"How's it like on the boat?" Alka asked, looking at the person before him.
In front of him was a Vastva dressed in gray-blue undergarments.
In addition to the blue undergarments, they also wore a helmet with a transparent visor.
It looked very futuristic, after all, the style of clothing was designed by him and Sofia.
Furthermore, they carried a small backpack on their backs, which could be seen to be fastened to some metal objects on the back of the clothing.
The backpack glowed faintly blue, and one could sense the magic stored within.
This was the artifact from the previous experiment: the magic-blocking clothing.
It was constructed from special materials and inscribed with a spell that could block magic.
However, spells like these require magic to maintain, so a small backpack battery was added to the back to continuously supply magic.
Carrying a battery simply for magic blocking would be uneconomical, so the clothing had been given other functions. For example, more meticulously adjusting the concentration of magic power would allow them to adapt more quickly to the external magic.
‐After all, neither the magic stored in the batteries nor the magic injected into the space by Alka could be as natural as the magic from the outside world.
‐This would also help prevent any problems in advance.
‐‐The only drawback might be that these clothes are just like ordinary fabrics, only slightly tougher at best.
‐‐If they encounter danger, they will easily tear, and once damaged, they will naturally lose their protective function.
‐‐So, from time to time, one or two Vastva people would come out to experience life on the ship.
‐‐This time, it was Kavala.
‐‐ Compared to Vaku, she didn't show any signs of seasickness.
‐‐It must be said that for a race that has always lived on land, the Vastva people suffer from seasickness in surprisingly high numbers.
‐‐ They calculated that around 70% of them suffer from seasickness, which is an extremely high number.
Fortunately, this kind of seasickness, like their intolerance to magic, can be quickly acclimated.
For example, Waku, who had been the first to leave, was now largely unaffected by the ship's presence.
Unless a tsunami caused the ship to swing too far, he would only feel dizzy.
"It felt pretty good. It was a very novel experience. I wish I could touch the outside world with my own hands someday." After all, their entire bodies were isolated within their clothing.
And the clothing was quite thick.
So no matter what they did outside, there was a noticeable sense of isolation.
As he spoke, he approached the side of the ship and gazed at the ocean below.
"I really want to jump in and experience it."
As soon as he finished speaking, Pororo, who had been relieved of his shift, jumped directly from the top of the observation deck.
Then he began to swim rapidly around the ship.
Watching this scene, Kavala's eyes were filled with envy. Swimming in the ocean.
An experience I'd never imagined.
Arka smiled and, without interrupting, went straight to the captain's cabin.
Sofia was in the cabin, some blueprints spread out before her.
In front of her was a world map.
It was a world map of the Infinite Ocean, so you couldn't expect Alka to find treasure on a map like this.
Because the entire map was just a few dots.
There were some descriptions and names around the origin.
If even this could be considered a map, it would be a bit perfunctory.
But you had to admit, in the Infinite Ocean, it truly could be considered a map.
Look at the names next to the dots on the map.
Arka knew some of the names, like the Twin Islands and the Southern Cross Island.
These are used to mark the direction between the signposts and the signpost islands.
Because the vast ocean is constantly moving, the distance between signpost islands can be difficult to measure, but the direction should be correct.
For example, the sailing time from Southern Cross Island to Twin Islands might differ by about ten days.
This is caused by fluctuations in the movement of the vast ocean.
The greater the distance between the islands, the greater the fluctuation.
But the only certainty is that at least you know the island is in this direction. If you head in that direction, you won't make a mistake.
Here lies the problem.
Because the vast ocean fluctuates, without a guiding flag, heading in one direction can easily lead to errors.
This was the problem they discovered the first time they used the guiding flag.
For example, they were clearly sailing in one direction, but despite spotting the guiding flag, they were constantly changing direction.
This meant that Alka and the others had already been sailing in the wrong direction, but they hadn't noticed.
Thankfully, this time, it was Ululius herself who replaced the guiding flag.
She could always accurately sense the target's location, even the distance between them.
"Why are you looking at the map?" Alka asked curiously, sitting down nearby.
"To see if we'll pass any signpost islands," Sofia said, pointing to the map.
She drew an arrow at the signpost island.
