Chapter 22: Is That What You Mean?

Zhou Xu’s primary task for the time being was to devote himself to crafting slings. Considering the possibility of damage and the need for replacements, he decided to make at least ten.

He took on this entire task himself. Once finished, he even helped Butterfly and the others weave a few bark bags, as the handicraft team simply could not spare the hands.

Over the next two days, his main focus remained within the tribe, coordinating internal affairs while occasionally checking on Dashan and the others during their sling practice.

As for teaching... there was nothing left to teach. The sling itself was not a complex weapon, and he was hardly an expert in cold weapons; he really couldn’t manage to instruct such a ‘weapon master.’

Dashan, that fellow, was better than him as soon as he picked it up. After two days of practice, it was no exaggeration to say he had completely surpassed him.

This small experience made Zhou Xu realize the terrifying nature of ‘talent.’ Some people could truly and effortlessly do things he simply could not.

Looking back at himself, he still hadn't figured out the practical effect of his ‘Evolutionary Leader’ talent.

Just as he was feeling melancholy, the tribe members practicing in the distance let out a collective gasp of surprise, triggered by a precise shot from Dashan. His throw had struck the very log they had set up as a distance marker nearly a hundred meters away.

In primitive tribes like this, strength was often worshipped. Dashan’s feat was enough to earn the utter admiration of his peers. Faced with their adoration, Dashan scratched his head, unable to hide the smile on his face.

“My eyesight has just been better lately, that’s all. I can see more clearly.”

“I don’t believe it. My eyesight has gotten better recently too, so why can’t I hit anything?”

It was true that this wasn't something achieved by good vision alone, but to say there was no luck involved for Dashan would be a lie. The sling itself lacked accuracy, and the stone projectiles, unpolished and irregular, made the flight path even harder to control. Given the hardware, even a weapon master would struggle after only a few days of practice. From Zhou Xu’s perspective, Dashan’s shot was mostly luck.

However, another topic the tribe members were discussing caught his attention.

“Dashan, you just said your eyesight has been better lately?”

Normally, unless corrected by surgery, vision only deteriorates, never improves. Yet, this counterintuitive phenomenon had already occurred once before—to himself!

At this moment, facing Zhou Xu’s question, Dashan and the others nodded repeatedly.

Without a second thought, Zhou Xu signaled for them to continue practicing and hurried back to the tribe as fast as he could.

“Butterfly, have you felt like your eyesight has improved lately?”

Taken aback by the sudden question from their leader, Butterfly paused, thought for a moment, and nodded.

“I think so. It used to be very difficult to see after dark, but lately, it hasn't been as strenuous. I can even see quite clearly at night by the firelight.”

“What about the rest of you? Are you the same?” Zhou Xu turned to the others around him.

They hadn't really noticed it before, as the handicraft team’s work required them to keep their heads down, focusing on close-up tasks that didn't demand sharp long-distance vision. But once prompted by Zhou Xu and Butterfly’s confirmation, they all realized that their vision did indeed seem to have changed.

Receiving their feedback, Zhou Xu couldn't help but take a deep breath. His own vision had improved because he had acquired the ‘Eye of Insight’ mantra, which passively enhanced his sight upon merging with his body. But what about the changes in the other tribe members? The power of the ‘Eye of Insight’ mantra could not possibly be connected to them.

Under these circumstances, the only possibility he could think of was his talent!

“Evolutionary Leader... so that’s it!”

As he muttered to himself, the expression on Zhou Xu’s face grew increasingly excited. “In other words, my own improvement directly influences my tribe members! Leading my people to achieve a great evolution—is that what this means?!”

The question that had troubled him for so long was finally answered. Having discovered the secret of his talent, Zhou Xu couldn't help but laugh out loud.

After a few deep breaths, he forced himself to calm down. Not wanting to disturb Butterfly and the others at work, he called over the members of the patrol team and had them line up to look at the same target.

Through this simple confirmation, Zhou Xu discovered that the extent of vision improvement varied among tribe members, likely due to individual differences. While it was certain that their improvements were not as significant as his own, the long-term implications of his talent for a civilization with a large population were staggering.

At this rate, influenced by his talent, he and his people might truly evolve into a new species that transcended humanity.

Just as Zhou Xu was pondering this, Butterfly ran over.

“Leader.”

“What is it?”

“Following your instructions, the furnace is ready.”

Had Butterfly not mentioned it, he would have almost forgotten. He hurried to the furnace, grabbed a stone axe, and pried open the sealed opening. A wave of heat rushed toward him.

Without delay, he cleared the opening and used a branch to rake out all the firewood inside. Once the temperature dropped, he used two branches as chopsticks to carefully extract the clay bowls one by one.

“Huh?!”

He was surprised by the very first bowl he pulled out. The rim was visibly uneven, and the bowl’s body was lumpy. Furthermore, perhaps due to the heat, the color was inconsistent, and there were visible air holes throughout.

Ignoring the air holes, the uneven rim and body clearly made this a failure that should have been thrown in the trash. But Zhou Xu didn't care!

He tapped the bowl, hearing a light chime. He only cared if it could hold water!

Of course, he would have to wait to answer that, as there were many more bowls to extract. In terms of quality, not a single one was perfect; some were misshapen, and several had cracked during firing.

Yet, this did not dampen his spirits. To Zhou Xu, as long as the method worked, it was a success! He didn't mind the cracks; he had only feared that none would survive the firing process at all.