Found It on the First Try?!

"Do you have a paper map?" Wu Wanghai asked.

Neuvillette turned around and took a map from the cabinet.

Wu Wanghai looked over the map and began speaking to Neuvillette. "Mm, first, rule out everything north of the Court of Fontaine, then rule out this area to the east, and the two regions below."

A question mark appeared in Neuvillette's mind. "What does that mean?"

"That means it must be here." Wu Wanghai traced out most of the waters around the Court of Fontaine with his finger on the map.

"All the underwater domains and bases—you officials have them under control, right? Oh, including abandoned ones and such," Wu Wanghai added at the end.

"Mm, is that the only area? That is not much." After pondering for a moment, Neuvillette said, "A few of them are properties registered under commercial associations."

"If you need to enter them, I can arrange the proper authorization for you."

"Let me think..." Wu Wanghai pondered. Vacher could not have been working with a team; there definitely would not have been many people at the research base, so... "Rule out the domains with factories or bases that have recently seen large numbers of people coming and going."

"Then fewer than five locations meet your requirements." Neuvillette determined Wu Wanghai's criteria as he considered them.

"Oh, mark them for me." Wu Wanghai was pleasantly surprised. He had thought there would be many, making the search troublesome, but there were fewer than five.

Looking at the four spots Neuvillette pointed out on the map, Wu Wanghai nodded. To be safe, he asked one more question. "Could someone secretly build a base underwater without reporting it to the authorities?"

"Impossible!" To his surprise, Furina was the first to loudly interject.

Wu Wanghai looked over, and Furina explained, "First of all, building a base underwater requires Fontaine's specialized machinery. The use of those machines is officially recorded."

"Besides, developing public land without official permission violates Fontaine law. It is illegal. You would go to prison for that."

"Even if someone really did it, we have dedicated departments that regularly patrol underwater and monitor conditions in the sea. Not just the sea—if there is any abnormality in the ground somewhere, it will be reported and people will be sent to investigate."

Furina spoke at length, making Wu Wanghai realize Fontaine's strength. What Wu Wanghai had questioned was simply impossible.

"Besides, underwater bases are basically naturally formed sea caves. We merely reinforce and modify their surfaces. As for casually altering underwater terrain, basically no one other than the person before us can do that." Furina slightly raised her head and looked at Neuvillette. He was the all-powerful Hydro Dragon, after all.

Neuvillette did not quite agree with Furina's praise.

"Wow, impressive," Wu Wanghai exclaimed at the appropriate moment.

Furina was smug, immensely proud to have someone as capable and formidable as Neuvillette.

Wu Wanghai looked at the map again. One location was especially close to the Court of Fontaine, directly underwater to its right.

Wu Wanghai decided to check that place first. As for the other three locations, they were rather remote—either tucked away at the edge of the map or far from here.

"Let's go, Fufu. Time to set off!" Wu Wanghai said as he picked up the map and headed outside.

To his surprise, Furina did not move. She waved a hand instead. "Go by yourself. I am not going to put myself through this kind of trouble with you."

"I'll treat you to delicious cake when this is over!" Wu Wanghai offered a tempting condition.

"Really?" Furina was tempted, and before she realized it, she had risen and taken two steps toward Wu Wanghai.

But in the end, Furina still refused. "Forget it, forget it. I am tired. I will go back to my room and rest first. If you find what you mentioned, remember to come get me."

"Okay." Wu Wanghai was helpless.

"Then... never mind, never mind. I'm leaving." Wu Wanghai had just been thinking of asking Neuvillette to come with him. But after thinking it over, he gave up since it was truly unlikely.

Finally, Wu Wanghai looked at Furina. "Get some proper rest. There is a hard battle ahead! I'll buy you little cakes when I get back, okay?"

"Suit yourself," Furina replied.

Then, under Furina and Neuvillette's gazes, Wu Wanghai closed the enormous doors to Neuvillette's office.

It had to be said again: those doors were really huge. Is this Western style?

"Neuvillette, let me tell you..." Inside the room, the previously languid Furina suddenly became energetic and enthusiastically began recounting everything that had happened between herself and Wu Wanghai over the past two days.

"..." Neuvillette remained silent. He truly did not want to listen. He still had some work unfinished, and it seemed there was not much time before the next trial began.

Ever since coming to Teyvat, he had become alone again.

How should he put it? He had only left Blue Star a few days ago, after all. His emotions had yet to settle, leaving him somewhat melancholy.

Having familiar characters around him was probably the only reason Wu Wanghai did not feel lonely in this world.

Wu Wanghai pulled himself together. For now, he needed to deal with the most important problem first!

Hm, come to think of it, he could catch another slime to keep by his side.

"Uh, it seems I need to go underwater. Then never mind, I can't catch one." Wu Wanghai shook his head. "But I'm even more invincible underwater. With my Aberrant skill, I can slaughter everything."

"Huff, huff." Wu Wanghai panted. After asking two people for directions along the way, he had finally made it out of the Court of Fontaine. Walking really was exhausting.

Still, it was not a loss. While making this trip, Wu Wanghai had conveniently unlocked the two small teleport waypoints in the city. It would be much easier next time.

The next moment, Wu Wanghai entered his target waters.

After checking the map and circling around the area, he spotted a stone gate and immediately identified the entrance.

He went straight in. In the next moment, his figure spun as he entered the interior. Wu Wanghai swam upward through the underwater cave and emerged onto dry ground within it.

Wu Wanghai looked around into the distance. The surroundings were filled with man-made walls that blocked off the seawater outside, turning the place into a true cavern beneath the sea.

Wu Wanghai slowly walked deeper inside. The farther he went, the stronger his sense of déjà vu became. These mechanisms, these components, this layout?

"Could I really be that lucky? Did I find it on my first try?" Wu Wanghai muttered. As he turned a corner, he saw three mechanical creatures wandering on the platform ahead.

"Let me see!" Wu Wanghai looked over, and the moment he did, he blurted out a curse.

The mechanisms before him were still powerful. Though their levels were not particularly high, every one of them was above level 40.

What level was he even?

Pitiful, weak, and helpless!

This place was not underwater, so he could not borrow the Aberrant's power.

And the energy for his ultimate was completely empty!

He could not win. He absolutely could not win. Even with Lynette helping him fight those previous enemies, which had only been slightly higher leveled, it had been incredibly difficult.

Though the level-20 Lyney had seemed to effortlessly kill that level-59 mechanical dog earlier.

Anyone could kill monsters dozens of levels above them. But he was a tiny noob not even level ten yet.

Wasn't it a bit too much for him to fight three monsters so many levels above him by himself? Though he could summon one or two helpers.

He had tried again just now. Sure enough, man-made mechanical creations could not become summoned beasts, otherwise he could have just caught them without fighting.

Time to run! Go back and find help.

Wu Wanghai fled in a sorry state, but he could not stop a smile from forming on his face. He remembered!

This was indeed the experimental site he had been looking for!