Looking at the arrow, Alka immediately understood and said, "When you left, did you draw the direction according to Ululius's instructions?"
Sofia nodded.
As mentioned before, the signpost island's position on the vast ocean remains unchanged, nor does its direction.
Although they could easily lose their way while sailing on the sea, they had the Urulius flag, so they stayed in one direction.
As long as there was a signpost island in their direction, they would encounter it.
After all, the ocean is vast, and within an island chain, it's easy to encounter other ships.
At that moment, the door opened, and Jason and Juanlu walked in.
"The ship's supplies are running low, and so are fresh ingredients. If we can reach a signpost island, we can buy some. That's a good thing, isn't it?"
Alka and the others had enough supplies, but even with the spells to help them store fresh supplies, they couldn't keep them for long.
Therefore, most of their supplies consisted of dried ingredients, and many were rather simple.
These past few days, it's become noticeable that the food they eat has become more commonplace, with fewer varieties.
With less fresh food on board, the variety naturally decreased.
More importantly, it was because the Vastva people's supplies might not be enough according to their calculations.
The Vastva people were indeed consuming food much faster than they had expected.
After all, they had never prepared supplies for so many people before and had no experience in this area.
Although they possessed various techniques and could continue to produce nutrient solution through magic, and Alka and the others could also catch fish,
But at this point, relying on nutrient solution would seem like a lost cause.
That was only a last resort.
If they could prepare some food, it would certainly be better.
"Are there any islands there?"
Sofia shook his head. "Unfortunately, there are no landmark islands in this direction."
That was normal. If there were any, they were truly lucky.
Hearing this, Alka smiled nonchalantly. "It's okay. We have enough food for several months now. We're sure to come across some drifting islands along the way, so we can just stay there for a while."
Alka and his companions often saw drifting islands passing by during their voyages.
However, they rarely visited these islands.
Except when they needed to stop.
Most of these islands were deserted, meaning they had few resources, but if you had to be honest, they did have plenty of food.
After all, such islands may have been uninhabited for hundreds or even thousands of years, so they were bound to have abundant natural resources.
Mainly, such uninhabited islands always had some strange and unique things.
The most likely scenario was a wilderness island, brimming with natural beauty.
Or simply a barren expanse, devoid of life.
So, generally, they avoided visiting them if they could avoid it.
Not to mention that Alka and his crew always sailed with a purpose, a clear direction, and ample supplies on board. They hadn't experienced many accidents at sea. It was mainly because the Voice of Dawn itself was powerful enough.
"What if the drifting island we encounter happens to be that kind..."
Beside him, Jason hadn't finished speaking when Juanlu clamped his mouth shut.
"Alright, brother, you better shut up at a time like this," Juanlu said helplessly.
Then he dragged Jason, who had just entered, out the door again, completely ignoring Jason's struggles.
Watching Jason leave, Alka suddenly said, "Do you think unfortunate things like this, which you haven't finished, will come true?"
Hearing this, Alka saw Sofia turn around and look at him with a speechless look.
"Okay, I was just saying that," Alka said silently, his mouth shut. At this moment, Sofia suddenly asked, "You guys research this every day, haven't you come up with a method to quickly eliminate personal aura?"
Hearing this, Alka shook his head. "The Vastva people don't have such a need, so naturally they wouldn't research this."
Hearing this, Sofia thought about it and it seemed to make sense.
The main issue was that the two treasures they had previously obtained from Kriel were still lost in the dream.
The main problem was that both of these treasures were highly combinable, which would pose a certain risk if smelted.
So, they had no choice but to leave them in the dream to expedite the elimination of their personal aura.
But even so, according to current calculations, it might take until they were almost at their destination for their personal aura to be completely eliminated.
So, Alka could only shrug helplessly, unable to do anything about it.
"What about Lucilia's?" Sofia asked.
She hadn't paid much attention to the research topics Alka and the others were pursuing in the temple.
So, she wasn't very familiar with them.
"We have some clues, but the problem is we don't have the materials," Alka said with some resignation, leaning back in her chair.
Although they each had their own research directions, they would also devote some time to assisting Lucilia in her research on the soul and the body.
