Otherworld Bone Dragon Operation Guide

Chapter 159 Thought Body

Negative emotions surged up, and Miao Xin's hair grew long, climbing in all directions, but not violently.

Su Ming realized he had gone too far and quickly apologized to Miao Xin.

"I didn't try to put myself in her shoes," he sighed. "Perhaps Violet is right?"

Hey, you two didn't use me as a bet, did you?

"No, no," Su Ming immediately clarified, "It was just a disagreement about differing opinions, and then I made a decision on my own."

While Su Ming was preparing improvement materials for the Youth Civilization Project these past two days, Zi Jin finally found time to study the book "In Tranquility" that she had seized from the Bell of Calamity.

This book is clearly a translation, and the translation quality is atrocious. There are numerous inconsistencies in terminology, and it's full of awkwardly coined words. If it weren't for the fact that it's a rare spiritual text, it would have been discarded long ago.

After Su Ming analyzed the basic content, he was at a loss as to what to do next, so he still needed Zi Jin, who was more familiar with the magic system and had a better talent for languages. She not only reorganized the manuscript, but also translated it into Chinese.

[So I finally have teaching materials?] After listening to the explanation, Miao Xin's spirits ignited.

"Perhaps," Su Ming said uncertainly. "It does indeed record a power system centered around 'Resentment Marks.'"

【"Traces of Resentment?"】 Miao Xin was confused by this name. 【Traces left by resentment?】

Even after we organized it, Violet and I are still completely baffled and don't understand what's going on.

Miao Xin, on the contrary, became quite interested, and most of the dark sea beside her dissipated. "Let me see!"

Su Ming sighed slightly; Miao Xin's reaction was exactly what he had expected. She would choose to explore the power, and the difficulty only fueled her desire for challenge.

The manuscript wasn't too long. Su Ming opened his tablet and started typing, while Miao Xin watched along.

[An adaptability test, requiring the ability to maintain autonomy within the Nether Sea?] Miao Xin looked at the prologue, utterly perplexed. [Is this your reason for testing me...? And is this condition easy for a vengeful spirit?]

If she hadn't believed that Su Ming could pull her out, she wasn't sure she could have lasted more than a second against such violent power. Su Ming's conceptual power was extraordinary, and she felt it especially acutely during the most turbulent storm.

"Other vengeful spirits are nowhere near as powerful as you." Su Ming stated the conclusions of her and Zi Jin's analysis. "Zi Jin's opinion is that this system isn't suitable for your situation, and it's too risky for you to be exposed to it. I, however, believe it should be given to you—that's our disagreement."

Technology designed for low-intensity events is likely to be a joke in high-intensity events. Flight control systems for low-speed drones, if applied to supersonic aircraft, would almost certainly result in a crash.

"Sister Zijin still loves me more," Miao Xin said.

Su Ming snorted. [Speak the truth.]

"Thank you." Miao Xin said softly, the dark sea beside her even seemed to stir and ripple—her feelings were truly impossible to hide.

"No need for thanks," Su Ming said bluntly. "The unreasonable power within you won't dissipate because of our fear. We really have no choice."

Zi Jin's perspective is technical, and she's certainly correct. However, Su Ming, born into the physical world, has a deeper understanding of the influence of the spirit on mysterious forces. "Resentment Marks" may not be suitable for Miao Xin, but guiding Miao Xin to explore this path is the fundamental solution.

Simply because of the ignited passion, Miao Xin's Youhai has already become obedient without her even realizing it.

"Yes, this is my destiny, and I will be extremely careful!" Miao Xin said solemnly.

As her mood improved, she recalled Su Ming's initial question: "What I long for most is to see my mother alive and well again. To have her tell me that the car accident was just a joke, and that nothing else matters."

"The best gift is for my parents to see me safe and sound?" Su Ming paused in typing. "But I can't do that."

Su Ming himself could not appear in front of his parents, nor could he even make a video call, as there was no signal in the other world.

"Think about it, maybe there's a way," Miao Xin said.

****
The next day, Miao Xin's warehouse continued to receive a steady stream of goods. Small quantities were delivered by car or even by delivery riders, while larger quantities were handled by platforms like Lalamove.

