Primitive Man

[It's impossible for us to study a meteor in this period because we are not even close to what modern humans could do. The first step is to slice a small piece of the meteorite for a detailed study. A micro-CT scan, a type of 3D image made with X-rays, unlocks information about the rock itself — for example, whether it consists of a single rock type or a collection of fragments, and there are many more steps like this.]

"Sounds like too much work," Garnt muttered to Eva while slowly walking through the forest, trying to find what had happened to the forest after the previous night.

Despite all the objections from Gundo and others, he knew he had to work on it to find this meteor before the signs of it disappeared. So, he quickly got back to work, but he didn't bring any of his girls on this journey. Instead, this time all the people following him were males.

[It is. That's why we had hundreds of scientists like me working on a single project. The manpower needed for something like that was not something you can gather right now, especially because none of these people know what they are doing. Most of them are still in the developing stage.]

"Well, we don't need any of that, right? Because you know what the meteor you are searching for looks like," Garnt had to confirm, just in case.

[Like a part of my own body, I know. After all, it is the meteor that changed my life.]

Eva's memories went back to her original timeline and her previous life, but she quickly shook her head and came back because she knew she had something she valued in this timeline too.

While they were talking with each other, Garnt realized that they were walking toward the area where the hot spring village was supposed to be, but suddenly all of them started to feel rather hot as if they were walking toward a living fire.

"It's hard to breathe!"

"This smell is too strong, it is burning my nose!"

"Patriarch, should we leave? At this point, we might die if we breathe this anymore,"

The people behind Garnt started to complain, and he understood their complaints were justified, after all, he had the same reaction as he covered his nose.

[Garnt, leave this place. Lava that came from the volcano might still be active. Find another route, or maybe you should go back to the village.]

Eva suggested, and Garnt quickly followed her orders because he knew dying without achieving anything would be the worst thing he could do. He at least wanted his death to be useful to his people and Eva, but he knew being too vocal about the danger to his life would make everyone in the village lock him up in a room and Eva to feel guilty about her proposal.

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*Sigh

"Fall back for now! Let's try to find another route."

With his orders, the whole group went back, and Garnt had a slight idea about using some kind of mountain or an elevated place to learn about the area and determine the route he could take to reach the meteor.

It took them a considerable amount of time to find a rock or a mountain that was tall enough to give a better view of the whole landscape, but they finally managed to find one.

Garnt, panting from the climb, finally reached the summit of the tall mountain, a vantage point that allowed him to survey the devastated landscape. His men struggled behind him, fatigued by the unexpected retreat and the scorching heat that they felt earlier.

As Garnt caught his breath, he gazed down at the former hotspring village, now transformed into a hellish landscape. Streams of lava flowed across the land, leaving trails of molten destruction. The air shimmered with intense heat, making it clear that the volcano's fury was far from over.

Garnt's heart sank as he realized the enormity of the situation. The once vibrant village, with its hot springs and lively atmosphere, was reduced to smoky ruins. The black lump he had noticed earlier was a remnant of the destruction, a stark contrast against the red and orange hues of the molten lava.

'Yenya...'

A familiar face of a girl came to his mind, but he quickly shook his head knowing it wasn't time for him to think about depressing thoughts.

His mind raced, contemplating the futility of his mission. The meteor, which held the key to fulfilling the promise, seemed unreachable amidst the chaos. Garnt felt a heavy weight on his shoulders, the burden of failure looming large.

His men, now at the mountaintop with him, stared in silence at the devastated scene below. The reality of the danger they narrowly escaped settled in and the earlier complaints were replaced by a sombre realization.

"We can't reach the land from here, Patriarch." one of Garnt's trusted companions muttered.

Garnt nodded, his eyes still fixed on the desolation. "No, we can't. But we can't give up either. There must be another way."

Eva's voice echoed in his mind again, offering guidance.

[Garnt, reaching the meteor is not possible. Also, you should give up on this area because it takes at least a thousand years for this soil to be fertile again. Luckily, we didn't build our main village close to this, but the loss is too much.]

"But Eva, our promise?" Garnt was conflicted, but then Eva suggested something else.

[You saw the sky the other day, right? It wasn't just a single meteor that fell on this land. There were at least 4 or 5 big meteors and some small ones. So search for this land and try to find one that is not in a dangerous area. Don't worry, we have enough time, at least for now.]

***

"Leader, some people escaped the village during the panic. I guess most of them will just try to go back to Garnt's village. Should we chase them?" One of the guards of the seaside village questioned, having been turned into Baktou's faction from Garnt's.

Baktou was doing his usual routine of standing at the edge of the harbour waiting for his nemesis to appear after everything the village went through, and like a miracle, the water level of the village became normal after the meteor dropped so Baktou knew his original idea of leaving this village was not going to happen anytime sooner.

"Let them! It's not like they have anything valuable to provide me. I just want to capture the harbour, not his people." He answered and signalled the soldier to leave, and the soldier did because he knew staying there too long would be dangerous for him.

[Baktou, it is time for you to start developing this village and the current technology. I don't know what's Garnt's current level, but I want you to dive under the water and find the meteor and bring it back to the surface. If it's the meteor I think it is, we might not even need this harbour, but I doubt it is.]

"I know. My treatment shots are also running out. I won't be able to control myself in future if that happens. I think the pain that I felt when I was injected with the syringe is coming back to me."

The mysterious woman listened to his complaint, and she knew that providing any more treatment was impossible for her. After all, unlike Garnt's system, she didn't have limitations, but she also wasn't the best when it came to handling the system.

[I'm sorry. If I give you any more medicine, I will have to lock some of the features in the system that are important. This thing has so many limitations; I think Eva is the only person who knows how to handle this thing correctly. After all, it was her idea to manifest it like this.]

"Can I make them?" Baktou questioned.

[You can. That's why I told you to start developing this land and these people until you can achieve that goal. Garnt wouldn't come here any sooner, or we don't have any signs about his behaviour that indicate that he knows about the truth of this land. Eva might be intelligent, but the resources she has are very limited, so it makes sense that she doesn't have information as much as I have.]

Baktou nodded his head, feeling a pair of hands wrap around his chest. However, he didn't freak out; after all, he knew to whom that smell and warmth belonged.

"Telvi, what are you doing here? You shouldn't come close to the sea," he muttered, indicating that he was still the old Baktou.

"I wanted to see you, Baktou. Isn't it time for you to make up with Garnt? I know you are hiding something, but is it really worth getting hated by everyone like this? I don't understand!" Tears welled up in her eyes as she was reminded of the village. "I'm sure Garnt would forgive us, same with your sister. So let's just go-"

She was interrupted as she talked by Baktou, who had a smile on his face.

"No! You wouldn't understand right now, but I'm doing all of this for Garnt. Sooner or later, you will realize. Don't worry; I won't harm my own brother like that." It was a promise from Baktou's side, which was confusing to Telvi. However, as his wife, she knew that if she had to choose a side, she would rather be on Baktou's side since, without her, he would be truly alone.