I'm building Gundams in America

Chapter 378 Shamanic Legacy (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

[You have received a challenge from a shaman. Will you accept?]

Winning in the contest will bring rewards, while losing will result in penalties.

Seeing the prompt that appeared on the system panel in front of him, Wayne did not hesitate at all and immediately selected "Accept".

He then addressed the neatly dressed old shaman Ballard, saying, "Ballard, I was guided by ravens and coyotes, and received a request from the ancestral spirits of the Indians. Knowing that many atrocities have occurred here, I came to Mukshot only to save the poor people here—"

Wayne slowly stood up, his voice rising, and walked straight out of the tent.

Old shaman Ballard was taken aback, and had no choice but to get up as well, following Wayne out.

At this moment, there were still dozens of people queuing outside the tent, and hundreds more watching from the side. They were all somewhat surprised to see Wayne and Ballard walk out of the tent.

Then Wayne looked at the crowd around him and said loudly, "In the name of the raven and the coyote, and to fulfill the request of the ancestral spirits of the Indians, Ballard Gale, I agree to hold a duel with you!"

Upon hearing this, everyone present gasped in surprise.

Some of those who knew Ballard laughed at Wayne.

"This damn idiot: does he think he's an Indian just because he's wearing Indian shaman's clothes? It's ridiculous!"

"He actually dared to accept Master Ballard's challenge; he's absolutely insane!"

"Hey, I just saw that slut Clara leave this tent, her face all red, she looked like she was crying. I bet that damn white bastard was up to no good —"

"What Seattle saint? We Native Americans don't believe in any Christian saints. If this clown is only dressed as a shaman to swindle people on the reservation, then he is very wrong."

"Mr. Ballard is the true successor of the Salish of the Mukchott Coast, from a distant shamanic family, something this white man could never imagine—"

The so-called coastal Salish is not a single ethnic group, but a collective term for more than 40 independent indigenous tribes and peoples along the Pacific Northwest coast of North America, who share the Salish language and cultural traditions.

The Mukshott tribe is also part of the coastal Salish.

"Shaman Balad, teach this arrogant brat a lesson!"

"Let him bear the wrath of his ancestors, let this cultural appropriator understand the true terror of Native American shamanism!"

The faces of the Native Americans present all wore expressions of schadenfreude.

Even some people who had come specifically to receive the blessing now looked hesitant or even disdainful.

As Native Americans, they have a deep sense of pride in their own culture.

Even if all that's left is pride.

Several natives who had just received Wayne's blessing tried to defend him, but their voices were quickly drowned out by the crowd, a futile effort.

In the crowd, Tatanka shook off his white girlfriend Olivia and rushed over to Ballard, saying, "Mr. Ballard, Mr. Wayne is my guest. I would like to ask you to immediately stop this duel invitation!"

Tatanka's face was filled with anxiety.

Ballard, with an air of arrogance, slowly said, "Mr. Tatanka, I know you—the first oil well on the Mukshot Reservation—I knew your father, who was also driven mad by this ancestral blessing, but he was also a man who respected Native American traditions, unlike you—"

"Your ancestors blessed you, enabling you to find this oil field and gain unprecedented wealth. Unexpectedly, you were blinded by a stranger, not only allowing this swindler to enter our land, but also trying to exonerate this ridiculous white man—"

You've disappointed me greatly, young man—"

Tatanka shook his head slightly and said, "Mr. Ballard, the ancestral spirits have never given me any protection. The only one who has protected me is Saint Wayne—"

""

"I'm asking you to withdraw the duel challenge, not for Mr. Wayne's sake, but to save you. You have no idea what kind of being you're facing!"

"Absurd!" Ballard glared and shouted at Tatanka.

"My ancestors were shamans of the Mukchott tribe, and I have received the approval of their spirits! Tatanka, money may make white people fawn over you, but I hope you don't forget that in the beginning, the white people used those glass beads to deceive the Native Americans in order to establish themselves in the Americas, and in the end, they scalped our ancestors!"

At this point, Ballard was furious. He glared at Wayne, then strode to the center of the park and said to several men who were clearly apprentices or followers, "Light a bonfire!"

