Chapter 165: Beacon Fire and Smoke
The autumn weather was clear and refreshing, the sunlight not too harsh, and though lacking a gentle breeze for those who enjoyed autumn scenery, it was perfect for the people of the Green Sparrow tribe. They had cleared a wide isolation strip and prepared to set it ablaze.
"Hiss, hiss"
The proficient Fire One, who had mastered the hand drill, squatted next to a large pile of broken branches and dry leaves, using the modified hand drill designed for fire-making.
The well-tensioned leather cord swung back and forth, rapidly spinning the blackened wooden drill attached to it. Black powder flowed out from the wooden pit, landing on the dry and delicate fire tinder below, accompanied by rising smoke.
Fire One put down the hand drill, picked up the smoking fire tinder, and blew on it huffing' with a mouth that had lost some teeth.
As the smoke gradually dispersed, flames began to leap.
The ignited fire tinder was placed on the edge of the large pile of dry branches and leaves. Soon, a spark turned into a raging fire.
Despite his less agile legs, Fire One, who insisted on lighting the fire, held the ignition tools, taking quick steps at his fastest speed outside the isolation strip.
They harbored a sense of awe for fire, which brought light, warmth, and the ability to cook food.
Running with sweat on his forehead, Fire One arrived outside the isolation strip, turned around, and looked at the smoke and flames that had already risen. In his cloudy old eyes was a flicker of awe and excitement.
Giant flames soared, devouring the dry branches and leaves, and the scorching heat swept over. The Green Sparrow tribe members watching the fire outside the isolation strip couldn't help but step back four or five yards.
Even though they had done this last year, the people of the Green Sparrow tribe still showed expressions of astonishment as they watched the fire.
It had rained a couple of days ago, and the thicker parts of the pile of dry branches and leaves in the middle were not completely dry. Now, under the fierce fire burning, a thick column of smoke rose slowly, seemingly reaching the sky, resembling a signal fire.
Of course, if the surrounding trees were replaced with a desert, the animal skins on the people standing around were replaced with armor and weapons, and a faded flag was stuck on the side, it would create an even more ominous atmosphere of beacon fire and smoke.
It seemed unnecessary now, but the current scene was already extremely frightening!
At least a group of people three or four miles away from here had already been scared by this spectacular scene.
He, too, was unwilling to return just like this.
The people in the tribe longed for pottery and delicious food, and he also longed for them. During these days, he used the pottery he had exchanged from the Green Sparrow tribe to learn from them, placing it on a stone over the fire and cooking food.
However, no matter how he did it, the taste was far from the prosperity of the neighboring tribe, even if he put the most delicious meat inside.
After much contemplation and numerous attempts, he attributed the problem to the small size of the pottery he used for cooking.
After thinking it over multiple times, he finally brought food and exchanged it for a larger pottery.
By exchanging the pottery used by the neighboring tribe for cooking, his tribe could also make delicious food.
Thinking about being able to eat such delicious food every day in the future, the leader of the Green tribe couldn't help but feel joy and anticipation, with saliva almost flowing out of his mouth. He needed to swallow it to prevent it from leaking.
However, at this moment
He looked at the thick smoke column with a mixture of fear, deep helplessness, regret, and sympathy for the fate of that powerful tribe.
He remembered the route very clearly, and where the thick smoke column rose was the dwelling place of the prosperous tribe!
The scale of this smoke column far exceeded any smoke he had seen before, and even from this distance, he could smell the scent of burning firewood. Without even thinking, he knew the fate of that tribe would be tragic.
"%#^#@~"
Pointing at the thick smoke column, he explained to the tribe that the prosperous tribe was facing a disaster, and from now on, there might not be such a thing as that tribe.
Upon hearing this, the people of the Green tribe showed expressions of fear, relief, and regret.
"@4!%~"
The person who had shouted to stop the leader of the Green tribe and asked about the reason, unlike others, after thinking for a while, spoke again. He put down what he was holding and used gestures to express himself.
After understanding what this person meant, the leader of the Green tribe's eyes suddenly lit up