Chapter30: Blockade

Before Lei Jiu could enact his plan to explore the islands beyond the first island chain, other island owners had already undertaken similar ventures. Unfortunately, the outcomes were far from ideal, resulting in heavy losses for all involved.

Despite investing significant manpower and resources to test the waters beyond the first island chain, they discovered that the undercurrent belt was impenetrable, encircling the entire chain tightly. There seemed to be no safe passage out.

Naturally, this disappointment left many island owners questioning whether Rhode Island, the first to successfully integrate an island, would maintain its lead in the race to upgrade to a second-level island.

Given the uniform size of the islands in the first chain, few believed it was mere coincidence. Most attributed it to the system's design, leading them to speculate that all island owners would face similar challenges.

It became apparent that each owner would need to integrate three islands to expand their initial territory to over 10 square kilometers and progress smoothly to level 2.

With a fusion time of 30 days per island, it seemed to be a system-imposed cooldown, likely influenced by the disparity between the levels of the islands being fused.

Based on this analysis, it was reasonable to infer that, barring any setbacks or delays, the order in which players successfully merged islands would determine their ranking when advancing to level 2.

This realization fueled a frantic race among island owners to discover a route beyond the undercurrent belt, hoping to overtake their competitors. Despite the presence of larger islands outside the first chain that could expedite the process, the system's limitations proved insurmountable. All efforts and investments yielded no returns.

Now, Lei Jiu found himself poised to dive into the same challenge. However, his circumstances differed from those of other island owners. He had anticipated and mentally prepared for the undercurrent belt's existence. Additionally, nicotine's mastery of flying magic provided a potential solution.

Lei Jiu was not one to dawdle. Once he committed to exploring the islands beyond the first chain, he wasted no time in executing his plan. He hoped to conduct a thorough exploration before the island fusion cooldown expired, possibly encountering a more suitable island than Island 1. After all, larger areas increased the likelihood of resource discovery.

Moreover, if he integrated an island of sufficient size next, Huanghuang Island could be directly upgraded to level 2.

Like other island owners, Lei Jiu believed that reaching level 2 would trigger rewards from the system, akin to rewards bestowed in strategy games for achieving milestones.

Regarding being number one, Lei Jiu wasn't fixated, but with hope in sight, he saw no reason not to strive for it.

Nangong Dian, upon hearing Lei Jiu's explanation, had already accepted the situation, though not without some lingering resentment. As the island owner, Lei Jiu's absence meant additional responsibilities for him.

Nonetheless, Lei Jiu assured him that their excursion was a strategic necessity to expedite Huanghuang Island's development, not merely a leisurely outing.

As they prepared to navigate the undercurrent belt, Lei Jiu acknowledged the need to minimize their group size while maintaining combat effectiveness. Flying magic could only be used on living beings, and the considerable magical energy required limited its application.

With the preparations made, they set out on a paddle boat, manned by a rotation of militiamen. They had spent the past ten days implementing their plan to confront the wild boar family, refining their teamwork and combat skills in the process.

Two hours later, they approached the edge of the undercurrent belt, and Lei Jiu signaled Luo Zheng.

Following Lei Jiu's command, Luo Zheng grasped a large square plank placed at the stern, bracing himself. With a swift motion, he hurled the plank into the sea, where it was swiftly engulfed by a vortex.

Though the outcome was expected, the sudden appearance of the vortex left them bewildered. Yet, the aboriginal inhabitants of the game world, like Nangong Dian, accepted it as just another of the sea's mysteries.

Acknowledging the wasted time, Lei Jiu resolved to focus on the task at hand. After instructing the militiamen to remain vigilant aboard the ship, he signaled Nicotine.

With a whispered incantation and a flicker of golden bracers, Nicotine invoked flying magic, lifting Lei Jiu, Luo Zheng, and Nangong Dian off the boat.

Equipped with a magic lamp from the militia, Lei Jiu led the way, eager to explore the unknown territories that lay beyond.