Some people immediately brought wood and set up a bonfire on a cobblestone area in the center of the park.

The cobblestone ground was covered with black ash and soot, clearly indicating that it was a place where sacrifices were frequently held.

After the firewood was stacked up, gasoline was poured on it, and with a "boom," flames ignited.

The rising flames drew the attention of the Native Americans present, who all showed expressions of excitement.

This is a shamanic ritual of the Mukshott tribe, which is usually only seen on important occasions. I never expected to see two shamans fighting today.

Not to mention that one of them was the famous shaman Balad.

The other one is the so-called Seattle Saint, who has a small online reputation, a fake shaman.

This is so exciting!

At this moment, the old shaman Balad took out a jar, scooped out a dollop of red ochre pigment from it, and smeared it on his face to create simple geometric patterns.

He then put on a long robe of alpine cashmere with light brown spiritual patterns and tassels, and a conical spiritual hat woven from spruce roots, revealing a bracelet made of cedar bark, before coming to the campfire.

Upon seeing his attire, the crowd couldn't help but let out wild shouts.

Ballard then took out a hollow cedar bell carved in the shape of a raven, and a round spirit drum made of goatskin and cedar. He let out a shout, bit a beast bone spirit whistle made of eagle wing bone, and began to beat the drum and shake the bell while dancing a sacrificial dance around the campfire in front of him!

He was chanting obscure and incomprehensible phrases, and his whole being seemed to be possessed by a spirit as he walked and spun rapidly around the fire, looking as if he had traveled from an ancient Native American tribe.

The crowd was drawn in, and at the same time, some Native Americans, having received news from their friends, also arrived at the park one after another, eager to witness the spectacle of the shamanic duel.

For these Native Americans, this scene was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Not only can it become a topic of conversation in the future, but it can also become a point of pride for them in their memories of their national culture.

Seeing the old shaman Ballard performing his ritual, Tatanka looked wary and quickly whispered in Wayne's ear, "Sir, Ballard comes from a shamanic family in the Mukshott tribe. It is said to have been passed down for hundreds of years. Nowadays, not many people in the tribe study shamanic rituals anymore, so Ballard is considered a famous shaman in the Mukshott tribe—"

"It could even be said that he and his family controlled the so-called cultural heritage of the entire Mukshott tribe. Although they were not as prominent as the political families that controlled the casinos and reserve infrastructure, they were highly respected."

Wayne nodded slightly.

Before entering modern society, in Native American tribes, the families of shamans or chiefs were the truly powerful families.

However, in modern times, these traditional power families have become more like mascots, much like the royal families in constitutional monarchies.

They hold a prestigious position, but do not wield real power.

Tatanka continued, "Logically speaking, Mr. Ballard is a highly respected man, so it's rather puzzling that he would react so excessively to your blessing."

"Sir, please be careful. It is said that Ballard has mastered the power of ancestral spirits, and the Native American sacrificial rituals he has mastered are extremely complete. In terms of the completeness of the rituals, ordinary tribal shamans are no match for him."

"It is said that he won the championship in the Northwest Tribe Shaman Ritual Competition many times when he was young, and even got full marks many times."

Tatanka looked grave as he tried to remind Wayne.

He knew that Mr. Wayne possessed the power of miracles, but what if the shaman also had such power?

Just as Tatanka was explaining the precautions to Wayne, his girlfriend Olivia, standing in the crowd, glanced at Wayne with a sinister look in her eyes.

Just then, Balad, who was chanting a spell, suddenly raised his hand and waved it toward the campfire.

A fireball suddenly rose from the campfire, even creating a whirlwind on the ground, which then spread in all directions.

The indigenous people around, who were watching the campfire and the ceremony in a daze, couldn't help but feel a deep sense of mystery, and they all exclaimed in admiration.

"Ancestral spirits above, I feel the call from my forefathers!"

"As expected of Mr. Ballard, I have never seen such a complete Native American shamanic ritual!"

"Just in terms of ritual alone, that Wayne guy lost. Mr. Ballard's sacrificial ceremony is simply art—"

"Ballard, Ballard!"

[The other side threw hemp powder into the fire, a traditional technique used in Native American shamanic rituals.]

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