Chapter 120: The Former Chief’s Words And The Extinct Tribe!
Neve almost fell after he heard those words from Gideon.
The world seemed to tilt around him. His legs became weak. His entire body felt like it was shutting down. He had to lean on the wall behind him to keep himself from collapsing completely.
His heart was pounding so hard that everyone in the cave could hear it. The sound was almost deafening in the quiet space.
Soren had killed someone. An actual beastman. A living, breathing person. And Neve’s treatment had somehow contributed to that. Neve’s decision to heal Soren had led to this.
Cael wasted no time rushing toward Gideon.
He grabbed the physician by the neck, his hand tightening around Gideon’s throat with barely controlled fury.
"I told you not to say a word to him," Cael said, his voice low and dangerous. "He’s pregnant. He doesn’t need this stress. He doesn’t need to know about this right now."
Gideon winced in pain as Cael’s grip tightened, but he did not apologize.
"Why?" Gideon asked, his voice strained but defiant. "How long were you thinking of hiding it from him? Is it until Soren kills everyone and also Neve? Think well, Cael. This is not something you can just hide away."
Cael could understand what Gideon was saying. He could see the logic in it. But he did not want Neve to get hurt. He did not want Neve to feel guilty for something that was not his fault.
Popi was already moving toward Neve before he could slip and fall off the wall.
She wrapped her arms around him, holding him steady. She was a bit grateful that Neve was not one of those beastmen with massive muscles. If Neve had been built like Cael or Ryker, she would not have been able to hold him up like this.
"Tell me it was a mistake," Neve said in a shaky voice. His hand was clasped over his mouth like he was trying to hold back sickness. "He accidentally killed him, right? It was an accident?"
"Neve," Cael called, shoving Gideon away forcefully. He rushed to Neve’s side, pushing Popi aside so he could hold Neve himself. "Don’t think much about it. It’s not your fault. None of this is your fault."
But Neve shook his head, his eyes becoming distant and filled with guilt.
"Of course, it’s mine," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. He stared at his hand like it was the hand of a murderer. And somehow, he stared at the system. "If I hadn’t treated him... maybe he’d still be unconscious. Maybe still in a coma. Maybe even dead. Then, all of this wouldn’t have happened."
"Don’t think like that, Neve," Cael said desperately, trying to pull Neve closer. "You’re going to hurt yourself at this rate. You’re going to hurt the cubs if you keep stressing like this."
Neve shook his head, resisting Cael’s comfort.
Popi held him tighter, trying to provide some kind of stability even as Neve’s mind seemed to be spiraling.
"Maybe we should kill him," he added suddenly.
Everyone froze in the room.
They all turned to look at Neve, their expressions shocked and confused.
But Neve was also looking surprised. His eyes widened as he realized that the voice that had just spoken had not come from him.
The voice came from the bed.
From the old man who was supposed to be weak and unconscious.
The former chief’s eyes opened slowly. His breathing was labored but present. His weak eyes looked at each person in the room which clearly proved that he had been conscious for longer than anyone realized.
"I shouldn’t have put him in that position," the former chief said, his voice hoarse from disuse. "I shouldn’t have given him the burden of leadership when I could not guide him properly through it."
"Father," Gideon called his name, rushing to the old man’s side.
"I’m fine, son," the former chief said and reached out with a trembling hand to ruffle Gideon’s hair. He looked around the cave with his weak eyes, taking in the faces of everyone present.
A small laugh escaped his lips. It was sad. It was filled with regret.
"I can’t believe Soren did something like that," the former chief said, his voice carrying disbelief and shame. "I’m afraid there’s nothing I, as the former chief, can do to stop him anymore. My power is gone. My authority has been passed on."
He started coughing violently, his body convulsing with the force of it.
Gideon rubbed his father’s back gently, trying to ease the coughing.
When it finally subsided, the former chief spoke again.
"So if he continues to be a bad ruler," the old man said slowly, his eyes looking directly at Neve, "then you have to kill him."
Popi raised a brow in surprise.
It was her first time hearing a father openly ask for his son to be killed. The statement was shocking in its directness and its honesty.
Neve’s mind was still reeling from everything that was happening.
"Why don’t we feed him with that same herb that sent him to coma?" Cael asked, trying to problem solve. "The herb that had I accidentally picked. If we use that again, maybe it will put Soren back into unconsciousness."
"I doubt it’ll work for a second time," Gideon said, standing up from where he had been kneeling close to his father. "His body must have built an immunity to it by now. His system has been exposed to it once already. The second time would have minimal effect if any at all."
"I agree with the chief," Neve said, his voice becoming firmer as he moved past his initial shock. "We have to kill him. Even if it’s poison or with medicine. We have to do it."
He shook his head, rejecting all the soft options.
"He killed a beastman from the tiger tribe," Neve continued. "I can’t imagine what Ryker is going through right now. The guilt. The anger. The loss."
Neve looked directly at Cael.
"If he kills someone from the leopard tribe, will Soren be killed for breaking the rules?" Neve asked. "Is there a law against the chief killing his own tribe members?"
Cael shook his head slowly.
"Just as I don’t get killed by killing the traitors as punishment, the chief of the tribe has the same right," Cael explained. "The chief can execute anyone from their tribe if they see fit. It’s one of the powers that comes with the position."
Neve frowned deeply.
This was not fair. This was not justice. This was just power corrupting absolutely.
"What if that poison?" Neve asked suddenly. "The golden frog poison? What if we use that to poison Soren?"
Gideon shook his head.
"What if it gets affected by the one who poisons him too?" Gideon asked. "The golden frog poison is tricky. It can sometimes affect the person who handles it. It’s not guaranteed to work the way you want it to."
Neve clenched his fist in frustration.
"Is there really no one we can help?" Neve asked, his voice filled with desperation. "Is there really no one else who has the power to stop Soren or hold him accountable?"
There was a long moment of silence as everyone thought.
"The only one we could have asked for help is the Dhole Tribe," Cael said finally. "But..."
"Why?" Neve asked immediately, interrupting Cael. "Let’s find a way to contact them. Let’s see if they can help us."
Neve was already thinking about solutions, already planning a way forward.
But immediately, all eyes traveled to him.
"Why?" Popi asked, raising a brow. Her expression was confused and concerned. "Why would you want help from an extinct tribe? The same tribe that wiped out the whole red panda tribe?"
The words hung in the air.
Neve’s breath caught in his throat.
"The Dhole Tribe?" he muttered slowly, his mind processing what Popi had just said. "Wiped out the whole red panda tribe?"
He paused, his golden eyes going wide.
"And they are... extinct?"