Chapter 45: The Art of Tanning
Kellar brushed the remnants of snow and blood from his clothes as he looked down at the ten kilos of meat left.
"Alright, let’s get our food ready," said Kellar, reaching out to pick up the cuts of meat.
"Not a chance," said Mila, gently taking him by the arm. "You are going to rest right now. You’ve worked far too hard all day. We will take care of everything."
"That’s right, boy," said Meli, his mother-in-law, picking up the containers. "Go inside the cabin and relax. We’ll handle dinner."
Kellar started to protest slightly; he had really wanted to cook a nice barbecue to celebrate, but without any spices or ingredients to make a decent marinade, he decided not to press the issue. Accepting the women’s offer, he went inside the cabin and collapsed onto the bed of furs to rest for a bit.
As he lay there, he took advantage of the quiet moment to open the System menu and examine the skill he had acquired:
[Primitive Leather Tanning & Curing]
As he focused on the skill, a flood of knowledge and detailed instructions poured into his mind. He had the complete boar hide, which was large enough to make at least a couple of thick winter coats. However, he didn’t have the necessary supplies to carry out the curing process.
According to the information surging through his head, the primitive method demanded several key elements to work properly.
He would need amounts of fresh water in deep wooden tubs to wash the pelt and strip away any lingering fat.
For the curing agents, he had to prepare a concentrated wash made from hardwood ash or boil oak bark to extract its natural tannins.
Once the leather dried, he would need animal fat or brains to lubricate and soften the stiff fibers, along with sharp bone or stone scrapers to strip every last bit of membrane without tearing the hide.
Kellar stared up at the wooden ceiling of the cabin, running through every requirement in his head. Fresh water and wood ash wouldn’t be an issue thanks to their daily hearth fires, but he would still need to gather a large amount of proper tree bark and build much larger wooden tubs if he wanted to process a hide of that size without ruining it.
Setting the leather problem aside for the time being, Kellar decided that tomorrow, when he headed back into the forest, he would search for tree saps and resins to start experimenting. For now, it was time to check the tech shop.
He opened the System menu and brought up the list of available options to spend his new points:
[Basic Bone & Horn Tooling]
[Basic Cordage & Natural Fibers]
[Primitive Earth Pit Ovens & Food Preservation]
At first, he felt tempted to choose the knowledge on natural fibers so he could craft strong ropes, but after thinking it over for a second, he realized that food preservation was still the absolute priority for his household’s survival. Without hesitating any further, he selected the third option.
[Primitive Earth Pit Ovens & Food Preservation]
[The practical understanding of thermal retention using clay-lined earth pits, hot stones, and controlled smoking techniques to safely cook, dry, and preserve large quantities of meat for months without spoilage.]
In an instant, a wave of information flooded his mind, revealing ancient methods for constructing subterranean pit ovens and underground preservation chambers. According to the acquired knowledge, this method allowed meat to stay fresh without any cold source for up to six months; combined with the freezing winter temperatures and snow, the preservation time could easily reach a whole year.
Feeling refreshed by the new knowledge, Kellar sat up on the bed and glanced toward a corner of the cabin. There, leaning clumsily against the wooden wall, was the club he had received in his beginner’s starter pack.
He hadn’t taken it on the hunt today because it seemed far too heavy and crude, almost weak compared to his ceremonial dagger. However, he realized he hadn’t even taken the time to inspect its properties with the System yet.
Kellar walked over, picked it up, and focused his attention on the object. A deep blue interface panel unfolded before his eyes:
[Overlord Club]
[A growth-type weapon capable of absorbing the blood of defeated enemies to restore and evolve itself. Severely damaged during the ancient reign of Overlord Thyranus VI.]
It was an artifact that had seen legendary battles in the past, and even though it was in a pitiful state from past damage, its ability to absorb blood and grow meant it possessed limitless potential in his hands.
"I need to start using this club so I can keep strengthening it," thought Kellar, adjusting his grip on the handle. "This dagger forces me to fight way too close to the enemy, and I don’t want to get that tight to more powerful beasts."
With the club in hand, Kellar walked out into the cabin’s yard. Outside, the three women had built a small fire and were roasting the cuts of meat over the hot coals. The aroma of rendering fat filled the crisp afternoon air.
As he walked over, Kellar noticed Meli carefully sprinkling a fine white powder over the meat. His eyes widened in surprise when he recognized it; he hadn’t expected them to have a resource like that at all.
"Is that salt?" said Kellar, pointing to the small clay jar in his mother-in-law’s hand.
"That’s right, boy," said Meli, stashing the container away with extreme care. "I got it a long time ago from a traveling merchant who passed through the clan. I’ve had to ration it grain by grain, because no other sellers have come near these parts since."
Kellar nodded in silence, looking at the tiny bit of white powder left in the vessel.
"I definitely need to get more spices..." said Kellar to himself, letting out a soft sigh. "Damn it, I need a culinary skill or something that lets me identify plant materials in the forest. I really hope I get something like that in the next round of choices."
After all, living a life without the true delights of good food was barely living at all.