Learn one small skill every day

The king couldn't help but think this.

He had been waiting for over 30,000 years, so hearing those familiar voices again wouldn't be a waste of time.

"More than 30,000 years ago... you abandoned me on the ship, hoping that I would guide the new civilization on that island. You said that one day you would come back to see my achievements, but I did not wait for your arrival until the volcano erupted and the land sank. It was not until thousands of years ago that I was excavated from the cold sea by the Stemen people."

“When I disembarked, Emma was in the research and development phase. You said your life was finite, so you would build a machine to complete your work in your place. But now it seems they have used some method to keep you alive.”

As if suddenly remembering something, Wang Xiang said to the king, "We've heard that captains are constantly being replaced, and the current captain has only been in office for less than a month. Are you sure you haven't mistaken someone for someone else? After all this time, how can you guarantee that your memory is intact? After all, you've been at sea for so long, where did the energy that kept you running come from?"

Faced with Wang Xiang's questioning, the king simply shook his head: "There won't be any problems. The only thing I won't forget is Noah's appearance. And all I need to maintain at the bottom of the sea is the energy of the built-in clock, which won't run out even after 100,000 years."

After saying that, he looked at Bai Miao again: "I have given you the answer you wanted. Please go back."

Oh, so it's just because you're resentful about being abandoned for so many years?

But Bai Miao still couldn't understand why Captain Noah would let such an important future computer off the ship to help other islands develop, and now want to take it back. He must have some serious illness.

The other two were also mostly taken off the ship in the same way.

Once you know what the other person is thinking, communication becomes much easier.

Bai Miao immediately removed his hood.

The air outside was not fresh; the steam engine produced a lot of smoke, keeping the entire city of Strambourg in a state of smog at all times.

"Cough cough!"

Bai Miao coughed twice, catching a hint of worry in the king's eyes.

Tsk tsk, as expected, they still care about their creator from the bottom of their hearts.

“I still can’t remember your name… I’m sorry about that…” Bai Miao said with some regret, “Perhaps I want to make up for what I owed you back then. The Endless Energy has been adrift at sea for who knows how long, just to find the three of you and fulfill our ambitions again. Are you really not willing to give me another chance to fulfill our dream together back then?”

"We need eyes that can see the future, hands that can heal the wounds of the present, and feet that can return us to where we started after making a terrible mistake in the unpredictable future. We need all of them."

The king remained silent, his eyes filled with struggle.

He closed his eyes, seemingly calculating that hazy future.

Bai Miao gave him time to think and make a decision.

After all, Bai Miao felt that he had said the right thing.

Perhaps we should add another sentence?

"Oh, by the way, Stern is developing very well. Many of its policies are very visionary. Were they all guided by you? Well done."

"I...I did a pretty good job...?"

"Yes, you did a good job."

Bai Miao said firmly.

"Crackling..."

As they spoke, the gears on the gear knights on both sides started turning, and they all stretched out their hands and slapped down at everyone except Bai Miao!

Wang Xiang gave a warning on the Knockers' website, and several Knockers dodged away. The remaining crew members and Tina were not so lucky and were all slammed into the ground. Tina was even slammed into a bloody mess.

The exoskeleton armor was incredibly strong; the blow didn't even injure the crew inside. After a while, they climbed out of the pit on their own.

What are you trying to do?

Bai Miao questioned the king, but he always felt that the king's attitude was very strange.

No murderous intent.

"Please leave. This time I only killed a priest of the Steam Cult. Next time I'll use more force and kill someone else."

"Please return. This is the last announcement."

Seeing that Bai Miao and the others remained unmoved, the king grew somewhat impatient: "Noah, are you really going to refuse to admit your mistake until you see the coffin?"

But then he gave a wry smile: "Oh, I see. You haven't found the other two yet? So you want me to give you directions? Okay, I'll tell you where to go next. You can go back now. I don't want to go back anymore."

Wang Xiang's mind was racing. In his opinion, his captain's words were correct and had indeed had some effect. He thought he was almost convinced, so why did he suddenly change his mind?

What did he just see?

"King, what future did you see? Is this future so terrifying to you?! So terrifying that you are unwilling to face it with the people on the Ark?"

Wang Xiang asked.

The king's gaze kept shifting between Bai Miao and Wang Xiang: "It seems that not many people on the Ark have disappeared."

"But I'm not afraid of the future, I'm just..."

"You're just trapped by the past, aren't you?"

Bai Miao, who had been silent all along, finally spoke.

"You've created a new sect, so you have no face to face me?"

