"Gawu!" Bai returned triumphantly.
It flapped its wings, returning to Lin Yueâs side at an astounding speed faster than before.
Whether in terms of strength or speed, Bai has now reached its peak.
After successfully shedding its skin last time, Baiâs appearance hasnât changed much. However, it seems to have become smarter, and the muscles on its shoulders, back, and wings have become more developed, allowing it to fly longer and faster.
Of course, it also makes it easier for Lin Yue to ride on its back, rather than being held between its arms.
"Bai, letâs go check that building and try to gather more."
Lin Yue discovered the lightning rod in hand was broken and looked completely different from the one on the adjacent building.
To be safe, he decided to gather a few more sets.
The lightning rod doesnât just consist of the part above ground; it also has a simple set of components including the air terminal, down conductor, and grounding electrode.
The air terminal is made of round steel or steel pipe, fixed to the top of the pole and connected to the grounding electrode via the down conductor.
When the thundercloud develops a discharge channel near the ground, due to the lightning rodâs tip protruding above the surface with good grounding, the electric field strength near the tip is increased, accumulating charges of opposite polarity and guiding the discharge. This prevents buildings or instruments from accumulating too much charge and suffering lightning strikes.
However, the lightning rod isnât as reliable as imagined.
It merely increases the chances of a building avoiding lightning strikes.
Lin Yue understands the principles relatively well but isnât clear about their classifications.
After collecting several sets, Lin Yue incidentally found an electric appliance store.
"Since weâre here..." Lin Yue glanced at Bai.
Bai nodded, sharing the same thoughts as its master.
How could they resist taking some items?
Baiâs claws grasped the buildingâs edge while Lin Yue stored the obstructive large glass into the storage space. Together, they jumped into the appliance store, discovering that they had arrived at a treasure trove.
"Wow, TV, air conditioners, refrigeratorsâtheyâre all here." Lin Yue found that the place wasnât as big as imagined but contained quite a few appliances.
Going further inside, thereâs a downward escalator.
Just when Lin Yue was considering whether to check downstairs, Bai suddenly jumped over and unleashed a blast of icy fog.
"Bai?"
"Gawu!" Bai roared angrily at that direction, and Lin Yue suddenly heard a rustling sound.
Bai stood guard at the elevator entrance, and Lin Yue understood what needed to be done.
This place isnât safe.
Sweep quickly and leave.
Lin Yue didnât want any more battles; his goal wasnât here.
Moreover, thereâs a lot to do back at the shelter.
"Freezer, the most important thing is the freezer!"
Though he had the blueprint for a preservation chamber, many things were still missing, and a freezer is clearly the more needed appliance.
Lin Yue didnât want to keep letting easily perishable food occupy his storage space. With sufficient power from the generator, the freezer was urgently needed.
After searching around, Lin Yue found one good news and one bad news.
Good news: there are many freezers, a total of 21, which can all fit into his storage space without issue.
Bad news: none of them are functional.
"Looks like Iâll have to go back, deconstruct the blueprints, and reassemble the parts." After storing them, Lin Yue found more spaces, deciding to store some TVs, air conditioners, and two surprisingly undamaged washing machines into the storage space.
Originally, he planned just to gather some lightning rods and leave, but now his storage space was jam-packed.
"68 cubic meters, still not enough... Hmm? Whatâs that?" Just as Lin Yue was about to leave, his peripheral vision caught something in the corner.
It was a headless corpse, and judging by the clothing and nearby blood stains, it hadnât been dead long.
Another one of Levikâs gang.
The neck was missing, and the wound wasnât clean; Lin Yue looked aside the corpse and found a highlight.
[You have gained 3 cubic meters of storage space!]
Oh? Nice.
Moreover, this personâs storage space contained something special.
Seeing its name, Lin Yue was taken aback.
RTX4080ti graphics card.
Ah, this.
This thing was potent on Earth, but in this Otherworld, what could it do?
Lin Yue initially thought about discarding it but, after pondering, decided to keep it; if it doesnât work out, he could disassemble it.
Just then, a blood-red bug wriggled out from the severed neck; Lin Yue sighed, as expected.
He swung the Iron Spear, easily destroying the bug, and did the same for those that followed.
Leaving this little incident behind, Lin Yue stored an air humidifier, two robotic vacuums, several electric kettles, and cabinet air conditioners.
"Gawu!" Bai warned once more, as Lin Yue stood at the window where they entered.
This time, Bai held Lin Yue in its arms, leaping from the window. Behind him, Lin Yue heard the cracking sound of ice shattering, followed by strange chirping sounds.
He peeked back and found a massive centipede-like creature lurking near the window!
At this moment, it had already used its beast-like upper body to climb up the stairs, baring its fangs towards the sky.
"Bai, whatâs that?" Lin Yue felt the intense flow of air, understanding why Bai warned him.
Ordinary creatures couldnât trouble them, but this giant centipede clearly didnât fall into that category.
Lin Yue now realized that if Bai warned him again, he should heed the warning.
There arenât just a handful of creatures in this Secret Realm.
Bai flew rapidly, soon bringing him back to the rooftop where the Ancient Secret Realm Gate was located.
Lin Yue glanced back, realizing that at some point, the centipede monster with the indescribable face had followed them!
Now it crawled from one building to the rooftop, then leapt towards a lower building beside it, and repeated the action after landing.
The speed was not slow.
Lin Yue shook his head.
There was no need to fight this monster directly.
Killing it wouldnât produce any treasure boxes, and although it would feel rewardingâagainst the potential injury or death, it was worthless.
"Gawu!" Bai understood this very well, urging his master again, they might encounter more if they continue!
Lin Yue opened the door, crossing to the other side, and Bai did the same.
He closed the Ancient Gate, sealing it with several stone walls before finally relaxing.
However, he didnât just sit on the ground; he quickly returned to the shelter with Bai.
This was the place where he could truly feel safe, rather than the surface of the desert.
Lying comfortably in bed, Lin Yue was too exhausted to move.
Being productive every day is important, but more crucial is the body.
No oneâs body is made of iron, and besides, he hadnât slept well last night, fought today, and spent a long time on disaster prevention.
"Who wouldnât want to lie down?" Lin Yue opened the system panel, looking at the survival points interface.
But the truth is, he couldnât lie down.
This was a dangerous Otherworld.