However, it's easy to see that this is impossible. After all, although the mechanical sketch of the [ Traditional Eccentric Wheel ] looks fine, some of its annotation habits are completely different from those of the Graycast Corridor, which is enough to show that they are not from the same school.
Holding the picture in one hand, Gray looked at Ed:
"Just who exactly are your men?"
"Oh, I didn't tell you?"
Ed looked at the merchant with suspicion, only then realizing that although he had been spying on him the whole way, this was only their second meeting in a formal setting.
As for Xilǐ'er... he seemed to only know that the Soul Returner were not simple, but he didn't go into details.
Since Xilǐ'er happens to be here too, I might as well reveal a little bit of my trump card to them, half-truthfully, so as to leave a good impression on the Graycast Corridor and the Eternal Domain.
After pondering for a moment, Ed looked at the two temporary workers seriously and said:
" The Soul Returner here are all ancient spirits I summoned to be resurrected here. It is because of their outstanding achievements in their previous lives that their souls became one of the billions of leaves of the World Tree after death."
Gray and Xilǐ'er were completely confused, but they couldn't refute the boy in front of them for the time being.
Firstly, as we just saw, the other party does indeed have exceptionally capable subordinates. Secondly, the other party just mentioned the World Tree, which is Tree Worship Church. Although the Graycast Corridor does not believe in Tree God, it still advocates that its merchants respect the other party's beliefs when they are abroad, since it is easier to do business with more friends.
Although she still harbored strong doubts, Ed's confident explanation, coupled with his previous mention that the Soul Returner seemed not to be completely infected by the Blood Corpse...
Could he be telling the truth?
While resurrection from the dead is not uncommon in a post-apocalyptic world, and most factions can accomplish similar feats through their secret techniques, summoning multiple souls is something he's never heard of before...
It is said that every method of resurrection or similar ability comes at a significant cost, and it is unknown what the cost of Ed's ability is.
However, this should be one of the top secrets held by the other party, and they would never easily tell an outsider like me who is playing both sides. It seems that the other party has made a great decision to tell me and Xilǐ'er this trump card, which is enough to show their sincerity.
If he ever has the chance to return to the Graycast Corridor, he will report this matter truthfully and expedite the establishment of close ties between the two sides.
Ed seemed to have little desire to continue the conversation. He took the gear sketch from Gray and shook it.
"Are you sure the size is correct?"
Gray checked it one last time and nodded, saying:
"No problem."
Ed looked at the familiar drawing style on the paper, gently pinched the paper with his left hand, and a continuously growing branch appeared in his right palm.
Soon the branches began to overlap and intertwine, and the center and surrounding areas began to wither away, leaving behind grains of ash-like wood chips.
Just a dozen seconds later, Ed blew hard into his palm, and amidst the flying sawdust, a wooden gear lay quietly in his hand.
This scene not only shocked Gray, but also left the [ Traditional Eccentric Wheel ], who had been watching the whole thing, speechless.
The former was surprised that Ed could actually hand-mold parts; although the precision hadn't been tested, at least his skill was definitely not just talk...
The latter, while exclaiming "Holy crap!" in his mind, thought of 3D printing technology, which is already widely used in another world—isn't this a bit too surreal?
To their astonishment, Ed handed the gear to Gray:
"Give it a try and see if it suits you."
The merchant nodded, used the blade in his right arm to crack open the outer shell of his left forearm, and pulled out a brass gear that was severely missing teeth.
He tossed the part aside, inserted the wooden gear into the corresponding axle, turned it a couple of times, and then fastened the cover on his left arm.
He shrugged his shoulders, his left arm slightly rotated outward, and a squeaking sound of mechanical parts squeezing and rubbing came from between.
Gray nodded in satisfaction, then performed a few more movements such as internal rotation of the forearm and bending of the elbow. After practicing for a while, he said to Ed:
"That suits you perfectly. Your strength is truly beyond imagination, but..."
"Just what?"
Ed was genuinely puzzled. He believed he had maximized the hardness and wear resistance of the wooden part; what could possibly be wrong?
Seeing his puzzled expression, Gray suggested:
"If possible, could you add some lubricant?"
"..."
Player panel, chat box.
[ Ever-Changing Master Ye ]: "Dude, we've caught the fish! Now we're just waiting for you to light the fire and start grilling!"
[ Traditional Eccentric Wheel ]: "Don't wait up, buddy, you eat by yourself, I'm doing a quest."
"Not over yet? That quest only gives three silver coins, you really have patience."
"To be honest, I'm really curious to see just how many parts our guide can actually produce today."
"Car parts? What are you doing?"
"Hey bro, you're drawing up the blueprints. You just finished the eccentric wheel, now you're working on the connecting rod."
"Wow, you've really got something going for you! What's so great about this task?"
"If you really want to know, save me half a grilled fish. I'll tell you when I finish drawing it and come back."
"... You win."
In the study, Xilǐ'er stood quietly to one side, observing, while the Soul Returner and the Merchant were creating maps at lightning speed.
Whenever a sketch of a component is completed, Ed immediately produces a high-quality wooden part that is sturdy, durable, and has a slight oil coating, and then delivers it to Gray.
With the help of several people, the merchant's left hand was beginning to take shape, and the palm was almost complete.
In fact, Ed could make the corresponding parts grow directly if Gray just described them, but that would make him seem like he knew too much.
As a young leader of the Tree Worship Church, it's best not to give other factions the impression that "you seem to have stolen our technology."
With the Soul Returner acting as a bridge, his map reading ability naturally wouldn't seem so extraordinary, and Gray's attention was drawn to the Soul Returner possessed a special skill.
The blueprints for the last few fingers were placed in front of Ed, who looked at Gray as he worked on the highly precise parts:
What weapons do you usually use?
Gray unconsciously touched his hands together in front of him:
"Metal arm armor."
Ed looked the bucket-like guy up and down, and a sense of déjà vu grew stronger in his mind:
"With your injuries like this, using arm armor is probably out of the question."
As he spoke, he stretched out his free hand, and several vines grew wildly on it, quickly growing into a huge hammer almost as tall as a can of Gray.
Ed handed the enormous wooden hammer, which was hard to call either a weapon or a tool, to Gray, and gave him a subtle smile.
"Use this for now."