Bai Miao finally understood the reason behind the king's complicated emotions after seeing him.

What is the Endless Energy's attitude towards religious beliefs?

If any civilization regards the Endless Energy Ship as a god, it should be wiped out without exception.

Now, as a former member of the Endless Energy, he has become king and the "god" who constantly guides the followers in the Gear Cult.

He couldn't even escape this belief, constantly giving instructions to his followers through the medium of gears.

"You can no longer decide for yourself whether to give instructions to the Gear Cultists, can you? Because the Gear Cult's beliefs have become an unshakeable force."

"Captain Noah... please stop talking..."

The king before them seemed to have shed all pretense, bowing his head: "I'm sorry... I didn't want Him to grow to this point... I can only tell you to leave immediately and never set foot on this land again..."

Once faith unites people, will God truly appear and, in turn, control the machines?

This explains Emma's judgments.

If someone were to become a deity by worshipping the Endless Energy, then the Endless Energy would truly be completely controlled.

"Then you should leave and get off the throne."

“No…it’s no use. As long as the people of Sterman believe in the Gear, it won’t disappear…It’s right beside my ear. I, I can hear it…”

It's truly astonishing that the machinery has been bewitched and controlled by a mysterious force, but Bai Miao has no choice but to seek a solution.

Are they really going to sink the Stramberg?

But the Stramon people do not only live on Stramon. They interact frequently throughout the area and have long since taken root in various places. The only thing that remains unchanged is their belief in gears, which they seek guidance for when they are lost in life.

To wipe out the entire area?

This is clearly a stopgap measure, not a cure. What if some Strom people sail to distant places, discover new civilizations, and establish channels of communication?

Wait... why not just have the Stemen people change their faith?

Steam Cult!

Bai Miao looked at Tina, who had become a blurry mass of flesh and blood, and realized what had happened.

The Gear Knight killed Tina because he was wary of her identity as a priestess of the Steam Cult!

This means the "gear" is afraid!

This obviously requires careful planning, while also ensuring that the "gears" don't become aware of your intentions.

"Give me a pass to the palace, and I won't leave for now. I'll come back tomorrow to persuade you again! The Endless Energy has never given up on you!"

"Don't come back! Go southeast and you'll find the treatment pod; go 30 degrees west of north and you'll find the Reversal Wheel."

"Are you teaching me what to do?"

After saying this, Bai Miao led Wang Xiang and the others out of the palace.

"What are you going to do?"

Wang Xiang is now fully convinced that his captain is extraordinary. Either the captain does know more information, or the captain's analytical ability far surpasses his own.

“When you witnessed the destruction of a civilization last time, I don’t think I told you the truth, so you probably didn’t think of that.”

Bai Miao gave a brief explanation of Emma's strategy.

“I see… Then we really have to rely on the Steam Cult now, and let the Steam Cult take the lead in Stemen.”

"That's right... this is not easy..."

Bai Miao sighed in admiration at how much sharper Pente's mind was than his own, as he had come up with a solution almost immediately.

"A more important direction is to make the Gear Cult realize the importance of steam. So why don't we..."

Wang Xiang pointed to the huge steam engine overhead.

"You want to destroy the steam engine?"

"Hmm... This is one approach. The steam engine itself has a certain mysterious quality. On our way here, some people went mad after seeing the steam engine, which shows that the steam engine does indeed subtly influence people's minds. However, due to the presence of gears, this interference is ineffective against the Stellen people."

The group left the palace while discussing the relationship between steam engines and gears.

But the view outside the palace took them by surprise.

In the distance, the central square was now covered in blood, a scene of utter hell, and the pedestrians on the street had vanished without a trace.

"How long have we been in the palace?"

Zhuo Xinzhi stared wide-eyed, somewhat incredulous.

What Bai Miao was thinking was...

Emma has brought her people here to kill us?!

Otherwise, who else would be causing such a bloodbath in the capital city of Stellen, Card City?

As I pondered, several loud noises rang out from the distant Gear Church, raising a large amount of dust.

It seems the Gear Knights from the Gear Church have also joined the battle.

"Let's go take a look over there!"

Bai Miao rushed to the front, picked up the Holheim cup, and couldn't wait to see what had happened.

Crossing the square, Bai Miao saw a gear knight fighting a monster covered in dark gears on the main road leading to the church.

The monster appeared to be less than a third the size of the Gear Knight, but their strength was comparable. In fact, when the gears on the monster's body spun rapidly and steam billowed from its body, it could even subtly overpower the Gear Knight.