Under the earnest and kind gaze of Lin Lan, Charles ultimately chose to compromise.
After all, he had no other choice.
Soon, with the efforts of the old sailor and several guards, a square iron box was carried out of the cargo ship.
The box was very, very heavy.
Even though people tried to lower their bodies as much as possible, the box still made a 'bang' sound as it touched the ground, embedding into the sand.
"Gently! Gently! Don't damage it!"
Charles yelled anxiously from the side, while Lin Lan quietly observed the large box in front of him.
The surface of the iron box flickered with changing luster.
Upon closer inspection, the source of the light turned out to be lines of symbols that displayed peculiar colors in the sunlight, flowing across the surface of the iron box like streams of light.
Perhaps due to the stress from the Celestial Calamity, the text had become intermittent, and the light somewhat dim.
"Is this the magic of the Witch?"
Lin Lan asked curiously, reaching out to touch the flickering symbols, only to find them passing through his palm, like illusions that didn't exist in the world.
"Yes, Lord Roland."
Charles watched helplessly as Lin Lan fiddled with his precious treasure, his expression complex.
"The Deep Sea Treasures salvaged from the deep sea are very likely to bring about the curse of the sea, putting unprotected fleets in dangerous situations."
Charles instinctively glanced at the statue at the bow and explained: "And the magic of the Witches is the most stable method for containing treasures today. They are... naturally blessed adventurers by the sea."
"You mean, the Alliance's fleet has to meet a Witch before setting sail?" Lin Lan was somewhat puzzled.
"The Alliance doesn't have that many Witches, Lord Roland."
Charles spoke with a tone of helplessness, continuing to instill common sense into the fringe noble of a fringe small nation:
"Usually, when those large fleets salvage treasures, people use magical items made by Witches called 'Whisper Scrolls' to seal the containers holding the treasures, thereby shielding them from the sea's sight."
He added in a low voice: "Whisper Scrolls are extremely rare and expensive magical tools, which ordinary people can't obtain, so... many civilian fleets will use other methods to handle the treasures they salvage, and if handled improperly, they will pay an extremely heavy price."
Lin Lan nodded thoughtfully, his gaze returning to the surface of the container.
Deep Sea Treasures...
For this world, treasures from the deep sea are undoubtedly gifts from the world to civilization. Whether it is the freedom-loving Alliance or the strictly ordered Empire, both parties spend vast sums to explore the boundless sea every year and month.
Even the original host with an empty mind had heard more or less of those fascinating tales.
For example, the Dawn Expedition Team of the Alliance would excavate ancient civilization ruins in the most spectacular abyssal regions, passing through the Golden Lost Kingdom under siege from the Dusk Knights, hoisting sails to fend off the attack.
For example, the Empire's Night Owl Hunter would take newcomers far from home, deliberately steering into the silent iron forests filled with intelligent machines, hunting mechanical nightmares born in the extreme cold seas.
At the end of every poem, biography, or opera, the seafarers always return fully loaded, the Deep Sea Treasures on board glistening in the sunlight, setting aside the grudges of war, people always hold the greatest respect for the navigators in the mysterious and eerie infinite sea.
Of course, these epic-filled stories have nothing to do with small nations, after all, those famous sea routes are almost entirely in the hands of the Alliance or the Empire, making Deep Sea Treasures exceedingly precious to small nations, with some treasures with special abilities even capable of affecting the fortunes of a nation.
The treasure before them was the best example.
It was originally destined to be sent to the hands of the Lion Heart Princess, playing a significant role in this power struggle within the Kingdom.
However, Lin Lan didn't care about the disputes between princesses and princes; his current goal had always been to fully develop his own territory.
"Open the box."
In full view of everyone, Lin Lan gestured towards Jay.
"Yes, Sir!"
Jay took a step forward, forcefully lifting the top of the iron box, and in the next moment, a peculiar-looking 'Melting Furnace' came into Lin Lan's view.
It was made of an unknown, sleek metal, completely silver-white, and its appearance was a narrowed-top, broad-bottom round platform shape, which at first glance really resembled an exquisite large furnace.
Lin Lan took a step closer and discovered a material placement opening at the top of the thing, even under the sunlight, it remained pitch black inside, as if something was blocking the light.
Continuing downwards, he saw a screen embedded at the midsection of the furnace, which blatantly displayed...
'Low battery, please replace the power supply battery promptly.'
At the same time, the system panel popped up.
[Identifying the retrieved item for you!]
[Item: Damaged Molecular Reconstructor]
[Quality: Purple]
[Function: Deceive reality and the Gods, realizing mutual transformation between different substances according to different formulas]
[Description 1: Created by Roser Technology Company, this heretical item is widely used in food production, medical fields, and environmental management. Some Stargazing Scholars are worried about the widespread use of this product; they believe Roser Company has taken a wrong turn, and actions deceiving reality are bound to invite disaster for civilization.]
[Description 2: Due to unknown reasons, substantial damage has been incurred to both the power supply and conversion areas of the instrument; molecular deconstruction module efficiency has been significantly reduced.]
At this moment, Lin Lan was stunned in place.
He stared at the floating panel in front of him, his heart overwhelmed with shock.
——The Deep Sea Treasures that the world pursued actually turned out to be item tools from the replica world?
But how could there be a shadow of the sea in the replica city? No... Not right... The full name of the replica is 'Sunken Ideal City,' with the emphasis seemingly on the word 'Sunken'!
A storm of thoughts swirled in Lin Lan's mind.
He realized that this world's sea was mysterious to the extreme, and his golden finger 'Apocalypse Card Album' seemed to be the key connecting land and sea, past and future.
Lin Lan took a deep breath and shifted his focus back to the item's description itself.
The ability to realize material transformation based on formulas was undoubtedly powerful to the extreme, and in the current context of a small nation, it is undoubtedly a dimension-reducing blow to existing technology!
But looking at the two descriptions, Lin Lan's expression became subtle again.
Charles, who had been observing Lin Lan's expression all along, was slightly nervous: "Lord Roland, did you find any issues?"
"You mentioned before that people used this thing to forge weapons?"
Lin Lan turned his head, staring directly at Charles: "How was it done?"
"Uh... it's very simple, my Lord, first throw the materials into the Melting Furnace, any material will do, the harder the better, people usually choose iron ore..."
Charles thought for a moment, believing that Lord Roland also intended to use this miraculous furnace to create weapons.
The merchant walked to the side of the furnace, pointing to a square slot clearly intended for battery placement: "Then, pour Magic Potion directly in here. Initially, there will be strange noises and black smoke, but be patient, and wait a moment; the weapon will be manufactured."
He displayed a pleasing smile: "Although the swords and blades created with this furnace aren't very aesthetically pleasing, they are all astonishingly sturdy, even capable of cutting off a Sea Monster's claws!"
Lin Lan: ...
His head was buzzing.
Magic Potion... pouring in... strange noises... black smoke...
Damn it! The severe damage to the power supply and conversion areas; so this is how it was damaged!
Lin Lan's blood pressure shot up.
How could you use my Molecular Reconstructor like this!
But seeing Charles' clear gaze, Lin Lan ultimately swallowed the words of reprimand.
He sighed and instructed his attendants: "Load it onto the cart first."