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墨書 Inktalez
The mist swirled around, and an endless abyss spread beneath their feet, with no end in sight. Occasionally, the sand and stones they stepped on scattered into the air, floating for a moment before gradually returning to the ground, as if controlled by an inexplicable force.
Bai Yujing dug out a black seed from beneath his feet. The oval-shaped seed emitted a metallic sheen, and its smooth surface even reflected Bai Yujing's appearance. However, the seed was too large, about the size of Bai Yujing's fist, feeling heavy in his hand.
"Is this the legendary seed?" Bivis asked curiously.
Bai Yujing nodded. "It seems to be this one. Lemuel Gulliver crawled down from here and returned to the human world!"
Emma tilted her head and said, "Don't you think this is very similar to a story?"
"Jack and the Beanstalk?" Bai Yujing laughed, as if he and Emma were in sync.
Emma pointed at Bai Yujing and said, "You thought of that too?"
Bai Yujing nodded. "I had that association when I first heard Bivis mention it. After all, it's too similar—Magic Beans, giants, Sky Island, castles—all of it fits together. Perhaps there really was someone named Jack who used the Magic Beans to grow a vine and returned here!"
Then, Bai Yujing looked at everyone. "So now we should discuss our next move. We have two action plans. The first is to continue exploring. However, I can't guarantee what the route ahead will be like or if we will find anything. We might successfully obtain the Fountain of Youth, or our entire team could perish along the way!"
"The second option is to abandon the mission and choose to go back. As the team leader, I should make this decision; however, I believe such an important matter should involve everyone's vote. After all, everyone seems to be in poor condition these days, and I need to hear your opinions, even though I am inclined to continue."
"Who chooses to give up?" After saying this, Bai Yujing looked at everyone's faces and noticed they were also observing their surroundings. He initially thought Shen Fei would be the first to raise his hand; he was unsure about Hank's intentions.
However, neither of them raised their hands this time; everyone remained silent. Bai Yujing glanced at Shen Fei and then at Bivis. It seemed they had discussed it together—whether through coercion or persuasion—regardless, Shen Fei also chose to continue onward.
The following question seemed somewhat redundant, but Bai Yujing still asked again, "So, those who choose to continue, raise your hands!"
At this point, everyone raised their hands. Bai Yujing nodded, "Great, let's prepare and aim to set off tomorrow!"
Since the steamship left by Lemuel Gulliver had been around for so many years, Bai Yujing checked it and found that it was still usable, with no major issues, except for a shortage of coal.
This old-fashioned ship used a steam turbine and was fueled by coal. Instead of the large wheels typical of early steamships, it utilized a propeller. However, Bai Yujing found it strange that the Giant Country, which had already been able to use steamships, had not made any significant advancements in technology over the centuries. Was it due to years of war and internal strife?
It didn't seem likely; after all, war often drives technological advancement. However, Bai Yujing felt that one could not judge such places by common sense, as there were gods and magical powers involved here.
According to Lemuel's notes, there was a coal storage area behind the castle. Bai Yujing arranged for Hank and Shen Fei to transport coal over, trying to stockpile as much as possible. Additionally, they needed some food. Bai Yujing and Emma headed to the apple orchard on the right to gather some food. Even if they couldn't eat it all, along with some flour and biscuits they had previously taken from Pirus's house, it would be enough to sustain Bai Yujing and the others for quite a while.
Meanwhile, Huckman and Bivis stayed behind to inspect the ship and clear the shipping lane. There was a sloped ramp leading from the platform down the corridor where the ship would launch directly into the unknown Cloud Sea. However, over the years, dust and mud had accumulated on top and needed to be cleared before it could be used.
Everyone got busy inside and out until everything was ready by evening.
Bai Yujing looked at the ship; it wasn't large—less than thirty meters long—and had been cleaned up by Bai Yujing and the others. It looked quite presentable inside, featuring a kitchen, a storage room, three cabins, as well as an engine room and a control room. The layout was very reasonable.
Hank held a magnifying glass up to the walls of the cabin, seemingly very curious. Shen Fei leaned over and asked, "What are you looking at?"
Hank exclaimed in surprise, "What kind of wood is this? I've never seen anything like it! Look at its density and weight; it's almost like steel! No wonder it has lasted so long without damage; this is an unknown plant! This ship has significant research value!"
Shen Fei replied irritably, "Come on now! You said those giants were also very valuable for research before and wanted us to draw some blood from them. We're not going to join you in your reckless pursuits! You can study however you want; just don't go crazy!"
Hank nodded, "I feel like this is my paradise. Everything here is incredible, from the plants to the animals; it's simply a treasure trove of the unknown!"
Since arriving here, Hank had started collecting various materials with his backpack. Bai Yujing was aware of this; his backpack was bulging with all sorts of bottles and jars that he treasured immensely. Not long ago, he even encouraged Bai Yujing to extract some giant's blood. Bai Yujing had actually believed him, and in the end, he managed to get a strand of a giant's hair, which was now also stored in Hank's backpack.
When night fell, everyone finally had a decent dinner in the ship's kitchen. This was the first time in nearly a week since arriving here that they had cooked food instead of instant meals; they were almost sick of eating compressed biscuits.
After dinner, Bivis suddenly approached Bai Yujing. "Bai, I think we should discuss the storage situation of that seed. After all, it's crucial for all of us to return..."
Bai Yujing immediately replied, "But I discovered the location of that seed. As the team leader, it's only natural for it to be with me, right? We will all return together; we should maintain mutual trust!"
"And besides, you haven't handed over the compass you got either; I've never asked you for it!" Bai Yujing pointed out that Bivis had tightly kept the compass, which was key to finding their next location—a crucial item left by Lemuel Gulliver.
Bivis chuckled awkwardly and then nodded. "You're right; we should trust each other. However, I think we should consult everyone's opinions on this matter..."
Bai Yujing didn't wait for Bivis to finish and immediately yawned. "Ah! It's getting late, Mr. Bivis. We've all had a tiring day and haven't rested well before; let's leave it at that for now. We need to set off early tomorrow morning!"
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