"Is it actually like this..." Xu Xin murmured to himself.
"Uh... it was just a rumor at the time, whether itâs true or not, I donât know, itâs an uncertain rumor, but everyone was saying it back then."
Xu Ying glanced at the crystal-clear stream.
"The news came from those fanatic believers, who even regarded water as a very impure substance. They viewed the need to consume water as a sign of the Earthâs lifeâs lower status."
The alien invaders donât need water resources...
"But after all, alien invaders are also life forms, donât they need some essential materials to maintain their lives?"
Xu Xin started to ponder.
Life is ultimately life. If the common water resources on Earth arenât the essential material for their survival, then what exactly do they truly need?
"We donât know about that either." Xu Ying shook her head.
"We thought about this back then too, if that material is scarce on Earth, it would be like finding their weakness, but... until the end, there was no real gain."
"Moreover, whether alien invaders truly donât need water is still unknown. But of course, this information did influence our decision-making."
"We set the underground human base beneath the sea partly because of this somewhat elusive information. If they really detest water, they shouldnât approach the ocean."
So that was one of the reasons.
"Perhaps they havenât targeted the sea creatures and resources for this reason." Xu Xin speculated, "Ultimately, for a race that can roam through the stars, would they really be unable to conquer the sea simply because theyâre afraid of water?"
"When you put it that way... it makes sense." Xu Ying tilted her head, thinking.
The two left the creek, and the explorers knew Xu Xin and Xu Ying had returned and came to find them.
Everyone went back into the designated meeting treehouse.
After Xu Xin relayed the information they gathered during their outing to everyone, they all fell into deep thought.
"Looking at it this way... they really seem helpless against our world tree." Ji Chaoyang said, "They seem to be considering destroying us from within now."
"Thatâs right." Xu Xin nodded, "They canât control the world tree, so they aim to enter it and annihilate us entirely. If we die, the world tree poses no threat."
"Yingying, would the world tree wilt with its ownerâs death?" Li Wenxi, sitting next to Xu Xin, asked Xu Ying.
"No." Xu Ying shook her head, "The world tree is not as fragile as the treehouse. If the owner dies, the world tree becomes an unowned open form. Itâs said that it can be possessed again in some way, but I donât know the specifics."
"Just like the unowned world tree you mentioned earlier, which allows free teleportation in and out?" Wen Guixin leaned on the sofa, frowning, "Wouldnât that mean free access? If you both died... I suggest you and Xu Xin stop running around haphazardly, just in case something happens outside..."
"Once that task is completed, weâll bring everything needed from the underground world to the surface." Xu Ying glanced at Zeng Tao, who was drowsy beside her, "After that, our weapons factory can start operating at full capacity. Then, survivors will need to show their skills, especially you, Zeng Tao."
"Hmm...!?" Zeng Tao opened her eyes a bit, "Me...? Oh, okay..."
After speaking, her eyelids drooped again.
At this point, Qi Xuefei explained, "Because the inside of the world tree has been daylight all this time, and everyone has been busy, eating when hungry and sleeping when tired, their routines have become uneven. Zeng Tao should probably be sleeping by now."
"...Hmm...my routine...isnât messed up! It should be nighttime now..." Zeng Tao strained to keep her eyes open, then pointed to her watch, "Iâm so sleepy... let me sleep..."
Saying this, she collapsed onto the sofa, causing it to creak loudly.
Xu Xin was also slightly taken aback.
No wonder, while walking over earlier, aside from the initial group, he barely saw anyone else.
Turns out itâs normal sleeping time right now!
The world tree inside always stays lit like outside, and he completely forgot about this matter.
"Speaking of which, should we establish a time schedule inside the world tree?" Wang Lei, who hadnât said much, spoke up as he felt a bit sleepy too, "Wouldnât everyoneâs chaotic routines cause problems?"
"We havenât paid attention to this while building recently." Ji Chaoyang glanced outside the window, "It seems like we do need to standardize the timing. Otherwise, when the weapons factory starts up with this level of disorder, efficiency will be low. Only by standardizing time can we achieve seamless operation, continuous work around the clock."
Only switching night shift workers with day shift workers can achieve maximum efficiency in continuous operation.
"Wow, a capitalist..." Zeng Tao opened her eyes briefly, then closed them again.
"Heh, Iâm doing this for everyoneâs benefit." Ji Chaoyang said helplessly, "They donât need me to push them; they push themselves too hard already. If we donât regulate them, itâs common for them to get excited and not rest for twenty or thirty hours."