Chapter 163 - 162: Confirming the Relationship, Shipbuilding Plan

Chapter 163: Chapter 162: Confirming the Relationship, Shipbuilding Plan

During his observation, Han Ning felt somewhat puzzled.

The Will of Nature had told him that heading northwest was the safest route. Even so, they had suffered relatively heavy casualties along the way. The military fared better; equipped with firearms, heavy firepower, and top-tier experts, making the journey wasn’t too difficult for them. But how did the non-military Awakened manage to get here?

After mulling it over, he concluded there was only one logical answer: they had already been living in the city’s northwest district before the cold wave struck. Alternatively, perhaps some Awakened with special abilities had escaped here using methods completely unknown to him.

After flying a lap above the mountain range, Han Ning’s Spiritual Power was only depleted by a third. He retracted his wings and landed steadily on the open ground in front of the cave camp.

Following a night of cold rain, the platform outside the cave was covered in a thin layer of ice, yet the camp’s interior was bustling with activity. Over a dozen simple wooden cabins built flush against the rock walls had already taken shape, their roughly processed log frames stuffed with windproof mud and moss. Someone stood on a ladder reinforcing a roof, the CLINK CLANK of hammering ringing out endlessly.

On the other side, Xu Ming led several burly men in lifting a heavy crossbeam with rhythmic grunts of "HEAVE-HO," steadily placing it onto the skeleton of a new cabin. Meanwhile, by the planting area, Professor Ye was directing the remaining members of his agricultural squad to replant the rice seedlings and soil salvaged from the Wind Chaser.

Seeing Han Ning return, Chairman Wu immediately hurried over to greet him. "Mr. Han, you’re back! We’ve roughly cleared the entire cave floor. Look over there.

"As per your instructions, we prioritized clearing out the planting area," he said, pointing to a relatively dry and flat area deeper inside the cave. "The soil has been sifted and mixed according to Professor Ye’s requirements. Our residential area is currently under construction. By nightfall today, everyone will at least have a roof over their heads."

Han Ning swept his gaze across the orderly camp and gave a slight nod. "Good work.

"Since you’re here, have you made any progress finding someone who understands shipbuilding?"

Chairman Wu offered a bitter smile. "I only found two people. One is an old carpenter from a shipyard, and the other worked in fishing boat maintenance for over a decade.

"To be honest, they are practical, hands-on workers. Manual labor is no problem for them. But when it comes to independently designing and leading the construction of a ship capable of withstanding storms... they definitely can’t do it. At most, they can serve as assistants and follow orders. Leading the design is truly beyond their capabilities."

"I understand." Han Ning had long been mentally prepared to come up empty-handed in the search for professional ship design talent. Only so many people from Biyun Resort had survived; it was impossible to have experts from every single walk of life.

Changing the subject, he revealed his true purpose. "Chairman Wu, what kind of relationship do you think currently exists between me and everyone from Biyun Resort, including yourself?"

Chairman Wu was clearly taken aback, not expecting Han Ning to suddenly ask such a question. Past events quickly flashed through his mind. He wondered if it was cooperation, but they received far more protection from Han Ning than they contributed. A subordinate-superior dynamic? That didn’t seem absolute either, as they had never explicitly defined such a relationship.

Weighing his words carefully, Chairman Wu answered cautiously, "Well... perhaps it’s somewhat like a parent company and a subsidiary? We can make our own decisions and handle internal matters, like camp construction and personnel arrangements. However, in terms of the general direction, we definitely follow your will and will never do anything to violate your interests..."

Han Ning didn’t comment on his analogy, merely stating calmly, "I plan to start building a ship as soon as possible. But those who board the same ship as me, those who will share life and death with me in unknown waters, must be people I can fully trust and who will obey my commands. To put it bluntly, I need subordinates who can execute my will." He let his gaze fall onto Chairman Wu’s face before continuing, "Therefore, I need to clarify the relationship between us. Are you presidents, as well as the ordinary people below you, willing—or rather, prepared—to accept my direct orders unconditionally?"

At this point, Chairman Wu understood Han Ning’s intentions. This was meant to pierce through the veil of their unspoken understanding and firmly establish Han Ning’s undisputed position as the core leader, replacing their previously loose alliance or vague dependency.

"Naturally, we will follow your orders unconditionally!" Chairman Wu answered decisively, with almost zero hesitation. "Ever since the Fog Area incident, everyone has genuinely viewed you as our true backbone. Everyone from Biyun Resort is a member of your team."

In truth, the group had long been centered around Han Ning.

Han Ning smiled. "That’s your personal thought. There’s no rush to declare your stance right now.

"We’ll wait until everyone returns tonight and the group is whole. I’ll confirm it then."

Currently, relying on himself alone, even if he shifted into his Raptor Form, it would be absolutely impossible to fly across that boundless sea and reach the continent on the other side. Han Ning had no idea how many times he would need to rest along the way before making landfall. Thus, he needed a sturdy, large ship capable of navigating the raging ocean to guarantee he had a safe place to rest.

This matter still relied on the strength of a team. He needed people to execute his orders and complete the plans he envisioned.

These people from Biyun Resort had gone through multiple life-and-death situations alongside him. While he couldn’t vouch for everyone, he knew the Vice President Level Awakened inside out. At this juncture, it was imperative to reorganize their forces and twist everyone together into a tightly knit rope. Thus, Han Ning decided to thoroughly take them under his wing.

...

The matter of building a ship was imminent. Currently, they lacked shipbuilding blueprints, nor did they know the danger level of the outer sea. Han Ning prepared to ask the Will of Nature.

Returning to the room where he rested, he sat on a dry straw mat. He closed his eyes, sinking his entire mind into communication with the Will of Nature. To ensure he didn’t miss any alternative methods of reaching the continent, Han Ning asked first, "Besides taking a ship, is there any other way to reach that continent?"

In case there was some sort of teleportation array or a more fantastical method, he wouldn’t have to foolishly sail across the sea.

After a brief silence, the vast Will of Nature descended. His Spirit was elevated infinitely, breaking free from the shackles of his flesh. His vision pierced through the heavy, lead-gray clouds, looking down at the massive island below surrounded by ink-black seawater.

At the island’s edge, the violent, black ocean stretched endlessly, its waves undulating like mountain ranges. At the end of this Sea of Death, the outline of an even more boundless, vast continent emerged at the edge of his vision.

Immediately after, the image focused. A single ship... no, countless ships of various shapes were breaking through the monstrous waves, sailing toward the continent amidst the raging storm.

Some ships were incomparably huge, their hulls painted with complex patterns, and the structures on deck stood tall like a moving maritime city. Facing the impact of the wind and waves, the patterns on their hulls lit up with wisps of faint light, causing the violent gales and crashing tides that washed near them to dissipate into nothingness.

On the left and right sides of the giant ships were several relatively smaller vessels. They acted as loyal escorts, protecting the massive ships in the middle. Scattered around these ships were about seven or eight even lighter vessels. They moved with incredible speed. Some sea monsters that spotted the fleet were blasted into minced meat by these ships before they could even get close.

"Aircraft carriers, destroyers, frigates? An Otherworld version of a naval fleet?!" Seeing these ships, Han Ning’s expression shifted.