4 Chapter 04: Champion!

Deeper into the forest smoke rose into the air as hundreds of tribesman burned wood to roast meat as they gathered around the fires celebrating there recent success in having raided a convoy.

The tribe had built there houses in a natural clearing using mud, bamboo, wood, and strong sticks. There were a few dozen of these hovels and each on was enough for twenty people to live comfortably in each.

In the center of this village was an even bigger hovel, if one looked closely you would see that it was built much steadier than the other hovels, this is the house that the tribal chief had all to himself, as a symbol of power and authority.

The chief was also the only shaman currently within the tribe, his presence helped this tribesman in many of there hunts thanks to the Voodoo Beasts he created from hunted animals the tribe hunters brought him.

Currently, this Shaman Chief was having a dilemma, he had lost contact with his most powerful Voodoo Beast, the only reason he could lose contact with it is if it was dead, he had sent it out to take care of any threats within the area around the village to ensure there were no sneak attacks.

Although it could not be said to be undefeated, it was still one of the most powerful things within the village, equal to even the Goblin King that had his village situated east of them, the only reason they kept the goblins around was to protect there flank.

The Shaman Chief himself was at the peak of the Warrior rank, only a step away from becoming a champion and thus had many Voodoo Beasts under his command, but most of them were in the Mortal Rank and he only had five in the Warrior Rank, well four now with his most powerful beast having been killed.

Looking at his tribesman he could not help but sight, the second most powerful being in the tribe was there head hunter, who was in the middle stages of the Warrior rank, while there were another three at the warrior rank they were only at the beginning, the rest were all in the first rank the Mortal rank, thought the hunters were in the later parts of this rank the rest of the village was around the beginning.

The tribe consisted out of two-hundred and forty people and thirty Voodoo Beasts, out of all these tribesman forty percent were hunters and the rest were women and children.

Next to his hovel, there were a few dozen bamboo cages that held people that the tribe had kidnapped from the convoy that passed by on the road north of the village. These were most likely rich merchants considering the things they raided from the convoy was very expensive commodity's if you looked past the large amount of food that the tribe was actually after.

The chief relaxed after thinking it through, although his Voodoo Beast died and it was a bit tragic since it was such a powerful one, there was no need to panic since there was no way its killer could harm his tribe.

It should be known that a Warrior Rank beings were quite powerful in this world, the only being above them would be champions, but the like of a champion would never be so bored as to attack their little tribe, not to mention something above that rank, that was just the talk of fiction that people would tell there children during bedtime stories or around the fire to liven the mood, the Legendary Lord Rank.

"Braska!", a deep voice called from the side, the chief turned towards the mountain of a man that called him, this mountain's name was Navarre and was the head hunter of the tribe.

"Navarre, what can I help you with?", Chief Braska asked looking at his most faithful second, the beginning of there tribes creation he and Navarre had thought with manny beasts to claim this little spot as there own, the number of times they had saved each other was numerous and thus they had formed a kind of bond forged through battle, they knew they could always rely on each other when things went bad.

"What do you intend to do with these people?", the mountain asked as he gestured to the prisoners locked in the bamboo prisons. "There are at least thirty of them, and I don't think we need a sacrifice that many of them towards...that thing!"

"Sigh... I know Navarre, if I had any choice I would never let these innocents die, but that thing threatens the tribe, if we do not give it a sacrifice as agreed then it will storm the village."

"Bullshit! If it attacks we can kill it, it's not as if that thing is a Champion!" Navarre suddenly yelled in anger, he was not a soft person, he would not be able to kill the guards of convoys if he was, but that was different, they did that for food and other resources and they would never kill someone who surrendered.

However five years ago a monstrous thing came to there village demanding sacrifice or it will slaughter them, at first the tribesman attacked it but it easily disposed of them, it was only when the Braska and Navarre fought together that they could fight to a standstill with it.

In the end, Braska agreed to the creature as they were within the village and the aftereffects of there battle had already killed many women and children of there tribe, although the two hated it, they had to swallow this humiliation to ensure the safety of there tribe.

From then on not only did they raid the northern road they even captured people as a sacrifice, giving it one sacrifice each month. Each time the day of sacrifice drew near Navarre would demand that they kill the beast once and for all, but Braska was still not confident in their victory and if they lost there people would perish with them.

"You are already at the Peak of the Warrior rank and I am a step from the latter parts of it, that thing hasn't reached Champion Rank yet so we can still kill it but if we do not do it quickly then when it finally reached that Rank, not only will it come and stomp you and me to the ground it will even ask more of our tribe."

Braska was feeling conflicted, he did not know what to do, he realized that with age he had become cowardly, but even so, he had always had the interests of the tribe in his heart.

"If we can create a mid-stage Warrior Rank Voodoo Beast, I will agree." Braska finally compromised, this was his final offer if Navarre could bring him suitable material for him to create this Voodoo Beast, they can then challenge that monstrosity that had plagued there village for half a decade.

Navarre smiled satisfied, he couldn't wait to start heading out to gather the materials he thought would be best, the thing is to create such a powerful Voodoo Beast all its parts would have to come from Rank 2 middle stage Beasts that were the equivalent to a Warrior rank being with a Level of around twenty to fifty.

"I'll have those materials for you in no time!"

"I'll be waiting then."

"Interesting"

Braska and Navarre who were smiling at each other suddenly froze, the third voice was definitely not them and it was definitely not from someone of there tribe.

"Who?"

Both said as they stared towards the origin, standing at the edge of the clearing stood a man, clad in a black robe, with a hood covering all his facial features but his eyes that shined through the dark shadow it cast in a blue splendor.

Both Braska and Nevarre's eyes constricted went hey saw him and their bodies shivered, even that monstrosity when they fought it back then did not make them feel this way.

'Champion!'