Li Xiang froze at the sight of the thick, broken logs pinning Kohaku down, scratching her head as she wondered what to do.
Those logs weighing Kohaku down were seriously heavy.
I'm not Taiju... and even Taiju might not be able to lift them, right?
Taiju: I'd beg to differ!
With heavy logs like these and no room to get leverage, trying to lift them through brute force would be exhausting and ineffective. Worse, if they tipped and rolled, they could crush Kohaku underneath again. The risk was too great.
Right, so how were they supposed to save her?
Brute force wouldn't work, lifting them directly was risky, and waiting around was out of the question. Kohaku had been trapped for ages, and her strength was already spent.
Senku, who had been silently observing beside her for some time, finally spoke. "If brute force won't work, we'll use science."
"A Pulley System."
Li Xiang's eyes lit up. She immediately understood what Senku had in mind.
Exactly what she expected from Senku, the mad scientist.
When brute force couldn't handle the weight, the safest approach was to use mechanical principles to reduce the effort required.
A Pulley System could change the direction of the force and divide the load several times over. There was no need to fight the full weight head-on; they could easily hoist the wedged logs.
"Got it." Li Xiang nodded at once. "Let's find some materials and build a pulley setup right here."
"I remember learning this in middle school... I should still remember how."
Don't ask too much of someone who had finished her college entrance exams and wasn't majoring in this stuff. Everyone knew your IQ reset to zero the moment those exams were over.
Of course, with Senku here, there was nothing to worry about.
The two sprang into action. Senku handled material selection, carefully picking out tough, sturdy branches that wouldn't snap easily and cutting wood to suitable lengths for the pulley wheels and supports.
Li Xiang searched for vines, choosing the strongest wild vines in the mountains, with the densest fibers and greatest load-bearing capacity. She twisted them into reinforced ropes tough enough to hoist logs several times their weight.
Senku smoothed out the pulley grooves, secured the support structure, and locked every joint firmly in place to ensure the assembly stayed stable and wouldn't slip out of alignment.
Li Xiang threaded the vine ropes, reinforcing and tightening them again and again, then testing their load-bearing strength.
Before long, an extremely basic but perfectly serviceable wilderness Pulley System was complete.
Senku deftly secured the pulley supports to sturdy branches of the towering tree overhead. He threaded the ropes through the pulley grooves and tied their lower ends tightly around the heaviest logs, locking the knots securely so they wouldn't slip.
"Ready."
Senku stepped back and spoke calmly.
Li Xiang stepped forward, took hold of the end of the rope, and gave it a gentle tug.
The massive logs that had been pressed firmly against the ground lifted effortlessly, slowly rising into the air.
They stayed steady as hell the whole time, without the slightest wobble or shift, clearing Kohaku underneath perfectly.
"Nice!"
Li Xiang immediately stepped forward and crouched down, carefully helping the long-trapped Kohaku sit up before gently supporting her to her feet.
After being pinned under that weight for so long, Kohaku's legs were stiff and numb. She swayed slightly as she stood, but fortunately, she wasn't seriously hurt.
Now free from danger, the girl casually brushed the dirt and grass off her clothes. Her short golden hair swayed, her blue eyes shone clear and bright, and she immediately looked lively again.
She turned and bowed earnestly to the two people before her.
"Thank you for saving me! My name's Kohaku!"
Li Xiang looked at her and took the opportunity to ask, "How did you end up trapped under those logs? Big trees rarely snap out of nowhere in this forest."
Kohaku sighed softly and explained honestly, "I came to the mountain behind the village to fetch hot spring water."
"Everything was fine on the way. There wasn't any wind or thunder, but then this tree suddenly snapped without any warning. It fell straight onto me and pinned me down. I didn't even have time to run."
As she finished speaking, Kohaku seemed to suddenly remember something important. Her expression changed, and she grew anxious at once.
"Oh no! I still have to take the hot spring water back!"
To her, this mattered a hundred times more than being trapped and injured herself.
She hurriedly turned to Li Xiang and Senku, her gaze sincere.
"Thank you so much for saving me. I'll definitely repay you for this! Come with me!"
With that, Kohaku turned toward the nearby grass, bent down, and picked up an enormous earthenware jar.
The jar was absurdly large, filled to the brim with scalding hot spring water. It was so heavy that even four adults would have struggled to carry it.
Yet Kohaku lifted it effortlessly. Her steps didn't falter in the slightest; she even walked lightly and easily.
Why did she carry it like it was made of plastic?
This seriously defied science!!!
"Never mind... let's follow her and see what's going on."
Li Xiang suppressed her shock and rubbed her forehead. For now, she would follow Kohaku.
They followed closely behind Kohaku, heading down the mountain path.
The forest trail wound this way and that. After passing through dense woodland and rounding a bend in the valley, the view ahead suddenly opened up.
A wooden suspension bridge stretched between two mountains, swaying gently as it led to the other side. Beyond its far end lay an entire rustic village.
After thirty-seven hundred years in the world of Dr. STONE, there was actually still a village of living humans?!
Li Xiang and Senku exchanged a glance, the same gleam flashing in both their eyes.
Senku's lips curled into his trademark grin. "Kukuku," he chuckled, then said softly, "I'm guessing you're thinking the same thing I am?"
"Yeah." Li Xiang nodded lightly. "An incredible discovery, and an incredible opportunity."
The two were just about to follow Kohaku onto the suspension bridge and explore the village.
A moment later, two figures darted out of the wooden hut beside the bridge, blocking the entrance completely.
Both held sharp wooden spears, their eyes wary and their bearing unmistakably that of guards.
One was a brown-haired man with a stern gaze.
The blond youth wore a guarded expression, staring hard at the outsiders.
A cold, harsh voice rang out. "Outsiders are forbidden from entering."
With no other choice, Li Xiang and Senku stopped obediently outside the suspension bridge and waited.
Kohaku glanced back at them, her eyes full of apology, but could only hurry into the village with the hot spring water first.
They waited outside the village entrance for quite a while before Kohaku hurried back out.
Li Xiang took the opportunity to ask, "Kohaku, what do you use all that hot spring water for? You risk going into the mountains every day to fetch it."
At the mention of this, pain filled Kohaku's eyes, and her voice softened considerably.
"I have an older sister."
"She's been frail since she was little. Her lungs are bad, and she coughs constantly, year after year. She's always been in poor health. She can't even go outside like other people."
"The village elders say the hot spring water in the mountains is good for you, that it soothes the lungs and strengthens the body. So I fetch water every day to bathe her and wipe her down, hoping it'll help her feel a little better."
Once she heard the reason, Li Xiang understood immediately. Then she raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Could I go in and take a look at your sister?"
Watching Kohaku's eyes suddenly brighten, she continued, "I'm a doctor."
"I might be able to cure your sister."
"Really?!"
Kohaku's eyes lit up at once, her clear blue gaze brimming with light. Her whole face shone with excitement as she gripped Li Xiang's hand tightly.
"Of course." Li Xiang smiled confidently.
Looking at the ecstatic Kohaku, Li Xiang spoke slowly. "So, we'll need to get inside first."
Before you continue