Centum
After having decided on things, he headed out to scavenge. Trying to fully make use of the remainder of the days that he still has food and protection to learn as much as possible as a scavenger.
As he left, he checked with Gorrak on the things to take note of. Things such as the taboos, the unspoken laws, who is the boss, who is the one that buys and sells the usable items found and so on. Things that were not listed in the records as they were common knowledge. After listening to all that gorrak said, he took it with a pinch of salt. He felt that he must not fully trust Gorrak. It was as if he could feel some deviousness in his words from his guts instinct as a businessman.
As he approached the place that Gorrak spoke of, he could feel his nose overwhelmed by a heavy stench. He could not help but think out loud.
This is going to suck.
Moments laters an arrow impaled the ground before him.
From the distance a guy had heard that shot an arrow at him.
You there! Who are you? I have never seen you before. Are you that new guy that everyone has been talking about?
Yes. I should be that new guy. I am Daniel and I am told by Gorrak to be here to meet with Deratti.
Gorrak?
*Tsk*
Then you are a Turak then. Why would a Turak be here?
Just like everyone else here. Scavenge. I am here to learn the ropes.
Ropes? Are you a ship crew in your previous life?
No, but I know how to navigate a boat. My apologies. I meant the basics. The way things are spoken in my previous life is vastly different from the way people like you who have been living in this world.I am still not used to changing the way I speak. There are many things and words that are common for me but unknown and unused here.
We call that confusion murak. It is a common problem for most people after the coming of age. We are used to seeing and hearing it so it is fine.. Either way, Deratti is not around. He is the boss around here so he only comes in only once a day to check on us. I can inform him of your request If you want to meet him. If you want to learn just go to that scrap heap there. It is all the usable stuff we obtained today. You can look around but you are not allowed to take anything from it.
He paused for a moment before adding
As long as you do not cross the boundary that is. We may be tushark but we should still have honor. Unlike those guys from beyond that.
He turned his head for a brief moment looking to the right.
If anyone were to ask where you are from, just say you are under the protection of Gorrak and Deratti. Those names would deter our rivals from harming you. Some would fear Deratti and some would fear Gorrak. Saying both names would keep you safer from most of them.
Where is that boundary?
See that ridgeline down south? That is the boundary. Do not go near it. They say it belongs to them and we say it is ours. Someone new like you is easy prey to them and to us.
I will take note of that. With that said, what is the best place for me to scavenge if I am done looking at that pile.
There is that pile over there that is 1 week old. It should be safe enough for you. They sometimes blow up when it is left alone for too long. That other pile where you see so many people is a new pile that arrived yesterday. It is off limits for you.
Thanks I will bear that in mind.
With that said, he headed in and proceeded to look at what the others had already scavenged and learned from it
Unknown metallic material
Item potential 3/10
Trace mana elements
Unknown use.
Amalgamation unknown
Unknown composite material
Item potential 2/15
Trace mana elements
Unknown use
Amalgamation unknown
Unknown organic material
Item potential 6/18
Trace mana elements
Unknown use
Amalgamation unknown
Occasionally he would see in the pile with higher potential
Unknown composite material
Item potential 11/29
Trace mana elements
Unknown use
Amalgamation unknown
On these items he could see there were trace mana elements and not know what type it could be. It would seem that unless he had experienced it or seen it for himself, it would simply display itself as mana elements. Nonetheless, it was clear what is the difference between that and normal items he could see laying around everywhere.
Unknown composite material
Item potential 1/1
Unknown use
Amalgamation not possible
Pot
Item potential 1/1
Unknown use
Amalgamation not possible
Most of the items seen everywhere had item potential of 1 or less. Junk. It was clear as day what advantage that he had over others even though he had no understanding of why.
Looking around he spotted where everyone obtained their basket to hold the scavenged goods. After picking up a basket at the price of 1 Quid, he quickly stepped back and headed for that 1 week old and bent over like everyone else rummaging through the mountains of trash.
Despite being picked clean, there were still some that showed another promising number.
Unknown metallic material
Item potential 1/22
Trace mana elements
Unknown use.
