The apocalypse struck, and I became a druid.

Page 58

"Look over there, that one!"

Han Ning looked in the direction Xu Ming pointed.

The hull is covered with a layer of algae, and the overall structure looks relatively intact with a small tilt angle.

The towering mast was bare, without any sails, but the structure was intact.

Xu Ming's voice came through:

"A deep V-shaped bow, towering twin masts, and a sturdy-looking hull..."

"If I'm not mistaken, this is very likely the 'Wind Chaser' ocean-going sailing ship!"

Chapter 63 The Wind Chaser Sailing Ship

"Let me think, this ship..."

Xu Ming gestured for everyone to move closer, while trying hard to recall,

"The hull is made of fiberglass with high-strength fiber sandwich, and the bottom is equipped with titanium alloy anti-collision plates, which can withstand large winds and waves."

"The keel has a built-in lead alloy counterweight, so it's very stable. Even if it flips over, it can flip itself back over."

"With its two masts fully loaded and sails on, it can reach a top speed of 13 knots. It also has an automatic sail adjustment system, a wind turbine at the stern, and the lower deck can be converted into a cargo hold, hydroponic area, living area, rest area... Boss, this boat is simply tailor-made for us. It has the right tonnage, strong wind and wave resistance, large space, and is fuel-efficient."

"Oh? That's amazing..." Seeing Xu Ming's excited expression, Han Ning was also very happy.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go take a look."

Just as they were paddling through the water, preparing to approach the "Wind Chaser" boat.

About ten figures emerged from the other side of the thick fog, clearly also drawn to the relatively intact sailboat.

Leading the group was Vice President Zhao, who had previously suffered serious injuries, followed by seven or eight Awakened Ones, all exuding a menacing aura.

After treatment, he regained some mobility.

"Wow, Brother Zhao, this is a 'Wind Chaser' sailboat, it's a cool machine!"

Beside Vice President Zhao, a dark-skinned man, upon seeing the Wind Chaser sailboat, displayed a similar expression of surprise as Xu Ming.

Here, it's not just Xu Ming who knows all kinds of ships.

"If we could get this ship, our quality of life would improve dramatically..."

He proceeded to describe the ship's specifications to Vice President Zhao.

"Good, very good, brothers, hurry! Take it!" Vice President Zhao's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he urged his men to speed up.

Suddenly, the fog on the left swayed.

Three people swam out and headed towards the deck of the Wind Chaser sailboat.

“It’s Han Ning…” Vice President Zhao recognized the person in front of him, and his face immediately turned ugly.

"What should we do, Brother Zhao?" The underlings all stopped swimming.

Vice President Zhao's expression twisted for a moment, he hesitated for a second, then helplessly tugged at the corner of his eye:

"We can't afford to mess with this guy, let's just forget about it and get on another ship."

The underlings all nodded, none of them daring to utter a sound.

...

Han Ning clearly saw what was happening around him.

Seeing that Vice President Zhao did not come up, he ignored the group of people.

In the face of absolute power, any covetousness is futile.

Snowcake was the first to leap up, its sharp claws easily hooking onto the slippery gunwale. It nimbly flipped onto it and warily scanned the deck.

There is no danger.

Han Ning and Xu Ming followed closely behind, while Yu Na followed Xu Ming like a little nanny.

She doesn't use her mental protection all the time; she only uses it when Xuebing has run far away, conserving energy as much as possible.

The three of them went up to the deck.

A stench, a mixture of rust, decaying seaweed, and a strange, fishy smell, wafted towards me.

The condition on deck was worse than it appeared from a distance.

The surface is covered with a thin layer of silt and scattered aquatic plants.

Some areas have pitted and uneven dents.

The guide rails of the automatic sail adjustment system are slightly damaged, but the main frame is still intact.

The blades of the small vertical-axis wind turbine at the stern were entangled in algae, and it was unclear whether this was for good or bad.

"This is good stuff..." Xu Ming stroked the sturdy hull and stomped on the deck.

"The structure is very solid, boss. There must be titanium alloy skid plates on the bottom of this boat, and the keel counterweight must also be there, otherwise it wouldn't be so stable."

"Go check the cabin."

