Chapter 613: The Complicated Seed Vault Situation
“Yes, the Seed Vault.” Ninglan Qiuyue quickly continued when she saw my interest.
“You mentioned that the world focuses on plant technology, so the Seed Vault in that world also represents the highest crystallization of civilization technology, much like technological products preserved in a museum. The Seed Vault will be a precious heritage for the revival of this civilization’s technology.”
“That’s fascinating. I’m a bit surprised that you place such importance on the technological products of this civilization?” I said, somewhat unexpectedly.
From their disinterest after learning about the Wanlian Main Network Tree and the Plant Network, I thought they would not value such things, yet Ninglan Qiuyue seemed interested in understanding more?
It’s important to note that the technology of this civilization can be perfectly replaced by the technology of the Main World.
“It’s just that I’m personally curious. Our city defense force exploration team naturally collected a large number of that civilization’s products when they went out. After those teaching assistants and seniors learned about the functions of these things from the refugees, they became disinterested. I think this has to do with the living environment,” Ninglan Qiuyue sighed.
After all, the technological level in Ninglan New City was already quite warped, and after connecting with the Witch Academy, the limitations and infrastructure issues meant that the impact of those technological products on Ninglan New City was significant. The integration of this civilization’s plant technology in the Expanding Realm was the same.
“Then… have you made your decision? Is Ninglan New City preparing to accept the technological assimilation of the Witch Academy, or to accept the revival and utilization of plant technology?”
“Oh? Can’t Ninglan New City develop its own style?”
“It’s not worth it. Ninglan New City still needs to develop. If it’s just to prove and protect its own culture, there’s no need to force it without a foundation, which may end up making it so they can’t connect with the Witch Academy or the Expanding Realm. And… Ninglan New City cannot afford to be tossed around like this,” I said.
“Right.” Ninglan Qiuyue naturally understood this logic, and now was her time to make a choice.
Theoretically, she should hold onto the Witch Academy’s resources tightly and incorporate those technological systems…
“So, have you decided?”
“I… our Ninglan New City first came into contact with the technology of the Main World… As I said earlier, we Ninglan New City cannot afford this kind of turmoil…”
“I can tell you a truth: the technology of the Main World has little to do with the Witch Academy. Perhaps you rarely visit the society outside the Witch Academy, but the technological system of the Witch Academy is limited; it seems modern because of the Academy Network. However, the structure of the Academy Network is fundamentally different from the internet of the outside world.”
“What do you mean?” Ninglan Qiuyue was momentarily taken aback by my words.
“The technology of the Witch Academy essentially represents a framework of extraordinary systems mimicking technology. The Academy Network is fundamentally an extraordinary technique, a technique utilizing Earth Vein Energy, while the technology of the Main World is purely science, relying on the physical laws of the material world, and it has its limitations. Plant technology, in essence, is also an extraordinary technique…”
“So you’re advising me to choose plant technology?”
“No, I’m helping you understand some truths and common knowledge that you may not know, assisting you in making your choice. In short, both being extraordinary techniques are on the same level, differing only in terms of the development of the techniques; the connection between them is called technique communication, which is an equal relationship. The Academy Network and the technology network have an unequal relationship, and the contact between them is called a downward compatibility relationship.”
“I understand.” After listening to my explanation, Ninglan Qiuyue pondered for a long time to grasp the concept I was conveying.
“Since you understand, I won’t interfere much further. I am still very curious about that Seed Vault; can we talk more about it?” I asked.
Although I have obtained some information on this from the Great Knowledge Tree, the information is certainly incomplete, and those responsible for exploration couldn’t possibly record all details in the Knowledge Tree.
Of course, I directly asked Ninglan Qiuyue only to have a reasonable source for this information-seeking action.
“Of course.” Ninglan Qiuyue nodded as she organized her thoughts.
In her hometown, Ninglan New City, such a major development direction couldn’t be decided recklessly; she could only record the information she has gathered and then carefully decide upon returning.
For a moment, Ninglan Qiuyue looked at me. Although I appeared somewhat dismissive in conversation, I felt like I could gain a lot of useful information from her each time.
However, she was too much of an enigma and somewhat self-centered and arrogant, but who could blame her for having such confidence?
