Morel's speedboat, formed from Purple Smoke, landed steadily in the ruined plaza beneath the Lighthouse.
The smoke dispersed, and the hull silently merged into Morel's pipe.
"Whoa!"
Knuckle was the first to jump down, looking around excitedly, finding everything new and fascinating.
Shuto was much more cautious. After he landed, the shadow hand beneath his feet reluctantly withdrew into his shadow.
Bai Zhu lowered Milluki from his back and rubbed his aching shoulders.
"Hey, have you put on weight again?"
"Bullshit! It's the equipment that's heavy, not me!" Milluki retorted as he deftly pulled various components from his backpack. In no time, he had assembled a portable signal booster. "That woman Piyu's encryption protocol is downright insane. Without a stronger signal, I'm afraid she'll lag like a slideshow."
Morel surveyed their surroundings. The Purple Smoke spilling from his pipe slipped silently among the ruined walls as though alive. Only after confirming there was no immediate danger did he nod to the others.
Bai Zhu took out his terminal. On the screen, Piyu had already changed into practical work clothes, and the rabbit-ear hair accessory on her head had been replaced with a professional magnifying headset. Her entire air had changed, switching instantly from a languid homebody to an astute scholar.
"Stop dawdling. Hurry, point the camera at the ruins! I can't wait any longer!" she urged, her voice brimming with barely contained excitement.
Bai Zhu secured the terminal to his shoulder, serving as a walking human camera.
"Slower. Yes, that speed... stop! Zoom in. I want to see the moss on that stone."
Piyu's instructions came one after another, her expertise leaving them dizzy.
When the camera swept over a relatively intact wall, she suddenly told him to stop.
"Scrape the wall with a knife. Take a sample."
Milluki