Han Ning stood in front of Xu Ming and carefully opened the waterproof door leading to the cabin.

The room was dimly lit and the air was even more stale.

The lower deck was spacious, and the cabins were largely undamaged, at least not flooded.

The situation in the server room was not so optimistic, as there was a layer of water on the ground.

Although the main body of the diesel engine is still intact, some pipelines are severely corroded, the critical control panel is broken, and some transmission components are obviously missing or deformed.

Xu Ming carefully inspected the engine and transmission system, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper:

"These areas are severely damaged, and there are obvious deformations and missing parts on the drive shaft."

"Boss, to be honest, ship equipment maintenance is generally under the jurisdiction of the chief engineer... My knowledge is really limited. I'm not sure if this level of damage can be repaired, how to repair it, or what specific parts are needed. I need the maintenance manual."

“For private sailboats like these, if equipment breaks down, the captain usually checks it himself according to the maintenance manual first. If there is really no other way, then he goes to the dock for repairs.”

As Xu Ming spoke, he searched through the computer room.

Finally, a thick stack of documents was found in a sealed box.

"Found it!" Xu Ming's eyes lit up. He took out a booklet and flipped through it. "With the repair manual, I'm confident I can fix these things."

"Can we drive it away in its current condition?" Han Ning asked the question that concerned him most.

Xu Ming closed the manual and analyzed it carefully:

"If you really want to start it... you can try starting the auxiliary diesel engine."

"But there are two big problems—first, where do we go?"

"Return along the original route, heading towards Biyun Resort in our city. The water level is too shallow along the way."

"Even when the ship is empty and has no cargo, its draft is still about 2 meters."

"The area along this route is full of urban ruins, and the underwater world is littered with construction debris. If you put a boat in there, it will almost certainly run aground, or even crash its hull."

"Unless...unless it is transported there using large transport equipment."

"..."

"The other direction is towards the outside of the dock, which is the original direction of the ocean."

I don't know if the water is deep enough over there. If it's deeper, we can circle around the edge of the submerged city and find a way into the city from the relatively low-lying, less densely built-up areas on the outskirts. That would be much less risky to navigate that way.

Xu Ming's face was full of worry:

"The biggest problem is, what's the situation in the waters outside the dock? Could there be even more terrifying monsters? Will the water there always be this deep? What if the water level suddenly drops during the voyage, or we encounter a group of monsters that we can't fight... those are all very troublesome things."

"Or, leave the boat here and wait for the water level to rise high enough before moving it."

"Furthermore, even if it can be started now, without sufficient maintenance, the ship won't go far and could break down completely at any time."

"Boss, if we can guarantee safety, I think the most urgent thing is to immediately search the engine rooms of other nearby shipwrecks."

"Find usable diesel fuel, replacement transmission parts, control panels, or alternative components."

"If we don't get our hands on these things quickly, they'll be snatched up by others soon."

"That's true," Han Ning agreed.

Chapter 64 Cold all over the body

Of the several options, Han Ning preferred to circle around the outer area and sail the boat back.

Because once you get here, the water depth is basically over 2.5 meters, and it might be even deeper outside.

It would be too risky to wait for the water level in the city to rise high enough for boats to sail in.

He knew that the monsters here hadn't been completely wiped out, and they were getting a little stronger every day, so he wasn't comfortable leaving the ship here.

As for towing the ship back, firstly, they lacked large-scale transportation equipment.

Secondly, even in his fully transformed state, he would not be able to carry a ship that is more than ten meters long inside.

He thought for a few seconds, then said:

"Old Xu, you stay on this ship and carefully inspect all the critical equipment. Make a list of all the essential parts and supplies you think are necessary. I'll protect you as you search for replacement parts on other ships."

Then, through a mental link, he transmitted clear instructions to Xuebing:

"Snowcake, go explore the waters outside the dock." "Awooo!"

He needs to assess the security when he goes to the outer area.

If the monster density exceeds expectations, we will have to find another way.

He shares a "vision" with Xuebing, who is essentially his clone, so he doesn't need to give too many instructions.

……

In the dim light, Xu Ming was squatting next to the diesel engine, twisting a wrench covered in oil, his brows furrowed.

He carefully inspected the parts, referring to the repair manual.