Chapter 14: Mining? Bronze? I’ll help! 2

Out of the mine, it didn’t take too much time for everyone to be called. The gathering place? Where everyone eats together. Why do you need specifically to eat alone? In a time when everyone knew each other like a big family, it was stupid to eat alone or with only your family. Everything is cooked at the same time and everyone eats when it’s hot, nothing too surprising. There is no real individuality when survival is at your door, as for the strongest? They eat mainly together, it doesn’t change, they're still a group and group with fewer individuals. In the modern age, you live with a limited number of people but in old age people make communities. Communities are done by familiarity between people, you won’t get workers and soldiers all the time together if they don’t have anything in common. But when a tribe has no other contact then it makes a rift and raises groups.

And this is why after everyone was here, groups were already with each other by default, nothing like hating each other, they NEED each other. Workers, hunters/warriors, children, and even farmers are unemployed in the coming winter.

Most of these people didn’t have one thing to do and when winter came, preparations were done there was no time without anything to do, and this time, everyone had to work harder. Gordak stepped onto a large stone used as a podium, it was clear who had to speak and who was stronger no one talked when above them. His lips curled into a smile, satisfied while looking at his people.

“My people! I’ve finally found a solution to our weak materials, metal! This is something that would replace stones and flints.”

People were impressed by this ‘metal’ only in name, they didn’t object nor undermine his words. Most of them see him as their chief and leader. A leader is someone who lets people follow a path. And this leader had always found a way for them to survive in this hostile world, being blinded by their faith every word could be a solution. Only people with critical evaluation and rivals could think to object to this declaration. Priam was one of them and without needing more excuse he scoffed at it like a fantasy.

“Are you sure it’s that incredible? For all the time you led this tribe, you didn’t talk about it. Maybe you were waiting for someone to die?”

It wasn’t a clear hostility but it made people who don’t have critical thinking think the leader is always right being near someone strong made them wavering. No one wants to die, death is something scary so when someone talks about death it isn’t a good connotation with some crisis. For the older one, he could only remember about this day when parents and children died. Only making the tension grow and the mood becomes bitter. Some of them tried to counter it and only stopped when Gordak added without wavering.

“Copper was made by hammering them cold, it’s a malleable metal that I’ve collected for a time when I had free time. Making a spearhead more useful than a flint.”

A spear appeared out of nowhere, it was the one he had used for the big wild boar, this time not hidden. Greenish and copper, it’s oxidized with the air but it stands fiercely against everyone. Most were looking at the spearhead, looking at something new and with growing expectations. Luna looked at it as a crude way to make metal, it was something that any civilization that used copper hammered it cold and when metal furnaces were made then smithing was born. At first, it was to hammer it when hot and when they could melt it, this is where everything blossomed the progress. Alloy, ingot, and anything were here for progress, the first things were weapons and tools that use a bit of it and when a civilization is working at hit they’ll get everything they need. Quantity could only be exploited and bronze was the first step for everyone.

Grinding his jaw, Priam was growing anxious, Luna could see it and feel it. Like an aura, his emotion wasn’t good a first, but that doesn’t discourage him. Only growling at his chief, making it clear he wasn’t pleased by what he had seen.

“I want to see how effective it is! Words are useless, show us what it do better!”

Gordak heard him right and acknowledged this.

“We need to test it then.” He pointed to another warrior “You! You’ll test it!”

The warrior, someone who didn’t talk complying with the order without sound. He was given the spear and another one with a flint, his test his to hit two logs until they broke. After heavy hits the flint exploded and the copper bent, everyone was looking not knowing what could make the difference. Gordak thanking the warrior looked at the bent spearhead, without too much to say he heated it with the fire started for the cooking pot. Not saying anything, everyone was anxious as to why he wasn’t telling anything, once hot enough he took it out with something that was used as a shovel and with precision hammered it to make it flat again. A minute later it was not hot anymore and the spearhead was now in place again, like nothing happened. People were interested in what he had done not paying any attention to Priam.

With now everyone's attention he made his intention clear.

“I need volunteers to work at the mine to extract metal. Something better will come once I’ve got everything ready!”

And it was really effective, every warrior wanted to work and farmers were interested. Most of them didn’t know how it was extracted. But it was clear if something could be made again without needing to find the perfect flint or rock then it would solve all their material problem. Only about one thing… He lied about one detail, once bent it was weaker than before only using his strength to dupe everyone. Luna knew little about it, only remembering about bent metal tearing more easily than newly made. She didn’t want to object to it, finally finding a way to all this.

After this, she had already left to let her clones sleep and this is where she found Lucina still here, looking at her.

At last, she looked around her, looking at Luna being four. She didn’t say anything at first but once eye to eye with the fact, she felt a dissociation. Like an unrealistic thing, her mind had tried to reason with logic but when in front of something real her perception could only change. From her perspective, Luna was anxious, a little dirty by the mining work, and looked really exhausted. Without complaint to address her, in a hesitant tone, she addressed her appearance.

“You are dirty… Was it a rough night?”

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Letting her anxious mind go, Clones 1 and 3 reflected her strained mind and body. Tails weakly moving and ears not moving much, it was like that after she left the mine. Not taking rest, she felt drained but not down. The one who answers is Clone 1 with a sight.

“This was a really hard night, but after the hard part, we’ll finally have metal.”

“Grandpa project?”

“Yes…”

Lucina looked at her again and knew where this is going.

“Don’t overdo yourself.”

This is what she could tell her before the clones are gone to bed. Lucina grabbed them before leading them to be clean, getting water in her ears wasn’t a good sensation. When finally Luna came back to herself she was awake with her main body and clone 2, she felt shy remembering what happened before. Lucina had disappeared again by the time she had calmed her mind.

