Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 336 - 329: New Plan

Chapter 336: Chapter 329: New Plan

After Cheng Ziang finished speaking, he went straight to bed for a nap. When he woke up, it was already the afternoon, and Shariya was still in a heated discussion with the three girls. Luo’er, who was on shift, sat not far away with a disgruntled expression, clearly still in a tiff.

Even though Luo’er was cool-headed and meticulous in his thinking, his protective nature made it difficult for him to be a qualified leader. The problems would multiply geometrically if the team size increased.

Fortunately, he had someone like Cheng Ziang, who dared to make decisions and take risks, to help him; otherwise, according to Luo’er’s way of thinking, most of their actions would be canceled for being too radical, and it would be impossible to achieve the success they had today.

Cheng Ziang sighed slightly, crawled out of his sleeping bag, and then came to Luo’er’s side. Luo’er was sitting cross-legged, watching the four people not far away while propping up his cheek. Noticing Cheng Ziang’s approach, Luo’er raised his head to glance at him and then dropped it again, exhibiting child-like petulance.

Cheng Ziang laughed off Luo’er’s behavior then sat down next to him. Looking at the back of Luo’er’s head, he asked, "Are you upset with me, or are you upset with them?"

"I’m not upset!" replied Luo’er coldly.

"Luo’er, can’t you really let them go? Are you so afraid that something will happen to them?" Cheng Ziang began. "You’re the captain of the Advance Team. You do have an obligation to protect them to some extent. But don’t forget, the Advance Team is composed of all five of us and each person should fulfill their own responsibilities and accomplish their tasks. You don’t want them to get hurt, so you take care of everything yourself. But they worry about you too and always want to help. This has turned into a vicious cycle. Why do this to yourself?"

Luo’er didn’t refute Cheng Ziang’s words, perhaps because they made sense. Instead, he sat on in silence nursing his grievances.

Once again sighing, Cheng Ziang slowly said, "You always worry about them and feel the need to take care of everything yourself. But you’re the captain, many things require your decision-making skills, not your physical effort. It’s like you’re a general who fears his soldiers will get injured so you take matters into your own hands. What’s the point of being a general then? Right now you can manage four people, but what happens when you have more people under you? Are you sure you can manage that? Can you ensure the safety of everyone and take care of everything all on your own?"

With his head lowered, Luo’er did not feel good about being lectured all the time by Cheng Ziang, even though he was the captain. He did not mind the admonition, but Cheng Ziang’s criticism made him feel less mature and admittedly impulsive.

Cheng Ziang understood Luo’er’s feelings. He himself had once been a reclusive, introverted individual. His life had seen some light only after meeting Tangmo and Hu Daoke. He understood the fear of gaining and losing, so he also understood Luo’er’s sentiments towards his team.

"Moumou is not a child anymore. Although she is a half-dwarf, by national standards, she is a legal adult. Yue’er is already 21 years old this year. Everyone is capable of taking responsibility for their own choices, so why do you insist on restraining them like a stubborn parent with your own thoughts?" Cheng Ziang continued.

After hearing this, Luo’er fell into silence. He recalled the past, pursed his lips, and finally opened his heart, "Ever since my father died, I have been very lonely. It always felt like no one in this world could understand me. Although my grandfather cared about me, I couldn’t share my joys and sorrows with him, nor would he concern himself with these feelings of mine. At one time, I thought the only ones who understood me were my parents. However, my father is dead and mother’s whereabouts unknown."

Luo’er then gazed at the four who were caught in a fierce discussion, and continued, "I have always wanted to find my mother because I believe she is the only person who understands and cares about me in this world. To enter Otherworld, I joined Moumou’s team and began to face these strange teammates with a sense of dread. At first, my goal was simple. I wanted to use Advance Team as a stepping stone. After reaching Otherworld, I would break away from you and find my mother. During this process though, much happened, and so I changed my mind. I now aim to maintain the Advance Team and find my mother."

"Moumou’s arrival made me feel for the first time that there are people in this world who truly care about me. Despite her reckless and childish behaviors, I still stuck with her. The appearance of Moumou made me feel that I was no longer alone, but had you all. Therefore, what I need to do now is to protect you all and find my mother. I am not ready for any of you to leave, which is why I opposed so strongly to the thing Moumou wants to do."

