Chapter 77: Virtuous Cycle and Priorities
Kellar left the hunters working and headed back. Being the leader and shaman of the tribe had its own unique charm; he no longer had to do everything by himself, but could delegate and direct instead.
As he walked, he began to inspect the surroundings of the new village. He had the [Primitive Irrigation & Crop Rotation] technology available, but the thick layer of snow covering the area made planting extremely difficult, if not impossible. To farm in these conditions, he would need to build greenhouses and control the ambient temperature—something he didn’t yet have the technological capability to achieve.
Kellar opened the system store. He still needed to purchase one key technology with his Tech Points: [Basic Cordage & Natural Fibers]. However, upon checking his active quests, he noticed he didn’t have any quest active to earn more Tech Points at the moment.
Deciding to explore alternatives, he switched over to the Tribal Evolution tab. Upon opening it, three new options were listed:
[Wooden Perimeter Defense] - 1,000 Tribal Evolution Points
[Observation Post] - 1,000 Tribal Evolution Points
[Outpost] - 1,000 Tribal Evolution Points
Kellar checked his point balance and saw that he currently had 300. Right above the counter, a notification icon flashed, which he proceeded to open.
[Ding!] [Congratulations! You have created the first Mounted Crossbow: +300 Tribal Evolution Points.]
A smile formed on Kellar’s face. He understood how this section worked: it was a virtuous cycle. He could complete innovations by hand using his own resources and ingenuity to earn points, or he could save up and purchase structures using accumulated evolution points.
Finally, he opened his personal status panel to review his newly acquired skills:
[Alchemy]
[Medical Knowledge (Level 1)]
As he reviewed the formulas and recipes flooding his mind, Kellar frowned.
"This is urgent," said Kellar under his breath. "I need alcohol urgently, as well as antiseptics and antivirals. So much to do and so little time..."
Kellar returned to the main construction site where dozens of tribe members were hard at work on the cabins. Everyone wanted a sturdy, warm place to sleep like the new shaman’s, so they were pouring every ounce of effort into their labor. Though they weren’t hunters with superhuman strength, years of enduring harsh wilderness had made them naturally resilient, ensuring steady progress even if it took them a bit longer.
As Kellar walked along the growing row of structures, he noticed something off. One of the newly framed houses drifted noticeably out of alignment, throwing off the straight layout he had marked for the village streets. He walked over to see what was happening.
The workers paused, wiping sweat from their foreheads and looking at him nervously.
"Shaman Kellar, we’re trying our best, but it’s really difficult to keep the walls in a straight line and match the exact measurements like you told us," said one of the builders, gesturing helplessly at the crooked timber frame.
"Don’t worry, I’ll show you an easier way," said Kellar.
Kellar picked up a long piece of durable cordage and three sharp wooden stakes. He drove the first stake into the ground at the corner of the planned structure. Using his hands, he tied knots into the rope at equal intervals—marking three units along one side, four units along another, and five units across the diagonal.
"Pay close attention," said Kellar, gathering the workers around him. "If you tie knots at three equal lengths on one side, four on another, and connect them with a length of five, the corner will form a perfect right angle every single time."
He pulled the knotted rope taut around the three stakes driven into the dirt. The workers watched in awe as the slack disappeared, creating a flawless right-angled triangle on the snow-dusted earth.
"Now, pull the long cord straight along this line to align the rest of the timber," said Kellar.
The builders’ eyes lit up as they grasped the simple yet revolutionary technique. By using knotted ropes to lay out straight lines and square corners, they could align entire rows of houses effortlessly without guessing or making mistakes.
"This is amazing! It’s so simple, yet the lines come out straight!" said the builder, bowing deeply in gratitude.
Kellar stood quietly for a moment, watching the builders use the knotted rope technique to straighten out the remaining frames.
"I need to figure out a way to teach them properly so they don’t have to rely on me for every little thing," said Kellar to himself.
He scanned the work site and noticed a one-legged old man who was directing the builders. The elder had picked up Kellar’s instructions with ease and possessed a natural authority; the people from the former slums followed his directions without a single complaint. Kellar watched him with growing curiosity, noting his sharp eye for organization.
Before Kellar could approach the Hunter footsteps approached from behind. Krag walked up, wiping snow off his leather tunic.
"Shaman Kellar, while Old Lennis is setting up his workshop, the boys managed to hunt two more giant fish," said Krag. "However, the bone harpoons were destroyed on the second catch, so we had to halt the hunting for now."
Kellar turned to look at him.
"The hunters are hauling the carcasses over to the butcher right now so he can dress the meat," said Krag.
There was a subtle, deliberate pause in Krag’s voice as he mentioned the butcher. He knew full well the history and underlying friction between the tribe’s main butcher and the new shaman.
Kellar nodded keeping his eyes fixed on the site before turning back to Krag.
"Before we go, do you know who that man over there is?" said Kellar, gesturing toward the builder directing the crowd.
"The one missing a leg?" said Krag, following his gaze. "That’s Mentz. He used to be a hunter, but he lost his leg to a beast years ago and had to leave the hunting squad."
"I see... he’s an interesting man," said Kellar, making a mental note of Mentz’s leadership. "Alright, let’s go pay that butcher a visit."