Starting from Zero Chapter 105: Atlantis

Chapter 105: Atlantis

Translator: Wolfy Editor: - -

I followed the rmaid leader for quite a while when I noticed that we have been swimming towards the depth. From my speed I'd say we're at least 300 ters under the surface now but...strange, I don't feel any water pressure.

Before I can decide to ask her where we are, I saw my surroundings becoming brighter, as if the surface is below us! A giant, underwater city ca into my view. There are all sorts of light sources among the buildings, illuminating the area.

Together with all the unknown yet beautiful fish crowds and glowing jellyfish around , this place feels like a dream.

"Isn't it wonderful?" The rmaid suddenly turned back and asked .

"Huh? Oh! Yes, truly."

I admit I'm totally attracted by the scenery. Why is there sothing like this under the sea?

"This city won't survive for much longer."

She sounds...sad.

"But why? It's so beautiful."

"Our energy source is running out."

"Energy source? You an, you need electricity?"

Funny. The company created a sea city that requires electric power?

But the rmaid gave a puzzled look. "Electricity? You an lightning? Why would we need that?"

Okay...this ans they don't know about electric. Maybe they use sothing else. The developers probably wouldn't place modern technology into this ga. Maybe fire powders, or steam power, at best.

"Can you tell about that 'running out' part?"

"It's our core energy source. It is failing, if we don't find sothing to replace it soon the city will stop functioning."

"That...isn't really enough explanation. Take there. Maybe I can help."

"That would be perfect."

We continued towards the city.

When we're close enough I found out that this is not a city but a series of tropolises connected together. There are 13 half-sphere shaped do structures, each protecting a city from the water. The rmaid led to one of the central ones.

When we approached the do I saw a door. Well, at least I think it's door. The dos are transparent, while this "door" is blue, which really stands out.

The rmaid swam straight through the door. I followed behind. Before I enter, I tried poking it with my hand. The inside is empty, I an, there's no water inside!

"What are you waiting for? Co in." The rmaid turned around and saw still playing with the door. She went back and pulled over. "If you help us solve our crisis, we can just give you so of these doors if you find them interesting."

"Oh!"

I kept following her while looking around at everything in curiosity like a country bumpkin. All constructions here have round, smooth outlines. There are road lamps along the streets, poles with giant, white crystals on their tips. So the gentle light I saw from the outside ca from them. Most buildings have pale yellow walls and pale blue doors. Colorful but pleasant to the eye.

There are pedestrians on the street. I only see young people or children. There's not a single elder for so reason. As King Conqueror said, they all have stunning looks. I don't feel special here but I'm sure I should never let Big Pot know about this place or he'll just try to flirt with every rmaid.

"Here." The leader stopped. "This is the energy tower of Atlantis."

The tower is at least 300 ters tall. It reaches all the way towards the do. So this tower provides energy to support the dos and prevents water from coming inside. As I watched, I saw the tip of the tower blinking, and it sotis gives out strange noises.

"Co on." She pulled inside. There are four guards standing along the entrance but they didn't say anything since their leader is here.

The object in the center imdiately caught my attention. Actually it is the only object inside the tower. It's a...how do I describe it, an electric fork? There's a rectangle pedestal, about one ter tall, with a hollow on it. A water well-like structure is embedded inside it. A pitch black cylindrical object, 1 ter in diater, is sticking out of the "well". Eight glowing sticks that look pretty much like fluorescent tubes are floating around it. They are slowly rotating, centered around the black stick. And it looks as if they may stop moving any ti now.

"This is the 'crisis'?"

"That's right." She looks desperate. "This is the Magick Barrier Generator in Atlantis, which has been supporting all thirteen cities. It also provides us with everything else, protection, light, oxygen, food. Now it's about to stop moving. When that happens our cities will be completed imrsed in water. Newborn rmaids cannot breathe underwater in their starting years. If our next generation dies, our entire race will be no more. And Atlantis will stop existing."

"What's the cause? It has been well for many decades, if not longer, right?"

She pointed at the base of the cylinder, where another white crystal is located, bigger than any I saw outside.

