Crunch. Crunch.
Fallen leaves made sounds beneath my feet. Each time I stepped on them, they crackled, and the sound echoed through the forest.
"Chieftain, if you are thirsty, please drink this."
Running Deer handed me a waterskin. It was made from animal hide.
"Thanks."
I took a sip of water.
The water was cold and clean. It had probably been drawn from a spring that morning.
The cool water ran down my throat and spread through my whole body.
"Chieftain."
Solid Rock approached my side. He spoke while walking with his spear slung over his shoulder.
"What?"
"I keep thinking about the bronze you mentioned yesterday."
"Yeah, and?"
"Does it truly exist?"
"Of course it exists."
"Then how do you make it?"
Solid Rock's eyes shone.
"I have never once thought that mixing two kinds of stones could make something stronger."
"Fascinating, isn't it?"
"Yes, it truly is."
Running Deer also showed interest. He came up beside me with quick steps.
"I am curious as well, Chieftain."
"About what?"
"Bronze. How do you make it?"
"Hmm. Solid Rock, what do you think fire is?"
"Fire?"
Solid Rock tilted his head.
"Why are you suddenly talking about fire?"
"Just answer first."
"Well... fire is sacred."
Solid Rock scratched his chin.
"Because it lights the darkness and drives away the cold."
"That is right."
Running Deer chimed in.
"Fire is a gift from the heavens."
"But what does fire have to do with bronze?"
Solid Rock asked.
"Then what happens if you put red stone into fire?"
"Ah!"
Solid Rock's eyes widened.
"Red stone melts and becomes like water!"
"Right. And then?"
"You pour what melted into a mold and shape it."
Solid Rock answered. He gestured as he explained, his hand tracing the shape of flowing liquid.
"I saw it once when I was young, and it was truly fascinating."
"Oh? Where did you see it?"
"When your father made one, Chieftain."
"My father?"
"Yes. I watched from the side when your father made a copper knife."
A flash of longing crossed Solid Rock's face.
"I was truly amazed when I saw a solid stone turn into liquid."
"I see."
I nodded.
"Right, then what do you think would happen if you mixed another stone into it?"
"Another stone?"
Solid Rock furrowed his brow.
"Well... would it not simply mix together?"
"Or turn strange."
Running Deer added.
"You melt the black stone together with it and mix them."
I raised a finger as I explained.
"Then an entirely new metal is made."
"A new metal?"
Solid Rock asked again.
"Is that possible?"
"It is. That is bronze."
"Ah!"
Running Deer slapped his knee. There was a sharp smack.
"So that is why we are going to find the black stone!"
"Exactly."
"Then how hard is bronze?"
Solid Rock asked.
"Far harder than red stone."
"How much harder?"
"First of all, it doesn't bend."
I spoke firmly.
"And even if you cut wood or strike stone with it, the blade doesn't get damaged."
"Truly?"
Running Deer's eyes went round.
"If it is that strong, then is it not incredible?"
"It is. And it can be made sharp too."
"Ohhh...."
A look of understanding appeared on Solid Rock's face.
"So you mix two things together to make something better!"
"That's exactly it."
"Then we can become as strong as the Tiger Tribe!"
Running Deer said excitedly.
"No, we may even become stronger!"
Solid Rock clenched his fist.
"Because the Tiger Tribe will not have weapons like that either!"
"Right. That's why we have to hurry."
I looked ahead as I spoke.
"We need to make them before the Tiger Tribe invades."
"Amazing, Chieftain!"
Running Deer exclaimed in admiration.
"How did you come up with such an idea?"
"Well, I saw it in a dream."
"A dream?"
"Yeah. While I was unconscious for those three days, I had a strange dream."
I shrugged.
"I learned many things there."
"What kind of dream was it?"
Fierce Eyes, who had only been listening quietly until now, opened his mouth.
"The ancestors appeared."
"The ancestors?"
"Yeah. My father was there too."
I spoke calmly.
"The ancestors taught me all sorts of things."
"As expected!"
Running Deer clasped his hands together and bowed toward the sky.
"The ancestors truly must have taught you!"
"That is right!"
Solid Rock chimed in as well.
"Your father, Lord Sky-Splitting Spear, must surely be looking down from the heavens, Chieftain!"
Fierce Eyes also nodded.
"It is certainly a revelation from the ancestors."
"I think so too."
As I answered, I smiled slightly.
Ancestors, nothing. It was thanks to the curriculum of Seoul National University's Department of Materials Science and Engineering.
Introduction to Metallurgy, Metallic Materials, Alloy Theory.
Those classes were now shining.
The forest grew deeper and deeper.
As the trees grew dense and covered the sky, the surroundings became chilly. The smell of moss stung my nose.
"We must be careful from here."
Running Deer spoke.
His voice lowered, and his hand moved toward the knife at his waist.
"Why?"
"This is beast territory. Wolves or leopards may appear."
The three warriors with spears surrounded me.
Solid Rock stood in front, Running Deer stood on the right, and Fierce Eyes stood on the left.
It was a triangular formation.
A tense atmosphere hung in the air. There was no birdsong either, only an eerie silence.
"It is too quiet."
