Chapter 47: The Choice
Opening the diary, Su Xiao found that it was an incomplete copy, with many pages torn out.
The content of the first page read:
"The writing of outsiders is truly complicated. It took half a year of study to understand (a line of crooked text)."
Reading Barry's diary was not easy. The handwriting was too blurry and crooked.
Second page:
"Outsider, this diary was prepared for you by the handsome Barry. The premise is that someone can see it. There is something wrong with the Yasenman tribe. You must remember this."
From the content of this page, it could be seen that when Barry was young, he was not a gloomy old man holding a venomous blowgun, but a sunny youth.
Su Xiao continued reading.
"Torn-out pages..."
"Torn-out pages..."
Page nine:
"Damn bugs, why won't they leave the red soil area? This is the land where we live, these hateful invaders. But the Insect Queen is really beautiful. If only I could..."
Su Xiao directly skipped the 'unhealthy' fantasies of Barry's youth.
Page seventeen:
"Father is dead. He chose Brother Bate as his heir. Brother Baer is very angry. Brother Baer actually went to the back mountain to perform the ritual. If the ritual succeeds, Brother Baer will be the chief."
"Torn-out pages..."
"Torn-out pages..."
Page twenty:
"Everyone has gone mad. Both Brother Bate and Brother Baer have entered the back mountain. If both brothers die, who will lead us against the insect tribe? The other elder brothers are all useless."
"Torn-out pages..."
Page twenty-two:
"I went to the battlefield. The battlefield is hell... (a bloodstain)"
"Torn-out pages..."
"Torn-out pages..."
"Torn-out pages..."
Page thirty-four:
"The southern line has collapsed. The Shanshi sub-tribe is a bunch of cowards. They couldn't even hold off a small force of 300 insects. The front line is in urgent danger. I must go to the front line myself. The left flank will be held by the Yecao sub-tribe."
Page thirty-five:
"I don't know when it started, but I've gotten used to the battlefield. Or maybe I've already become a great warrior, a great warrior who can kill a stinger scorpion with his bare hands."
"Torn-out pages..."
"Torn-out pages..."
Page fifty-six:
"The young man from the Tameng family is not bad. The front line has stabilized, but Brother Baer is becoming more and more abnormal. He goes to the back mountain every day to soak in the ice pool. That place is too cold, cold enough to freeze a person to death. I don't know how Brother Baer can bear it."
"Torn-out pages..."
Page sixty:
"My little Ta (Ta: the Yasenman tribe's term for a nephew) is very good. He has inherited his brother's bravery and wisdom. He's a fine young man."
"Torn-out pages..."
Page sixty-five:
"Has my brother gone mad? My little Ta (nephew) Carlo, his own son, he actually let little Ta go to the back mountain to perform the ritual. Even if it's to inherit the position of chief, this is too early. After performing the ritual, his lifespan is only 10 years. Although Carlo's body has been getting weaker due to injury, will he really die? Maybe my brother has no choice. I saw him sitting in the stone house at midnight, unable to sleep."
"Torn-out pages..."
"Torn-out pages..."
Page seventy:
"Little Carlo is dead, killed by an outsider. Only the seed was retrieved."
Page seventy-one:
"After little Carlo's death, my brother became more and more abnormal. He has been staying in the back mountain for a month."
"Torn-out pages..."
Page seventy-three:
"A miracle, a miracle of revenge. We caught the outsider who killed little Carlo. I want to cut off his testicles, stuff them in his mouth, peel off his skin, and then throw him into a black ant nest."
"Torn-out pages..."
Page seventy-four:
"Why, why won't my brother let me torture that outsider? He even took him into the back mountain. That is the sacred ground of our Yasenman tribe, the ruins of the Sun Tribe."
Page seventy-five:
"Unbelievable. Little Carlo has actually been resurrected, but his appearance is a bit abnormal. What are those plant roots on his face? Blood Vine Warriors don't look like this. What is going on?"
"Torn-out pages..."
"Torn-out pages..."
Page ninety:
"I performed... the ritual. The ritual was half successful. My consciousness is being eroded by something. It is a woman covered in golden flames..."
...
The diary ended there. All the clues in Su Xiao's mind connected.
The Blood Vine Warriors all originated from the back mountain of the Yasenman tribe. That place was called the sacred ground by the tribe, where a certain ritual could be performed.
A successful ritual produced a Blood Vine Warrior like Old Baer. A half-successful ritual produced a Blood Vine Warrior like Barry: no sense of pain, dull expression, cruel and bloodthirsty.
He looked at Carlo, who was fighting, and recalled what the other had said earlier.
"If that's really the case..."
Su Xiao thought of a possibility. If he wasn't mistaken, 'Carlo' was no longer a contractor now. He was half plot character, half contractor.
The most valuable thing obtained from the [Chief's Bundle] was not the potion or the Primordial Seed, but this diary.
Before becoming a Blood Vine Warrior, Barry was a very intelligent man. He recorded half his life's experiences, hoping that other contractors would open this diary.
Perhaps Barry had an even greater ambition: to become a contractor himself. To this end, he didn't hesitate to kidnap a contractor and diligently learn the contractor's language.
Unfortunately, an accident occurred when Barry performed the ritual. No, perhaps it wasn't an accident. Old Baer had already noticed Barry's intelligence. Coupled with Barry's prestige in the tribe, he had to be eliminated.
A younger brother who was brave in battle and had a high IQ—Old Baer would naturally get rid of him. Under the temptation of power, brotherly affection was fragile.
The world belonged to 'villains' and 'despicable people.' Heroes mostly died young, leaving only praise for future generations, while villains or despicable people sat on the throne.
The means didn't matter; the result was key. As long as you became the ultimate victor, no matter how dirty your methods, people would praise you under the authority of power. The victor is king, the loser a bandit.
Organizing his thoughts, Su Xiao picked up the Spider Empress sniper rifle.
Both Old Baer and Carlo, who were fighting, tensed up.
"Help me... kill him. I can give you... benefits."
Carlo looked at Su Xiao. He had confidence because he was once a contractor himself and believed he knew what Su Xiao was thinking.
Old Baer sneered and nodded at Su Xiao.
"I have already obtained the Regeneration Egg."
Su Xiao raised his gun and aimed at Carlo!
"Why? We both come from the same place."
Bang.
Su Xiao fired, shattering one of Carlo's arms.
"If you had kept that broken mouth shut, the gun barrel might not have been aimed at you."
Su Xiao muttered softly. Although Carlo was half a contractor, his mouth was too loose. He had said things he shouldn't have.
Even if Su Xiao helped Carlo win, what then? The Yasenman tribe would not acknowledge Carlo, and Reincarnation Paradise would not grant Carlo contractor status again. Carlo had leaked too many secrets by relying on his half-contractor, half-plot character status.
"It seems I chose a smart person as an ally."
Old Baer laughed loudly and blocked Carlo, who was charging at Su Xiao.