This colossal steel plate was, in fact, a deformed swept-back wing from a jet aircraft.
While Yang Zicang and Shegui helped clean up the chaos, shifting the fragments of the twisted Hellmare steel plates into the corners, Sławomir Hszler and his group had already gone to bring back Mr. Famor, who was overseeing the “grand research vision ” at this venue.
These wilderness researchers were individuals who buried themselves in this dangerous place to continue their scientific work.
“We must thank Gezar this time. Without your keen eye, Mr. Fogfolk wouldn’t have arrived so quickly. “
This researcher looked like an old worker laboring out in the open at all hours—rugged and full of energy. Yet, compared to the Jean Kerry they had met earlier, he carried an extra layer of calm composure. His slightly graying but stiff hair made him appear like a young man in his sixties.
The researcher, like a man stroking the remains of a child, squatted dejectedly in the corner in front of a pile of steel plates covered in scale-like patterns.
“Why are you still researching it when it’s clear malevolent nightmares have already spawned from it? ” Yang Zicang asked, wiping his hands as he walked over with a dirty cloth.
FarMor looked up. “There are always some things that the people of the previous era never had the chance to research. “
Yang Zicang’s movements paused briefly.
“As for whether the continent will survive—we stopped caring about that long ago, ” FarMor said, picking up a fragment to examine. “We’re all going to die anyway. It doesn’t matter when we conduct our research. What I care about most now is figuring out a way to modify these swept wings, so they no longer serve as a breeding ground for monsters, but can instead… allow science to see through confusion and return home. “
“That… is truly a noble wish. “
Yang Zicang was speechless. After a brief pause, he said, “These nightmare-infused materials, if pieced together skillfully, should still serve a purpose on an aircraft, shouldn’t they? “
“That’s incredibly difficult to pull off. Precision instruments require error margins of millimetres between each component, and the energy latent in these materials interferes with each other. “
Yang Zicang glanced over at the approaching Shegui. A lingering worry in the back of his mind quietly vanished at this moment.
Because he had pretty much figured out that this man intended see whether he could contribute to this task.
But aside from being quicker at dealing with Evil Shades than the locals… when it came to research like this… to be honest, I had absolutely zero knowledge in my head to draw from.
“There’s always something that has never been studied before, ” Yang Zicang muttered, then crouched down beside the researcher and said:
“You’re planning to develop a swept-wing design that’s never existed in this world? “
“Far more than that! ” Far Mor spread his hands. “The material and cooling technology for the entire turbine blades, plus the intake duct’s relevance to air compressibility effects—all of it has to be redesigned from scratch. “
His excitement dimmed. “Unfortunately, the core essence of a jet aircraft may never see the light of day. “
A jet aircraft… His mind connected this to the factory’s research lab, once part of a collaborative project between the Golden Shell Federation and the Grand Duchy.
Yang Zicang studied the man’s face with a speculative gaze.
“Were you a former Golden Shell Federation technician? “
“That’s right. My teacher was originally an expert in aerodynamics, but he perished during that cataclysmic upheaval. “
A profound sense of respect stirred deep within Yang Zicang.
Shegui walked over and said, “In this era, anyone still dedicated to research is someone ready to gamble their very life. That’s what I admire about Mr. Far Mor. “
He crouched down and addressed Yang Zicang, “This is also why I brought you here. “
Far Mor shot the Mistman a strange look, seemed to mull something over, then, concluding it to be impossible, gave a slight, dismissive shake of his head.
“The matters here have been handled. I know you Mist folk are always eager to help, but there’s nothing you can assist us with in these studies. So, please leave first. “
The old scholar seemed a bit stuck in his ways.
He spoke to himself: “As for these fragments of the Evil Nightmare, Mr. Gezha’er, I’d like to study their waveforms a bit more, so let’s not rush to sell them yet. Hmm… really, I never expected that even making it this big, one could still be unable to shake off the shadow of the demon. I genuinely don’t know what the children should do in the future. “
“So, what kind of people can join you? ” Yang Zicang asked, feigning curiosity. He was already thinking about whether the experts once nurtured by the “Monster Hunter Alliance Headquarters ” might have some way.
