Side Story of another IMC PT 3

It was a normal stone fragment. It was only the size of a baby's palm and had an irregular shape. Besides some natural patterns on it, there was also a small hole in the middle that looked like a pendant.

However, there was nothing special about it. It was very normal.

The only strange thing was that when Su Ming held the stone fragment, he felt warmth from it. It was as if there was a wave of warmth flowing into his body, making him feel comfortable.

"Hmm?" Su Ming looked at it carefully but after looking at it for a while, he still could not find anything.

"I heard from the elder that this place used to be the land of the Fire Berserker Tribe a long time ago. If that's the case, then this item might contain some of the power of the Fire Berserker Tribe. That's why it makes people feel warm. Not bad." Su Ming untied the crescent bone circlet around his neck and put the stone fragment into it before hanging it around his neck again. The stone was pressed against his chest and the warmth became stronger.

"Time to go home!" The young man took large strides and quickly ran toward the bright lights in the distance. At this moment, he did not notice that the stone fragment in his chest had a faint light that flashed for a moment before disappearing.

As he got closer, the faint light became clearer before Su Ming's eyes. He could see that it was a tribe surrounded by walls made of many giant trees.

The area was not big. There were only about a few hundred people living there but in Su Ming's eyes, the place made him feel warm. Faintly, waves of lively cheers could be heard. Through the gaps between the rows of giant wooden walls, one could see a huge bonfire in the center of the tribe. There were many tribesmen around it, and even some women in the tribe were dancing in front of the bonfire.

The tribe's gate was also made of giant logs. When it was opened, it would usually be held up by a few ropes. Now, it was tightly shut, and there were a few burly men standing on it. They wore beast skins, and their skin was incredibly rough. There were eerie white bone necklaces hanging from their necks, and bone earrings on their ears. They looked incredibly valiant, and they stared at their surroundings with bright eyes. When they saw Su Ming running towards them from the distance, the men grinned.

"La Su, the elder has been looking for you for a whole day. Why did you only come back now?"

"It was raining just now. Did you go to steal Dark Dragon's Saliva again?"

"The elder is looking for me? Throw the rope down. I got a good haul this time. " Su Ming ran a few steps and arrived at the foot of the gate. He patted the basket on his back proudly and shouted loudly, "Come on!

As a rope fell from above, Su Ming grabbed it and climbed up agilely. In the span of a few breaths, he reached the top of the gate. He saw the tribe members on night watch and smiled. He quickly walked down the stairs by the side.

"The boy is agile and he's brave. He dared to go to Dark Dragon Mountain alone many years ago to gather herbs. Looks like he'll be the tribe doctor in the future.

"It's a pity that he doesn't have a Berserker Body, or else he might become a Berserker Doctor like the elder."

Once Su Ming entered the tribe, he ran all the way to the houses made of grass and trees around him. Whenever someone saw him, they would call him La Su out of goodwill.

The name La Su was not just for him. It referred to all the children in the tribe who had not gone through the second Berserker's Awakening.

Not far away, there was a little girl about five or six years old outside a tent. She was looking at Su Ming. There was a sweet and innocent smile on her young face. She held a small white beast the size of a palm in her arms. The beast looked obedient and docile. It looked like a white pompom.

"Brother La Su, did you get something for Pipi?" The little girl giggled when she saw Su Ming.

"Tong Tong, here you go." Su Ming laughed and ran towards her. He took out a few berries from his bosom and gave them to the little girl. As the little girl laughed happily, Su Ming came to the center of the tribe. He saw a large number of tribe members surrounding the bonfire, laughing and chatting with each other.

There was a wooden fence around the bonfire. There were many large pieces of roasted meat on the fence that were oozing with oil. The fragrance of the meat wafted through the air.

There were a few girls in the tribe nearby. When they saw Su Ming running towards them, they smiled and greeted him. To this tribe, the handsome Su Ming was different from the other tribe members in terms of body size. Almost all of the tribe members were much bigger than him, and the girls were no exception.

He squeezed out with great difficulty and grabbed a piece of roasted meat that was giving off a nice smell. As he chewed on it, he ran forward quickly.

In the front of the crowd, there was an old man who was not dressed in beast skin, but in coarse linen clothes. This old man's hair was braided in many small braids, and he looked extremely old. However, his eyes were quite charming, making people feel as if they were about to be sucked into them with just a glance.

He must be someone of high status. He was speaking in a low voice. There were a few tribe members around him. They listened and nodded respectfully.

When he saw Su Ming running towards him, a smile appeared on the old man's face. He nodded and gestured for Su Ming to sit by the side. He continued talking to the tribe members.

When the tribe members saw Su Ming, a smile appeared on their faces.

"Dark Mountain Tribe may be a small tribe, but we are still a true descendant of Dark Mountain Tribe. This is the birthday of the Elder of Wind Stream Tribe. I was friends with him in the past. We can't be impolite," the old man said slowly.

"It's a pity that Dark Mountain Tribe was split up hundreds of years ago. Now, there are only three branches left. Or else Dark Mountain Tribe would have been a middle-sized tribe. When we ruled over the area, Wind Stream Tribe would have been affiliated to us. But now … Hah." The person who spoke was a man in his forties. He was the tribe leader of Dark Mountain Tribe. He was big and strong, as if he was filled with an explosive power. There were nine teeth that were as thick as fingers on the bone ring around his neck.