To be on the safe side, Miao Xin placed some orders repeatedly through different channels, resulting in an over-delivery, but it didn't really matter.

Back in the other world, Violet and the others began repairing the train. Yunier wanted to join them, but Su Ming ordered her to rest.

He then began installing the course correction system himself.

The system's mechanical structure is very simple: four cylinders with steering blades inserted into them. When needed, the cylinders extend, and the steering blades insert into the snow to counteract the vehicle's sway. Essentially, it's similar in function to the anti-roll fins on a ship.

The problem lies with the control system. Cameras intelligently identify the intended running axis of the carriages, and sensors capture any lateral swaying or rolling, which is then eliminated through cylinder actuation. The programming was successfully developed, but the actual train doesn't travel in a straight line; it also encounters turns and undulations, making the correction algorithm exceptionally complex.

Su Ming could only complete the initial installation and software settings; the actual adjustments would have to be made while the train was in motion.

In contrast, the braking system is much simpler. This system also uses a cylinder to drive the brake blades, which insert resistance blades into the snow to slow down the vehicle. The control logic is simple and straightforward.

The snow layer, a meter deep, in the northern snowfields makes it difficult for various facilities to directly contact the ground, so they can only work on the snow.

The newly designed steam locomotive steering system is also not complicated. The original steering guide wheels are eliminated, and the locomotive's five pairs of power wheels are separated, allowing for independent control of the track speeds on both the left and right sides. When the speed of one track decreases, the locomotive will turn to that side—this is also the steering method used by tanks or excavators.

The vehicle body can also steer in coordination, and the brake pads on one side can be inserted into the snow.

On the other side of the world, the custom-made parts arrived as scheduled. Later that afternoon, Miao Xin settled the wages with the movers and closed the warehouse door.

"The last batch of teleports can begin," Miao Xin contacted Su Ming.

Shifting his perspective, Su Ming noticed that the goods in the warehouse had been neatly categorized and placed. Any extras were also sorted on the other side; Miao Xin had renewed the warehouse lease for a few more months, and this portion was intended as a contingency reserve.

How should the debris be handled?

"I bought a calcining furnace," Miao Xin replied. "The combustible parts will burn and gasify directly, while the rest will clump together under the influence of low-melting-point metals, and then we'll find a place to bury it."

"Not bad," Su Ming praised. "We'll probably be taking a few days off. You've worked hard these past few days."

"Is this some kind of generous annual leave you getting, you capitalist boss?"

"I'm afraid not." Su Ming was also somewhat helpless. If Miao Xin were subject to the Labor Law, he would have been heavily fined and ordered to cease operations long ago. "You still have to deal with the mechanical workshop. You handle the payments; come to me with any technical issues," Su Ming said.

The transformation of the Youth Civilization Unit is only the first phase; further armament will follow.

Su Ming has already customized a set of "legal and compliant" civilian equipment for it. As agreed, the mechanical workshop canceled its annual leave and worked hard to complete all the designs. They also found a manufacturing plant to work with, and engineers will be stationed on-site, working with the factory's technicians during the Spring Festival holiday to process the parts using digital machining centers and 3D printing systems.

On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, more workers will arrive at work early to begin the follow-up processing.

Su Ming paid a lot of extra overtime pay for this, which made both the design studio and the factory very happy.

"Don't worry," Miao Xin replied, "I'll take good care of things."

"By the way," Su Ming added, "what happened at the steam locomotive exhibition hall and the Da'an North Locomotive Depot last time?"

Su Ming was referring to the item tracking spell he taught her during their previous visit to the steam locomotive, which was also a way of using power she learned from "In the Tranquility".

According to the book, this spell could only decipher vague directions to that level. But in reality, Miao Xin knew everything about those motorcycles, including their status details, the location of any malfunctions, and the parts they needed.

"...I came into contact with...perhaps, machine spirits?" Miao Xin seemed unsure how to describe it. "It wasn't the feeling of a human soul; there was no clear consciousness, but they unfolded all their information to me."

"Uh, what's that?" Su Ming was somewhat confused.

