Chapter 69: Unified Chieftain

This time as well, the competition was determined by drawing lots.

Both tribes poured their earnest wishes into writing down the event they were most confident in and placed them in the box.

The drawing was entrusted to Aria, who possessed a pure and clear soul.

As Aria carefully reached into the box, every gaze from both tribes was drawn to her small hand.

Her tightly closed lips and sparkling eyes reflected a desperate hope that her own slip would be drawn.

With a bright smile, Aria unfolded one small note, and at that very moment, a loud cheer and shouts of excitement erupted all at once.

The event for this Contest for Chief Selection had been decided: arm wrestling.

Simple, yet the most primal confrontation of strength versus strength.

This was truly the ultimate contest to clearly show which tribe possessed a stronger spirit and body.

The Ahoa Tribe and Kahuka Tribe instantly entered a heated competitive mode.

From children to adults, everyone shouted heartily, striking strong poses as if to flaunt their muscles.

“Askal, Bebe… Ode, Valentin! As expected, you’re all amazing!”

Aria called out each name of the children she played with every day, waving both arms and sending her passionate cheers.

Her innocent smile melted the tension in the arena, if only for a moment.

Sang-woong stepped forward with a booming voice, solemnly announcing the start of the Contest for Chief Selection.

“Now, we shall begin the arm wrestling tournament to select the Unified Chieftain who will determine the future of our two tribes!”

As his thunderous voice echoed across the ground, the arena was filled with fierce shouts.

The first match was a showdown between the young blood of the Ahoa Tribe, Tawu, and the sturdy Batu of the Kahuka Tribe.

Within the taut tension, the two contestants faced each other across the sturdy table.

As it was the opening match, the faces of the contestants carried a sense of solemnity and subtle nervousness.

Tawu’s expression remained as unwavering as a rock, but deep within his gaze, a burning passion for victory blazed.

Meanwhile, Batu’s broad face wore his characteristic warm smile, but beneath that, his spirit burned as fiercely as his thick forearms.

The moment their hands gripped each other, their hearts pounded violently.

At last, breaking the long silence, Sang-woong’s booming signal sounded.

“Begin!”

At his signal, the veins on both contestants’ forearms swelled like writhing snakes.

“Chuaaaa!”

With the vigor of youth, Tawu let out a loud cheer and fiercely tried to pull Batu’s wrist toward his side.

His solid muscles were drawn taut like bowstrings, and his firmly planted feet gripped the ground.

But Batu stood unshaken, like a massive log.

His thick, rough hand endured like a pillar weathered by years of storms.

Rather, he began to press Tawu’s wrist downward with his heavy strength.

As he exerted his strength, Batu’s broad face turned bright red as if about to burst, but his tightly pressed lips showed his unyielding will to win.

At that moment, Tawu’s sharp eyes wavered ever so slightly.

The strength of Batu was far greater than he expected, and for a moment, Tawu couldn’t hide his flustered look.

Sweat began to bead on his wide forehead.

“I can’t lose like this! Hau!”

He gritted his teeth and gave it his all.

His face flushed red, the veins stood out on his strained neck.

“Endure! Hold on! Draw out every last ounce of strength! Hau!”

In his heart, a desperate cry echoed like the howl of his ancestors.

Watching the suffocatingly fierce contest of strength, Sang-woong couldn’t help but utter a word of admiration.

“Truly remarkable…”

Was arm wrestling always such an intense sport?

The tension was enough to make even the spectators grip the ground.

Aria and Leon, too, couldn’t take their eyes off the match.

Especially Aria, who, as if she herself were a contestant, cheered with her arms flailing in excitement.

“Tawu, hang in there! Hua!”

“Batu, hang in there! Huka!”

The fervent voices of support from both tribes watching this match surged like a giant wave.

As if responding to these cheers, the two contestants gave it their all, but slowly, the scales of victory began to tip.

Tawu’s arm, drained of strength against Batu’s solid might, visibly began to tilt.

“Waaaah! Batu! You’re the best! Huka!”

A raucous cheer erupted from the Kahuka Tribe’s side, while sighs of regret came from the Ahoa Tribe’s supporters.

At last, with a dull thud, the back of Tawu’s hand hit the table.

It was the moment that brought the long contest to a close.

Sang-woong gently separated their sweat-drenched hands and declared the winner.

“Batu of the Kahuka Tribe is the victor!”

The Kahuka Tribe showered their champion with loud applause and cheers, and though the Ahoa Tribe had lost the first match, they gave Tawu their generous encouragement and support for his effort.

The next match pitted Lia of the Ahoa Tribe against the giant Maru of the Kahuka Tribe.

With quick movements, Lia tried to snatch Maru’s thick wrist and pull it toward her, but before Maru’s overwhelming strength—like grabbing a massive tree deeply rooted in the earth—her efforts were in vain.

“Chukakaka!”

With Maru’s booming shout, Lia’s arm went limp in defeat.

“Maru! Maru!”

The Kahuka Tribe’s support section was thrown into an even greater frenzy.

As the tournament went on, the arena brimmed with ever-rising heat.

Each match saw winners and losers, and joy mingled with disappointment.

Though Sang-woong maintained a cool impartiality as referee, he was deeply moved by the contestants’ fighting spirit and the spectators’ passion.