"Don’t worry, none of us wants to leave. Try to let go of some things and let others do them. Don’t carry everything on your own shoulders. If you keep going like this, it exhausts not only you but also us," Cheng Ziang assured Luo’er as he patted his shoulder and then added with a chuckle.

"Maybe you’re right," Luo’er shook his head and finally revealed a hint of a smile on his face.

"That’s enough, stop acting like a petulant child. You’re already so old, and you’re still doing this," said Cheng Ziang as he got up and walked over to Shariya and the others.

Seeing Cheng Ziang approaching, the four people stopped their discussion instantly and all looked at him, evidently, they seemed to have come up with a feasible plan.

"By now, you should all have some ideas about what I need to do. Tell me, and I’ll arrange it for you," Cheng Ziang said.

"You come over here, young man!" Shariya beckoned, signaling him to approach.

When Cheng Ziang arrived in front of Shariya, he began to explain the strategy they had discussed. Although it was called a discussion, since Shariya was so well-informed and respected, it was essentially his proposal followed by everyone else’s refining process.

"We’ve thought about it. If we activate a magic shield before casting the first part of the Light Singularity, the shield is bound to collapse due to insufficient mana supply. Therefore, to perfectly execute both spells simultaneously, one of them must have an alternative stable source of mana," Shariya explained, pointing to the diagram drawn on the ground.

"A magic array?" Cheng Ziang asked, noticing the drawing on the ground.

"Correct, a magic array. To keep a shield spell from collapsing due to a lack of mana, we must rely on array magic. Otherwise, if the shield collapses, the Light Singularity will be useless despite drawing an enormous amount of mana. It might even harm the spell caster due to the overflow of mana," Shariya stated seriously.

"But even so, doesn’t magic array rely on mana as well? How does it solve the lack of mana issue with the shield spell?" Cheng Ziang inquired with a furrowed brow.

"No," Shariya refuted, "The difference between array magic and spell-casting is that array magic can use mana from minerals."

Mineral mana, or magic crystals, is one of the two kinds of mana in the Otherworld. One kind is atmospheric mana, which permeates the air, and the other is stored in magic crystals. Atmospheric mana can be harnessed through spell-casting or magic runes, but mineral mana can only be accessed through magic runes, as spells can’t manipulate it.

In the Otherworld, atmospheric mana may be the most commonly used, but mineral mana is equally critical. For example, the High-peak Dwarves’ fleet relies entirely on mineral mana. Furthermore, any attempt to initiate a magic industry in the Otherworld must incorporate mineral mana.

While atmospheric mana is widespread and easy to use, its gaseous state makes it weaker compared to solid mineral mana. The defining characteristic of mineral mana is its high concentration and consistent output, making its use in industrial systems much more efficient than their air-mana counterparts. The principle is the same as a coal power plant always being more efficient than a wind power plant of the same size.

Shariya’s idea was correct. If a magic shield lacks mana supply, it would undoubtedly collapse, and once it does, external mana will flood in, essentially setting the spellcasting up for failure. So, while considering how to absorb mana to close the Otherworld Gate, you also need to think about how to keep a magic shield continuously in operation.

"So, your idea is to use magic crystals to power the shield spell, right?" Cheng Ziang asked.

"Exactly," Shariya nodded, "in the absence of atmospheric mana, mineral mana is the best alternative. Using array magic, we can extract the mana within magic crystals to power the shield spell. That way, we can still activate the shield spell, even when all the mana inside the shield is lost."

"That’s a good idea, but where are we supposed to find magic crystals?" Cheng Ziang voiced his doubt.

"That’s what your job is. Find a magic crystal and draw the magic array around the Otherworld Gate according to this diagram," Shariya handed him a piece of paper, adding,

"So I’m responsible for finding the magic crystals as well?" Cheng Ziang said with a wry smile.

"There are no magic crystals to be mined around here, and even if there were, we couldn’t manage it. Magic crystals are usually hidden deep within mountains, so it’s unavoidable," Shariya said apologetically.