Chapter 227: Rush to the Sky! (2)
Chapter 227 – Rush to the Sky! (2)
The island’s expansion lasted for three minutes, and the island’s total surface area had tripled by the end of the expansion!
The railway station that was crowded with over 2,000 people also became much more s.p.a.cious.
“This is G.o.d’s doing!” Cambridge University’s princ.i.p.al knelt down and shuddered as he touched the grown. “Unbelievable…”
The various government researchers present also started working busily. Many of them took out containers and filled them with sand, gravel, or liquid from the Black Lake.
By the time the floating castle had expanded to perfectly match the Hogwarts in the Harry Potter series to a 1:1 ratio, a hidden switch was triggered. Immediately, the condensed hydrogen was released, filling the interior of every building block.
As the castle’s buoyancy became stronger than gravity, the island made of aerogel gradually lifted off the ground.
[It’s flying! It’s flying!]
[Too! Awesome!]
[A supernatural craftsmanship…]
[It’s actually using buoyancy to let the ground float! What a show!]
[I’ve never even heard of such a method before.]
[The future Lego Company has quite the big brain.]
[It would be even better if a hydrogen explosion occurred!]
On the ground, over 2,000 soldiers and tens of thousands of curious locals gaped in shock as they looked at the ma.s.sive floating island that blotted out the sky.
This spectacular, majestic, magnificent, and miraculous scene had been imprinted in the deepest part of their minds. They would never forget this scene for the rest of their lives.
“私は夢を見ていますか? (Am I dreaming?)”
“今朝は熱も出たようです! (It seems I caught a fever today…)”
“か!(Ah! I’m a reporter! What the h.e.l.l is that?! Why aren’t you letting me in? Is it a new type of weapon made by America? Don’t touch me! Stop! I have the right to uncover the truth…)”P
As the floating castle flew higher and higher, the number of locals that saw it naturally increased. Some were shocked, some panicked, some fell into chaos, and some took photos out of curiosity.
Over five million people resided in the Echigo Plain, and the colossal island could be seen just by looking up. The local authorities could not hide its existence even if they wanted to. The best they could do was temporarily block traffic and the internet to prevent news from spreading too rapidly…
…
On the island…
Many courageous people ran to the edge of the island and tried lying on the cliff to look at the ground below. However, before they could enact their thoughts, several Auror mages appeared to stop them. “It is dangerous ahead. Please do not come closer.”
Hermione also hovered in the air and solemnly said, “The higher the alt.i.tude, the stronger the wind would be. For your safety, please stay away from the edge. If you wish to see the ground scenery, you can enter the Astronomy Tower and Central Tower in the castle. You can have a 360-degree view there.”
“I suddenly thought of a problem.” Raising his microphone, Chen Yu asked, “There are over 2,000 of us standing in a single spot. Won’t the imbalance distribution of weight cause the floating castle to overturn?”
“It won’t.” Hermione shook her head as she landed on the ground. “I am controlling the castle’s hydrogen density and distribution to ensure the balance of buoyancy.”
“So, the reason why an AI is needed for this castle is to control these complex tasks?”
“Yes.”
“Compared to the toy nuclear bombs made in the 22nd century, this castle certainly is more advanced.” As Chen Yu looked at the shrinking land below the castle, he asked another question, “How high will the castle rise to?”
“Our current alt.i.tude is 700 meters. We are rising by 10 meters per second. We’ll reach the standard alt.i.tude of 30,000 meters in 48 minutes.”
“Thirty thousand meters? c.r.a.p, people are going to die!”
“Humans will only fail to adapt after reaching an alt.i.tude of 80,000 meters,” Hermione said.
“You’re mistaking humans for Superman…” Chen Yu held his forehead. “Stop at 4,000 meters. By the way, is the castle’s interior sealed off?”
“Yes.” Hermione nodded.” Including the central courtyard, most of the castle complex has a closed environment. The buildings are shielded from thunderstorms, lack of oxygen, high temperatures, and ultraviolet rays.”
Snap!
Snapping his fingers, Chen Yu said, “Rise to 4,000 meters first. Continue rising once we’re inside the castle. How high can we rise to at most?”
