BECOMING AN ANCESTOR

After entering the cave, I noticed that it was quite large, actually.

I had been walking for a few minutes and hadn't reached its end yet.

Until...

Is that a light?

A little ahead, I could see a source of light.

Light in a cave?

As I got closer and could see what the source of light was, I could only describe it as...

This is incredible.

There were multiple crystals, dozens of them probably, and a ray of sunlight managed to penetrate here, causing the crystals to sparkle.

Wow, could this be tanzanite?

I may not be a jewelry appraiser, but I liked some of them, including tanzanite, one of the most beautiful in my opinion.

Tanzanite was considered one of the rarest gemstones in the world, stunning and unique. Tanzanite is an incredible stone because it was found in only one place in the world. Its deep blue with a hint of lavender is a magnificent color.

And I think that's what was in front of me.

If this is really tanzanite, it proves that I'm an australopithecus, as the name tanzanite was because it was found only in Tanzania, which was also where the australopithecus lived.

If this were where I lived, I would be a billionaire, there weren't just one, but dozens, each one bigger than a baseball.

I continued walking, and after encountering some small animals like scorpions, spiders, and bats, there weren't many differences compared to those in the future.

I kept walking, and along the way, I could see various stalactites and stalagmites. After walking for a while, I began to feel that I was getting... wet.

That's right, water. Judging by the rock formations, there must be some water source down here.

I continued walking until...

A lake.

It was a lake inside a cave.

I couldn't see it completely since I only had a torch, and there was a distance from the opening to the ground, but it seemed quite deep.

This is truly fantastic, the crystals, and now a lake.

I picked up a stone and threw it into the lake. There might be something in there, and I wasn't about to take any risks.

I watched the stone fall into the lake and waited for some reaction.

When it seemed all calm...

Boom.

It was a crocodile, and it wasn't a normal crocodile, it must have been about 7 meters.

My God, how can this live here?

I'm glad I didn't try to get closer to the edge; otherwise, I could have been caught.

But how did it manage to survive in a cave?

Perhaps there's a submerged entrance that it uses to come in and out to the outside.

This wasn't the first time I had seen a crocodile.

During the time I was mapping the forest, I came across some, but none were as large as this one.

I decided to leave for now, so I continued to explore the cave.

I encountered various rock formations, and over time, I learned how to navigate the cave. After a while, I made a map of it, marking where the crystals were, the crocodile, and something I discovered.

Iron.

Iron, one of the most important minerals for humanity.

During my explorations, I managed to identify some iron veins. This cave could be an iron mine. Unfortunately, I don't have the personnel or resources to operate this mine, but it doesn't mean I gain nothing from it.

Due to the presence of a significant amount of iron, even in small quantities, I can use some of this iron.

After discovering this, I made several trips to collect small portions of this iron and brought them back to the workshop.

I felt like I was playing Minecraft.

Exploring caves, mining ores, and building things.

During this time, I also discovered the passage that the crocodile used to enter the cave. It was near the savanna, a hole within the river. I only found this out because I came face to face with it. I managed to hide in a tree and saw it entering.

After a few days, I gathered enough iron ores to create something I wanted.

But now, I have a more urgent task; I need a furnace.