super battleship

Chapter 18: The Base

A hundred nautical miles south of the South Ao Sea, on a deserted island, lay an area far from major trade routes and ports, rarely visited by ships.

On this island, there was a recessed area flanked by towering cliffs. Any ship not intentionally approaching the island would have no idea of the hidden secrets within. Nie Yun and the newly recovered Sea Wolf were currently concealed here.

Nie Yun stood on a coral reef by the shore, holding his forehead as he looked at the Sea Wolf, which had run aground.

Yes, just as it emerged into the world after centuries of slumber, Nie Yun’s new ride, the Sea Wolf, had met its fate by running aground before it could even showcase its grandeur.

The mechanical bugs were busy clearing the rocks that had pierced the Sea Wolf’s hull and were working on patching up the large hole, draining the seawater from inside.

*Sigh* "So, this is why ships shouldn’t be too reckless! Insisting on a midnight run—see, it ended in disaster, just as I thought!” Nie Yun looked at the Sea Wolf with an expression that clearly said, "It's all your fault."

Sea Wolf: “...” (I’d like to go back to sleep for a few more centuries…)

Boarding the Sea Wolf, Nie Yun saw that most of the debris on the ship’s surface had already been cleared, and many areas looked as good as new. The deck was now polished and shiny.

In one corner, a pile of mechanical bugs had collected old wood and various junk—this was their raw material storage.

Nie Yun nodded in satisfaction. He planned to fully repair and reinforce the Sea Wolf, gradually replacing its components with those built by the mechanical bugs, completing a full mechanical transformation.

However, despite the large number of mechanical bugs, they still seemed insufficient compared to the massive size of the new Sea Wolf. Even if all the mechanical bugs were used, they might not even be able to fully replace the ship’s keel.

This approach would also free up more of the mechanical bugs' resources for construction, increasing their overall work efficiency.

Mechanical bugs: “…” (Exploiting capitalists!)

Apart from the mechanical bugs constantly at work on the ship, the area around the Sea Wolf was swarming with tiny mechanical spiders, cleaning the seabed and collecting any usable materials.

Since inventing these small mechanical spiders for exploration, Nie Yun discovered that raw materials were no longer the primary limitation on the number of mechanical bugs he could create. The ocean’s resources far exceeded anyone’s imagination.

Humanity’s centuries of development and oceanic trade had left the seas filled with man-made debris and waste, but to the mechanical bugs, these were free, abundant raw materials.

However, the real constraint on the mechanical bugs' growth was energy.

Mechanical bugs were not designed as energy harvesters. Even though they could absorb solar energy, it wasn’t enough to sustain 24/7 operation and self-replication. As a result, the mechanical bugs had to stop periodically to recharge.

This situation frustrated Nie Yun, much like a factory owner who couldn’t run his highly profitable factory around the clock due to a lack of workers.

Mechanical bugs: “…” (We demand bug rights!)

But energy wasn’t the only issue troubling Nie Yun. Maintaining secrecy was also becoming a concern.

Given Nie Yun’s firm belief in the bigger-is-better philosophy (cough), the Sea Wolf was only going to grow larger. While it was easy to keep it unnoticed when it was still a small fishing boat, its current size of nearly 100 meters made it impossible to avoid detection—especially in a world with ever-present satellites.

If the current form of the Sea Wolf were discovered, the next day’s headline would undoubtedly be: “Ancient Spanish Warship Resurfaces, Suspected Pirates Spotted, Multiple Nations Send Forces to Exterminate!”

The secrets aboard the Sea Wolf were too astonishing, and Nie Yun needed to enhance security measures. The last thing he wanted was to be captured and dissected.

To solve this problem, the solution was simple—a base!

A hidden base would provide a fixed location for the mechanical bugs’ work, transforming guerrilla operations into fortified positions, greatly improving efficiency.

When the time came, a portion of the mechanical bugs could assemble an older version of the Sea Wolf in its fishing boat form, allowing Nie Yun to travel without fear. This way, he wouldn’t need to be overly cautious.

In short, establishing a base and expanding the mechanical bug population was an unstoppable trend—a necessary step for sneaky, cautious development!

At that moment, Nie Yun commanded the mechanical bugs to clear the surrounding reefs, not only to open up a path for the Sea Wolf to navigate in and out but also to explore the possibility of building a secret base here.

“The idea of a secret base… how cool does that sound!” Nie Yun felt a surge of excitement.

Uh, are you sure you’re not just doing this for fun?

*Growl* Nie Yun’s stomach suddenly growled—again.

“Not again… Ugh, you guys work hard, but I’m not exactly relaxing here either. How many times has this happened today…” Nie Yun muttered helplessly.

As the number of mechanical bugs grew, the physical exertion required to control them had also increased. Solar energy was no longer sufficient to meet his needs.

Fortunately, Nie Yun had recently discovered a miraculous way to recharge himself, or else food scarcity would have become his biggest problem!

He walked over to a blazing fire, where the mechanical bugs kept adding collected dry wood as fuel. The fire was surrounded by the silver mechanical bugs, using it as one of their energy replenishment sites. Primitive as the method was, it was better than nothing.

As Nie Yun approached, the mechanical bugs made way for him. Without hesitation, Nie Yun extended his hand into the flames.

A miraculous scene unfolded—the flames licked at Nie Yun’s hand, but he didn’t seem to feel a thing. Instead, he wore a satisfied expression as if enjoying a soothing experience. The silver light occasionally flowed over his hand, converting the heat into energy to replenish his strength.

This was a new skill Nie Yun had discovered by chance. As for why a human like him could absorb heat energy, Nie Yun, who had never studied biology, figured the chances of him answering that question were about zero...

“I’m becoming more and more like the mechanical bugs—usually, it’s the son who resembles the father, but in my case, the father’s taking after the son. It’s all backward! I wonder if drinking gasoline would have the same effect?” Nie Yun mused, rubbing his chin.

But he quickly shook his head and dismissed the idea of completing the "self-immolation standard action."