Chapter 39

"Father is an explorer," the child said with pride, his eyes sparkling. After speaking, a hint of disappointment crept into his small eyes: "Everyone says my father is a tomb raider, but, big brother, he isn't. Father said he only wants to bring the treasures lost in time and space back to the world. He doesn't want to steal money. Big brother, this thing isn't valuable, right? Father isn't just a tomb raider who wants to steal money, right?"

"Mm-hm." Du Nan patted the child's head and nodded in agreement.

The child's father indeed wasn't a tomb raider. Anyone who knew about this thing couldn't possibly be a mere thief.

However.

To say that these two 'relic fragments' were worthless was also incorrect. Du Nan truly didn't know what in the world could be more valuable than them. In his own value system, even a nine-star seed core couldn't be exchanged for a single relic fragment. Although the effects of combining nine relic fragments were still unknown, the ongoing 'physical enhancement' had already pushed him beyond human limits. If he fused two more, the bone and bloodline enhancements were unimaginable.

"Madam, where is your husband? Can I talk to him?" Du Nan asked the white-clad woman.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she heard the question.

Du Nan immediately knew the answer.

"I'm sorry for bringing up painful memories. Madam, can you tell me if your husband left any maps, drawings, or notes? I'm very interested in these things and would like to copy them. Rest assured, I won't take them for free. Whatever price or goods you want, I will find a way to get them for you." Seeing the woman's disbelief and fear, Du Nan added, "Madam, don't worry. I am a mana warrior and won't deceive you or withhold your payment."

With a light gesture, the chairs and tables in the tavern flew around.

The others were instantly terrified. The white-clad woman immediately knelt down.

Prostrating herself on the ground.

It seemed that mana warriors were like gods, deities that mortals dared not offend.

"Yes, yes, my husband left a lot of drawings and notes. These are all useless things. If the lord wants them, I will bring them to you right away, and I won't dare to make any requests. Lord, please don't call me madam; I can't bear it." The woman, afraid to raise her head, was as humble as a slave.

Du Nan understood that this deep-seated reverence couldn't be dispelled with words. "Thank you."

Then,

He picked up the dirty child, thinking that children had no fear of mana warriors, and asked, "Little brother, I'm very happy today. Your father left many treasures, and I want to trade with you. What do you want? Whatever you can think of, I will give you."

"Big brother, you want to trade for Father's treasures? Really, anything?" The child was half-understanding.

The child remembered that Father said these drawings were treasures.

He completely believed it.

Now, if big brother wanted to trade for Father's treasures, he could naturally get some good things.

"Anything, little brother, whatever you want." Du Nan promised, completely ignoring the woman's terrified expression. If he hadn't been holding the child, she might have already snatched him away and given him a few hard slaps as a lesson. She didn't believe her husband had any real treasures; the old scholars said those broken drawings were just scribbles.

"I want to eat meat every day, can I?" The child made a big wish.

The woman was almost in tears.

Du Nan nodded and said, "Of course, every day, every meal. But that's not enough, little brother, tell me another one."

"I want to live in a big house, with a bathtub for bathing, and a big house with a swing." The child made another super big wish.

The woman was already crying.

Du Nan nodded again, "Alright, I'll give you a big house. A house with a swimming pool, a swing, a rocking horse, and a slide. Little brother, that's still not enough. Tell me, what else do you want to trade for your father's treasures?"

"Hmm..." The child thought for a moment and made another wish, "I want pretty clothes, clothes to make my mother beautiful."

The woman's tears flowed like a fountain, almost blinding her with tears.

"Alright, I'll give you many, many beautiful clothes. For you and your mother, the most beautiful clothes. Good boy, you're so well-behaved. Don't you like toys? Why don't you ask me for toys, only clothes for your mother?" Du Nan stroked the child's head.

"Because Father said Mother is the most beautiful woman. She's not as beautiful as others now, just because she doesn't have pretty clothes." The child looked serious, feeling warm and comfortable in big brother's arms.

The woman completely broke down, sobbing on the ground.

Du Nan smiled, "Yes, your father is right, your mother is indeed the most beautiful woman. Good boy, tell me, what's your name?"

"My name is Bao'er." The child was very proud, indicating that he was Father's treasure.

"Bao'er, that's a good name." Du Nan hugged Bao'er, gently wiping his little face, revealing smooth, tender skin.

