The apocalypse struck, and I became a druid.

Page 236

Xiaoshan protested indignantly.

Good-natured laughter from others echoed inside the cave.

On a stone bench not far away, several older women sat together, mending clothes and chatting quietly.

Several cups of hot tea made from dried plant roots were placed beside them, the rising steam carrying a faint fragrance.

On a flat, large rock near the water purification pool, the cook from the settlement was busy working with two young men who had been absorbed from the rock.

A stainless steel pot sits on a small charcoal fire, bubbling away, its spicy aroma mingling with the fresh scent of mushrooms, drawing glances from those nearby.

This is a hot soup made by simmering stored dried mushrooms, a small amount of precious seasonings, and an edible tuber.

In a more secluded corner, Xu Yinyin and several younger people, some of whom were a bit older than him, squatted by the Fountain of Life, curiously watching the undulating Popo Tower inside.

The fathead fish seemed to be in a good mood today, using a small stream of water to manipulate several colorful dry leaves to spin and dance on the surface of the pond, eliciting low gasps of amazement from Xu Yinyin and the naive college students.

Young people are quick to adapt, and even after going through a long period of hardship, they can still maintain an optimistic attitude.

"Hmph, a bunch of land creatures who have never seen the world."

Popota proudly held its head high, but the speed of its rotating blades increased even further.

Inside the meeting room, Han Ning looked at the relaxed and harmonious scene with a satisfied smile on his face. He then looked away and turned to the management team of Biyun Industrial Park sitting in front of him.

The size of this conference room has doubled, and some of the adjacent office spaces have been opened up to make it easier for more and more elite members to hold meetings together.

Although the community currently has fewer than 400 official members, the management team still has a lot of work to do.

Those in charge of logistics must constantly plan for food, equipment, daily necessities, energy reserves, and so on.

After finishing a day of training, Zhao Kai, a member of the combat team, still had to work on the training plan for the new members and the hunting plan to hunt monsters and obtain monster crystals.

"I've called everyone together for a short meeting today because I have an important announcement to make."

Before transmigrating, Han Ning disliked meetings.

However, now that he is the leader of a settlement, he believes that holding meetings is a very necessary thing.

Only through meetings and joint discussions on the development plan of the cluster can the cluster become better and better.

There's nothing we can do about it.

Han Ning briefly recounted the alliance agreement reached today with the Sword of Judgment and the Highland Outpost.

"The Sword of Judgment? That's the legendary gathering place full of military experts?" A newly recruited Black Iron elite member couldn't help but show a surprised expression on his face after hearing Han Ning's description.

"They've formed an alliance with them? That's wonderful!" Chairman Wu's face was beaming with joy.

"Now we're not fighting alone..."

Most of the other people had the same expression as Chairman Wu.

First came the surprise, then the joy.

The Sword of Judgment is one of the five major settlements, which means they have gained a reliable ally.

Moreover, since the Sword of Judgment is separate from the army, the army can still provide a strong sense of security in the apocalypse.

Being able to connect with them was undoubtedly a shot in the arm for everyone.

No one at the scene felt worried.

Everyone agreed that forming alliances with other communities was the right thing to do.

Looking at the excited expressions on everyone's faces, Han Ning smiled and said:

"Well, we've established initial contact. We'll need to discuss the specifics of how we'll cooperate further."

"In the next few days, the Sword of Judgment will send a batch of communicators. Each department head will receive one to facilitate communication with survivors in other settlements, obtain intelligence, and trade supplies."

……

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Han Ning woke up to a faint, elegant fragrance.

The fragrance is quite unique; it's not as sweet as floral scents, nor as monotonous as the fresh scent of herbs and trees. Instead, it's a calming and soothing woody aroma that is truly delightful.

He sniffed and quickly pinpointed the direction of the smell, which came from the planting area.

Han Ning's heart stirred, and he immediately got up and walked quickly toward the planting area.

The closer you get, the stronger the unique aroma becomes.

Within the planting area, the dozens of Mo Xiang wood trees that were originally carefully cared for and used to make key keel materials have now changed drastically.

Their trunks have raised, rugged veins that resemble tendons.

The bark has a jet-black color, yet it gleams with a warm luster under the light, like fine black jade.

The leaves are thick and emerald green, with a faint light flowing through the veins.

Several of the tallest black sandalwood trees have blossomed with pure white, jade-like flowers the size of bowls.

The intoxicating fragrance emanates from these flowers.

"Sure enough, the inkwood has matured. Judging by the time, it's about time."

After being irrigated and nourished by the Fountain of Life for a long time, and further nourished by the Life Realm in the past few days, it has matured and reached the standard for building ships.

Han Ning took a deep breath of the refreshing woody fragrance, but something felt off.

"The quality of this ink-fragrant wood seems to be even better than the standards set by the Origin Clan. Not bad, not bad."

Standard-compliant inkstone wood is equivalent to quality Lv15.

The energy quality flowing within it is equivalent to that of a level 15 Black Iron non-awakened extraordinary being, which is Xu Ming at level 15.

Han Ning sensed it and found that the energy quality of this ink-fragrant wood was only slightly weaker than his own, equivalent to a diluted version of his life spiritual energy plus black iron energy.

