Chapter 1430 The Deal with a Hundred Tribes (1/2)

Ling Mei'er shook her head and proclaimed to Han Sen, ”I cannot leave here!”

”Why not?” Han Sen asked.

”We made a deal with another tribe, and it is because of this deal that we cannot go to the surface,” Ling Mei'er vaguely explained.

”What deal? And with who?” Han Sen asked.

Ling Mei'er cleared her throat and said, ”I don't know. But our elder said that we must adhere to a hundred-tribe-deal or something of the sort. If I go to the realm of the landwalkers, and I end up dying, nobody will avenge my death!”

Han Sen had no clue what she was talking about, and from the look on her face, neither did she. It sounded like an agreement between many tribes that occupied the underground space, but Han Sen thought it to be silly.

Regardless, Han Sen followed her to the cave. It was barely more than an alcove, and it was nothing close to an actual shelter. It was rugged and filthy, and you could even see the scrape marks of the Snake King's scales. Clearly, the shelter had been haphazardly constructed by the Snake King.

There were a few mutant and primitive creatures inside the place. All in all, there were around twenty. They were creatures that had been found—maybe stolen—when they were babies. They looked rather weak and almost malnourished. For Han Sen, it was as if he had stumbled into a cellar sweatshop.

”With an ally like Snake King, I'm sure you could procure a better shelter for yourself. This is... This is grim.” Han Sen couldn't understand why they were so willing to live in squalor.

Ling Mei'er vehemently shook her head again, and she told Han Sen, ”Snake King is accompanying me on the orders of the elder. He won't help me try to claim another shelter, though.”

Han Sen thought to himself, ”She must be important to the family, if the elder was willing to take care of her to that extent. But still... these living conditions?”

Han Sen, while he wanted to go, still thought it best to forge a better relationship with her. He'd get nothing if he was to duck out now. And furthermore, Han Sen wished to learn more about the Hundred Tribe Deal before doing something rash that could cause issues for her as well as for him.

So, for now, Han Sen was willing to put up with the less-than-favorable conditions and live there in her shelter. For dinner that night, Ling Mei'er came forward to present him with mushrooms.

After tasting the cave 'shrooms, Han Sen thought they were awful. They didn't agree with his tongue or his tummy, and to make things worse, they were only mutant class.

Seeing his repulsed reaction, Ling Mei'er looked rather worried and she said, ”It wasn't a good idea to serve you these mushrooms, was it? Don't worry; I'll find better food for you next time.”

Han Sen nodded. Reviewing his situation, he was bewildered to see a leader like this.

To quench his thirst and sate his hunger for the evening, Han Sen instead brought out jerky and a few drinks from his Cruel Bottle. Han Sen had been unable to get super creature flesh, so he brought food with him from the Alliance.

As Han Sen munched on the chow he brought with him, Ling Mei'er did not take her eyes off it. Her gaze was intense.

”Do you want some?” Han Sen asked with a queer smile.

Ling Mei'er shook her head and shyly told him, ”I am the master of this shelter. I cannot indulge myself on my subordinate's food. Hmm, I should really go look for better stuff to serve you!”