"There, the energy crystal is depleted. It was violet once, the pale color indicates it won't last long. Recently, our barrier has begun to fade. Our demise will be any mont now."

"So...how should I help?"

" It's simple, really. Offer your energy crystal to us and everything will be solved!" She said that while floating about only one centiter from , looking at with big, demanding eyes.

"I don't an to be rude but, I don't have those things."

"Of course you do. I can feel it, there is one single energy crystal on your ship, a big one. That's why we attacked your ship in the first place."

"On my ship?" I searched around my brain. "Can you tell where exactly? I must've forgotten."

"I...only have a vague idea. But I'm quite certain it's sowhere around the front deck of your vessel."

"Front deck...? The crystal cannon? It can't be..."

"Yes, or very close to it!" She began to use seduce tactic. "Pleeease, I'll give you anything in return! Pretty please!"

Hell no. Is this rmaid trying propose--ahem!

"Too close!" I pushed her away from my face. "You don't have to do that. So what can you provide in exchange?"

"Exchange?" She stopped. Apparently she never considered it before.

Before she can give an answer, soone else ca in.

"Aldeina! Who is this?"

It's a rman, also wearing armor. He's carrying a trident, must be another leader or soone with high rank.

"King Atlantis!"

The rmaid went down on one knee. "This is a...friend, I found outside. He possesses the energy crystal we need, and we were talking about how to trade it."

"Oh? You have it?" I think his eyes are literally shining. "My ears did not deceive right?"

"Actually I'm not sure. Even if I have one...it is not as big as yours."

"Fret not!" His voice sounds too emotional for a king. "Size makes no difference now. It may be small but it will maintain our ho for a while! Though it is true that the bigger is always the rrier."

I raised my hands. "About this, a tenth as big of yours."

"Good. Good! That will hold for at least another ten years! Haa-haha!" He stopped his laughter. "...You ntioned a trade, no?"

"Right. I know you need it but I didn't pick it up for free. I require sothing in return."

I do business, not charity.

"Well...!" The king discussed sothing with the rmaid and beckoned . "Follow us."

We left the tower. After so walk we ca to a warehouse-like structure, with two guards stationed in front of it. The king told them to push open the door and let us in.

It's quite big, with all kinds of stuff in it. But they are all covered under thick, black sailcloth. Maybe this is to protect the goods from humidity, since I don't think there is dust under the sea.

The king led into the center. "This is what we can afford as exchange. Pick sothing you like."

"Alright, give a mont."

I walked to a random section and uncovered the content. Then I'm...not sure how to react.

"Is this a motorbike?"

It does look like one, but sothing is different. From another look, I'd say this is a double motorboat! The vehicle has a beautiful, fish-shaped carve, seats, but without wheels. It's definitely a boat.

"Why do you even have these?"

He shrug. "They used to be for our naval forces, but..." He signaled Aldeina, who pulled out a pendant from in front of her chest. The pendant is actually a crystal. She pushed it into a slot on the motorboat. Whoom! So water ca from behind the boat.

It stopped as Aldeina un-plugged the crystal.

"See? They use energy crystals as power source. You know we don't even have much power left to support the city."

"I see."

I removed another cloth. There are a bunch of long, bar-like objects under it. Sticks?

"What are these?"

They both took a "stick" and held them up in front of them. Again, Aldeina put her crystal into a small slot on the stick. A semi-transparent blue barrier appeared between the two sticks.

I know this thing. This is the "door" through which we entered the city. It blocks water but doesn't affect individuals.

The king explained: "We used them as magic shields before, as you can see, they also consu crystal energy."

"What's over there?" I walked sowhere else. "Weapons?"

"Oh, those are not weapons." The king walked to and lifted the blanket himself. Gold. Blocks of gold. I'm not talking about gold bars, these things are as big as building bricks!

"Junks we collected from sunken ships. They took too much space so we lted them like this. Are they common on the land? Every ti there's ship coming down, piles of trinkets or sculptures made from these materials will fill up the sea bottom. They're pollutions."

