Otherworld Bone Dragon Operation Guide

Chapter 216 Aurora Thorns and Fragrance
Having had similar experience before, this renovation went exceptionally smoothly. The auxiliary boiler system is not large in size, and after drawing up the vacuum isolation array and water recovery enhancement array, the boiler commissioning was completed and successfully put into trial operation in just two hours.

After some minor parameter adjustments and array optimizations, the entire auxiliary boiler and generator system quickly entered a stable working state, emitting a reassuring hum.

Su Ming instructed Miao Xin to convey this good news to the Earth side and express his gratitude. With early intervention and the cooperation of the factory team, the workload on the other side was significantly reduced.

"Move the power supply here," Su Ming instructed Zi Jin. "Then stop locomotive number one, pull it into the work shed, and dismantle it."

Resources are limited, especially rare metals. This pile of ore containing rare earth elements was a supply we obtained from the dwarves on Browngold Isle last time.

Therefore, not only the destroyed No. 2 locomotive, but also the normally functioning No. 1 locomotive must be dismantled. After all the modifications are completed, they will be replaced by a brand-new doomsday locomotive and two auxiliary power car sections.

Su Ming went to rest. Four or five hours later, Miao Xin sent a message saying that the second segment in the middle had been completed and the person had been transferred to the teleportation site.

****
When the scene switched back to Earth, it was still familiar, except that the equipment in the center of the idle workshop had been replaced with a central section. Su Ming noticed that the metal residue left over from the last teleportation had been packed and sorted, but half of it was still piled up in a corner and had not been transported out in time.

However, some changes have occurred in the workshop: large areas have been covered with fine mesh paper, several more detection positions have been added, and various instruments are flashing with cold light.

"Miss Lingwen, you've taken so many pictures of me—" Su Ming said half-jokingly, "Do you have any photos to share?"

“We’ll have to wait. These are all ultra-high-speed cameras and various detection devices,” Ling Wen replied. “The amount of data is enormous, and the analysis will take time.”

Su Ming didn't say anything more and focused on starting the second segment of the teleportation. When the metal shards once again covered the workshop floor, a strong sense of dizziness suddenly struck him. When he regained his balance and his vision returned, he found that Zi Jin had already supported him.

Su Ming felt he could walk, but he still let the girl lead him to sit down. Zi Jin took off her purple bracelet from her wrist, shook it to enlarge it, and then put it on Su Ming's hand.

Is this the magic you've stored?

"Yes, our spiritual compatibility is very high," Violet replied. "There will be a discount, but it will also replenish your energy."

Su Ming now knew that Zi Jin wasn't particularly outstanding in terms of magical depth, which was likely due to a flaw in her soul. Wearing this bracelet was to help improve her endurance.

In contrast, a certain unicorn, after sharing the burden twice, was completely unharmed, leisurely munching on a golden-brown, crispy roasted wild boar leg, leaving deep teeth marks on the bone.

But this time, when Su Ming put on the bracelet, he unexpectedly didn't feel the comforting warmth he usually felt. Was it because he was used to it, so the feeling wasn't as noticeable? A question arose in his mind.

"Su Ming, when does the third teleportation begin?" Qi Luo asked while chewing on roasted meat, her lips glistening in the firelight. "The things you teleported this time look really impressive."

Under the flickering campfire, the metal shell of the doomsday motorcycle component was coated with a warm orange-red glow.

On the other side of the workshop, Little Skeleton Newman and Gospel were leading a group of zombies in an orderly manner to dismantle an old motorcycle. Under Eunil's command, the parts were neatly stacked and categorized, creating a well-organized scene.

Su Ming's dizziness has subsided considerably.

"Tomorrow at noon," he replied to Qiluo, picked up his coat and scarf, and greeted Zijin. "I want to walk in the snow. You should all get some rest when you're done."

Zijin looked up, her gaze lingering on Su Ming for a long time.

"How about we postpone the third teleportation by one day?" she suggested.

“It’s okay.” Su Ming shook his head. “I feel like I can do it. I just want to take a walk and relax.”

“…Mmm.” Violet responded softly.

****
The shed's door was simply hinged to the wall with a few large pieces of bone. Su Ming pushed open the creaking door and stepped into the snowfield. He had slept for a long time in the afternoon, and although he was tired, he wasn't sleepy.