This child.

Indeed inherited his mother's fair and tender genes, looking like a little treasure.

Outside the tavern.

Yin Ling, Ye Binghua, and Li Yinzhu had already returned. They heard the conversation and had tears in their eyes. They didn't go in, watching the mercenaries hiding in the corners, their hatred growing. It seemed that the mother and son's misfortune was brought by these mercenaries.

Turning around, the sound of gunfire rang out again.

After a while.

The woman led Du Nan to her shack. Du Nan, holding Bao'er, turned back to the tavern and said, "From today on, Bao'er is my little brother. If anything happens to Bao'er while I'm away training, no one in the Iron Fortress will survive."

The woman's tears flowed, thinking that her husband's efforts finally found someone who appreciated him.

And she believed that in less than half an hour,

This mana warrior's warning would spread throughout the Iron Fortress, known and feared by all.

Half an hour later.

Du Nan returned, carrying two large boxes of drawings and notes. At this moment, he still found it hard to believe.

The relic fragments were powers from ancient times. Now, a 'tomb raider' had activated them, a timid woman had preserved them, and a child who believed in his father had passed them on... These humble, insignificant people had completely passed on this miraculous power.

Who could say

That insignificant people had no value?

They were loyal to themselves, believed in their families... Hadn't this great ancient power been perfectly inherited?

Wasn't this a page worth recording in history?

"Fatso, take care of that mother and son, remember to take good care of them." Du Nan didn't tell Li Wenfu about the relic fragments. Such matters... as Lei Di said, knowing might not be a good thing. Besides, the best guarantee in this world was one's own strength. If he succeeded in the future, he would certainly help his friends.

Now, he was still in a 'self-preservation' state and absolutely didn't want to expose these secrets.

Li Wenfu was more understanding.

He knew that Du Ge helping him with practical training and greatly enhancing his combat power was already a great favor. As for these drawings... he wasn't a scholar or a genius in ancient texts, so it would be strange if he could understand them.

"Maps to some treasures?" Lu Sheng had some knowledge but was still confused.

"Would I care about treasures?"

Du Nan didn't completely keep it to himself. He just understood one map of a seed core and took it out to show everyone, "This map is of this planet, not far from the Iron Fortress. A five-star seed core, Fatso, are you interested?"

"Of course." Li Wenfu's eyes lit up, his noble family background giving him a high understanding of the value of 'goods.' Just one five-star core made this trip more than worth it.

If they really found it,

He could show off when he returned home, definitely dazzling many of his friends.

"Practice well. It seems we can't get it now." Du Nan assessed everyone's strength and continued, "I hope you can catch up within half a year. Otherwise, I'll go and get the core myself. Rest today, I need to organize these materials and see if there's anything else valuable. Four-Eyes, how much can you understand?"

"I can't help." Lu Sheng shook his head, indicating that ancient texts were his weak point.

"Alright then. Let's go back to the starship. Fatso, take care of that mother and son. I need to thoroughly organize these things. Fatso, get me a sealed room without any recording, no sound or video leaks." Du Nan didn't want to keep the relic fragment on him for long. Only what was in his mouth could be trusted.

"Don't worry, I've already arranged a room without any records."

Fatso opened the hologram and displayed six diagrams: "These six storage rooms on the starship have been modified, no sound, no recording. To prevent any issues with core fusion and advancement, they also block mana radiation. Du Ge can do anything in there, and even if outsiders can hack the starship system, they won't be able to see the inside. The protection of the six rooms is also strong, even regular artillery can't penetrate. Du Ge, rest assured."

In team travel, personal secrets often need to be handled.

The Silver Leaf team, being such a team, naturally needed these 'isolation rooms' even more. The most obvious example was Yin Ling and Ye Binghua, who would never practice under the starship's recording. Especially Ye Binghua, who wouldn't even sleep in a place with recording. The Li family had long been prepared, guarding against all possibilities.

"Very good, I'll start working now. Training starts tomorrow. The goal is the Bug Corridor." Du Nan said finally.

He activated the mech.

Carrying the two boxes, he flew back to the starship.

At this moment, Du Nan didn't want any variables. With the two relic fragments in his hands, he needed to fuse them as soon as possible. As for what battles or chaos might happen in the Iron Fortress, they were not his concern right now.

Everything.

Would be dealt with after he fused the two relic fragments.