But unexpectedly, the old researcher thought seriously for a moment and said:
“Hmm… I suppose only a Mist dweller capable of making a ‘Flash Investment’ for us could help us escape the curse of the era’s misfortune—researching more efficiently and passing on the legacy of this science more steadily. “
“What?! ” Yang Zicang shot to his feet.
“And such a Mist person, to be honest, I fear we may never even get to meet one. “
……
Yang Zicang walked out with Shegui. This young man, usually busy collecting miasma-polluted materials everywhere, seemed remarkably ordinary only during these two days spent with him. Normally, he’d deliberately wear a sinister aura. The three young men here had teased him about it quite a bit.
“You guessed I possess something called ‘Flash,’ didn’t you. “
“Well… barely. I felt that a man like Mr. Hero on high would probably come to have one sooner or later. “
Yang Zicang knew he was just saying polite words.
“In the exchange, I’ve seen many Fogfolk—some disguised, some not, some sharp-minded, and some who looked like they only spoke with their fists. However, even if they were interested in such things, once you brought up investing in ‘Radiance’… hah, that was absolutely out of the question. “
The figure of the factory disappeared over the horizon behind the two of them.
“Would you think I’m a… “
“No need to explain, sir. “
Shegui stopped walking and said, “Because I haven’t been educated, and I don’t understand these things either. But I always feel, if we fail to pass anything down and let Evilmares devour every era’s crystallized thoughts clean, what difference would there be between us and beasts in the end? “
“Everyone will be trapped there… “
Yang Zicang seemed to see a vision of a distant future.
Something truly had to be done. But… his own Radiance, so hard-won—just to preserve a set of “Swept Wings “?
Yang Zicang’s heart was conflicted. Reason told him this investment was a huge loss.
He suddenly turned his head and asked, “Do you know other people like that? Are there more scientists doing similar things? “
“Similar? “
“To be honest, there are. But… the others I know, they relied on understanding a few era-defining technologies and deliberately created Evilmares to sell mod-warded tools. The things they’re making now can hardly give birth to mod-warded tools anymore; they’re purely pure nightmare-like monsters. “
Yang Zicang’s heart churned with mixed emotions.
In such an era, the only people who can still calm down and engage in research are either madmen and speculators, or those with unwavering conviction.
……
“Mr. Cocoa Lang, recommend a classic cocktail for me, please. “
“A bottle? “
“Uh… um, yes, I’d like to take it out. ” Yang Zicang stood somewhat awkwardly in front of the counter on the negative first floor. He felt a hint of smug delight, thinking that as long as he used the Key to return directly, he shouldn’t have to worry about that bird’s intrusion.
Damn thing.
“Then I recommend the Lillet or the Sazerac—both were brought here by people from your continent, ” said the graceful mannequin with a finely crafted face, sliding his finger over a row of bottles.
“Ah, right. ” Yang Zicang, lost in thought, nodded quickly.
Watching his neat and graceful bartending moves, Yang Zicang asked:
“The owner of this inn isn’t from our world, is he? “
“Mmm—don’t ask too much about him. In any case, what must be buried by history should be left to die off naturally. For now, this place is just an inn. “
Yang Zicang held back his urge to delve deeper into the inn’s affairs.
Thinking of the scientists who briefly crossed his mind at noon, he asked:
“You must know a bit about the other Track of Fate, right? Is there any way to get over there, sir Manager? “
Cocoa Lang’s movements halted briefly, then he continued mixing as he said:
“The Obscurus Wintestorm Rime holds the answer. “
“Obscurus Wintestorm Rime… “
He instantly thought of those pieces of Obscurus Wintestorm Rime.
Indeed, it had been quite a while since he last went up to the ship, but if he went now… Yang Zicang’s gaze fell upon the bottle of cocktail he was mixing.