“We can rise to 300,000 meters above sea level, which is within the thermosphere.”
“This thing was originally called a s.p.a.ce station, right?!”
“It can’t fly that high.” With an earnest look, Hermione answered, “The standard perigee of a s.p.a.ce station is more than three million meters.”
“…Lord Minister of Magic, you should take us into the castle first.”
“Okay.” Hermione smiled and bowed. “Please follow me. We will enter the castle through the lake.”
“There are more than 2,000 people here.” Pointing at the two small wooden boats resting on the Black Lake’s sh.o.r.e, Chen Yu said, “How many people can those two boats possibly fit?”
However, Hermione did not give an answer. Instead, she walked straight across the station and arrived beside the lake. She then whistled loudly.
Swish!
The next moment, the giant squid emerged from the lake and stretched out two thick and hideous tentacles to the sh.o.r.e.
Turning around, Hermione looked at Chen Yu and revealed a bright smile, “You can step on its back and tentacles. It can carry at least 200 people per trip.”
…
Three minutes later, Chen Yu and the bullet comment group partic.i.p.ants stepped onto the squid’s back and moved toward the castle.
As for the donation group’s and higher education group’s partic.i.p.ants, they had to line up and wait for their turn by the sh.o.r.e.
Initially, Chen Yu could’ve just flown across the Black Lake. However, to allow the livestream rooms’ audience to enjoy a more immersive experience, he decided to follow the “main force.”
“This lake is the Black Lake that Harry Potter pa.s.sed through when he first entered Hogwarts.” Directing the camera forward, Chen Yu said, “You can see the boathouse in front. If you follow the long walkway, you’ll arrive at the castle’s entrance courtyard. The degree of restoration is really high. I can’t believe everything around us was made out of building blocks…”
The squid swam very quickly. After Chen Yu’s narration continued for a few minutes, the squid had already arrived at the boathouse on the other end of the lake.
Under Hermione’s lead, the group walked across the walkway and arrived inside a s.p.a.cious courtyard.
The courtyard was rectangular in shape, with evenly distributed load-bearing columns supporting the ceiling on all four sides. Only the center part of the courtyard was exposed to the sky.
The medieval-styled architecture dazzled the bullet comment group’s partic.i.p.ants.
“I a.s.sembled this pillar! Quick! Help me take a photo!”
“Bulls.h.i.t! Our group only a.s.sembled the foundation!”
“This is too spectacular…”
While standing on an elevated platform, Hermione pointed her finger at the sky and said, “From here onwards, the environment will be isolated from the outside world. The top of this courtyard is sealed as well. It’s just transparent.”
“Continue leading us inside,” Chen Yu urged. “The courtyard can hold only 300 people. There’s going to be a traffic jam here once the next group arrives.”
“Okay.”
Hermione nodded. She then led everyone into the auditorium, pa.s.sed through the moving stairs, courtyard buildings, central bridge, and headed straight to the Astronomy Tower.
[Isn’t this thing basically a real castle?!]
[A toy from the future can become top real estate in modern times.]
[Aside from having no internet, it’s basically the perfect place to live in.]
[UP, won’t you consider turning it into a hotel?]
[Get straight to the point. How much will it cost per night to live on the island?]
While standing by a window in the Astronomy Tower, Chen Yu gazed at the last batch of university students boarding the giant squid. He asked, “How high are we from the ground now?”
“We’ve reached the 4,000-meter alt.i.tude you designated.”
“Can you control those Auror mages?”
“The Auror mages are lower-level artificial intelligence under my control.”
“Good. Have them prevent anyone from leaving the enclosed area and ensure everyone’s safety. Now, continue rising to 100,000 meters!”
“Okay.” Hermione nodded. “The castle has resumed its elevation.”
“I recall the instructions saying that the castle is capable of quick movement as well, right?”
“Yes. Which direction do you want to move in?”
“Of course, it’s…” Pointing to the east, Chen Yu said, “China.”
“The Pacific Ocean is in the east,” Hermione calmly said.
“Oh, to the west, then…”