Amalgamation unknown
Whenever he saw an item with high max potential he would pick it up
He had no idea what they do but he would collect them for researching and potentially use his gift on them to see what would happen.
He would also pick up similar looking items that were Unknown and use his gift on them to see what would happen when placed together.
After many attempts, a reaction finally happened. As he channeled mana derived from his gift, mist floated up from 2 unknown composite materials that looked very similar to each other.
A new piece formed above them while the original 2 materials turned to dust.
Unknown dust
Item potential 1/1
Unknown use.
Amalgamation not possible
Unknown composite material
Item potential 2/3
Trace mana elements
Unknown use.
Amalgamation unknown
Seeing that success, he began gathering more and kept fusing them together. It did not take long before another kind of result appeared.
Unknown composite material
Item potential 1/4
Trace mana elements
Unknown use.
Amalgamation unknown
After a day of scavenging, he was slowly getting the hang of it. Getting the hang of scavenging, getting the hang of finding the right stuff, getting the hang of using his gift.
Unlike most other gifts, this gift is rarely seen. As a rank E- it is supposed to be fairly common but according to the records, only about 1 in appear every 60 Azkaz years. Many times lesser than any other E- ranked gifts.
In his basket, some of it were items that he had combined together. The items were too varied to make enough combinations.
Among his many items, there were 2 kinds that he would call as success.
Unknown composite material
Item potential 3/5
Trace mana elements
Unknown use.
Amalgamation unknown
Unknown composite material
Item potential 3/4
Trace mana elements
Unknown use.
Amalgamation unknown
Although they were not to their full potential, and their ability to combine was unknown, he knew there would be a possibility should he find the right stuff to combine it with. There were also those that he had success with and he could see their status updated.
Unknown composite material
Item potential 1/4
Trace mana elements
Unknown use.
Amalgamation possible
Unknown composite material
Item potential 2/3
Trace mana elements
Unknown use.
Amalgamation possible
All of the items changed either from Amalgamation unknown to Amalgamation possible after a successful combination with the leftover dust stating that Amalgamation is not possible.
It wasn't much but it was progress. It was better than nothing.
He mixed the higher quality stuff that he managed to combine among the ones he salvaged like normal to make it look like he randomly picked up some items that were better. Then, he traded in his junk for a measly 7 Quids. He would have gotten more if he had joined Deratti's group but he understood that this place was not where he desired to end up. It is true that he could make a living and survive here, but it just the king of a molehill. He aspires to go beyond that. This place was too small for him.
Over the course of the few days, he became a small celebrity. A Turak doing what tusharks do. Everywhere he went there were eyes looking at him. Curiosity, envy, distrust, ridicule and so on. Thankfully, facial expressions did not change much even after so many years and that allowed him to understand their body language. It did not bother him too much. Back on Gaia he had seen his fair share of it.
During the day, he would join everyone in scavenging. He would however leave 2 hours earlier to visit the various craftsmen. He had realized that the advantage he had over others was his knowledge. He could not do it himself but he understood how it worked. Simple machines and contraptions that he could sell by getting the craftsmen make it.
He had so many ideas but so little currency. The minor amount that he had could only get him small quantities of various raw materials. With his superior understanding of how things work in a scientific way and his gift in a statistical way he quickly understood the process of turning ores into ingots. He tried his hand at it and it quickly became a part of his gift. All he needed to do was grab some ore, weigh it and visualize the finalized ingot in the specific final composition. However, at first, he generated more waste than desired. If the ore did not have enough of the specified compound, it would turn to dust. If there were too much, what extra material would also turn to dust. It took him days of trial and error to understand the composition of each ore. He would also sweep up the workshop to collect their waste dust.
Unknown dust
Item potential 0/0
~30% iron ~10% carbon ~60% unknown elements
Amalgamation unknown
Within the dust were so much material that no one could use. He could use it as fillers for that required extra materials for making an actual usable ingot. The craftsmen did not understand what he was doing but simply shrugged it off as a thing that people from the future would do.
He could not help himself but laugh when he heard about it because before he died, the idea of recycling and keeping clean has been ingrained in the people. Occasionally he would be cleaning the place and hear arguments that he could not help but laugh about because of what he knew back on Gaia.
