Storms of Faith and the Iron Revolution
Technology aside, religion might play a more important role than one might think. Originally, religion was meant to unite people under a single will, foster moral thinking, and guide them to become proper members of society. Over time, its meaning faded, turning it into something like a corporation, but that was its core purpose.
“Uwaaah! The sea is angry!”
“It's the gods' wrath!”
“No, everyone! The gods have sent us a trial! We must overcome it and pray to them... only then can we prevail!”
Well... obvious cultish fanaticism like that is, naturally, the exception.
For some reason, Rodri, the priest from the religious group in the coastal village, had come all the way here. Was it for missionary work?
No, more importantly, what the hell are they doing? A typhoon's bringing in massive waves, but they're not even thinking about evacuating.
Waves are crashing right up to the coastal village, and if they keep this up, they'll get swept away.
“Oh god, I will endure! I'm not afraid of this storm or these waves!”
“Ooooh! Priest Rodri has begun praying to the god!”
“Let's pray with him! If we pray, the god will save us!”
“Yes, if we stay like this, the village might vanish. Let's all pray together!”
......No, they're shoving the responsibility onto me now.
This is basically blackmail, isn't it? If you don't save us, the village is gone—it's your fault.
For a split second, I considered just letting them get swept away. But they're my worshippers, following me in their own way, so abandoning them feels off.
Besides, the typhoon's bigger than expected—mess up, and the whole village could be wiped out.
Shit... I wasn't planning to interfere much.
I'm not fully saving them—just scaling down the typhoon to a non-lethal level.
Pfshaaa!
“Ack, pfugh!”
“Cough, salty!”
It was supposed to be a massive wave that would engulf the village and wash away the elves, but I reduced it, so now it's just a soaking.
With basic elf physiques, they won't drown. Though if they keep standing there, they'll be salt-cured by day's end.
Pfshaaa!
“Pffft! Cough cough!”
“Kehk.”
But their resolve was stronger than I thought. Drenched like drowned rats from the relentless waves and rain, they didn't stop.
They kept chanting their prayers to me for hours.
Even sturdy elves started shivering after hours of it. Obviously, with the constant pounding of waves and rain.
...Haa, fine. You win. I surrender.
They're like my children, akin to Yujin. And the only ones truly believing in and praising my existence.
It might be a bit pathetic, but I couldn't help softening toward those who trusted and followed me.
Fwaaah!
“Oh, ooooh! The sky is clearing!”
“The typhoon's retreating!”
“It's thanks to the prayers! Priest Rodri and our prayers!”
“Ooooh! The god has saved us!!”
Watching them cheer ecstatically, I half-regretted not just leaving them... but whatever.
If a god exists and cares for its creations, shouldn't it eliminate the injustices they face? Unless they're just lazily expecting handouts without effort—but these elves weren't fleeing for their own skins. They risked their lives praying to protect the coastal village they'd built and nurtured.
Ignoring even that... wouldn't make me a god who sees its creations as mere lab rats?
Sure, I started out of curiosity, but I'm no psychopath devoid of affection for the life I created.
...Seriously, what am I saying as a transuniversal outer god who roams multiverses? The others would freak out if they heard.
I'm definitely an outlier. My origins, retaining my human personality...
If I were even a bit weaker, Nyarlathotep would've probably caught and experimented on me by now.
#
The Iron Age. Iron is relatively easy to process if you have a high-temperature furnace and reduction with oxygen. Block oxidation properly, and its post-processing strength and durability are top-tier.
Above all, it's the standard endgame for nuclear fusion—extremely stable. And the most abundant metal around.
Depending on processing, its properties vary wildly, making it versatile for countless applications.
Architecture, farming tools, weapons, tools of all kinds—even cookware.
Even the Rubaran tribe, the most advanced in this universe, relies heavily on iron in daily life unless it's something special.
Naturally, discovering iron sparks a revolutionary leap.
First up: farming tools.
“Unbelievable. It's on another level from yellow stone (copper) or blue stone (bronze)! Lighter and way tougher.”
“Even sharpened this fine, the durability is insane. Unlike stone or yellow stone (copper), it seems usable everywhere.”
We'd tried bronze alloys from excavated copper and tin for weapons and tools, but it flopped.
Processing tech was lacking, but mainly, it was too heavy and soft.
In the Bronze Age, most output was jewelry or ornaments for elites. Copper and tin were rare, but even so, harder to work than stone with less payoff for the value.
Iron's different. With the right setup, it's abundant and far more practical.
Switch from stone sickles or shovels to iron, and it's like a massive upgrade.
Weapons too. Razor-sharp edges that slice flesh on touch—perfect for swords, spears, arrowheads. Even blunt weapons hit harder than bronze.
Dubbed the “rice of industry,” it's vital across fields. Like...
“We use wood and straw for wall supports now... but this could make them far sturdier. Yellow stone or blue stone are heavy and scarce, so it was just an idea—but strong stone (iron) is common and tough...”
As construction chief Dro excitedly explained, it's great for building materials.
“Strength, tensile properties—all change drastically by temperature and method. There must be better production techniques...”
Hammers, drivers, screws, nails... endless manufacturing uses.
Harvest chief Cellian thrilled at efficient new tools. Warrior chief Elma pumped for superior arms and armor. Construction chief Dro ecstatic over sturdier walls enabling bold designs.
And naturally, production chief Racus—who handled the miracle material—was over the moon.
“Excellent. Opens up so much more. Everyone, work hard for the village.”
Their leader, Rasl, looked pleased too. Nothing beats watching tech progress live for a leader.
“Oh, one more thing. About that other elf village we found two years ago.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
Oh yeah, that one. Seems we made direct contact this time.
Our tech lead is unmatched—no village over 5,000 like Mu-wan's could threaten us anyway. Not that it felt hostile.
“Couldn't fully communicate, but we matched words enough for some talk.”
Elves' high intelligence shines here. Even different languages per village, they grasp contexts and learn fast.
I worried at first with isolated tongues, but no need.
“Told them about our village, and they want to exchange with us.”
Lumorasl village is unparalleled. Only ones with proper agriculture, let alone Iron Age.
Of course they'd befriend a place free of forest beasts and food woes. They'd probably join to learn our tech outright.
Lumorasl grows naturally in size and power—not through Mu-wan's brute force, but peaceful scientific victory.