Fierce Eyes muttered. Strength entered his hand, and he gripped his spear tightly.
"It becomes this quiet when a beast is nearby. The birds and small animals are holding their breath."
His voice was almost a whisper.
"Look over there."
Fierce Eyes pointed at the ground. A large footprint was stamped there. It was deeply sunken, and four claw marks were clear.
"It is a bear footprint."
Fierce Eyes crouched and examined the footprint closely.
He measured its size with his hand, checked its depth, touched the dirt, and even smelled it.
"When do you think it was made?"
"It seems to have passed through this morning."
Fierce Eyes placed his hand on the footprint.
The dirt was still damp.
"It is very recent. Probably one or two hours ago."
"What direction?"
"Toward the river."
'Damn it.'
Bad luck.
It meant the bear was where we were headed.
"Let's go carefully. If we encounter it, avoiding it is the best option."
"Understood."
The four of us moved even more cautiously.
We muffled our footsteps, took care not to step on branches, and lowered even the sound of our breathing as much as possible.
A short while later, the sound of water reached us.
Burble, burble, burble.
It was a clear and cheerful sound.
"The river!"
Fierce Eyes shouted. But his voice was still low.
Between the trees, a glittering stream came into view.
Sunlight reflected off the ripples and sparkled, and clear water flowed over the pebbles.
We came out onto the riverside.
"Is this the upper river?"
"Yes. If you go farther up, there is a cliff."
Fierce Eyes nodded and pointed upstream.
All sorts of stones were scattered along the riverbank.
Large and small pebbles glittered in the sunlight, and they had various colors—white, gray, brown, black.
Ding!
『Exploration Area Entered: Upper River』
Area Information
→ Tin Ore Discovery Chance: High
→ Risk Factor: Large predators inhabit area
"Let's examine those."
I approached the riverbank and picked up the stones. Most were ordinary pebbles. Granite, quartz, gneiss. I could tell by the weight when I held them in my hand. Ordinary stones were light.
'Where is the tin ore?'
The main ore mineral of tin was cassiterite.
Cassiterite was black or brown.
And it had a high specific gravity.
Cassiterite's specific gravity was about 7.0.
Compared to ordinary rock, which had a specific gravity of 2.5 to 3.0, it was two to three times heavier. That was why it was easy for it to be deposited in streams.
Ore washed down from upstream would accumulate in places like this.
It would gather where the current was weak, behind rocks, and on sandy banks by the river. Heavy ore sank first.
"Chieftain, is this what we are looking for?"
Running Deer lifted a gray stone. It was a little larger than a fist.
"No, that's not it. It has to be heavier and black."
It had to feel weighty when held. A stone distinctly heavy for its size, heavy like a lump of lead.
"Chieftain, how about this?"
Solid Rock handed me a stone. It was a heavy stone with a black sheen.
My heart began to pound.
"Where did you find this?"
"It was under that rock over there."
Solid Rock pointed to a large rock by the riverbank.
It was a place where the current struck the rock and swirled.
A black color with a metallic luster. It also had a high specific gravity.
When I held it, its heaviness came through at once. Even though it was only the size of a fist, it was heavy enough to weigh down my hand.
'It's cassiterite!'
Ding!
『Ore Appraisal Complete』
Ore Information
→ Name: Cassiterite (Tin Stone)
→ Composition: SnO₂ (tin dioxide)
→ Quality: Good
→ Tin Content: approx. 65%
→ Usable for bronze production
"Are there more stones like this?"
"We will search!"
Solid Rock, Running Deer, and Fierce Eyes spread out and searched the riverbank.
The three of them searched under rocks, dug through the sand, and picked up the stones by the water one by one.
"Here!"
"Over here too!"
"Chieftain, there are more here!"
"Here as well!"
"There is a whole cluster over here!"
The three warriors diligently picked up and gathered the stones. Their faces were filled with excitement.
Ding!
『Gathering in Progress…』
→ Cassiterite x5 acquired
→ Cassiterite x3 acquired
→ Cassiterite x7 acquired
Before long, dozens of black stones had gathered.
A pile of cassiterite formed on the riverbank, and its black luster glittered in the sunlight.
Ding!
『Achievement Unlocked: Tin Ore Discovered』
→ Discovered tin ore for the first time!
→ Reward: Technology Points +1
→ Current Technology Points: 1
"Will this be enough?"
Running Deer asked. A pile of cassiterite was stacked in front of him.
"For now. But we will need more in the future."
"Then we can come back later, yes?"
"Right. Remember this place well."
I placed the stones into a leather sack.
The sack grew heavy and weighty. It was so heavy that lifting it with one hand was difficult.
Ding!
『Cassiterite Collection Complete』
→ Cassiterite x23
"Now, let's head back."
"Yes!"
It was the moment we were about to turn around.
Grrrrr....
A low growl reached us.
From not far away.
It was a deep, heavy sound, as if it were reverberating up from far beneath the ground.
The air froze.
The three warriors stopped at the same time. They hardened like stone, and their hands moved toward their weapons.
Solid Rock gripped his spear, Running Deer reached for his knife, and Fierce Eyes's entire body went stiff.
"What is it?"
Between the shadows of the forest, two eyes shone.