Otherworld Bone Dragon Operation Guide

Chapter 154: Borrowing from Peter to Pay Paul
The White Triangle sailed north, encountering more and more sea ice until it reached icebergs that needed to be avoided. Fortunately, sonar and radar provided early warning, so Hanster didn't need to run to look out, otherwise he would have suffered greatly.

Gradually, icicles appeared on the railings, and the deck was completely covered in white. Su Ming and Zi Jin, even in their winter clothes, felt extremely cold and had to turn on the heating in the work shed.

Now Qiluo spends all her time here. Fortunately, she is generally quiet, and most of the time she just doodles on a drawing board, and she is happy to help out when she can.

This is thanks to Hans St.'s constant use of delicious food to entice people; aside from being oily, his cooking was pretty good in terms of taste.

Su Ming had occasionally glimpsed some of the unicorn's sketches and found them to be quite beautiful.

Six days after leaving the Flounder, the group arrived near the coast of the Giant Horn Peninsula on the northern continent. The shore was covered in white ice and snow, and the shallow sea was completely frozen over.

Su Ming did not allow the White Triangle to dock, but instead moored it nearby. He then had Yunier lead the zombies to dismantle the White Triangle's propulsion boilers, breaking them down into parts and carrying them to the work area on the deck.

"Why dismantle the ship?" Qi Luo asked, puzzled. Even Hanster felt a pang of heartache upon seeing it. Dismantling it would render this most powerful warship in the region powerless. Only the oldest Corliss steam engine would remain, still providing electricity.

"We'll just have to rob Peter to pay Paul," Su Ming said helplessly.

The main body of the steam boiler on the White Triangle is indeed made of heat-resistant steel plates, which consumed his already limited alloying elements. Originally, he planned to use a carbon-based boiler for the steam locomotive, but Kong Ruifeng's mistake in the use of materials ruined his plans.

Su Ming made his choice immediately: dismantle the existing propulsion boiler to obtain the raw materials. His order to Kong Ruifeng was actually for the boiler to be reinstalled on the ship two months later.

Because the boiler was custom-made, Su Ming was able to overcome the limitations of alloy materials, thus achieving an unprecedented power output. The two boilers from the Youth Civilization Unit will also be dismantled and used as auxiliary systems to form a complete system.

These adjustments, while not yet affecting the plan to go to the Holy Mountain Divine Might Prison, have actually brought risks and hidden dangers to the future.

Reassembling the steam engine for the White Triangle would take time. If they were pursued on their return journey, it would be very troublesome.
-
On Earth, Miao Xin arrived at an open space where two fresh, huge mounds of earth were piled up.

A few days ago, Su Ming finally accepted the boiler delivered by Kong Ruifeng and arranged for it to be unloaded here. Miao Xin hired an excavator to dig two pits and bury it directly.

Kong Ruifeng was deeply shocked, but he didn't say a word more.

Su Ming controlled the little thorn, inserting its hand into the soil and touching the main body of the boiler, then unleashed the Summoning of All Things.

This time, the will of the plane did not react.

Su Ming had a hunch that what alerted the plane was probably not the equipment itself. Or rather, the plane's will itself hadn't actually recognized just how terrifying these inanimate objects were.

What He has been resisting may be another existence.

****
The new boiler was built entirely according to the configuration of the Qianjin type locomotive. After installation and fixation, it was started up smoothly in a short time, spewing out large amounts of steam.

After all, it's a brand new device that has been fully tested and debugged, so its reliability is excellent!
Su Ming and Zi Jin's work thus entered its second phase: radical modification!
A literal, radical alteration.

"Replace the piston material." Su Ming checked the work list, yawned, and felt exhausted from days of work.

“This alchemical material has better sealing properties, but its main purpose is to enhance magic conduction,” Violet explained. “I embedded a magic crystal in the center of the piston and used a constant oiling spell for lubrication.”

This modification eliminates the need for continuous lubrication of the cylinders, thus eliminating the need for an oil press system. Furthermore, since the grease is not actual oil and does not contaminate the steam, it avoids bringing oil into the boiler water tank during the recovery process—a truly multifaceted benefit.

Unfortunately, the cost of grease is relatively high and it is not suitable for widespread use; otherwise, locomotive axle oil would not be needed.

Just as Su Ming was about to proceed with the next step of preheating the boiler water, he suddenly felt a heavy weight on his waist and was almost knocked over.

"Su Ming, I smell it! There are king crabs in the sea!" Qi Luo exclaimed excitedly. "They're so delicious!"

"Go catch it yourself in the sea," Su Ming replied irritably. "In this respect, all of us combined are not even a tenth as good as you."

