How Could a Ship Fly?

He needed to find a way to get that unruly thing out.

At the same time, he had to guard against the bomb tied to the Alien Water Sprite.

Walking along the corridor,

Lin Nai recalled the matter of the Alien Water Sprite.

The Herta Space Station did have precautions in place for curios.

Its security was quite good as well.

At the very least, it was not like the Land of Light's security, where important items went missing every other day.

And Lin Nai was very curious about the "my lord" the Alien Water Sprite had mentioned.

While it was not impossible that there was a traitor aboard the Space Station...

Still... the Space Station's researchers could not possibly have given the Alien Water Sprite that much confidence and courage.

Lin Nai scratched his head. It itched, as though he was about to grow a brain...

There were no clues.

What a pain.

He had no idea what that so-called... "my lord" was trying to accomplish.

Forget it. He would dump this matter on Black Tower later and let her worry about it.

Emmm.

Actually, never mind. Knowing that woman's temperament, she would probably toss it to Asta.

Then Asta might end up asking him for help again.

After going in a circle, he was back where he started.

He still had to investigate it later. After all, he was the other party's target.

Before long,

Lin Nai arrived at the laboratory that had produced that explosive.

There was only one person inside, busy at work...

Lin Nai leaned in, curious about what the other person was busy with.

Then he discovered that the researcher was watching a comedy sketch while turning screws.

The sort where he screwed one in, then unscrewed it again.

Over and over.

He was purely slacking off.

At a glance, he looked extremely busy, but in reality, he was not doing anything at all.

Lin Nai froze for a moment.

Most researchers on the Space Station were workaholics.

For example, that guy who had made the dream-entry machine earlier had even planned to compete with others inside it.

It was rare to see someone taking a break.

Of course, not everyone was a workaholic.

Wen Shiqi from the Department of Applied Things often went to rest near the Core Passageway while also managing the Space Station's employee purchase system.

It was used to recover the Space Station's Black Tower Coins.

But someone openly slacking off in a laboratory like this was truly a rare sight.

"Ahem."

"Ah! I wasn't slacking off!" The researcher abruptly stood up and looked around before spotting Lin Nai.

"Phew, what the heck? It's you, Lin Nai."

Lin Nai tilted his head in surprise. "You are?"

He really did not know the person before him.

"Right, you don't know me." The other person introduced himself. "My name is Joey. I'm a researcher in this laboratory."

"I usually stay in the lab and rarely go out."

"Is that so..."

Lin Nai did not suspect him.

The Herta Space Station was enormous, and there were many researchers.

There was no way he could remember everyone's name.

Still, it was not strange for the other person to know his name.

He was the only one on the entire Space Station who frequently went in and out of Black Tower's office. It would have been hard not to remember him.

"May I ask why you're here?" Joey asked.

"I heard your laboratory made a bomb, right?"

"Yes."

"Do you know how to disarm it?" Lin Nai immediately asked.

"Hm? I do. Did something happen?"

Lin Nai did not hesitate.

He briefly explained what had happened in the cafeteria.

Upon hearing it, Joey understood. "So that means the curio has already been contained by you, Lin Nai?"

"Yes."

"Then release it now. I have a way to deal with the bomb."

Lin Nai asked suspiciously, "Are you sure?"

He would not judge someone by appearance.

But releasing the Alien Water Sprite still carried some risk.

"Haha, don't worry about me! I work out regularly, after all!"

Joey chuckled and patted his arm.

Lin Nai did not press the matter further.

But he remained on guard inwardly.

If Joey could not handle it, he would just find a way to stuff the Alien Water Sprite back into the gourd.

Lin Nai took out the gourd, removed its stopper, and gave it a shake.

The Alien Water Sprite, transformed into George, appeared along with the bomb around its waist.

"Lin Nai! My lord won't let you off! You will definitely pay the price! Even if you release me now, it will be useless!!"

The moment it came out, the Alien Water Sprite viciously threatened him.

Without mercy, Lin Nai punched it in the abdomen!

"Puh!!"

The Alien Water Sprite staggered back repeatedly, water continuously flowing from its mouth without any sign of stopping.

Ew.

Lin Nai instinctively took two steps back.

"Joey, you're up."

"No problem."

Joey said this, but he had no intention of moving. He merely watched the Alien Water Sprite with great interest.

"Damn it! None of you will live!!"

The Alien Water Sprite roared and activated the explosive.

Lin Nai saw that Joey was still not reacting, so he immediately prepared to knock out the Alien Water Sprite and put it back into the gourd.

But then,

A wisp of white smoke emerged from the explosive.

Then it went out.

Crack—

The belt holding the explosive made a sound and fell to the floor.

"Hahahahaha! How embarrassing! How embarrassing!"

A mocking voice came from the explosive.

Even an idiot could tell that thing was fake now.

Seeing this, the Alien Water Sprite turned completely red with rage. "How! How is this possible! My lord gave this to me!!!"

While the Alien Water Sprite screamed and shouted, Lin Nai somehow produced a baseball bat.

He caught the Alien Water Sprite off guard with a swing, knocking it to the ground.

The Alien Water Sprite twisted twice before reverting to its original form.

"So this bomb was fake?" Lin Nai asked as he put the Alien Water Sprite into a container.

"Yes, it was a prank I made privately." Joey scratched his head sheepishly. "But so the team leader wouldn't scold me, I talked it up a little."

"But it disappeared some time ago. I've been looking for it lately, and I never expected it to be on that thing."

As Joey spoke, he picked up the prank bomb from the ground.

Hmm.

It seemed it could still use some improvements.

"No wonder... Make sure to keep a closer eye on your belongings next time."

Fortunately, it had only been a false alarm.

"Of course, of course."

After containing the Alien Water Sprite, Lin Nai did not linger and hurried away.

Joey smiled and waved. Once Lin Nai was out of sight, his smile faded.

Chapter 6: How Could a Ship Fly?

Containment Zone, First Floor

Lin Nai came here to contain the curio known as the Alien Water Sprite.

The Herta Space Station contained many curios.

For example, a curio called The Crown of Unbearable Weight, made of forty playing cards precisely arranged into the shape of a tower's peak.

Packaged Joy, Heat Death Black Hole, Surveying Drill (Prototype), a Wind Glider suspected to belong to a traveler from next door, and fragments of the Crimson Knight's Godfall Sword.

"System, do you think this Wind Glider is the one used by that traveler from next door?"

Lin Nai stopped before the display cases containing the Wind Glider and the Godfall Sword fragment.

Host, there are many worlds and many world bubbles. You're asking me? I don't know either.

"If you don't know, then eat mugwort."

You can't fuck mugwort!