However, he didn't dwell on it. The quickest solution in this situation was naturally to ask Violet. He used the bone mark to bring the scholar in, establishing a three-way communication.

"We call this a 'Thought Entity.'" Violet immediately understood what it was after hearing the description. "The activities of any living being generate thought, a portion of which is incorporated into objects. Large devices like this—"

"That's not right," Miao Xin said. "Like when I was in America, whether it was the MK71 heavy artillery or that Independence-class warship, I didn't feel anything!" "Because longing keeps dissipating, it's extremely difficult to retain it to a perceptible level," the scholar said, holding up three fingers. "The attention of a large number of living beings, intense emotions, and a long period of time are all indispensable!"

Su Ming and Miao Xin then understood.

"Those steam locomotives, from the day they were born, embodied the passion of countless people," Su Ming said.

[The manufacturers' hard work, the crew's responsibilities, the workers' maintenance, the customers' hopes, and the remembrance of those who come after.] Miao Xin said, [This is what I perceive.]

Over the long years, from its birth to the end of its lifespan, these things accumulated little by little and slowly coalesced.

"Su Ming, this feeling disappeared after the teleportation was complete," Miao Xin said. "It must have gone to your place?"
-
Su Ming checked the list and transmitted the remaining parts over. The Youth Civilization Unit had brought a considerable amount of various materials on this trip, precisely to deal with unforeseen circumstances.

After Zijin finished the inventory, she said, "The repair parts are all here, as are the components for the new systems. Shall we start with the steam locomotive?"

"Ah."

Since transmigrating to this other world, Su Ming's magical energy reserves have increased significantly. This level of teleportation doesn't consume much energy and doesn't affect his ability to continue working.

The work was done very quickly. This batch of zombies, carefully selected, were all skilled workers, tightening screws with incredible precision.

The two skeleton minions were already capable of welding. They were unfazed by the splattering slag and flashing arcs, and their speed and quality were quite impressive.

"Zijin, if we go to Earth, opening a machine repair shop would definitely be no problem," Su Ming couldn't help but imagine.

Is this very profitable?

"It's about ensuring a basic standard of living," Su Ming replied. "I've definitely lost my previous job."

****
After a long day of work, everyone had a relaxing dinner, and then Su Ming was dragged away by Zi Jin to do combat training.

Su Ming needed to master the shadow jump before he could do it, while the scholar practiced capturing shadow skills; each got what they needed. But as they practiced, Zi Jin noticed something was wrong.

"Why are the traces of your magic getting fainter and fainter?" She dodged Su Ming's sudden attack once again.

"Really?" Su Ming flicked his hand and flicked a strand of shadow spider silk past Zi Jin's eyes. "It's black!"

The girl looked closely but found nothing unusual.

The two continued. Su Ming once again used the Shadow Spider Silk to advance, and this time Zi Jin successfully tracked the trajectory of the silk to her left. She prepared to deliver a powerful blow to Su Ming.

However, Su Ming's figure blurred and he did not appear at the predicted location at all. Zi Jin lost track of him!
Crimson flames burst forth, and the titled scholar unleashed a fiery shield around himself.

Su Ming slammed to a stop just short of crashing in, cold sweat pouring down his face. "Hey! You have no sportsmanship!"

If this hadn't been stopped in time, it would have been at least half-cooked!
“‘Obscuring magic’ and ‘Refractive magic’,” Violet said, completely unmoved. “You’re quick to combine them.”

With high-speed movement, combined with shadows and concealment, and control over magical fluctuations, Su Ming successfully removed himself from Zi Jin's vision and perception.

"However, how did you manage to make your Shadow Spider Silk so faint?" Violet asked curiously.

Not only was the spider silk almost transparent, but the scars at the points where his spells were applied were also very light in color.

“Oh, you didn’t mean I’m not a real dark mage,” Su Ming replied matter-of-factly. “I just realized that the colors of my spells are actually simulated by spatial elements, and that I can change them by fine-tuning the runes.”

"You can still make minor adjustments?" Violet frowned. What the hell? Runes are the smallest unit of a spell, and they cannot be changed or altered. This is common knowledge in the magic world!

However, considering the unique nature of Su Ming's conceptual elements, it's hard to say for sure, the scholar pondered.

