping through, which was quite shocking.
Lu Yu’s eyes lit up, and as he caught a glimpse of the swinging stick, he agilely dodged to the side, avoiding the fatal blow. At the same time, he shouted to the Matai King, “I can help treat the injury!”
“Eh.” Shan Pu, seeing his stick miss its mark, felt a little unhappy. Just as he was about to strike the talkative wildman again, the King reached out and grabbed the stick, stopping him.
The Matai King stared at Lu Yu, his voice low as he asked, “What did you say?”
Lu Yu looked at the muscles bulging on the King’s arm as he held the club and swallowed nervously, “I said, I can treat injuries.”
“Are you a witch?” The Matai King frowned.
As soon as he said this, the previously calm Matai people immediately showed some restlessness.
Witch?
Lu Yu’s eyes turned, pondered for a moment, then firmly said, “Yes, I am a witch.”
The Matai King gave him an inexplicable look, then called the injured person forward.
“Fix him now.”
“Okay.” Lu Yu straightened his chest confidently.
He said to the injured Matai man, “Please sit down first.”
After receiving permission from the Matai King, the Matai man sat down on the ground.
The rest of the Matai people also crowded around.
Lu Yu took off his backpack, squatted down, and carefully untied the haphazardly bound grass leaves on his leg.
The dark, sturdy calf was soaked through with fresh blood, some of it even starting to turn black. There were two rows of deep bite marks visible on the leg, presumably from being bitten by some ferocious beast.
Lu Yu had seen quite a few bloody scenes during his time here, but it was the first time he had seen such a severe wound on a human body, and he felt a bit uncomfortable in his heart.
This Matai person still had a nonchalant expression on his face, as if he had just been bitten by a mosquito on his leg.
“Aren’t you in pain?” Lu Yu couldn’t help but ask.
The Matai person glanced at him in confusion and said after some thought, “It’s okay, just a little.”
Could it be that these Matai people don’t feel pain?
Lu Yu furrowed his brows but didn’t dwell on it too much. After examining the wound, he first took out a piece of bamboo from his backpack, scraped away some rotten flesh, and then took out a red pill the size of a thumb.
This pill was called “Small Healing Pill,” which in the game restored a certain amount of health. Here, it could quickly treat a certain degree of external injuries, but if the injury was severe or had been sustained for too long, it wouldn’t work.
“Take it.” Lu Yu handed the Small Healing Pill over.
The Matai person looked at the strange red pill but didn’t move.
“Here, watch closely.” Lu Yu picked a bit of the Small Healing Pill with his fingernail, put it on his tongue, gestured for him to see, and then swallowed it.
“I took it too, and nothing happened.”
“This is a good thing, only I can make it. It took me a long time to make just one,” Lu Yu earnestly boasted.
Even if he wasn’t a witch, seeing the effect of the Small Healing Pill and knowing that only he had it, they would consider sparing his life.
Noticing the King’s nod, the Matai person didn’t hesitate anymore, picked up the pill, and swallowed it.
“When will it start to work?” the Matai King asked calmly.
“Well…” Lu Yu stood up, wiping off the blood-stained leaves stuck to him with disdain.
Clearing his throat, he smiled calmly.
“Just after I finish saying this sentence.”
As soon as his words fell, a sudden exclamation sounded around them.
“Look at Ru Ba’s leg!”
The Matai people crowded together, and Lu Yu shrugged, making room.
“Wow, Ru Ba’s leg has stopped bleeding!”
“The wound is shrinking!”
“How is this possible, it’s amazing!”
“That wildman’s pill healed it, he really is a witch!”
“We actually encountered a witch!”
—
Witchs are very rare among humans. Legend has it that they can cure diseases, heal injuries, control the weather, and communicate with gods. Perhaps there might be one or two in large tribes and settlements.
Although the Matai people were all powerful, they were few in number and, for some reason, were not proactive in interacting with outsiders. Moreover, their survival was unstable, and they couldn’t afford to support a delicate witch. So, when the elders mentioned them, it was always with longing.
Unexpectedly, they encountered a wild one today?
The Matai people huddled together, getting more excited as they communicated. Their gazes shifted back and forth between Ru Ba’s leg and the seemingly frail witch.
Like sixty or so searchlights.
Even with Lu Yu’s thick skin, he felt a bit embarrassed by being stared at like this, so he could only turn his face towards the only calm person in the crowd.
He gave the Matai King a somewhat flattering smile.
With youthful fair skin and phoenix-like eyes, his smile revealed a dimple, innocent and harmless, yet attractive.
The Matai King glanced at him indifferently, then turned to look at the circle of people.
“Make way.”
Hearing the King’s command, the excited Matai people fell silent in an instant, consciously dispersing to both sides to make way for their King.
“King!” Ru Ba excitedly lifted his leg to show the King.
Although the Matai people felt little pain and were almost immune to it, severe injuries could still cripple or kill them. Moreover, compared to other wild creatures who cherish their lives because of pain, the Matai people were indifferent to life and death and would fight recklessly.
When fighting with beasts, they charged headlong.
However, this wasn’t because the Matai people were foolish; on the contrary, it was a good way to survive in an environment where it was a matter of life and death. Only by making others fear you and dare not provoke you could you obtain food and territory.
But as a result, many Matai people died because they didn’t know how to treat injuries.
Whether it was because of that pill or not, Ru Ba, who originally felt a bit weak, suddenly felt energized.
After showing his leg to the King, he stood up, patted his belly, and said with a smile, “King, I feel like I could eat a whole cow now.”
The Matai King nodded slightly. “Hmm.”
Under the expectant gazes of all the tribesmen, he looked at Lu Yu. “What is your name?”
Lu Yu hesitated for a moment. “My name is Lu Yu.”
“Lu Yu,” the Matai King said lightly. “You will come with us.”
Lu Yu had guessed something about what a witch was from the reactions of these Matai people, but that would have to be verified later. For now, he dared not refuse, of course. In front of a group of strong, shining-eyed men, he couldn’t refuse, and he also had his own considerations.
“Okay,” Lu Yu agreed readily.
The Matai people raised their wooden sticks and cheered loudly.
Taking advantage of the situation, Lu Yu negotiated in a tone that was good for everyone, “Not only will I help treat your injuries, but I also have many other abilities. Can you provide me with some food and protect me when there are beasts? After all, I can only help you better if I’m alive, right?”
The Matai King glanced at him and nodded without objection. “Our Matai tribe won’t let someone with your physique go into battle.”
—
Although he felt a bit despised, Lu Yu still felt relieved.
He had felt like he was about to burp a moment ago, but now his life suddenly had some security. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that luck had turned in his favor, all thanks to the miraculous Small Healing Pill. In this regard, the game panel was still quite useful…
Game panel…
Wait a minute, he suddenly remembered that there was still…
“King!”
In a second, Lu Yu effortlessly shifted his identity, approached the Matai King, and said cheerfully, “I need to go to the place where the mammoth died. I will demonstrate another witch’s ability there!”