Chapter 218 — The Accidental Discovery of Crude Oil
S.C. 1512 — Late Afternoon
Hidden Island — Northern Quarry Sector
The northern side of the island had always been ignored.
Too rocky.
Too uneven.
Too far from the main settlement.
But after the rise of the new generation, construction had increased tenfold.
The northern ridge was the next target for expansion.
A group of twenty quarry workers—mostly refugees trained under Bram—were clearing a long trench for future storage buildings. They hammered stone, lifted debris, and dug deeper into the ground.
Garin supervised quietly, arms crossed, towering at 6.3 meters like a living wall.
"Steady," he said. "Don't rush the slope. Keep the angle firm."
Two men nodded and swung their pickaxes—
CRNK!
Something cracked.
A strange hollow sound.
Garin's eyes narrowed. "That didn't sound like rock."
The workers froze.
One of them, a young trainee named Rem, tapped the cracked section with his pick—
KLNK—KRRRRRR
A fissure opened.
Something thick and black seeped out.
At first, they thought it was mud.
Then the smell hit them.
Sharply sweet.
Heavy.
Oily.
Rem stumbled back.
"G-Garin… what is that?!"
Garin crouched down, scooped a bit with a stick, sniffed it—
His eyes widened slightly.
"…This isn't mud."
He stood to his full height.
"Fetch Ren. Immediately."
---
Ren Arrives
Ren reached the quarry with Zemo and three researchers from the Hive Lab.
The smell struck him first.
Powerful… but familiar.
The workers stepped back as he approached the black puddle forming at the bottom of the trench.
Zemo sniffed it, sneezed, and backed away.
Ren crouched and dipped a glass rod into the substance.
The viscosity.
The smell.
The heavy, slow movement.
Ren whispered:
"…Petroleum."
Leo blinked.
"Petro-what?"
"Crude oil," Ren clarified. "Raw, unrefined oil."
Bram's jaw dropped.
"You mean—like… lamp fuel?"
Ren shook his head.
"No. Much more than that."
He watched the black liquid seep faster as the ground absorbed pressure.
This wasn't a small pocket.
This was a reservoir.
---
A Resource Too Valuable to Ignore
Ren stood.
"This is… incredible.
Oil can power machines, ships, generators—anything requiring high-energy fuel."
Bram scratched his head. "So… it's useful?"
Ren stared at the trench.
"Useful is an understatement."
Garin crossed his arms. "Is it dangerous?"
"Yes," Ren replied. "Highly."
He pointed at the leaking fissure.
"Crude oil can ignite fiercely.
One spark in the wrong place… this entire ridge could explode."
The workers stepped back instantly.
Ren raised a hand.
"No one panic. It's stable underground. The danger is only if we mishandle it."
Mira arrived just then, cloak fluttering behind her.
"Ren, what's happening?"
"We found crude oil," Ren said simply.
Mira blinked. "…That sounds good?"
"It's very good," Ren said. "But also extremely risky."
Mira crouched beside him and examined the black fluid.
"It looks… thick."
"And valuable," Ren added.
Her eyes narrowed.
"You're going to refine it, aren't you?"
"Eventually," Ren admitted. "But first—contain it."
---
Containment Operation
Ren clapped his hands sharply.
"Everyone: listen."
The workers straightened immediately.
"We're sealing the fissure temporarily. I'll handle long-term extraction later."
He pointed at Bram.
"Get reinforced stone blocks. Stack them around the fissure."
Bram nodded.
"On it!"
Ren pointed at Leo.
"Bring the fog stabilization gel. It can cool the area and thicken the leak temporarily."
Leo sprinted off instantly.
Ren turned to Mira.
"Control the crowd. No one comes close."
Mira already stepped forward.
"Everyone—clear the zone. Move back fifty meters."
Her wolf-enhanced presence made the crowd obey instantly.
Garin approached Ren quietly.
"You want it for engines, don't you?"
Ren didn't deny it.
"Yes. Steam engines need fuel. But oil… oil can change everything."
Garin nodded slowly.
"Then the island changes again."
Ren's eyes sharpened.
"Yes."
---
A Deeper Check
Once the fissure was surrounded with reinforced blocks, Ren used telekinesis to insert a metal probe into the crack.
Pressure readings flooded into his internal library:
Heavy pressure.
Wide pocket.
Stable depth.
Massive volume.
Ren inhaled.
"This is a large reservoir."
Leo arrived panting.
"Boss! Got the gel!"
"Good."
Ren poured the cooling gel along the inner crack.
The black liquid slowed, thickened, and stopped spreading.
Mira crossed her arms.
"So now what?"
Ren stood.
"Now… we plan."
He picked up a clump of the thick oil and placed it into a sealed container.
"Refineries. Engines. Chemical factories.
This will upgrade our entire island's power system."
Leo blinked.
"And… maybe our ships too?"
Ren exhaled.
"Not yet. But in the future… yes."
---
Evening — A Strategic Shift
That evening, Ren gathered his subordinates and island leaders near the central plaza.
He placed the sealed jar of crude oil on the table.
"This," Ren said, "is the future."
Bram stared wide-eyed.
Mira leaned forward, expression sharp.
Leo grinned.
Garin remained steady, calm.
Ren continued:
"We now possess something kingdoms would fight for.
We must keep it secret.
We must control it.
And we must use it wisely."
Makino, sitting at the table, frowned with concern.
"Is it really that powerful?"
Ren nodded.
"Yes. Oil will change the world someday.
And now—we have it first."
The leadership exchanged glances.
Bram's fists tightened. "We'll guard it."
Mira's eyes narrowed with determination. "No one touches it."
Leo smirked. "Let them try."
Garin nodded. "We'll handle it."
Ren looked at them all.
"This island's future just shifted again.
Prepare for new machines.
New power.
New threats."
He took a slow breath.
"And a new era."
Zemo barked once, loud and proud.
A signal.
The island was evolving again.
---
End of Chapter 218