As soon as he left the warm campfire, a chill hit him, making him shiver involuntarily.

The moon rose very early today, and it's now almost moonset. The light frost on the snowfield is gradually fading, giving way to the clear, cold starlight.

The starry sky of this other world seemed strange and mysterious. Su Ming looked up, searching, but couldn't find any familiar constellations. Only a seemingly familiar, dazzling Milky Way stretched across the southern sky from east to west, like a shimmering ribbon hanging in the night sky.

A chill gradually crept into his body, and Su Ming subconsciously wrapped his scarf tighter. The texture seemed different, and he realized he had mistakenly taken Zi Jin's scarf.

Although they were using the same style, there were still some differences in the details and patterns. He looked back at the shed, which was already quite far away, thought for a moment, and decided not to go back to change.

Reaching a small hillside, Su Ming looked up at the vast night sky. The extreme cold of the North had tempered the air to be exceptionally clear, and starlight poured onto this frozen land almost without any refraction, filling his pupils and giving him the illusion of being swallowed by the starry sky.

Suddenly, a streak of azure light pierced the northern night sky, leaving a vertical band of light. At first, it was just a hazy patch, but then it spread rapidly like wildfire, covering half the sky in the next moment. The band of light split and merged, sweeping across Su Ming's head. Pinkish-white, blue-purple, and scarlet colors intertwined, forming a vast ocean of light.

The universe surged forth at the speed of light, and the vast snow-covered plains could only silently receive it all, like a tiny mirror reflecting its grandeur.

Su Ming, who was in the midst of it all, was but a speck of dust in this grand painting.

Surrounded by the aurora, Su Ming felt his existence growing smaller and smaller, as insignificant as a snowflake blown away by the wind; while the starry sky seemed infinitely close, so close that it felt as if he could reach out and touch those cold sparks.

The purple bracelet on Su Ming's wrist silently broke into more than a dozen pieces. His world became pure and empty, and the surrounding noise and clamor dissipated like bubbles.

Nirvana is eternity!

****
In the tranquility, grandeur, and vastness, a stubborn, faint fragrance suddenly crept in, shattering the perfect harmony.

Su Ming tried to dispel the interference, unwilling to let it hinder his immersion in that great eternity, but he couldn't shake it off. He was somewhat annoyed, yet the fragrance felt increasingly familiar.

fragrance?

scarf?

Violet!

Su Ming suddenly realized what he was doing!
The illusion of the starry sky collapsed instantly, and he fell heavily back to reality. The howling wind rushed into his ears again, and the biting cold almost seeped into his entire body. Only then did he realize that he had fallen face down in the snow, his limbs already numb with cold.

Su Ming struggled to lift his head to breathe and saw Zi Jin just land beside him, rushing towards him anxiously. Seeing him open his eyes and move, the girl's tense expression suddenly relaxed, and she abruptly hugged him tightly. The previously faint fragrance was now much clearer.

"Did I...do something I shouldn't have done again?" Su Ming asked intermittently, his breathing very unstable due to the suffocation caused by being buried in the snow.

Violet simply shook her head and remained silent.

****
A moment later, Zijin released her embrace, carried him back to the carriage, took him back to his room, and placed him on the bed.

The room was warm, and Zijin helped Su Ming take off his scarf.

Su Ming's condition gradually improved. He sat up and took off his coat.

“I’m sorry, Su Ming,” Zi Jin apologized first. “Your power has just undergone a qualitative change, which is an essential step in advancing from the mid-level to the high-level. I couldn’t even warn you in advance—because fear would only backfire.”

"Is it very dangerous?" Su Ming asked, recalling the knowledge he had acquired recently. "It seems that other people's breakthroughs weren't this serious?"

“The more extraordinary the power you touch, the easier it is to get lost in it,” Violet explained. “You are a conceptual element, and your training time is far too short.” The girl’s voice was filled with self-reproach. “Yet your power keeps growing rapidly, and I can’t find a way to stop it.”

The spatial resonance that occurred when Su Ming encountered the Great Lich on Brown Gold Island had lingering effects. Combined with the battles and studies he had undergone since his journey began, Su Ming had unknowingly entered the late stage of the intermediate level. Therefore, during this time, Violet only taught him the application of techniques, never instructing him on matters of spirit and magic, hoping to delay his transformation into a Grand Magister and give Su Ming more time to grow.