“The Seed Vault was discovered by accident.” With a wave of her hand, a three-dimensional topographic map generated by the Great Knowledge Seed appeared.
It marked countless pieces of information, detailing everything exhaustively, and it was clear to see the location of Ninglan New City, while another special mark not far from Ninglan New City was the Wanlian Main Network Tree, the location of the Disaster Refuge.
“The exploration team is actually divided into two types of teams: one is an exploration team led by a teaching assistant or senior student to explore outside, and the other is a support team.”
“Generally, the support team consists of several teaching assistants or seniors and is mostly used to respond to missing exploration teams or to eliminate threats if information about a large group of mutated beasts returns.”
At this point, Ninglan Qiuyue sighed privately. Their city defense force wasn’t keeping pace with the outside exploration, and they could only guard a few resource points outside the city now.
Those city defense forces armed with extraordinary weapons could guard resource points against sporadic mutated beast attacks, but in terms of ability and capacity, they simply couldn’t keep up with exploration teams consisting entirely of extraordinary students.
After all, external exploration requires mobility and abundant supplies, and the city defense forces are primarily ordinary people, without storage equipment…
“So, that Seed Vault caused an exploration team to go missing, right?” I asked.
“Yes, but it’s not accurate to say they are missing; the signal from the Academy Network has not reached there. They are using special techniques to communicate, but they are trapped.”
“Trapped? Where? It can’t be in the Seed Vault, right?” I asked curiously.
“Yes, it’s in the Seed Vault. That Seed Vault is a massive interconnected complex of buildings, which stores a large number of seeds, but the reason that exploration team was attracted to that building complex is due to a composite resource area there that is dozens of times larger than any resource point discovered so far!”
“No wonder.”
“Moreover, the high concentration of extraordinary energy there has damaged the equipment that stored the seeds in the Seed Vault. Many seeds have been induced to mutate under the extraordinary energy.”
“Do the plants there have offensive capabilities?”
“Offensiveness is just one aspect; it gathers the foundational infrastructure of a civilization built on plants. The strangeness of those plants has become even more terrifying after mutation, and the spatial conditions there also seem to be very chaotic, with the entire Seed Vault resembling a constantly shifting maze.”
“Spatial chaos? Is it the type of space I’m thinking of?” I furrowed my brows and inquired, as I did not remember this civilization’s plant technology being capable of touching the spatial level.
However, I did not dare to reach a hasty conclusion; instead, I continued to gather firsthand information from the Great Knowledge Tree that I had overlooked, since the existence of space is also quite “fragile,” especially concerning material space…
“Yes, it’s that kind of spatial level confusion,” Ninglan Qiuyue said.
Since reality is as such, then there must be reasons behind it. But… material space… material…
“Wait, you mentioned that resource point is a composite resource area. Have you looked into World Source Soil?”
“World Source Soil? What’s that?”
“Don’t you know…? Well, never mind. Let’s change the question. Does that resource area contain extraordinary materials in terms of substance?”
“I know about extraordinary materials in terms of substance, which include very rare…”
“Okay, I understand. I’m not interested in which specific materials there are.” I interrupted Ninglan Qiuyue. Since there are extraordinary materials derived from World Source Soil, then talking about the material level is reasonable.
Many things can affect space, such as extraordinary energy and extraordinary matter; therefore, material space is quite fragile, and one can utilize space through magical skills.
We must understand that World Source Element is no trifling resource. The unstable extraordinary crystal sealed within my Box of Books has the power to devastate a large area when it erupts. Otherwise, why are there no original plants in those energy crystal mine areas, only regrown plants after the mining regions formed?
This is merely a high-energy crystal formed from a simple drop in energy levels. If completely released, the power is unimaginable!
World Source Soil clearly has the capability to influence spatial chaos; currently, the Great Knowledge Tree contains much information that can support the idea that the collapse of World Source Soil can influence material space.
Let’s not forget that World Source Soil is the “raw material” that constitutes the material and material space of the world. After all, in the Void, even material space does not exist. The birth of a world is not just about the generation of a material continent, but also the constant expansion of material space.