‘Let's not think too much about it.’

Back in the village, everyone was at work, this time harder, clay was amassed, rocks were stacked, wood was cut and people were making back and forth inside the cave expanding the initial mine. Weak people were moving rocks while stronger were mining and timbering the mine, making it a stronger place to mine.

Looking at the now active mine she was ready to work, but a crippling fear let her back down. The fear of cave-in, the one where you die, being stabbed as a clone made her conscious of death. Only Clone 2 was sent, while she had gone to help everyone get material.

Since her training was the first time she was working in two different places, it was awkward not to do different things but not see around the same place. Finally, with time it became natural for her sensation to be part of her.

From here another week passed in no time, working between mining and other work. Her control over the clones makes her learn more things, learning new things that Gordak tells his people, now without restraint he made them build the first smelting furnace from brick clay. Making structures different from the village, charcoal was made, and people knew about it the newest house was made with clay but wood was still mostly present.

“Why do we go all out to get bronze?” Is what he repeated to her.

“Yes!”

“I… Something arrived on this island and it disrupted the balance of this island. Animals are fleeing in every direction and some predators are migrating something dangerous is out there I need my people to be ready against this danger.”

It was the shocking news that, only a select few people knew about it, this is something recent and its cause is unknown to him. Only feeling his presence somewhere, this creature is dangerous.

Only now does she understand his rushed past action, making metal creation his priority. At first, she didn’t know why he didn’t talk about it with his people and his very reason:

“I fear the day when technology is made to fight other humans.”

It’s something she still remembers from her old world, technology can help life and take it, and this man knew what their consequences. And she won’t question it.

Finally, in a single week, progress was made. An accordion below is made and by now everyone was waiting for the first bronze tool to be made. Gordak had made another expedition to mine tin alone coming back with only powder in a bag.

As for Luna, she made progress Mining is now ranked (D), and another surprising thing:

Name : Luna Nix

Alias: “Strange child”

Race : Catgirl

Sex: Female

Age : 16

Contractor God: Aurora

Stats :

Strength : D

Agility : C

Dexterity : C

Constitution : D

Intelligence : D

Wisdom : D

Charisma : C

Mana : E

Current Mana : 165/200 [5 Mana / Minutes]

Magical Talents :

Cloning (E)

Status Windows (D)

Inventory (C)

Battle Potentiel (C)

Identify (E)

Talents:

Crafting (D)

Pain Tolerance (D)

Regeneration (E)

Universal Language (C)

Mining (D)

Mental Fortitude (D)

Resilience (D)

Racial trait :

Stealth (E)

Lightfoot (D)

Dexterous (D)

Agile (E)

Feline Body (D)

‘There is progress in my racial traits’

From what she knows racial traits are strange things, but they make stronger. Once Feline body had taken a rank, it was like she had grown up instantly. She took 5 cm instantly, her body felt stronger, her senses sharper, her body fitter and she needed to eat two times from before her growth. Her body burns more calories and with it, she can deploy more strength, endure more, and need shorter pauses. An overhaul upgrade.

Her growth was explained in one phrase by Gordak.

“You are catching up to your growth delay. Some racial traits evolve with the body of the owner. Yours are different, something is delayed from fixing it. Like a regulator”

It sounds ominous, but he must be right. She had grown physically once she was now mind and body, making it a leap in her body, adjusting to her body without being violent. Like when you do running, once you can run a first lap, the second comes and once you made progress until 10 laps then you go to another level. Moving 4 bodies was not something easy at first but it made her know more about herself.

Finally, the 18th day in this world was the start of metalworking, powders were made and the smelting furnace was lit with charcoal. Some people were observing the process but they backed up when it became too hot for them. As for Luna, her body felt harder but she didn’t want to back down, it was more exciting to finally do something new.

At first, the copper’s powder is melted in a clay mold into an ingot then waited a bit before melting it again, this time tin was added. Something to know, tin is toxic when too hot, this is why they work outside with it. The ratio of 9 for 1 is made, and the impurity is now removed. It was heated a last time and in this step, Luna insisted on doing it, when the protest started Gordak elevated his voice and made the complaint disappear.

‘Sound cool to have authority!’

At first, she hammered with a stone hammer, it was difficult at first when you didn’t have any experience and no one had it before. Gordak only tells what he knows even though he is a novice to this. Dexterity and different talents made this work easier and after an hour of hammering it heating it hammering it again came the moment to let it cool. Water was always used, if you let the heated object like this accident could happen. Then after a week of work, everyone was surprised by the thing she made, it wasn’t a spearhead but…

[Metalworking (E)]

“It’s a pickaxe! Ready to mine.”

Luna made her choice clear, mining is the first priority, it’s hard for everyone who worked at it, and most of them had already given up three days later. It wasn’t something everyone wanted, it’s strenuous, and it take a lot of time to mine rock with rock. And with it little accident happened, while Gordak was still here, two cave-ins without casualty were possible. Without him near them, it was a promised mortal accident. People feared it, only 10 warriors were working in it most feared death but not enough to see the potential in what they were doing. Torches were used to see something, it was a good place for none to breathe, after the day everyone was coughing for an hour later when they exited it. People who develop the Mining talent are visible, they become more conscious of the different minerals and started to cough less some of them had started to see in the darkness not pure darkness, but didn’t actively use a torch to see where they were hitting.

Back in the present, people were arguing about what needed to be made and tools were the priority. Weapon help, but when you could work easier it wasn’t really an option. A hammer was made and different tools like a wood axe, pickaxe, and finally spears were made at last.

It was a full circle of work for Luna, mining, resources, and smithing. Two weeks from her first mining everything was quickly growing and people were working harder, it was finally time for the first problem.

The Winter.