Land and Population / No, You Came at Exactly the Right Time!

Enciodes Silverash said, "Let's go see their new ship."

Noesis followed.

At the entrance to the construction site, several Sarkaz with remarkably good spirits were on guard. Each of them carried a greatsword, and their uniforms and prominent horns made them look quite heroic.

"Wait! You need to wear a helmet and earplugs to go in!"

"Idiot! Call it a helmet!"

"Why won't you give it to me...?"

"Just visitors!"

Sarkaz...?

Noesis glanced at them, then put it on along with Enciodes Silverash.

The elevator descended for a long time, and the surroundings gradually darkened. But after passing a certain point, a large number of lights illuminated the site as if it were daytime.

The noise from the power floor itself traveled through their earplugs, through the elevator floor, and through their entire bodies, reaching their brains.

Enciodes Silverash and Noesis had certainly visited many Mobile City, but rarely approached the power layer. Enciodes Silverash was fine, having already experienced the piercing noise during his stay on Rhodes Island, but Noesis was still somewhat unaccustomed to it.

Following the light, two long metal pillars have been removed and are now sitting upright in the center of the light, awaiting further processing.

A man in Rhodes Island uniform stood there, holding a tablet terminal in one hand.

His silver hair even reflected a metallic sheen under the light. Faintly, one could also see the dark ear feathers hidden among his hair.

"Is he Oute from Rhodes Island?" Noesis asked loudly.

"Doctor. Oute," Enciodes Silverash added.

The person seemed to ignore the noise from the power floor and had overheard their conversation. He turned around and waved.

"Doc Otter! How's it going!?" SilverAsh asked as he approached.

Oute put away the tablet, took out two tactical headsets from the side, and gestured for them to put them on.

Then he explained, "After testing, these two materials are in excellent condition and strong enough to serve as the keel of the new ship."

Oute's voice was picked up by a microphone in his throat and played back to the two of them.

These tactical headsets are much more effective than regular earplugs—although the noise isolation is slightly worse, they ensure communication. Upon closer inspection, the workers are also wearing similar devices on their ears.

That's really professional! But two keel beams?

Oute continued, "However, it's a bit too deep here."

Noesis subconsciously remarked, "If the components are forged in the power layer, then building a dry dock on-site would be more efficient."

Oute nodded approvingly. "But our ship's frame structure was cast in Lungmen."

"That's near the temporary ferry crossing... I understand, you have alternative options." Noesis suddenly realized.

Chapter 266 Land and Population

The keel of Number Fourteen Facility may have hidden damage. Oute does not plan to begin constructing the dry dock until it is excavated and tested.

The alternative keel options are the Core City and other moving tiles. However, the construction process of the Malta will be subtly different depending on the location of the keel used.

If we open the champagne early and schedule the dry dock for Number Fourteen Facility, then we'll have no choice but to build ships here!

The most convenient, cheapest, and most efficient way... is, of course, to tow the keel to Lungmen, directly borrow Lungmen's space and resources, and complete the construction of the new ship. Although we can try our best, it's unlikely that Lungmen will agree to allow Rhodes Island to build warships here.

The direction of our efforts should be slightly modified...

Oute made up his mind, but did not reply to Noesis in that direction.

He simply said, "The drawings are already stored on my tablet. Would Mr. Noesis like to take a look?"

How did he know my name... Enciodes Silverash? Of course, Enciodes Silverash.

Noesis remained silent and took the tablet.

As expected, weapons are not included, but there are some "unclear" gaps. Will it require an extra charge... or...?

Rhodes Island plans to build the ship's main structure and mobility unit in Lungmen!

Noesis had a flash of inspiration.

Rhodes Island, how opportunistic! No wonder you've set your sights on the people and land of Kjerag!

Because Enciodes Silverash was offering such generous terms, Noesis harbored a subtle hostility towards Rhodes Island.

The workers are planning to dismantle the entire block, focusing on the future keel of the structure.

While not all materials retain sufficient strength for use on ships after recycling, they are still high-quality steel. This recycled steel can be used in a variety of applications—including, but not limited to, the power greatswords that the Sarkaz are gradually mastering.

Oute summoned a few operators, explained the structural diagrams briefly, and then turned to the two men, saying, "I have some other things I'd like you to take a look at."

Back on the surface, Noesis returned the helmet and earplugs to the Sarkaz. Trailing behind Enciodes Silverash, he noticed the Sarkaz's peculiar attitude towards Oute.

"The Doctor is finally gone..." a Sarkaz complained. "That was terrifying!"

"Yeah, what brings the Doctor here in person today?" another Sarkaz complained. "If I hadn't known he was coming, I could have fooled myself and not been so scared!"

Come in person sometime? The Victoria language spoken by the Sarkaz has really bad grammar.

