"Whale oil power revolution?"
Byron and Violet repeated the term Halding had ntioned, in unison.
In the Common tongue grammar, this was a sowhat awkward compound word that needed further explanation to clarify its aning.
But they didn’t need it.
In this world, no one understood what a new energy power revolution ant better than they did.
The two of them were at the forefront of the era, having built the industrial city Torrent Fortress with their own hands, ready to start from scratch to create a future industrial system as the industry’s pioneers.
According to standards from Byron’s previous life for grading technology and civilization, it was based on the level of energy used.
The primary manifestation of a civilization’s advancent was the elevation of the total energy level under human control!
This principle was the sa in both the world of ordinary people and the world of the extraordinary.
From civilizations using animal power to those using steam and electricity, the first and second generations of technological civilization, and even predictable fusion nuclear energy—Byron’s previous life’s developnt trajectory had confird this.
As long as they could obtain sufficient energy, many technological bottlenecks under the energy ceiling would no longer hinder developnt.
"It’s just unexpected that the new energy that has co to the fore, following the world’s developnt trend, happens to be whale oil. It is said that the Leviathan Whale has a huge head and a massive body. Even a typical individual is very close to the size of a small Sea Monster thirty ters long. Because they eat only small fish and shrimp-like microorganisms, they are not high up on the food chain, leading Naturalists to infer they exist in extrely large numbers. Initially, a whale hunter Captain nad lville, a Wilderness Sequence Monster Hunter by profession, was the first to discover them at the edge of the Ekdna Triangle. In the years that followed, occasional captures were made, and the excellent properties of this whale oil gradually beca known to so Artisans. Unfortunately, the numbers captured were always too small, and most of the whale oil they produced, aside from being used for research, went into the Lighthouse Union for deep-sea exploration. Until now, because whaling ships cannot penetrate the Sea of Monsters, it has been difficult to scale up whale hunting and produce whale oil. But if these whales really do aggregate on a large scale in the ’Celestial Sphere Circulation,’ perhaps we could indeed embark on an alternative path of bio-new energy technology."
Out of habit from their previous world, Byron and Violet had considered coal, oil, and electricity, but had sohow overlooked the ubiquitous whale oil.
Following what Blue Hair had said, it seed to indeed have great potential.
Whale oil power factories, whale oil-powered Warships, whale oil-powered public transportation... High-energy efficiency, pollution-free, renewable, universally compatible in both ordinary and extraordinary realms—simply a perfect new energy source.
Just then, Violet suddenly rembered sothing and quickly pulled out the navigation chart they had snatched from the Bone-Eating Clown nad Koraskin.
She then questioned Blue Hair:
"Is this the incomplete navigation chart my father gave to you?"
This chart was originally stolen by Koraskin from Barbary Pirates, so Halding would naturally be familiar with it.
And seeing that an incomplete route on it had been marked complete, he imdiately moved closer and widened his eyes:
"It’s been completed?! The Celestial Orbital Belt is shrouded in fog all year round, filled with dangerous shattered islands, Demon Monsters, Sea Monsters, and all sorts of bizarre and sinister creatures. Not to ntion the deadly Doldrums. It’s extrely difficult to navigate. Even with this navigation chart, we spent several years trying to locate that place marked ’Fortress Bridgehead.’ We even suspected internally that we might have been deceived by the Whale Hunter. How did you complete the sea chart? Or did Jack Harold leave you a complete navigation chart? Then why are you asking ?"
Hearing this, Byron and Violet already had a rough idea.
They looked at each other and instantly understood what the other was thinking:
Good thing we didn’t plan on going straight to Fortress Bridgehead from the start. The danger there must be significant! The abnormal and contaminated state on Koraskin’s body is likely not only from the Capricious Joker but also from the crisis beneath the waters of Fortress Bridgehead. ’Luoyan Era,’ a calendar that sounds dripping wet, doesn’t seem like sothing invented by Humans. In the eyes of the Whale Hunter, the Barbary Pirates and the Pirate King known as the Ocean Throne are most likely a sufficiently substantial Pathfinder Stone, used to clear obstacles for the subsequent exploration by humanity.
Their rationale for such inference was simple.
If it were all beneficial, why would the Whale Hunter keep it a secret and not reserve it for his own kin? Whale oil power is likely genuine, but one must smash through the toxic-shelled exterior to taste its rewards. Only a resource as epoch-making as whale oil could provide explorers with enough motivation.
Back when he first set out from Torrent Fortress, Byron had lanted:
"The Sapphire Sea was far less dangerous than the Sea of Monsters, which was perilous to the point of near-certain doom. However, it was still not a place where ordinary rchant vessels with weak firepower dared to tread. Not at least until a new colony is established by an expedition ship, and a relatively safe mariti route is discovered. If they can find a product on the New Continent that rivals Spices, or is even more valuable, then no obstacle will remain an obstacle. Even if fireballs fall from the sky or daggers rain down, nothing will stop the Colonizers from advancing relentlessly (Chapter 215)."
And the whale oil of the Leviathan Whale is clearly that kind of treasure that can drive Humans mad!
The Whale Hunter threw out a tempting bait, and a vague navigation chart to boot.
For the Barbary Pirates, the bait was enticing and seemingly within reach, just an effort away from being savored—why not go for it?
The Whale Hunter clearly understood human nature.
He achieved his goals not through any cooperation agreents, but through human greed.
Once there’s a goal of high enough value, not just the Barbary Pirates, but all the powers of the Old Continent will mobilize en masse at the scent.