"But the water is so deep!" Qi Luo tugged at his clothes, jumping up and down and shouting, "Hurry up and think of something, I want to eat!"

Zijin closed the folder in her hand and suggested, "Why don't we take a break?"

Su Ming rubbed his forehead; he'd been feeling utterly exhausted lately. The increased boiler power meant the entire power system needed re-verification and modifications to any problematic parts, requiring constant communication with the design studio.

At the same time, he was responsible for placing additional parts orders with the machining plant and rewriting the outsourced machining control program. Material delivery was only the least demanding task.

Unfortunately, time was limited.

He wanted to refuse the unicorn's request, but Violet had already taken the documents from his hand.

"Alright," Su Ming said helplessly.

The two put on their coats and stepped out of the work shed, where the cold air immediately filled their lungs.

"Hoo!" Su Ming took a deep breath, facing the deep blue sea and the white icebergs in the distance, and his dizzy head cleared up a lot. "I'll make a crab trap, and you guys get some sea fish as bait?"

Qi Luo shook her head desperately, "No, the seawater is so cold!"

"How many fish do you want?" Violet asked him.

"A few are enough if they're large."

Zijin nodded, then turned to Qiluo, "Little unicorn, turn back to your original form and lie down."

"What?" Qi Luo asked, puzzled.

"If you want to eat crabs, then behave yourself."

"Hmph!" Qi Luo stubbornly turned her head, transformed into a unicorn, and lay down forcefully.

Zijin couldn't help but laugh. She lay down, using the unicorn as a pillow, snuggling into its mane and closing her eyes.

The foredeck opened, and a white bone dragon burst out from the lower deck before plunging headfirst into the sea.

Su Ming had just gathered the bone materials for making crab traps when he said, "Zi Jin, why don't you just catch some crabs?"

I can only dive to 200 meters. How deep are king crabs again?

[...below 500 meters.]

Su Ming had no choice but to continue. He used bones to assemble a large cage and installed an easy-to-enter, difficult-to-exit entrapment. The bone dragon quickly caught five or six large fish and brought them back, dropping them beside him, where they bounced vigorously on the deck.

Su Ming kicked one of the salmon to Hanster, who quickly picked it up with his hand, gave a nod of acceptance, and headed to the kitchen.

The rest of the zombies were chopped into small pieces by Su Ming and stuffed into the bait container placed inside the crab trap. The rope used to launch the balloons was still there. Su Ming filled the trap with bait, then dropped it into the water, sinking it all the way to the bottom of the sea.

"Alright, we'll pull it up again tonight." Su Ming patted the unicorn's head. "You guys go inside, I'll keep watch." The unicorn gazed longingly at the sea.

The outside temperature was minus ten degrees Celsius, and Su Ming was only wearing ordinary winter clothes. After he and Zi Jin went inside, the girl quickly sat down around the radiator. Su Ming poured a cup of hot milk and handed it to her.

"Are you so afraid of the cold?" Su Ming asked, seeing that Zi Jin was even shivering.

“Dragons hate winter, and they hate the north even more.” The girl’s voice trembled. “There’s absolutely no way those dragons could have caught up with us in a place like this.”

"Just wondering, do you have some kind of Highland Bear Clan among your enemies?" Su Ming joked.

Violet snorted.

"But you're human now, so why are you still so afraid of the cold?" Su Ming asked telepathically.

"Low body fat is to be expected!" The scholar's physiological knowledge was not wasted. "I've been so busy lately, I haven't been able to accumulate any fat."

The two glanced at the unicorn in the cold wind outside the window. Although it was almost as big as a crab-shaped rock, she was indeed stunned by the sight of it outside.

No wonder she's been eating so much lately; she's definitely a seasoned traveler with plenty of experience! Su Ming thought to himself.

And they misunderstood Hansster!
The White Triangle had only been traveling from the equator to here for about ten days, and the two of them hadn't had time to adjust. Su Ming went to speak with Hansster, instructing him to be flexible and further adjust their diet.

When he returned, Zijin was leaning back in a recliner, her eyes half-closed. He wasn't the only one exhausted; the scholars had also been working incredibly hard during this time.

Thinking that lunch was coming soon, and that her nap was a bit half-hearted, Su Ming poked her arm.

"How did you spend the winter when you were a dragon?" he asked.

“…What else can I do but sleep, sleep as much as I can.” Violet rubbed her eyes and replied, “When I was a dragon, I was naturally a heavy sleeper, sleeping more than twelve hours a day. In winter, I could sleep through four and a half months out of five. It only got better after I went to a warmer place.”

"So, do you sleep in a human form, or...?"

