"Bang!" The car door slammed shut, and Charles, accompanied by James, strode towards the dock.
"I don't know what that thing is, but it doesn't look like a human product. It specifically wants to find you and seems to want to make a deal with you." James explained to his captain with a serious expression.
"I don't know how it knows your needs, but after some reluctant communication, it knows that you are currently looking for a certain god."
Upon hearing this crucial news, Charles' eyes narrowed slightly and his pace became much quicker. At this time, the dock had been cleared, leaving only the steel puppets pointed at by various spears and cannons on the beach.
"You want to make a deal with me?" Charles asked the puppet's half head.
"It's us who we know · you · seek"
As the puppet began to move, the dried sea mud on its body fell onto the sand. The puppet's words were very incoherent, but one could barely understand what it was trying to say.
"Do you know what I'm looking for? What's the name of the god I'm looking for?"
"P. Nos."
Hearing this, Charles' heart sank. The god he was looking for was indeed called this name. "James, take everyone else away. I want to have a good talk with this thing."
The rustling sound of footsteps quickly faded away, and soon only Charles and the huge metal puppet were left on the beach.
Although the people left, the muzzles of the guns on the warships and the artillery platforms did not move, in order to prevent that thing from plotting against the Governor.
"Where is Hypnos now?" Charles asked directly.
Charles didn't care what he was trading with now. There were too many strange things in Earthsea and he couldn't remember them all. He just wanted to complete the agreement with 005 as soon as possible.
"Transaction. Chips. Requirements" the puppet uttered three cold words from the Earthsea.
Although the other party's Earthsea language was not very fluent, Charles still understood what he was trying to say. "A fair trade, what do you need?"
"Living island, no attacking living island."
Islands? Charles showed a hint of hesitation. This price was a bit high. He only had a few living islands. It would be a bit of a loss to trade them now.
But he soon decided to agree to the other party's request. Compared with the last thing he lost in Earthsea, it was nothing.
"Okay, I agree. Now tell me, where is that Phnos?"
Rusty's body shook slightly before he uttered one word, "nautical miles."
After hearing this information, Charles finally realized why there was no news at all after he had mobilized the power of all sea creatures on earth for several months. It turned out that the thing had shrunk into the sea.
"First mate! Bring us a nautical chart!" Charles shouted loudly to James who was waiting in the distance.
Soon, a very detailed map of the earth and sea was spread out in front of the puppet. "Where is He? Mark His current location."
The puppet staggered to the nautical chart and pointed with its rusty finger, but the location it pointed to was not any area on the chart.
The rusty finger poked a hole directly in the sand next to the map.
"Unexplored area?" Charles frowned slightly.
Because of so many deaths, humans on Earthsea are now living a much more comfortable life than before, and even the Explorers Association has stopped issuing exploration missions.
Beyond the ocean of humanity lies a seemingly endless unexplored area where no one has ever been.
After visually estimating the distance between the Finger Crater and Hope Island, Charles found that it was quite far away. It would take at least two months to get there by boat.
This does not include the possible dangers in unexplored areas.
If there is any accident in the middle, it will waste some time.
Charles thought for a while, then looked up at the metal puppet in front of him, pointed at the hole in the sand and asked, "Where do you live?"
The puppet shook its head slightly, "Transaction reward."
"No problem, first mate. Go ask Julio. The East China Sea has just been cleared, and he must have some living islands. Buy one in my name."
Although a living island is precious, Hope Island can still afford it if it is wealthy. Moreover, the quality of each island varies. An island without resources or specialties is completely fine in the current market situation.
Charles looked up at the mechanical head of the puppet in front of him and said, "Wait on the island. After the island is purchased, you can send someone to take it over. Whether it is living there or anything else, it is up to you."
Charles agreed so readily, of course he had his own considerations. No matter what this thing was, as long as they were on the island, if it was a trap and they wanted to take this opportunity to attack him, they would have to think carefully.
"Okay, quickly, trade me, arrive together. Then, pay me."
After the giant metal puppet finished speaking, it raised its feet and began to walk backwards into the deep sea.
Looking at the head submerged by the waves, Lily, who flew to Charles' shoulder, tilted her head and asked, "Mr. Charles, does it mean to go to that place with us? Is it the navigator of the ship?"
Charles nodded slightly. He touched Lily's head gently with his hand and strode towards the pier nearby. "It's not us, it's me. You stay on the island. We finally have a clue. As long as we find the last thing, everything will be over."
"Mr. Charles, what are you talking about?"
"It's nothing. Just wait patiently. By then, everyone's wish will come true."
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James slowly opened his eyes, lifted the quilt and began to take off his pajamas, then changed into his work clothes.
Just as he was buttoning his shirt one by one to tighten the fat on his belly, the bedroom door was quietly opened and a pair of eyes peeped in from outside.
Although it had been a long time since the former explorer James got off the exploration ship, he was not so stupid as to not even notice the sound of the door opening.
"My sweetheart, do you have something to ask daddy?" James turned around slowly and looked at his daughter outside.
A cute little girl who looked only seven or eight years old came running in, stepped on her red leather shoes and jumped hard, opened her arms and threw herself directly on my belly. "Dad~"
"Hey~" James' eyes were full of love. He put his hands through his daughter's armpits, then lifted her up into the air and began to spin around. The exquisite and warm bedroom was suddenly filled with the little girl's joyful laughter.
After turning around a few times, James held her in his arms and kissed her on the cheek. "Come on, let's go have breakfast, don't be late for class."
(End of this chapter)