According to the current timeline, they only needed to create a device capable of storing power for ten days to forge a matching new treasure.
They already had a design, but the problem was they lacked the matching materials.
So, they could only wait until they returned to the Twin Islands or encountered some larger target island.
"What about the puppet girls?"
Sofia asked.
"They're in a bit of a pickle. The devices the Vastva people developed are highly sophisticated. The materials used are long gone.
And there's no replacement, so they're stuck."
At this point, Alka felt even more frustrated. All the problems were now blocked by the materials.
The worlds had been destroyed and reunited, and under these circumstances, many of the ancient materials had long since vanished.
Perhaps there were alternatives, but the vastness of the Infinite Ocean made finding the right materials difficult.
Although Sofia didn't understand these details, it was clear that a breakthrough wouldn't be easy.
As the two chatted, a voice called out from the deck outside.
"Simon is calling me."
Alka said, standing and walking outside. Sofia followed.
Simmon, Matresa, and Lucelia were all out on deck at this moment, a rare sight.
"They're all out? What happened?" Alka asked, somewhat surprised.
Simon ran over excitedly, placed his hand on Alka's shoulder, and finally led him over.
On the flower bed stood a row of components, resembling something made of some solid gemstone, framed by an unknown material.
Alka stared at him with slightly dazed eyes, sensing an inexplicable connection between these gemstone components.
Suddenly, he blinked, and a crystal-like pupil appeared in his left eye.
He sensed a strong aura of space emanating from it.
Sensing this aura, he immediately knew what this thing was for.
Turning around in surprise, he asked, "Space expansion?"
"Haha, that's right." Simon laughed and clapped his hands, his excitement palpable.
Alka took one of the crystals in his hand and examined the metal frame surrounding it.
A closer look revealed densely packed inscriptions.
The commotion attracted everyone on board.
Including Kavala, who was also on board.
"Have you tried it yet?"
"Yes, we've successfully doubled the space."
"Try it now."
The others nearby also understood what this thing was.
Looking at it, Sofia asked, "So which room should we test first?"
At this moment, Alka felt his shoulders sink. "We've decided to expand the room with the puppet girls."
Hearing this decision, the others nodded in agreement. On reflection, the puppet girls' room was indeed a bit small.
After all, there were a lot of puppet girls. Even though they were small, there were dozens of them.
Alka nodded and led the others directly towards the stairs of the poop deck.
Arriving at the top of the poop.
Next to Xia Deti's room, Alka pushed the door open.
The puppet girls inside turned and looked over, a bit stunned.
They hadn't expected Alka to actually push the door open.
"Um... sorry." Alka had just finished speaking when he threw out all sorts of small dolls and other items suitable for the puppet girls.
These items quickly hit Alka, and Alka quickly closed the door.
Then he turned to look at the others nearby.
"You don't even knock when you enter a girl's room?" Julia asked with a disdainful look.
Alka coughed awkwardly and made a quip: "I only go into Jason's room. I never go into a girl's room. I'm used to it."
It was a long while before a voice came from inside.
Alka then knocked on the door and opened it.
Everyone squeezed in. The few normal-sized people who entered immediately made the room incredibly crowded.
"Don't try to squeeze in anymore," Simon said from behind, watching Pororo trying to squeeze in.
"Damn it! Can they make the room bigger?" Pororo said, helplessly standing outside.
He peered through the open door.
After all, this was a room specifically for the puppet girls. Perhaps it had once been suitable for a normal-sized person.
But over the years, the puppet girls had transformed it to suit them only.
Beds covered the walls and ceiling.
Triple bunk beds, quadruple bunk beds, even six bunk beds as tall as a normal person.
Various strange platforms, and some hanging directly from the ceiling.
Potted flowers, various decorations, and dolls could be seen.
Much of the furniture was miniature, giving the impression of being in a doll world.
In the corner, a metal hanging stand was visible, covered in a variety of accessories, including equipment.
A whole row of enormous wardrobes lined the innermost wall.
These so-called wardrobes had doors roughly the size of a human face.
They were packed together like ordinary cabinets, each numbered.
It looked like the exact same number of doll girls.
Entering this room for the first time, Alka and the other men were all curious.