"You don't need them?" I pointed at the gold bricks, mouth agape.

"No. Why?" He looks puzzled. "We can't eat them. They're too soft to be used as weapons. And they're heavy too. We usually use them for construction. See our houses? One thing we like about it is that this thing never grows rust."

"Wait, all those walls, are gold??"

This is luxurious as shit!

"The roads are yellow, so you also use them to pave streets?"

"That's correct. Is it strange? Like I said, it's resistant to wear and rust, what else can we do?"

"So you have a lot more of these?"

"Of course." Aldeina answered. "What you see here is only part of our yellow brick storage. There are more outside, our warehouse isn't big enough for them. For so reason all sea lives under the sea tend to avoid this material so we collect them here whenever possible to preserve our food supply. But these days we really don't have ti to worry about such matter. We're running out space as where to place these junk."

I looked at king Atlantis, drooling. "Can you ask soone to carry the blocks onto my ship? I've decided, I'll change the crystal for these!"

"Are you certain? You would want these 'junk'?" They are both shocked.

I just nod madly. "Yes, yes! The junk! Carry as much onto my ship if you want to rid of them."

"I can give you all the remaining ones. The only issue is whether your ship can hold them. They're heavy, if you hadn't known."

"Not a problem. I can just travel around if necessary."

"So, what about the crystal?"

"Oh, yes! Don't worry, it's yours now. You can ask your people to take it here when they return from moving the first load of bricks."

"It is settled!" He grasped my hands and shook. "Thank you my friend! You saved our city AND helped us clean up!"

"Ha har ha! Good doing business with you." We both laughed.

(Inside our minds)

King Atlantis: Fool. He gave us his energy crystal in exchange for a full house of garbage?

: Fool. One crystal for whole shipnts of gold. I'll exchange all the gold into crystal pieces, and find Dorgor to buy more crystals!

Let's seize the chance.

I quickly pulled the king. "As you said, that crystal can only last for a limited ti. I can help you find more. Well maybe not as big as this one, but several smaller ones would suffice."

"You can?" King Atlantis beca excited again. "Please do! We'll buy however many you can find! "

"Sure, I can help you. But, you see, I'm not the only one on the ship. I have helpers, and a whole ship of hired sailors, they're not free labor. "

Of course he knows I'm asking for paynt.

"This storage holds everything we have. Take as you like, but please don't ask anything else."

"Oh don't worry, I won't ask too much. First, that fish, I an boat. I want 200 of them."

"Not a problem. I give you 300."

He tried to give more common stuff so I won't ask for precious ones.

"That shield stick, one thousand."

"Okay." He thought to himself. "The fool only asks for inexpensive rchandise. Now I don't have to worry about how to clean up our storage!"

"That's it. About that yellow brick, I can get as many as I can right?"

"Yes. Considering your ship's size, we can provide you 10 full shipnts!"

"Deal!" We shook hands again while wearing our own false smiles.

It's action ti. First, the gold bricks. I tried to take them with my bracelet, but the system told I can't put construction materials in there. So we'll have to carry them as is. Thank goodness they're not as heavy when moved in the water. Otherwise I don't think anyone can lift them easily.

King Atlantis summoned almost all rn in the cities to help carry them. I also asked Loong'er to help. She can move about ten of them each round.

Aldeina led us to where Bi-Lin is anchored. The other alliance ships are already gone, of course. I saw Rose and the others moving around the rails calling from far away. They've been looking for it seems.

I summoned Phiona and asked her to fly up. Her flaming feathers are the best beacon.

"Over there!" Yuri saw first.

I swam and climbed onto the ship, when Rose rushed to and hugged tight.

"Where were you?? And why were you not responding to my calls?"

I just stroke her hair. Then I turned to Hawk. "Hawk, we got a good load of goods to carry around. Ask all sailors to get ready at the rear, near that hole."

"Hole?" Hawk scratched his head. "I was going to tell you sothing about that hole."

"Hm? Don't tell sothing else broke on Bi-Lin?"

"Well, no. But..."