Otherworld Bone Dragon Operation Guide

Chapter 117 Art Books and the Arrival of "Distinguished Guests"

Around noon, as they passed a cargo ship, Beanie signaled with flags to the opposite side for quite a while. Then she flew over and returned shortly afterward carrying a small box.

"Have you purchased any supplies?" Su Ming asked as Bei Anqi walked in carrying a box in both hands, which looked rather heavy.

The girl forcefully slammed the box onto the table, where it landed with a "thud" right in front of Su Ming.

"Su Ming, this is a gift for you," Bei Anqi said.

"Oh?" Su Ming was quite surprised, this was the first time he had ever done this in another world. "Why are you being so polite? Thank you!"

“Read these when you’re alone in your room.” Beianqi patted Su Ming on the shoulder. “These ‘normal’ books I had them prepare cost a whole one and a half gold coins. You should study them carefully!”

Su Ming was somewhat confused. He told the skeleton to take the box to his room and then continued with his work.

It wasn't until Su Ming returned to his room to rest that evening that he saw the box and opened it.

After the last replenishment of magical materials, all the individual cabins on the ship now have shielding layers installed, making them impenetrable to detection spells. Otherwise, the love-hate relationship between Zi Jin's omniscient vision and Su Ming's penetrating vision would be too exhausting.

Su Ming opened it and discovered that it was actually a color picture book of this world!
Some are beautiful watercolors that emphasize the beauty of blending, while others are meticulous woodblock prints that depict postures in great detail.

Why would Beianqi buy this for him? Su Ming was baffled. He recalled the girl's words at the time: "A normal book," "Study hard"?
Su Ming flipped through it and saw that the "knowledge" was all sorts of strange things, but it was all about relationships between men and women. Could this be what she meant by "normal"?
Just how far had Angie misunderstood him?! Su Ming lamented inwardly. He desperately wanted to show her the contents of the other T records besides the "Lily Observation Record" to prove his innocence!

Unfortunately, that won't work; if he did, he would definitely be considered a pervert!

Su Ming, having given up all hope, decided to properly appreciate the cultural treasures of this other world. He flipped through them one by one, and finally found the most beautifully bound picture book at the bottom of the box, with the title "Dragon and Holy Sword Maiden" on the cover.

The seller had a note tucked inside the book, saying that all of them were too straightforward and boring, so they were including a free book with a pure and innocent love theme.

This seller knows what they're doing!
Upon opening it, I was surprised to find a realistic oil painting, with extremely delicate and meticulous brushstrokes. The first page depicted the female protagonist, the Holy Sword Maiden, who possessed nothing but the holy sword in her hand.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the forest trees, dappling the girl and the fallen leaves on the ground.

Su Ming's artistic talent was entirely channeled into artistic inspiration, so this was clearly more in line with his aesthetic. He continued turning the page; the second page featured a dragon with a delicate, almost fragile appearance, but actually enormous. The dragon occupied most of the image, while the holy swordswoman battling it was relegated to a corner, her expression pitiful.

That's right, dragons are female too.

"Wow, is this how they play the game in another world?!" Su Ming's brain went blank for a moment. This kind of imagination is quite impressive even in the world of fan fiction on Earth!

So what right does Beanie have to criticize my great yuri cult?

Su Ming continued flipping through the pages and discovered there was even more plot. The dragon Mysera and the holy sword maiden Atia met under unusual circumstances, but the dragon and the maiden quickly reconciled and became friends, followed by a confession of love, and then some fan service such as bathing together.

The water was crystal clear, the hair was clearly defined, and the pure artistic atmosphere made Su Ming feel ashamed of himself.

On the next page, an adorable baby dragon appears between the two, and the story ends.

Su Ming opened the title page, which stated that the book was adapted from a true story by the famous artist "Crystal Orchid".

****
On the third day of the escort mission, the wind shifted to the northwest, making navigation even more difficult for the convoy. Some cargo ships with poor headwind capabilities even fell behind. The flagship had to slow down and wait for these ships to rejoin the group. Meanwhile, Su Ming was browsing through books in Zi Jin's library, searching for information about the painter Crystal Orchid.

Theoretically speaking, if the sketch is well-drawn, the artist's skill level must be excellent, and they must be a renowned artist.

Sure enough, he found relevant information: a collection of famous paintings contained an introduction to her. Crystal Orchid's real name is unknown; she was a renowned realist painter, favoring portraiture, and her unconventional style was highly controversial. In her early years, she worked diligently, only daring to occasionally paint a few pieces and submit them anonymously. Then, one day, she suddenly had an epiphany and no longer cared about worldly judgment.

This lady's creative peak was 150 years ago, during which she illustrated numerous storybooks. Because she liked to draw inspiration from reality, she offended too many people and died young, a loss that saddened the industry and brought tears to the eyes of countless enthusiasts.

Su Ming thought to himself, "If I have the chance, I can find other works by this master."

[Su Ming, this is the first time I've seen you flipping through art books.] Zi Jin sent a message, quite surprised by what she had seen through her omniscient vision.

"I'm learning about your world's aesthetic standards," Su Ming replied without changing his expression.

Zijin was very suspicious, but couldn't find anything wrong with it.

[The Golden Barrel has instructed us to proceed to the northwest for standby.] She then got down to business.

"If there are no enemies around, let's go over there." Su Ming said. This was the strategy decided from the beginning. Just cooperate with the employer when there's nothing else to do, satisfy their need to be bossed around. The client paid so much money, so we need to guarantee their emotional value.

"Yes, we have guests," said Zijin. "They're gathering about 70 kilometers ahead of us; there are already more than 20 ships."

Su Ming immediately perked up. "I'll be right there!"

****
White Triangle driver's cab.

It was a bit hot today, so all three of them changed into summer clothes.

Su Ming was wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt with the words "Free Logo Printing" printed on the chest.

Although Beianqi received the luggage brought by the Ale, the clothes were too thick, so she borrowed a nearly identical short-sleeved shirt from Su Ming and paired it with shorts.

Zijin glanced at the two of them, then looked away.

Su Ming analyzed the radar signals and found that the ship types were varied, with the vast majority being small and medium-sized warships.

“A typical pirate fleet,” Beanie concluded. “And it’s a coalition of many pirate groups; they’re planning something big.”

"According to the tactical plan, let's start with disguise," Su Ming said.

The White Triangle squeezed itself into the middle of the convoy, slowing down to synchronize with the surrounding cargo ships. A large number of zombies climbed onto the deck, erected several makeshift masts, and hung cloth curtains, making it really look like a sailboat from a distance.

The pirates did not disappoint. After assembling thirty-one warships, the fleet set sail from the west, heading straight for the convoy with the wind at its back.

In the operations room of the White Triangle, a naval battle sand table was laid out. This battle involved too many ships, and the three of them spent quite a while just setting up the models and making annotations. Afterwards, they gathered around the sand table to conduct tactical analysis.

(End of this chapter)