Especially something like this, which others can't yet research!
****
After finishing his sparring session, Su Ming did several sets of strength training. In this other world, regardless of profession, everyone maintains a considerable level of physical training. After all, battlefield combat tests one's reaction time, and enemies will exploit any weaknesses.

However, magic users typically don't strengthen their muscles, since they don't practice physical skills, and the efficiency of physical training is far less than the boost from magical amplification. Su Ming has recently been researching a burst-damage tactic for fighting mages, which requires a certain degree of pure physical suppression.

Violet actually encouraged his attempt. In this world, there are no rules; killing the enemy is the only standard.

Afterwards, Su Ming turned his attention to the two motorcycles.

"Is there a way for the Thought Entity to work?" he asked Violet.

Steam locomotives are complex to operate, requiring extensive professional knowledge and practical experience, and are highly prone to errors. The journey across the ice fields has only just begun, and countless unknowns lie ahead.

Su Ming considered using some unconventional methods to make up for the lack of technical expertise in this area.

The autonomous driving technology on Earth is insufficient to handle such complex operating conditions. Moreover, he couldn't get the development team to collect requirements from the Youth Civilization ship, so how could the programmers write the algorithm?

Zi Jin also gazed at the black motorcycle, sensing the spiritual aura surrounding it. "Thought bodies are very rare. Once solidified, they can become materials for artifact spirits."

"Item spirit?"

“Yes, some high-end alchemical items can contain spirits, such as the true God the Father,” Violet explained.

"How was the Gospel Father created?" Su Ming asked.

“Its original source is a statue erected in front of the highest academy of the temple at the beginning of the religion,” Zijin said. “Countless people studied, preached, and prayed under it. Over time, these thoughts and beliefs settled into substance and gave birth to the Thought Body.”

Su Ming's eyes lit up. If they could transform the longing within the steam locomotive into a spirit, wouldn't they have an experienced driver assistance system?

"We can—"

“No!” Zi Jin had obviously guessed what he was thinking. “It’s not that simple.” She began to explain, “The Temple of Light spent a huge amount of money to modify the statue before engraving a spirit core on it that a spirit could possess. After hundreds of years of painstaking cultivation, a spirit finally evolved.”

This level of trouble clearly exceeded Su Ming's expectations. "Is the Gospel Father created in this way very clever?" he pressed.

"He can be called the wisest among the spirits," Violet replied. "The Gospel has witnessed the thousand-year development of the Church of Light, memorizes countless doctrines, and is extremely skilled in preaching and spreading the word."

Artificial intelligence from another world possesses significant advantages in autonomy and adaptability, such as the black and white skulls created by Violet. Its drawbacks are high cost and a complete lack of mass production and replicability.

"In other words, even if we solidify the locomotive's consciousness and start nurturing it now, it will still take a very long time before it can be put to use," Su Ming muttered.

The scholar glared at him. "Of course it is, a few decades is considered fast!"

Su Ming frowned; wouldn't that mean all his efforts would be wasted? He quickly asked, "Could we use an existing artifact spirit and then infuse the steam locomotive's thoughts into it?"

Zijin pondered for a moment, "Theoretically it's feasible, but where can we find a ready-made artifact spirit? Let alone a top-tier artifact spirit like the Godfather, even an ordinary intelligent artifact spirit is extremely rare!"

Su Ming pressed his palm down, signaling a pause in the conversation.

He contacted his back on Earth: "[Miao Xin, is there any progress on the high-pressure air pump and the cryogenic gas cylinders?]"

"The 30 MPa high-pressure air pump has been found and delivered to our warehouse," Miao Xin replied. This is quite common; it's frequently used in diving and similar activities. "It's just a cryogenic gas cylinder; the supplier has already closed for the holidays."

That's troublesome.

"Didn't you say you weren't in a hurry?" Miao Xin asked, somewhat puzzled. "But I know the location of that supplier's warehouse. If you're in a rush, whether or not someone delivers it doesn't really matter."

"Alright, I'll trouble you to make the trip," Su Ming instructed. "Things have changed, and I need to get these things immediately."

【Got it!】

(End of this chapter)