"Of course, I sleep in the form of a dragon. When I was in the mining area, I slept in abandoned mine pits. Later, I was taken in by my mentor Gilbert, who dug a large cellar for me in his home, where I hid to sleep."

"Your advisor is quite wealthy."

Realizing that Su Ming was deliberately trying to keep her from sleeping, Zi Jin had no choice but to sit up. "He's quite wealthy," she recalled the past. "But I eat too much, so it was still a heavy burden for him. Later, my mentor simply moved me to the seaside, where there were tons of fish, shellfish, and seaweed. At first, we had to buy them from the fishermen, but once I got the hang of it, I would go out to sea to find food myself, and one meal would last me two or three days."

No wonder Zijin was so skilled at catching fish just now, and she only picked the tastiest ones. Even Qiluo, a fish out of water, was amazed. "You really have it tough."

"By the way, what's your favorite color?" Su Ming asked again.

"Purple." Violet looked up, her eyes crinkling. "What do you want to give me?"

"What else can you have in this freezing place besides warm clothes?" Su Ming replied.

****
In the afternoon, Su Ming couldn't resist the unicorn's demands and began to raise the crab cage.

The moment the cage was lifted out of the water, Su Ming saw that there were more than thirty king crabs inside.

Qiluo cheered, "I knew we'd caught them! I could hear them squealing in the cage!"

Hanster grinned from ear to ear; this was an extremely rare delicacy, and he never imagined he would have a day to enjoy it so heartily. The old man and Eunice put on leather gloves and began sorting, throwing the smaller ones back into the sea, and keeping the dozen or so larger ones, which weighed four or five kilograms each.

Eunice accidentally got pinched and jumped up with a scream. Hansster calmly broke off the crab claw for her.

Qi Luo had some reservations about the two of them releasing some of the unicorns, but Su Ming let the unicorns go back into the cage and catch them again, and she happily went to refill the bait.

Dinner was almost entirely a crab feast. Fresh ingredients don't require complicated cooking; the crab legs were steamed after being split open, and the bodies were cut into pieces and stewed. Even Zijin, who doesn't usually like crabs, didn't complain this time, since king crabs are so big and peeling them isn't difficult.

****
The next day, Su Ming noticed that Hanster was constantly observing the coast with binoculars and asked curiously, "What are you looking for?"

“Find a berth,” Hansfield replied. “There’s no dock here, so we’ll have to find something similar.”

"No need, we're not exactly a proper ship anyway," Su Ming said. "Just find a surface of ice that's thick enough and has a gentle slope."

"Okay, Mr. Su."

"It would be best to get inside." Su Ming pointed to the winding tidal channels on the mudflats. "If there's a suitable place, hiding inside would be ideal."

Hanster accepted the order and prepared to go ashore for reconnaissance. The unicorn, tired of seeing modified steam locomotives, gladly followed.

"When did they become so close?" Su Ming watched as the unicorn carried Hanster towards the shore.

"A mutual appreciation among foodies?" Zijin said.

"possible."

Sure enough, by evening, the two had not only found a suitable bay, but also carried back a large bag of lampreys.

I really don't know how they caught it in this freezing weather.

****
The unicorn was incredibly diligent when it came to food, and the next day she began harvesting the fruits and vegetables grown in the greenhouse.

She froze some of it outdoors as provisions for her upcoming journey; she pickled the rest.

Hanster and Eunice were also called upon to help. Miss Beast could barely accept the skeleton servants that could be boiled in hot water to sterilize them, but zombies were absolutely forbidden from touching food.

Su Ming was asked to make a large pickling jar. After the three of them stacked the vegetables layer by layer, they found a statue in the warehouse and prepared to place it on top.

Because it was too dirty, Qiluo threw it into a large pot to boil with boiling water as usual, while she and Yunier used a large brush to scrub it. Soon, the pure white interior was revealed. The gold patterns inlaid on the statue were exquisite and delicate, with a gorgeous and pleasing aesthetic.

As the area being cleaned expanded, revealing the statue's holy and solemn face, Qiluo and Yunier both took a step back.

"Oh my god!" Yunie covered her mouth. "So beautiful!"

The commotion attracted other people, and Su Ming walked over to take a look, finding the image familiar. He thought back carefully and realized he seemed to have seen it on the cover of a temple textbook by Zi Jin.

He ordered his servant to fetch the book, and sure enough, it was there. The cover was painted with a magnificent and solemn church, sunlight streaming through the towering, seven-colored skylight and illuminating the grand murals; a statue of the Holy Father floated beneath the dome, looking down upon all living beings; holy water, representing grace and mercy, flowed from the corner of His eye, trickling into the pool below, creating a white mist.

(End of this chapter)