Chapter 246: Preparations.
Staring at the Guide Insect shimmering with an eerie blue light, Jié Jié inwardly knew things were about to get dicey.
A Guide Insect turning blue usually meant one of two things: either they were encountering an Ancient Dragon species discovered so far in the New Continent or a battle-hardened individual.
Their common traits included extremely potent energy and high levels of danger.
And since Jié Jié had the source crystal from the Míng Dēng Lóng, he was constantly radiating energy in any form—fitting the first category perfectly.
But… the two individuals before him didn’t seem overly concerned with the Guide Insect?
The Smoky Snow Weasel, picked up by the Commander, began to squirm unhappily until it was placed back on the table.
After a moment’s thought, Jié Jié guessed that the investigation team was still exploring the deeper characteristics of the Guide Insects. Without sufficient data from encounters with Ancient Dragons or seasoned warriors, they couldn’t verify why the insect turned blue.
Raising his head, Jié Jié glanced at the smiling faces of the two people and decided to stop overthinking. Instead, he chose to reciprocate their joy.
The weasel just needed to play dumb while letting the hunters figure things out themselves.
At this point, the Commander noticed the Guide Insect faintly glowing blue.
“Seems like it’s turning blue again. This has happened twice today.”
Once when approaching the waters where the Water Ancient Dragon was active, and once during contact with the Smoky Snow Weasel.
They initially assumed it glowed blue near Ancient Dragons, but what about now?
As Jié Jié suspected, the investigation team was still puzzled about the Guide Insect’s reactions.
“Hmm, maybe because today is a good day? Or perhaps it reacts to certain special pheromones? Maybe the Guide Insects are just changing moods?”
“We’ve never seen such changes before.”
The Commander shook the Guide Insect lamp in front of the weasel, who swatted it away with its claws.
The insect briefly turned red but quickly reverted to a bluish-green hue.
“This can’t be coincidence. Perhaps the Smoky Snow Weasel has been in close contact with the Water Ancient Dragon—or even the dragon itself? It’s unclear whose scent contaminated whom.”
The Team Leader crossed his arms and speculated, tentatively extending a hand to shake the weasel a bit.
Jié Jié slapped away the probing fingers, pretending to be equally clueless.
“Maybe we’ll know more later. But this little guy seems quite young.”
The Commander nudged the Team Leader aside, enjoying the weasel’s playful swats as he observed closely. He found no significant differences compared to his memories.
Its long fur, pitch-black eyes showing no trace of murkiness.
“Hmph, it’s been eight years already… I once thought it left us because it sensed its life was nearing its end.”
Upon seeing the Smoky Snow Weasel return, the Team Leader finally voiced his earlier suspicion, something the Commander might have also asked scholars about. They hadn’t revealed this guess aloud.
Weasels don’t live long—eight years was practically their maximum lifespan in the wild. And this one was unique, whether considering its age or the distribution of species explored thus far in the New Continent.
“At least… this is good news. The mysterious New Continent just got even more enigmatic.”
The Team Leader relaxed his shoulders, grinning widely at the unknown.
No one doubted this was just a regular weasel; after all, to them, the Smoky Snow Weasel was just that—a weasel.
After handing over some food, the Commander pulled the Team Leader away under calls from other investigators to handle business.
With the ten-year mark for the Ancient Dragon crossing approaching, the team’s motivation was higher than ever, eagerly awaiting reinforcements.
They also needed to send personnel back to the Hunter Guild on the original continent to confirm situations and request necessary supplies.
Only then could the Guild make accurate judgments and provide better support for future investigations.
Watching the two leave, Jié Jié followed at a distance, observing their activities to expand his vocabulary.
The journey was fraught with obstacles; everyone wanted to play with him whenever they saw him.
Thankfully, his agility allowed him to dodge most attempts, eventually reaching the Starship.
The Starship housed numerous energy sources, drawing clusters of investigators deep in discussion.
Not wanting to cause a commotion, Jié Jié circled around the edge of the ship, using a stack of books belonging to the Dragon Person scholar as cover to observe covertly.
It seemed they were deliberating on something important.
The Team Leader was rallying the group, followed by others voicing their opinions.
Finally, the greedy Compiler and a hunter were called out.
The meeting dispersed, and the Compiler walked toward the book pile with the scholar, discovering the Smoky Snow Weasel hiding behind it.
“It’s been a while. I just heard you’re back. I’m preparing to set off.”
The Compiler’s face showed a mix of joy and sadness, hesitation and acceptance shining through his gaze. Jié Jié couldn’t help but want to touch him.
Such overwhelming emotions—it was the perfect moment to act.
A quick touch and separation, the Compiler’s overflowing complex feelings masked Jié Jié’s presence, allowing him to convey the gist of their meeting emotionally.
The Team Leader and Commander had decided to send personnel back to the Old Continent, and this meeting was convened for that purpose.
This dispatch considered the roles and personal wishes of the members, with the Compiler’s role overlapping with the scholar’s, giving him reason to return to the Old Continent.
This summary filled in many gaps in Jié Jié’s understanding. He nodded lightly, patting the Compiler’s hand as he organized the investigation records, offering comfort.
“Thanks~”
The Compiler managed a smile and continued organizing documents with the scholar.
Would these two really make it across the ocean?
The ship stranded on the mountain peak… even if it weren’t stranded, could two people operate it?
Jié Jié began recalling memories of crossing the sea.
Putting aside ridiculous disaster movie scenarios, he remembered the ocean as he’d experienced it in this life.
There were massive waves since Steel Dragons themselves were wind, creating towering waves no matter how high they flew.
But when facing Qí Lín, the ocean remained calm, with sea creatures and fish occasionally leaping out of the water. Along the way, there were isolated islands providing brief rest stops—a peaceful scene.
Now imagining those disaster movie protagonists alongside the well-built Compiler and the supernatural hunter nearby…
If supplies were secured, a two-person ocean crossing seemed feasible.
Then, bringing him along should work too, right?
Chapter 247
