Finding Metal
In the cold frigid winter a lonely soul is humming joyful tunes inside a cave, while the rest of the creatures outside had to face the wrath of nature in the few coming months. Brad was happy as he woke up due to finding out his reaction time and thinking capabilities has increased many fold. It seemes the special brew he made with the large Eagle had great effect on him. Even stronger than the wyvern meat he had eaten, it seems animals here has eveolved that the components that are different on them from their Earth counter part is very useful for humans.
He would like to study this in depth but he knew he had no equipment to do so, just the random experimentation could be practiced as he fumbles about the mysteries of this world's wonders. Brad hummed and danced as he made tools for extracting ores and even bricks to use for a blast furnace. He know have sufficient knowledge in making many things due to being able to remember all of the things he had watch before.
It could be counted like he had an eidetic memory now and he regrets not reading more books. At least now he knows how to make gunpowder by using the poop of his dodos and some charcoal. Now he only needs to find metal and learn how to forge. Brad slung the finished tools and items he had prepared for this day.
"Bread are you ready? Let's go prospecting!" Brad was excited as he walked down along with Bread which he brought along cause he knew Bread's sense of smell was better than his own. Brad carefully walked down in a leather made clothes he created from Elk hide. He can never know if there are any underground creatures here besides those ants that might be a danger to him, so he had brought the Glaring staff with him.
Brad felt that this seemed familiar to the documentary he watched at how animals avoid areas which smelled like a predator's territory. He thinks that this should be the case as the large Eyeball might emit an arua that scares away lesser animals. He also wore a pair of hide gloves with sharp talons attached on the space between the knuckles like wolverine.
Brad made this with the large Eagle's talons with the new glue he made using charcoal and fresher tree sap, which worked wonders at how much stronger the adhesive was. He felt this was much better than the one he had watched on YouTube. He tried to attach a drop of melted glue on a tip of a wooden spear then threw it at a wall, it didn't peirce through deep but it remained there cause even with his enhanced strength he couldn't pull the stick without breaking it.
Thus he made these gloves which seemed really cool and also really dangerous cause the talons were also sharp. His home made helmet was made also from the Eagle by using the upper beak and gluing leather straps on it's sides. He even attached a small leather circle where he could attach his rechargable flashlight. Now with his helmet and leather attire he seemed like a crude looking prospector.
Brad chuckled as he walked on the tunnel on the right along with Bread who was decked head to toe by leather armor Brad made for him. He carried a torch with also along with spares hanging on Bread's side pockets. Brad fashion a basket on each side of Bread so they could carry more stuff back incase they find abundant metal.
Soon they arrived in another open space after walking for 15 minutes, Brad looked around and found no signs of the Gigantic ants in this open space. He noticed that there were more tunnel openings in here and he was not sure where to go. He would not have a hard time navigating cause he already developed a strong sense of smell. Which is why he planted some small sticks with wild glue mixed with aromatic herbs on the way.
He was quite indecisive cause he knew he had limited time staying in this unknown place. He's not sure if there were any other creatures besides the Ants that lived here, Brad shivered when the thought of large insects crawling in this caves as they chased after him. Oh shit! Was that a red flag? Brad looked alert as he scanned the surroundings. He sigh in relief when there is no activity happening nearby. He then remembered someone with better senses that he does, Bread.
"Hey Bread, do you know the smell of metal? Like this one on my hand." Brad showed a metal screw he got from the broken closet he had. Bread sniffed the metal then circled around the ground sniffing for something similar. Brad calmed down when he remembered Bread was an animal with sharp sense, he would be the first to know if danger is present in the surroundings.
"Could you really find it Bread? I know your sense of smell is better than mine but I couldn't eve-" Brad stopped speaking as the medium sized boar looked in a direction. Brad smiled when he saw the boar walk to the direction while still sniffing around. They went through a tunnel on the left side of the cave room from where he had gone from.
Brad drew on a map he made of leather from coyote skin, he prepared this just in case there might be lots of tunnels to explore later. They went about for another 20 minutes where they appeared on an cross road of three tunnels, one where they came from and two in front of them. Bread sniffed around as it finally chose the one on the right.
Ten minutes later they came across a floor opening with lots of circular lump of rock lying aroun the area. Bread went and sniffed some more then went straight to the lump of rocks lying about the floor.
"Huh? What do you mean Bread? These are just rocks, wait are they metal ores?" Brad was unsure so he took out a bone pickaxe he made using a femur bone of an Elk and its horns for the pick. Brad discovered the beast here seemed to have very strengthened physical attributes. Though he also found some rocks that were even harder but Brad hasn't been able to make tools out of them.
He smashed the pick axe on the lump of rock and he was greeted by a broken half with something glittering inside of them. Brad knelt and touched the shiny parts and realized these were stainless steel.
"Huh? Isn't it supposed to be iron ore first? Why did it become steel already?" Brad paused and looked around seeing the many lump of rocks in the vicinity.
"Holy shit I've struck big!!"