Even the white jade flowers blooming on the branches appear exceptionally large and lustrous.

The unusual fragrance quickly attracted the attention of others in the gathering area.

Chairman Wu, Professor Ye, and several core members of the study group gathered around, drawn by the aroma, their faces filled with surprise.

"Boss, the blackwood is ripe?!" Chairman Wu was quite surprised, carefully touching the warm, jade-like black trunk with his hand.

According to what the boss and Professor Ye said before, it should take at least another week, right?

"Yes, the growth rate is ahead of schedule, which is a bit beyond my expectations."

Han Ning nodded, his gaze sweeping over the crowd that had gathered around him, and asked casually:

"Old Wu, the ink-fragrant wood has met the material selection standards. How well have our people mastered the knowledge of building ships from another world?"

Although he receives reports every few days, he is not always aware of the latest developments and details.

The community is developing very rapidly, with a new look every day. It has been more than two days since I listened to Chairman Wu's report for the third time.

Asking questions now serves both to understand the progress and to share information with other members who are concerned about the matter.

Chairman Wu's expression turned serious, as if he had prepared a prepared answer beforehand, and he replied fluently:

"Boss, here's the situation: with the addition of those top students from the Agricultural University, especially several teachers and students who studied mechanical engineering and materials science, our progress in analyzing the core principles of ship structure and hydraulic runes from the source race has indeed accelerated considerably."

"However, with our current manpower and technological reserves, we still lack the experience to independently build an entire ship capable of sailing in turbulent waters from start to finish."

"The biggest problem is still the lack of people, the lack of experienced craftsmen, and the lack of awakened individuals with various attributes, because many delicate parts and the overall structural strength control require awakened individuals who are sensitive to the corresponding attributes to have a more intuitive understanding."

"However, just because we can't build it completely doesn't mean we can't do anything right now."

"Before building ships, we must first build the shipyard, as well as the supporting infrastructure such as slipways, hoisting equipment, and keel processing platforms. This part of the work can start immediately now."

"In addition, we have already prepared most of the stone, timber and metal components needed to build the shipyard."

"In terms of site selection, we have initially selected three locations, all on the edge of the forests we control, near valleys and waterways, and in relatively secluded and safe places."

"I originally planned to conduct a final assessment of the geological and water level changes and safety at several locations in the next couple of days before reporting back to you. Now that the wood is mature and the boss has asked about it again, I'd like to ask you for your advice on how to finalize the shipyard's location and construction plan."

"Once the foundation is laid and the facilities are mostly built, we can probably catch up with the technical exploration and personnel training on the other side, and then we can connect with them."

Chapter 276 The Invitation of the Sword of Judgment

Han Ning had asked the question casually, but he knew in his heart that it was simply unrealistic to fully master the construction technology of otherworldly ships in just one month.

The premature ripening of the wood has further disrupted the original rhythm.

He looked at the tree trunk in front of him, its grain now resembling black jade, casually patted it, producing a dull thud, and turned to Chairman Wu, saying:

"Independent shipbuilding is indeed too difficult for everyone, and this cannot be rushed."

Upon hearing this, Chairman Wu breathed a sigh of relief and honestly admitted:

"Boss, you are wise. Just understanding the energy circuits of those water-powered runes and the stress coordination between different materials requires a lot of time and experimentation. Our manpower and experience are far from sufficient."

"Let's put site selection aside for now. We're not professionals. Just looking at a secluded location and calm water flow doesn't necessarily mean we can find a truly suitable place to lay the keel and build the shipyard."

Han Ning pondered for a moment, recalling the alliance he had just established with the Sword of Judgment and other gathering areas.

"Just in time, the Sword of Judgment will be sending over a batch of communication devices soon. I'll contact Colonel Li Feng directly and ask if they or the military system have any experts in shipbuilding to help with site selection."

"Both worlds are about sailing at sea, so there should be many commonalities in their underlying principles."

He continued, making the arrangements:

"Old Wu, your study group is making great progress. We need to significantly expand the size of the study group!"

"Once the communication equipment arrives and you've made contact with other settlements, you should immediately begin recruiting a group of experienced craftsmen, preferably those who have worked in shipyards, from the old Panshi troops or other trustworthy settlements. We need carpenters, riveters, and welders."

President Wu immediately nodded: "Understood, boss. I'll have Cheng Rui and the others prepare the recruitment requirements and compensation plan as soon as the communication arrives, and we can send it out immediately. With experienced mentors to guide them, our people will be able to get started much faster."

"Okay, go ahead and get busy." Han Ning waved his hand.

Chairman Wu and several other members in charge of technical research circled the fragrant black sandalwood trees a few more times, carefully recording some data, before hurriedly leaving to immediately begin formulating a recruitment plan.

...

Li Feng's team was even more efficient than Han Ning had anticipated.

As afternoon approached, the Awakened patrol outside sent a message that a human team of about ten people was rapidly approaching along the edge of the mountain range. The other party identified themselves as the Sword of Judgment and their purpose through the public channel.

Han Ning personally went to the edge of the forest to greet them.

The one who arrived was a burly Awakened One codenamed "Yellow Earth." He had a calm demeanor and was estimated to have the strength of a Great Black Stone.

He was followed by several team members, who were escorting two tightly sealed metal boxes.