Thinking of this, Byron was troubled by a new concern:
The Whale Hunter clearly intends to accelerate the pace of exploration by major powers overseas, artificially pushing the tide of the Great Nautical Age. But what good does that do him?
Glancing at his own "Nautical Logbook," he saw clearly written on the title page:
"So say that we live on a tranquil island called Ignorance, surrounded by an endless black ocean. Perhaps we should never have set sail! But we had no choice (Chapter 2)."
Comparing the two, Byron reached a conclusion:
This indicates that overseas exploration can trigger so bad things, but if we don’t do it, even worse things might happen. The philosophy espoused by the Whale Hunter Jack Harold is the sa. The whale oil power revolution, which could usher in a new era, is rely a byproduct of this exploration process and still not worth halting his exploratory steps for. And apparently, the Church holds the opposite stance. For an entire Dark Millennium, it completely suppressed the spirit of exploration, the spread of civilization, and any technological innovations, much like a turtle retracting its head into its shell. It adopted an ultra-conservative strategy to avoid sothing. Which path is right and which is wrong—that might be key to whether the Bayfolk can revive.
At this point, they had achieved one of their most important goals on Silvergold Island: securing information about the Whale Hunter from "Blue Hair" Halding.
They had also unexpectedly gathered explosive frontier intelligence about the New Continent and the whale oil power revolution.
The industrial plans for the next steps of the Pioneer Guiding Colonial Trading Company and Torrent Fortress must now be adjusted in sync.
If others have already started tackling whale oil technology, and they are still ardently pressing on with coal Steam Engine production, they might truly be left with nothing but tears when the ti cos.
This is the significance of intelligence orientation and informational disparity.
Standing at the forefront of the Bantaan Archipelago and the New World, their industrial layout could lead the Old Continent by three to five years.
At this mont, "Bald" Halding looked at Byron’s expression and cautiously suggested:
"Mr. Mad Hunt, surely you wouldn’t want to incur my brother’s wrath? What if we sign a non-aggression pact, and let this matter rest? How about it?"
Byron imdiately scoffed:
"What were you doing earlier?"
He casually tossed Halding, who was still trussed up, into the territory created by the "Overseas Pioneering Decree," instructing the Marines inside to keep a careful watch on him.
He had long seen through the essence of the spirit of contracts.
In this world, when one party is strong and the other weak, the stronger never speaks nicely. The so-called spirit of the contract is rely that the originally dominant party has no choice but to negotiate when power balances are restored. As soon as power becos imbalanced again, the so-called contract imdiately becos worthless paper.
Simultaneously, the ink on the Nautical Logbook began to blur.
"[Hidden: Prophecies, Authority, and the Rebirth Prophecy of the Mad Hunt Deity Woden, Influence 69]" The Decryption Rate jumped from 28% to 33%.
"[Hidden: The Shadow Behind the War of the Red and White Roses, Influence 31]" The Decryption Rate also progressed from 63% to 68%.
Byron shifted his gaze away from the logbook, and the image of the Pirate King he had yet to et beca more substantial:
Neglecting his own kin and young daughter, he insisted on going to sea. What exactly does the Pirate King, the Whale Hunter, carry on his shoulders? And that great secret with the power to overturn the world, along with clues to the Pirate King’s disappearance, is probably hidden in the remaining Decryption Rate.
But Byron was not intimidated. Instead, his resolve to explore the unknown world and pursue the truth grew even stronger.
The road is long, but the journey is at hand. As long as we follow the footsteps of the Whale Hunter, step by step, and even surpass him, reaching the boundaries of human cognition first, we can uncover the secret of the revival prophecy. That’s what great voyages, great explorations, and great discoveries are all about. Taking big steps forward on the shoulders of those who ca before us, one day it will be... my turn to lead the way!
His soaring fighting spirit, his Spirituality having already reached 10 points, overflowed and burst open behind him with clusters of deep-blue light.
After initiating the "Advanced Ritual: Pirate Treasure Chest," he had been overcoming obstacles and advancing. He was now just one step away from the final stage.
At this mont, "I am the pioneer" triggered a transformation at the spiritual level, subtly bringing him to the peak of his abilities in all aspects.
It faintly resonated with sothing deep within the lower Labyrinth.
Under the rules of "treasure seeking people" and "like attracts like," the ground of the Labyrinth began to shake, much as it had when Byron had intercepted the flesh and blood, only this ti the shaking intensified.
It was as if sothing beneath their feet was continuously striking the boundary between the second and third layers.
The Skeleton Knight Andrew pointed his toes and floated into the air, utterly unaffected by the earthquake.
Opening his jaw bone, he expressed his confusion:
"What’s going on? It didn’t happen the last ti I was here. Seems there has been so change in the treasure cavern in the lowest level. Byron... Byron?!"
Turning his head abruptly, he realized his sizeable nephew, who had been right beside him, had vanished without a trace.
Violet, who was on the other side, also vanished, as did First Mate Thomas. Thomas had fled during the fight and only sauntered back after it concluded.
"This isn’t good!"
However, the accident didn’t only involve them.
Throughout the Labyrinth, all Second Order Pirates participating in the "Pirate Treasure Chest" Promotion Ceremony, including elegant Artists and Poets, vanished without a trace from right under their companions’ eyes.
This pattern seed to implicitly align with the selection criteria ntioned by the parrot.
But beyond that, many who embodied the Original Sins—such as contract fraudsters, the avaricious, the lustful, and the gluttonous—also vanished in the Labyrinth.
User Comments
0 comments from readers