Noesis didn't take it to heart; he strode off and followed closely behind.

You charlatan state thief, let me see what tricks you're up to!

"I thought you'd already visited SilverAsh, but Nearl told me you haven't," Oute said in a very friendly tone.

It was a greenhouse with excellent insulation.

"The smell isn't very pleasant. If you feel uncomfortable, you can wear a mask." With that, Oute walked in with his face exposed.

Inside the Del Diener camp, the Sarkaz girl suddenly yelled, "You shit otter! What are you doing at the farm all of a sudden!?"

Clearly, someone else suffered the hardships that Oute didn't.

Since their master wasn't wearing a mask, it wasn't convenient for Enciodes Silverash and Noesis either.

Upon entering the gate, the two saw a series of terraced... farms.

The drawer-like planting boxes are arranged on sturdy shelves according to the growth height required by the plants, and planting lights are hung above the planting boxes to provide them with just the right amount of light.

Countless cables are bundled together beside the frame, transforming into a single cable that connects to the terminal of the vertical farm.

"This is a vertical farm," Oute explained. "It uses a large amount of energy in exchange for extremely high yields per unit area and extremely low water consumption."

"This is the latest achievement in three-dimensional agriculture, and many Mobile City haven't even started using it yet. But Rhodes Island, due to its limitations, can no longer do without it."

"However, that's not what I want to introduce, because it's not very relevant to Kjerag." Oute turned around. "What I want to introduce is its prototype system."

And the source of the odor in agricultural products is not here.

Following the pungent smell, Enciodes Silverash and Noesis found what Oute wanted to introduce.

That's a circular farm.

The second layer is the Fowlbeast cage, where the feeder provides sufficient nutrition daily, and the perfect height and egg trays cause the Fowlbeast eggs they produce each day to spontaneously roll onto the egg trays.

Food that fails to enter the Fowlbeast's body from the feeder, along with digested food that has already entered the Fowlbeast's body, will fall from the bottom of the cage into the first layer.

The first level is a transparent fish tank that houses a specific type of Scale Beast. The various Fowlbeast feeds that fall from the second level will become feed for the Scale Beast.

Next to the fish tank, there is a water pump. It pumps the water from the fish tank, mixed with the Scale Beast food and excrement, to the fourth level of the circular farm, which is the top level.

In the top sedimentation tank, the water, after passing through the filter, will flow to the plants in the third layer. The undigested organic matter in the tank will naturally ferment and form fertilizer.

At the bottom of the third-layer planting box, there is a partition and another set of water pipes. Water that is not directly absorbed by the plants and does not evaporate will return to the fish tank through these water pipes.

"It's called a prototype, but it's actually limited by the weather in Ursus... and after moving it indoors, we had to incorporate even more advanced technology," Oute explained. "But its design concept remains clear."

Noesis leaned closer. "It's not so much still clear, but rather even clearer..."

The concept that is being presented to the Kjerag people here is actually the traditional "mulberry-dike-fishpond" concept.

Vertical farming, a high-tech form of agriculture that conserves water at the expense of energy and ignores weather changes, is more suitable for Rhodes Island the Originium industry is already highly developed.

Noesis instantly forgot his awkward hostility towards Rhodes Island; he was even more excited than when he saw the blueprints. "If we can find a design suitable for Kjerag, then the Kjerag Basin will be able to support a much larger population!"

Is it necessary? Since food is no longer a problem, then...

"No!" he even exclaimed fanatically, looking up, "Those lands that could only be used piecemeal will feed the people of Kjerag! And the Kjerag Basin will serve as the best industrial land!!!"

Individual choices do not always follow the optimal decision; even those known for their composure can occasionally make foolish mistakes.

As Oute sighed, Enciodes Silverash patted Noesis on the shoulder. "Calm down, Rag doesn't have Originium."

"... Yes." Noesis sighed.

Chapter 267 No, you've come at just the right time!

"I'd like one of these! And one of these too!" Amiya said to the shop assistant, standing on tiptoe.

Meanwhile, Oute, watching the little rabbit's adorable pose, secretly took out his terminal.

PRTS seemed very happy too; she even snapped a picture before Oute had given any instructions.

With a "click".

"Doc Otter!" Amiya's face turned bright red. "Stop taking pictures!"

"So cute."

"Really!?" The little rabbit was so overjoyed that for a moment she forgot to scold Oute.

But she quickly realized what she meant. "Even if you say I'm cute, I won't let you take my picture! It's too embarrassing!"

While waiting for their meal, the little rabbit begged Oute to delete that cute yet embarrassing piece of his past.

"Doc Otter! That pose just now wasn't cute at all! Delete it!"

"But I think it's cute."

"Dooooooooc otter!"