There was also a barely discernible Mark on his face. The Mark looked incredibly ferocious, as if it was a ghost. However, it was indistinct, as if it could not solidify completely.

Su Ming looked at the Mark with envy in his eyes. From the beast skin scroll, Su Ming knew that it was an incomplete Berserker Mark. There was no one in the tribe who had the ability to solidify their Berserker Mark.

Even the elder was only at the ninth level of Berserker Blood.

Even so, the elder had become one of the most powerful Berserkers in the tribes around Dark Mountain. The only ones who could compare to him were the other two tribes that had split up in the past – Black Mountain Tribe and Dark Dragon Tribe.

"It's all in the past. There's no point in bringing it up. Without a powerful Berserker in the Transcendence Realm protecting us, we won't be able to become a middle-sized tribe. The death of the two ancestors of Dark Mountain Tribe who had reached the Transcendence Realm was the root of the split.

"I've been training for so long, but I still can't break through the ninth level of the Blood Solidification Realm. I can't reach the tenth level, and I can't even reach the eleventh level, which is the limit. I can't draw a completely solidified Berserker Mark, and it's difficult for me to Transcend …" The old man in the sackcloth sighed and spoke slowly.

"Oh well. You can leave now. Prepare the gifts. Tomorrow … Shan Hen, as the chief of the hunters in Dark Mountain Tribe, you will lead the team." The old man stood up and cast a glance at the middle-aged man standing beside the tribe leader of Dark Mountain Tribe. He then turned around and left the place, walking into the distance.

The middle-aged man's face was calm. When he heard the elder's words, he immediately bowed and obeyed.

Su Ming quickly followed behind the elder and they left the bustling place around the bonfire.

The old man did not speak along the way. He only walked quietly. Once the cheerful voices behind him gradually disappeared into the distance, he arrived at a house made of plants and went in.

The house was not big and the interior was simple. Once he entered the house, the old man sat down cross-legged by the side and cast a glance at Su Ming, who followed him in.

"You went to gather Dark Dragon's Saliva again?"

Now that he was alone with the old man, Su Ming was filled with respect towards the elder who had watched him grow up. He put down the basket on his back, picked up the small bottle, and gave it to the old man.

"With your agility, those Dark Dragons won't be able to hurt you. But it's better if you don't go there … After all, that place belongs to Black Mountain Tribe and Dark Dragon Tribe.

"Dark Dragon's Saliva is useless to me. You can keep it to nourish your body." The old man looked at Su Ming kindly.

Su Ming nodded and put away the small bottle. Over the years, he had drunk a lot of this. It was also because of this that he had such an agile body.

Over the years, the elder also brewed some medicinal soup for him. Even if he did not possess the Berserker Body, he was still much stronger than a normal member of the tribe.

"There are three more days before the Awakening of the La Sus. I remember that you're already 16 years old … You need to worship the statue of the God of Berserkers." The old man looked at Su Ming and spoke slowly.

"The statue of the God of Berserkers in Dark Mountain Tribe was inherited from the real Dark Mountain Tribe. It may not be the main statue and cannot compare to the statue of the God of Berserkers in a middle-sized tribe, but it is still very powerful in the area."

Su Ming was silent for a moment before he nodded.

"Don't go out these few days. Rest well. Three days later, you'll go to the Awakening with them." The old man spoke and closed his eyes slowly.

Su Ming stood there for a moment before he left quietly with the basket. He walked towards the house that belonged to him not too far away.

He would never forget the time when he and all the other children of the same age in the tribe surrounded the statue of the God of Berserkers and went through their first Awakening.

As a member of the Berserker Tribe, they had to go through two initiation ceremonies in their lives. This was the Awakening. One was when they were 7 years old, and the other was when they were 16 years old.

At the same time, the elder in the tribe would also use the power of the statue to choose a person with the Berserker Body.

Su Ming sighed. Bitterness rose in his heart. He longed to become a Berserker. The descriptions in the beast skin scroll made him obsessed since he was young. However, reality was cruel. When he worshipped the statue for the first time when he was 7 years old, it was clearly shown that he did not have the Berserker Body. He did not have the right to practice the Berserker Way.

Berserkers were the foundation of the world. Only by becoming a Berserker could one laugh above the heavens and become a truly powerful Berserker!

From the beast skin scroll, Su Ming knew that there were many tribes in the world, big and small. Each tribe had their own different statue of the God of Berserkers. This was the foundation of a tribe. It was also a must for their descendants to become Berserkers.

If a person could sense the statue and understand it, then they would naturally receive the inheritance of the Berserker Way. They would not need anyone to teach them. They could train on their own.

However, if they failed when they were 7 years old and 16 years old, then it meant that nothing could be changed. Su Ming had always been uncertain. When he did not see the answer, he looked forward to it. Yet now, there were only three days left until the last time he tried to understand the statue. He was afraid.

'Will … I succeed this time …?' Su Ming quietly returned to his house and sat down, daydreaming.