I STACK ATTRIBUTES IN THE APOCALYPSE -MyOwnEdit-

The scattered members of the Black Feather Tribe descended upon a sprawling metropolis. Their panicked, disheveled appearance starkly contrasted with the towering giants and imposing buildings that defined the city.

As soon as they landed, guards of the Giant Clan approached. Before they could speak, Apelo, with a solemn tone, addressed them.

"I was once an adventurer alongside Prince Lie's team. My name is Apelo. Bring me to him."

Prince Lie was one of the city's overlords.

Upon hearing the name, the guards dared not hesitate. The message was relayed, and soon Apelo's group was escorted to a grand, towering palace.

The Giant Clan, a major power in the Black Mist Zone, was both mighty and wealthy. The palace's luxurious decorations dazzled the Black Feather Tribe refugees.

However, Apelo and Ayu's expressions remained grave. Upon reaching the deepest part of the palace and seeing the five-meter-tall giant seated on the throne with his upper body exposed, Apelo cried out, "Big Brother! You have to uphold justice for me!"

The Giant Clan held a formidable reputation within the Black Mist Zone, only slightly inferior to the top-tier powers of the Undead Clan and the Insect Clan. Beyond their strength, their generosity and loyalty were widely praised.

Looking at Apelo's distressed appearance, Hao Lie's heart ignited with nameless anger.

He suddenly slapped the armrest of his chair, startling the group of Black Feather Tribesmen present. "Who! Who dares to bully my brother?!"

Hao Lie and Apelo had traveled together for ten years in their youth, forging a deep bond. Combined with the Giant Clan's generous nature, Hao Lie's outburst was understandable.

Apelo, between sobs, replied, "It's a monster, a new generation Tribulation Transcender..."

Hao Lie's brow furrowed. "A Tribulation Transcender!?"

"Yes!"

The matter had now transcended personal relations.

After a moment of contemplation, Hao Lie's jovial demeanor faded. "I need to discuss this matter with my father," he said in a grave tone.

The journey continued.

Seven days later, on the 73rd day of the Black Mist Calendar, Velo and Fala were still far from their clan's gathering place. The journey had been uneventful so far.

That night, they found a tree hollow to rest. In the middle of the night, Velo, who had been sound asleep, suddenly opened his eyes.

He quickly got up from his bed of grass and took a deep breath to clear his head. Then, he retrieved a round, pebble-like object resembling a goose egg from his pocket.

At this moment, the object emitted a soft light.

Beside him, Fala woke up groggily. Seeing the glowing egg-shaped object, she mumbled sleepily, "There's news from the clan?"

Velo replied, "Yeah."

The object in Velo's hand was a communication stone, a precious item that allowed long-distance communication. As one of the Spirit Clan's experts, owning such an item wasn't uncommon for him. At this late hour, the communication stone flickered to life. There must have been urgent news from the clan.

After injecting Origin Power into the communication stone, the link was established. The first sentence that came through stunned Velo.

"There's a crisis within the clan! Devastation is imminent! All clan members gather at the Spirit Realm Mountain!"

The Spirit Realm Mountain wasn't far from Velo's current location. Upon hearing the news of impending disaster, Velo and Fala obviously had no intention of continuing their sleep.

After quickly packing, they set off. Three days later, they arrived at the Spirit Realm Mountain.

Inside a hidden cave within the mountain, Velo found the secure gathering point the clan had prepared. He and Fala waited there for another five days.

Day 81 of the Black Mist Calendar.

Hundreds of Spirit Clan members, carrying backpacks as if fleeing a catastrophe, arrived at the location in a sorry state.

Leading the way was the current clan leader of the Spirit Clan, Kasim. Slightly younger than Velo but with an air of aged wisdom, Kasim's strength surpassed Velo's, reaching Level 5 of the Physique Realm. He was the strongest person in the current Spirit Clan.

At the secure meeting point, Velo learned the cause of the catastrophe from Kasim.

"A group of tribulation transcenders appeared near our gathering place, triggering a large-scale battle between the Undead Clan's Barbarian Tribe and the Insect Clan."

Given the Spirit Clan's strength, they wouldn't dare to get involved directly. Although they hoped to use this opportunity to elevate their clan's standing within the Black Mist Zone, they could only secretly bet or attempt to foster goodwill, much like Velo had done. Anything more would be too risky.

However, there were some things that one could not avoid simply by inaction.

The battle between the Barbarian Tribe and the Insect Clan had left a trail of destruction. Both factions were ruthless, indifferent to collateral damage.

In a battle a few days prior, the Spirit Clan had been unlucky enough to be drawn into the conflict, as the battle unfolded not far from their gathering place...

This was the origin of the Spirit Clan's impending downfall... a situation both comical and tragic.

It exemplified the plight of the weak within the Black Mist Zone—subject to being swept away by unforeseen events, potentially taking individuals or entire groups with them.

Understanding the cause and effect, Velo sighed deeply. "So, there are only this few of us left?"

Kasim nodded. "Ninety-seven. Including you and Fala, ninety-nine people. The entirety of the surviving Spirit Clan."

Velo pondered for a long time, then asked, "What should we do next?"

Kasim's eyes immediately welled up with tears. His lips trembled before he looked up to the sky and sighed. "I don't know either..."

Kasim genuinely didn't know what path the clan should take. Ninety-nine individuals, the whole clan. The population was simply too small. Rebuilding would likely take generations, and the harsh environment within the Black Mist Zone wouldn't grant the Spirit Clan that much time.

The future of the Spirit Clan was bleak.

Velo shook off the despair. The Spirit Clan would not succumb to such a fate. Not while he drew breath.

After a moment of deep contemplation, a resolute spark ignited in his eyes.

"We'll seek refuge with another clan," Velo declared, his voice firm.

Kasim shook his head, his expression etched with pessimism. "No one will shelter us."

The Spirit Clan had not fostered alliances with other clans. Even if they found refuge, their future would likely be one of servitude, a bleak existence with no hope of regaining their former glory.

But Velo remained undeterred. "No," he countered, "there is someone who can protect us."

"Who?" Kasim asked, his voice laced with skepticism.

"The Tribulation Transcenders of this generation..."

Kasim was slightly stunned. Just as he was about to shake his head and dismiss the idea, Velo continued, "By the way, have you brought the Origin Power Skills of the clan with you?"

Kasim replied, "Yes, I have them."

These skills were the foundation of the Spirit Clan, something Kasim would never risk losing.

Velo breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. In that case, we'll set off tomorrow morning for Bear Mountain."

He paused, his expression hardening with resolve. "When we arrive, don't say anything. Follow my instructions in everything."