“Hahahaha……”
Artemis couldn’t help but burst into laughter after hearing Bob’s words.
After laughing her fill, she looked Bob up and down and quipped, “You? You with those scrawny arms and legs are an exploration king?”
Bob blushed and retorted, “Who says an exploration king has to be a fighter? Let me tell you, this expedition is all thanks to me.”
Seeing Artemis still unconvinced, he prepared to show her the magic disc.
But just then, a problem arose. Bob, who intended to impress her, found himself embarrassed. The magic disc, which had been working fine, was now unresponsive. No matter how hard Bob tried, it wouldn’t budge.
“Move, you piece of junk, move!”
“Excuse me, give me a few seconds. It’s just like this sometimes, a bit… loose connection.”
Bob’s current predicament was entirely his own doing.
The magic disc could only be used by those with a pure heart. But just as a car needs fuel to run, the magic disc required magic power to operate, any kind of magic would do.
Back in the basement, the small block Savage had placed under the disc was a battery used to charge it with magic power.
Logically, this magic battery should have powered the disc for about five days. However, Bob, mesmerized by the disc’s magic, had been using it non-stop since he got it. He used it to study the routes, translate the ghostly script, and, most importantly, he treated it like a toy.
Therefore, the magic disc was now out of power.
“What are you two doing?”
As Artemis watched Bob hop around with the disc like a circus monkey, a voice from behind Bob made him stumble, nearly falling into Artemis’s arms.
“Wow, he’s really handsome.”
Admiration is in every girl’s nature, especially for Artemis, who was in the prime of her youth. Her eyes lit up at the sight of the handsome man before her. She pushed Bob aside, walked over quickly, and asked, “Hello, handsome! My name is Artemis, what’s yours?”
As she spoke, she extended her hand.
“Hello, Miss Artemis, my name is Zhao Hongtian. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”
Hearing his name, Artemis became even more interested. She said, “Wow, your name… are you from Zhonghua? That mysterious ancient eastern country? Do you know martial arts?”
“Of course. Although it’s just some rudimentary skills, I’ve learned a thing or two. But my main job is translating ancient texts, with a focus on ghostly script.”
“What? You can read ghostly script too?”
Hearing that Zhao Hongtian could also read ghostly script, Bob, who was nearby, became flustered.
“I thought they only invited me?”
Just as Bob took out his recorded ghostly script to challenge Zhao Hongtian, the exploration ship let out a roar. Then, a burly sailor on the ship shouted down to the three below, “We’re about to set sail, are you coming or not?!”
“Yes, we’re coming right up.”
After responding, Zhao Hongtian looked at Artemis and said gallantly, “Beautiful lady, we should board the ship. Ladies first.”
“Oh, you are too kind.”
Artemis felt a little shy but couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. However, time was short, and she didn’t have time to ponder it further. She hurried onto the ship.
“Are you still going to slack off here? If you don’t hurry, we’ll really be late.”
With that, Zhao Hongtian boarded the ship first. Bob, though inwardly annoyed, had to endure it for the sake of the expedition.
Amidst the blaring of the horn, the exploration ship sailed out of the port and headed for the vast sea.
Bob, who had started with great ambition, soon discovered a fatal problem: he was seasick.
From the moment the exploration ship left port, bobbing on the waves, Bob felt dizzy and nauseous, as if a dozen little deer were stampeding in his stomach.
Less than half an hour after setting sail, Bob had leaned over the railing and vomited countless times, his face a sickly yellow.
“Oh, Bob, you don’t look so good. Do you want me to get you some medicine?”
As Bob was retching violently, a gentle voice, like a heavenly sound, came from behind him.
Hearing the familiar voice, Bob immediately put on a brave face, pretending to be nonchalant. He turned around and said to Artemis, who was approaching, “No, why would I be seasick?”
Men always want to present their best side to women, and Bob was no exception. Even though his stomach felt like it was twisted into a knot, he still acted as if nothing was wrong.
“You… are you sure?”
“Of course.”
Bob, enduring the urge to vomit, said, “What do you need me for? Are you perhaps curious about the lost continent? Don’t worry, I’m an expert on that.”
“Uh… no, I just wanted to ask if you’ve seen Zhao Hongtian. I haven’t seen him since I boarded.”
Hearing Artemis’s words, Bob’s heated heart was doused with a bucket of cold water. He felt utterly devastated.
“Sorry, I haven’t seen him.”
He had thought Artemis was looking for him for something important, only to find out she was looking for that guy from Zhonghua. Bob felt incredibly awkward.
“Okay, then I’ll go look elsewhere.”
After Artemis walked away, Bob could no longer hold back. He grabbed the railing and began to vomit again, until a hand rested on his shoulder.
The person who arrived was the ship’s doctor for this expedition, Brolldo, a tall, muscular Black man with a bald head.
Despite his imposing physique that might give off a fierce impression, he was actually a warm-hearted man with a gentle interior.
“Oh, okay, what is it? I’m… feeling very unwell right now. Ugh…”
Brolldo glanced at Artemis’s retreating figure and immediately understood. He patted Bob’s shoulder and said, “Brother, I know you don’t want to embarrass yourself in front of a girl, but you don’t have to hold back with me. Here, this is a special medicine for seasickness. You’ll feel better after taking it.”
As the ship’s doctor, Brolldo immediately recognized that Bob was seasick and was trying to hide it. But Bob had been talking to Artemis at the time, and men are proud creatures, so he discreetly offered Bob the seasickness medicine after Artemis had left.
Bob’s eyes widened at the sight of the special medicine in Brolldo’s hand. He was truly at his limit. He snatched the medicine from Brolldo and swallowed it whole, saving himself the trouble of finding water.
“How is it, brother? Feeling any better?”
Whether it was the medicine’s effect or a placebo, Bob felt much better immediately after taking it. His stomach stopped hurting, and he felt much lighter.
“Thanks, I feel much better.”
“That’s good.”
As Brolldo was leaving, he remembered his original purpose and said, “By the way, Mr. Mittelt asked for you. He said he needs to confirm something with you about the route.”