The spatial maze of the Seed Vault can be likened to several independent spaces, like the Witch Academy, intertwining above the Magic Capital.
By merely using Ninglan Qiuyue’s description, along with the information they have explored and gathered shared in the Great Knowledge Tree, I could roughly speculate on the situation based on the existing information.
Even if I’m wrong, I should not be too far off, as this is currently one of the most reasonable speculations.
If all else fails, I could go on-site and then make a conclusion.
However, regardless of the outcome, I have developed a strong interest in that place.
Whether to witness the unknown or to procure those plants in the Seed Vault for my Plant Network, I must go and experience it for myself.
“Sister Xiao Han, have you thought of anything?” Ninglan Qiuyue asked after noticing my contemplative expression, as though she had thought of something to inquire.
“Yes.”
“Is it about the spatial anomalies in that Seed Vault? Can you share?”
“Just some guesses. There are no solutions; it’s just a rough suspicion that it relates to World Source Soil. I won’t reveal more, fearing that my guesses mislead you with preconceived notions.”
“Alright.” Ninglan Qiuyue nodded without pressing further, just noting down World Source Soil for later inquiries.
“So… Sister Xiao Han, you plan to visit that Seed Vault, right?”
“Of course, I must go. What, is it no longer accessible now?”
“Of course, it is, but I must clarify that there has been a dream overlap there, and a large number of dream creatures are causing chaos, bringing a lot of uncertainty to that maze.”
“I see. Are there still people trapped there now?” I inquired.
“Yes, and not just one wave; there are five waves of teams trapped,” Ninglan Qiuyue stated with a heavy expression.
“What? Five waves?”
Hearing this, it was far beyond my expectations; the information shared by the Great Knowledge Seed with the Great Knowledge Tree wasn’t this absurd!
“This… I’m sorry for making you laugh, Sister Xiao Han, but of those five waves, only two are from our Witch Academy: one team was lost first, and another team went in to rescue and became trapped, while the other three waves consist of students from the three other academies who joined in. Originally, two teams went in; after going silent, another wave entered with our rescue team…”
“So has this major issue been discussed with Mentor Elena?” I asked, frowning.
“It has, but Mentor Elena does not interfere with this matter… she wants us to resolve it ourselves. Our second rescue team from the Witch Academy is already on the way.”
“I see.”
Isn’t this just sending them off one by one?
However, I didn’t say this directly, but since this was a predicament of the material spatial level, it shouldn’t trap someone who mastered spatial spells. After all, such spatial transportation spells should generally be obtainable for seniors and teaching assistants, and the abundance of teleportation landmarks in the Witch Academy indicates that teleportation spells are not scarce there.
“So… Sister Xiao Han, do you still want to go? But I think that place shouldn’t trap you.”
“Of course, I want to check it out.” I confidently replied.
After all, my matters aren’t urgent. I had initially thought about planting trees in the Expanding Realm, but now… plans naturally cannot keep up with changes.
After confirming this travel plan, I wasn’t in such a rush. The goal of returning to Ninglan New City was also clarified, as planting trees across the world is a long-term task; how vast is a well-restored Expanding Realm?
Even if I can confirm spatial coordinates for teleportation through the root network of the Wanlian Main Network Tree, it will take a long time.
However, the current Wanlian Main Network Tree isn’t capable of covering the entire Expanding Realm, so I will still need to forge the path myself in the future.
This is akin to playing a game and opening teleportation anchor points, while I’m planting the Wanlian Main Network Tree.
Once the main network tree is planted and its roots spread, I can “unlock” a piece of land, and then I can use the root network together with Earth Vein information to obtain spatial coordinates, relying on transportation spells for teleportation.
This is a different usage method than pre-marking teleportation landmarks; teleportation is not a rigid requirement for teleportation marks. However, without teleportation marks to anchor, who knows if long-distance teleportation might end up sending one into the ground or the wall? Everything must naturally prioritize safety.
After discussing the topic of the Seed Vault, Ninglan Qiuyue also mentioned a few other matters, though they weren’t very important.
In the end, I was the one to suggest we part ways first, which concluded our conversation.
Ninglan Qiuyue returned to her busy affairs, while I was about to embark on a journey into an area full of unknowns.