After the preliminaries, four warriors advanced to the Semifinals, all top-class contestants.

From the Ahoa Tribe, it was the youthful Kona and the seasoned powerhouse Aru, while the Kahuka Tribe’s names were the overwhelming Maru and the resourceful Horison.

The first Semifinal was Kona versus Maru.

A clash of youth and power. Kona, with his quick speed, aimed for an opening in Maru’s defense, but Maru’s unyielding guard blocked his attacks again and again.

Meanwhile, Maru didn’t let his momentum slip, steadily overpowering with raw strength.

“Koni! Hang in there! Hua!”

Cries of encouragement rang from the Ahoa Tribe, but in the end, Kona fell to Maru’s mighty power.

“Maru advances to the Finals!”

As Sang-woong announced the victory, the Kahuka Tribe’s section once again erupted in cheers.

The second Semifinal was Aru versus Horison—a contest of experience versus resourcefulness.

Aru pressured Horison with his characteristic heavy strength, but Horison calmly received the force, biding his time for a chance.

Amid the tense atmosphere, Aru summoned a burst of strength, twisting Horison’s arm and breaking his balance.

“Ah, ah!”

With Horison’s sigh, his arm fell.

“Aru advances to the Finals!”

The Ahoa Tribe’s section was filled with wild shouts.

At last, the long-awaited Finals: Maru of the Kahuka Tribe versus Aru of the Ahoa Tribe.

The champions of two different tribes faced off for the seat of Unified Chieftain.

The final match, with the title of Unified Chieftain on the line, would decide it all.

The mood among the supporters reached a fever pitch.

The Ahoa Tribe sent fervent cheers to their last hope, Aru, while the Kahuka Tribe unleashed powerful roars for their mighty Maru.

“Now, the final match! The Finals to decide the Unified Chieftain! Maru of the Kahuka Tribe versus Aru of the Ahoa Tribe!”

At Sang-woong’s booming announcement, all eyes were fixed on the two contestants.

Maru faced Aru with a steadfast look, while Aru stared back with resolute eyes.

As the two gripped hands, the arena was filled with suffocating tension.

“Begin!”

At Sang-woong’s signal, the arms of the two warriors flexed with incredible power.

Their swollen veins threatened to burst, muscles tightening into solid cords.

Maru tried to overpower Aru with his signature weighty force, but Aru stood his ground with all his might, refusing to yield.

“Ugh… ugh…”

Heavy breaths escaped the two men.

No spectator dared open their mouth, holding their breath as they focused on the match.

As time passed, a look of pain flickered across Maru’s face, while Aru’s eyes grew ever more intense.

“Chuaayaa!”

Aru unleashed a sudden burst of strength.

His arm began to push Maru’s arm bit by bit.

“Ah—ah!”

A cry of anxiety broke from the Kahuka Tribe’s section.

“Aru! Aru!”

The shouts of encouragement grew even louder from the Ahoa Tribe.

At last, with the final strength packed into Aru’s arm, Maru’s arm was forced down.

“Waaahhh!”

The arena was engulfed in a roar that seemed to shake the ground.

The Ahoa Tribe’s section erupted into tears of joy and cheers, while the Kahuka Tribe’s side mingled sighs of regret with applause.

Sang-woong separated their hands, then raised Aru’s in triumph and declared victory.

“Aru of the Ahoa Tribe is the Unified Chieftain!”

The crowd was swept up in a frenzy at the birth of the new chief.

Aru raised both arms high, letting out a triumphant shout, his face alight with a bright smile.

The Kahuka Tribe rose from their seats and sent Aru a warm round of applause.

On their faces was not regret over defeat, but respect and anticipation for their new leader.

Especially Maru, who had come so close in the Finals, walked up and gave Aru a firm handshake, offering his congratulations.

“That was truly impressive strength. You deserve to be our new chief. Kahuka!”

At Maru’s heartfelt congratulations, Aru expressed his gratitude.

“Thank you. Hau! You were amazing as well. Hau!”

Aru then stepped forward toward the crowd that filled the area and began his speech.

“Ahoa Tribe and Kahuka Tribe members! Today, we have become one. From now on, let us live together with even more joy and happiness. Hau!”

Moved by Aru’s heartfelt speech, the tribesmen responded with even more enthusiastic applause and cheers.

Sang-woong, too, was touched by the speech, which, though brief, resonated with everyone’s feelings.

With the Contest for Chief Selection concluded, the two tribes held a festival together to commemorate this new beginning.

And the protagonist of the festival was undoubtedly Aru.

He laughed and talked with the tribespeople, showing the warmth and approachability befitting a new chieftain.

For the festival meal, they specially prepared tacos.

Since Leon wanted to try the new dish, Sang-woong prepared the currently popular taco.

First, he heated a cast-iron pan until it was piping hot, then added finely chopped beef.

With a cheerful sizzle, the juices ran and soon a savory aroma wafted to everyone’s noses.

Next, he generously sprinkled crimson chili powder reminiscent of Mexico’s blazing sun and an array of deep-flavored spices, making the scent all the more enticing and drawing the tribespeople closer.

Once the beef had turned a mouthwatering brown, Sang-woong began preparing the fresh vegetables.