Even the sealing bracelet she secretly put on him couldn't prevent this accident.

"Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown." Su Ming gave a bitter smile; he had almost become the first transmigrator to die while watching the aurora borealis.

"So, you've overcome one of the hurdles?" Su Ming asked.

Zijin nodded. "The hardest first time is over. Don't rush the rest. Just wait for things to fall into place naturally."

"Mmm," Su Ming responded, feeling his throat was extremely dry.

Zijin got up and poured a glass of warm water. Su Ming thought she was going to hand it to him, but he saw the girl holding the glass and drinking it herself.

He licked his chapped lips, leaned back on the pillow, and a deep sense of exhaustion washed over him.

Su Ming didn't notice that under the warm yellow light of the room, Zi Jin's hand holding the water glass was still trembling slightly. The girl lowered her eyes and said softly, "Just now, I almost thought I was going to lose... a companion."

"You'll be scared too," Su Ming chuckled.

"Why not?" Violet put down her water glass, took off the purple bracelet from her other wrist, and put it on Su Ming. "This is the one that truly restores magic power. It's called the Purple Corridor. Don't break it."

The gentle energy flowed slowly into his body like a trickle, and Su Ming's discomfort immediately lessened. "Thank you."

Zijin didn't say anything more, turned around and left Su Ming's room. She had rushed out of the shed without a coat. In just a short while, the girl was still soaked in cold sweat.

I desperately need to take a hot shower right now.

****
When Su Ming was left alone in the room, an unprecedented fear suddenly swept over his entire body like a tsunami.

Only now did Su Ming belatedly realize the immense power he had just recklessly touched. Last time, he had merely resonated with the storm, but this time, if he were to truly be immersed in the starry universe, he would be reduced to ashes in an instant.

A wave of trembling washed over her, and Su Ming tried to shake off the state, only to find that her condition was getting worse.

But unfortunately, he cannot choose to forget this experience.

That was a corner of the universal truth, and the nature of his power dictated that he must remember what he saw and felt in order to move forward.

The path to extraordinary achievements is always fraught with thorns!

Su Ming recalled his experience with the college entrance examination. He had lost his composure due to an accident, and it was Si Ran who helped him get out of the mire.

His gaze fell on the scarf beside the bed—the violet had been forgotten. It was the faint, delicate fragrance of the scarf that had pulled him back from his reverie.

Su Ming hugged the scarf to his chest and buried his face in it. Although he knew this was somewhat offensive to Zi Jin, it made him feel much more at ease.

As drowsiness gradually crept in, Su Ming finally fell into a deep sleep.

****
Brendy.

Although the town is small, the festive atmosphere of the Winter Solstice Festival is still strong. Embers of bonfires from the Frostfire Festival can be seen everywhere on the streets, and playful children are rummaging through the ashes for unburnt charcoal, their laughter ringing out in the cold air.

Two figures walked slowly along the town's main road, their boots crunching on the snow.

"Why don't we follow Princess Daphne's trail?" Zeflin asked in a low voice, his breath quickly dissipating in the cold wind. "Those guys in Astako have no ability to kidnap the princess; there must be a powerful third party involved—the real big fish is over there!"

“I’m telling you, Old Sand,” Rupert said, shaking his head repeatedly. A weathered face was visible beneath his heavy leather hat. “The mastermind behind this dares to kidnap even a princess. Are we just going to throw our lives away with nothing?”

"What about the Brunlev puppet lead? Why aren't you investigating it either?" Zeflin pressed. "There's definitely something fishy going on with the lord!"

“Don’t investigate, let the big shots handle it!” Rupert said decisively, patting the priest’s shoulder with his rough hand. “Just follow my instructions, honestly save these poor girls, and do what we at this level should do.”

“You’re just afraid of getting into trouble!” Zeflin complained, “What’s the point of dragging us from town to town without following a single lead?”

Rupert suddenly made a shushing gesture. The two disappeared into the shadows, observing a brightly lit two-story building ahead. Warm, orange light shone through the windows, casting dappled shadows on the snow.

"All the chimneys are billowing smoke, the fireplaces are burning brightly, and the snow in the yard and along the paths has been cleared." Rupert observed every detail carefully. "There must be quite a few people living inside!"

(End of this chapter)