Damn it all…
With that, he tapped his fingers lightly on the bar twice and asked, “Excuse me, Manager, do you know anything about the Technological Nightmare and the Secret Box? “
Coco Lang was silent for a couple of breaths. “That question is the most fundamental problem of our world. “
……
Yang Zicang returned to his hotel room and sat down at a dark walnut desk against the wall, illuminated by a desk lamp, pen in hand. Placed in front of the paper was his Bloodline Resonance Statue, on whose base an extra ring had appeared.
“What’s now certain is that the other world isn’t what I imagined—it’s not entirely built on bizarre bloodlines and mana. “
He began to write on the paper, planning to sort through the information he had gathered in recent days.
“Besides the issue of personal martial power, that world also has things like the ‘Moonsphere’ and ‘Publishers.’ And bloodline power isn’t native to that world; it’s more like a gift—or an invasion—from the ‘Moonsphere’? “
He drew a line under that sentence and added a question mark.
Yang Zicang still hadn’t figured out the relationship between the “Moonsphere ” and the “other world “—were they symbiotic, or did they share a relationship like that between the other world and Earth?
“So, the ordinary society of the other world also has its own science and technology. But now, problems have emerged. “
A truly terrible disaster lurking beneath it all.
Judging from the probing of the manager and the encounters in the Old Fate Trajectory, the invasion of Nightmares occurs era by era.
“But… ‘Epoch land’—does that mean the manifestation of one era after another? “
Yang Zicang immediately ruled out this possibility.
“If that were the case, then the fact that the current epoch is about to end in a month shouldn’t exist. “
But this matter is impossible for ordinary natives kept in the dark to confirm.
The answer is probably known only to the Holy Swords and the members of the Holy Ring Council.
……
Putting away his paper and pen into the drawer of the hotel room, Yang Zicang grabbed his luggage and returned to Hailkoney Conrad.
Entrusting Haili Koni to investigate the current state of the scientific community here, the situation was very grim.
Essentially, everyone was producing and processing strictly according to safe blueprints, and places like laboratories no longer existed. Even if they did, they would likely be avoided as “houses of the devil. “
So, trying to find so-called scientists only led to the disappointing discovery that even if “perhaps ” this person was one, he simply wouldn’t admit it.
After being turned away by another academy once more, Xue Qi stood dejectedly by the door, wilted like a frostbitten eggplant:
“These old guys are way too crafty. I just asked two questions, and they started going ‘Oh, I’m just a librarian, what do I know about steel structure principles?’ and ‘Alas, I don’t even know how to knit a sweater, how would I understand three-dimensional weaving techniques?’ “
Yang Zicang let out a cold laugh.
Just then, a bald man carrying a boxed lunch came strolling along the wide, soot-filled street, humming a little tune.
Spotting the two popular oil paintings in Xue Qi’s hands, the old scholar with a thick mustache stopped to take a second look. Sensing they might be Fogfolk, he veered away and headed back toward the university entrance.
“Excuse me, sir,” Xue Qi pressed on undaunted.
“Something I can help you with, beautiful lady?“
She held up one of the Hong Haocheng oil paintings and said, “We’re holding a charity sale. If you could give us a little help, we’ll let you have this one at a low price. Just look at this technique—absolutely no apprentice could paint like this.“
The man glanced at it and asked, “What do you want to know?“
Yang Zicang interrupted the question Xue Qi was about to repeat and said, “Excuse us, is there some kind of exchange society or association around here?“
“What exchange society do you mean?“
“One related to science and technology,” Xue Qi said.
The man carrying the boxed lunch suddenly changed expression. “No, no, no, I wouldn’t know. I’m just a security guard.” With that, he quickened his pace toward the school gate beside the guardhouse, indifferent to a trendy oil painting of unmistakable mastery.
“Professor, you’re back?” A guard in the house called out in greeting.
The bald man nodded curtly and walked even faster into the campus.
“Sigh.” The two shook their heads outside the front gate.
Seeing his hairstyle, Yang Zicang inexplicably thought of a young man with the surname Huang who sported the same haircut.