My new sword is better than your new sword.
My black beheader is better than your piece of junk red sword.
My flaming fury will cut through your burnt up sword.
Hey new guy, do you agree that my black beheader is the better sword.
Stop deluding yourself Wayland, what you make can never beat what I make. New guy, look at this sword. It is clear that my flaming fury is the better sword.
Nushar!
New Guy!
**Silence**
*Cough* *Cough*
While he was at the side looking at the different ores not paying attention to the thing around him, he could feel that all eyes were on him. Daniel could not help but look up and look around before pointing at himself.
Me?
Yes you.
Yes you.
The pair looked at each other.
The older looking blacksmith raised an eyebrow before turning at Daniel.
You are the only new guy around here. People come, people go but most of us know someone of someone. No one knows you or anyone you know. You are under protection and we do not know what we are allowed to ask or say to you. Until we know you, we will only call you nushar. When you first came in, asked if you can look around at the different ores and finished products and never mentioned your name and ever since then you would come, greet the one at the counter and continued looking around without saying anything. The law protects you so no one is making any judgement and we let you do what you want. Without knowing anything, what else can we call you?
You can call me Daniel. I am sorry but I was not listening. How can I help?
Rick and I crafted a sword each. We want to ask you which is the better sword. We see you looking and picking up the rocks, weapons and armors, shaking your head and nodding as you look. We can see it matches what have observed about them. Clearly you know what you are doing.
Wayland waved his hands and two much younger males carried the two swords forward.
Daniel looked at the two swords as the assistants of both blacksmiths brought over.
Iron sword
Item potential 12/12
Trace mana element
~70% Iron Iron ~30% unknown elements
Amalgamation possible
Iron sword
Item potential 11/13
Trace mana element
~70% Iron ~30% unknown elements
Amalgamation possible
Daniel looked at Wayland.
Have the swords been tested?
Yes.
He then looked at Rick
No.
Based on my gift, this sword is the better sword right now.
YES!
Wait. Do not be too happy yet. I said right now. This other here sword if new would have been a better sword.
YES!
Wait. You should not be too happy either. Your sword got damaged while testing. It means that there is room to improve on. If I were to say it, it is a draw. Neither of you won or loss based on their current state that we see here.
The two of you did a good job but there is room for improvement for each of you.
What ores did the two of you use to make these swords. I am not asking for your secret formula but just the raw material you use to make it.
The two pointed out their base ore.
Iron Ore
Item potential 1/1
Trace mana element
~70% Iron Iron ~30% unknown elements
Amalgamation possible
Iron Ore
Item potential 1/1
Trace mana element
~70% Iron ~30% unknown elements
Amalgamation possible
One of them is reddish and the other is black even though they both Iron ore based on his gift. It would seem that that had caused a divide between these craftsmen. They argued about one being better than the other.
He may not understand the difference between the two but from his meager understanding, they were the same thing. Both stated the same approximate of 70%. When he used his gift on them it, they all looked the same to him. He also understood that the result was the same even as he had seen both of their processed result which was readily available.
Iron Alloy Ingot
Item potential 1/1
Trace mana element
~97% Iron ~1% carbon trace sulfur, nickel, copper, silica, unknown elements
Amalgamation possible
From what he understood, it all came down to the carbon and impurities that they they are composed of. High carbon steel, low carbon steel and the various alloys. The so called secret formula that each of those craftsmen had used to make better ingots for future crafting was fairly obvious to him. The position between carbon, sulfur, nickel and the still unknown elements change about in the menu that only he could see.
The fight between red iron and black iron or red steel and black steel as he would call it, was an easy problem to solve.
He gathered the craftsmen.
I understand that all of you have a different understanding of how to make a sword or any other weapon and armor. Rather than arguing on which color is stronger or better, focusing on the properties of the object itself would have been a better option. It may not be true with the existence of magic in this world, but these 2 ores in my hand are actually the same thing in my understanding. It is just how they form that is different. Because things can look the same but act differently and look different but are the same, I propose a contest to be held every 10 months looking at only what they can do and not how they look.
Daniel did a short pause for a sense of dramatism.
I call it the Test of Hundred.
Everyone looked perplexed.