……
Meanwhile, on another barren stretch of land.
Huang Xu, with his severed palms, used his two “hands ” to tie up a bundle of firewood. Just as he straightened up and brushed off his shabby, faded yellow-green knitted shirt, he heard several footsteps coming from the sparse woods nearby.
He pricked up his ears and listened, then his expression changed instantly. Grabbing the stick on the ground, he sprinted off in another direction on his straw sandals, not sparing a second thought for that bundle of firewood.
“Who’s there?! “
A shout rang out from behind. “You bastard! How dare you come here to steal firewood?! “
“Stop right there! Hand over the protection fee—no, the firewood compensation fee! “
“Stop! “
Among the several pursuers wearing equally ragged clothes, Huang Xu gasped for air, occasionally glancing back to see the growing distance between them. He didn’t dare stop for a single moment as he frantically ran.
“Fucking hell! Stop! “
Hearing the yell from behind, Huang Xu couldn’t help but feel a surge of indignation in his heart.
And a hint of defiance.
“Fuck your stop! ” he roared.
Bang!A wooden stick slammed into the back of his head.
……
Two days later, when he met Major General Ross again, this native gentleman had already come to regard Yang Zicang as a close friend—because the actions of the man before him had completely changed the major’s perception.
“There’s a special interview this afternoon. Can you spare the time to attend? ” Major Ross asked.
Yang Zicang thought that if he had the time, perhaps he should travel around the continent giving speeches.
“A band wants to write a song for you. “
“Ah, all this stuff… “
“Heh, I’ve already accepted them all for you. You’ll find them helpful, but… “
Major General Ross stood up from pouring tea, leaning against the large bookcase, and said:
“There’s something I’d like to ask for your help with. No matter what, I need you to keep this secret. “
“Go ahead, General. “
“I’ll take that as your promise of confidentiality. “
The General smoothed his crisp, clean military uniform and said solemnly:
“Remember the ambush on our way back? I paid a considerable price for a shell similar to those. Now I need your help studying its crystal. “
“My help? ” Yang Zicang’s gaze fell to the square below the window, where figures in military uniforms came and went, carrying documents and weapons.
“First, I want to create certain opportunities for you—I know you need them. Second, this matter is critical. Those research findings could very well lead to a top-secret technology of another kind of science. You know what that means, don’t you? Even if we’re headed to the Next Era Land, technology of this bloody nature… “
The General knew the young man sitting here was no fool, so he didn’t over-explain.
Yang Zicang was well aware of these people’s intentions; these high-ranking officials were already clear about the outcome of this era, and as locals, they had a deeper consideration for the world’s safety than he did.
Perhaps in the lieutenant general’s heart, he too understood that his hope for the future of the world’s science and technology had been utterly shattered with the dissolution of the Golden Shell Federation.
-｛Distributor April Odyssey expressed with rich experience, I am gestating a brand-new prelude of splendor.｝
Just as Yang Zicang was about to open his mouth and agree, the necklace rang with several mental voices.
“Mm, alright, I can go take a look. “
After the afternoon interview, the formally dressed female reporter insistently pulled him into a photo together, as a personal keepsake.
Back at the villa, Xue Qi and Hua Mi, who had finally found something to do amidst the leisurely boredom, had already prepared a table full of dishes that looked and smelled delicious.
“I’ll be leaving for the border for a few days tomorrow. If you go back to the hotel these two days, remember to only use the key. “
“Ah, well, ten years isn’t too much of a waste, I suppose. “
The other party understood Yang Zicang’s meaning, and this statement instantly cooled down the lively atmosphere at the table.
Hailikoni, seated at the table, sensed something off in the sentiment. Sitting between Xue Qi and Yang Zicang, she glanced at the expressions of both sides, pursed her lips, and said, “What’s wrong? Are you worried about something? “
“Ah, well… “
“No, no. ” Xue Qi quickly waved her hands.
Yang Zicang thought for a moment and asked, “Miss Koni, do you happen to know anything about ‘Obscurus Wintestorm Rime’? “
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