Chapter 128: Eccentricities

Chapter 128

The beds in the cabin had been almost entirely incinerated by Ye Jingxuan’s massive fire, making the room clearly uninhabitable. Mei decided to renovate the space to make it more comfortable for herself.

First, she applied a space-expansion magic circle to the wall, instantly doubling the room's interior volume. Next, she installed a kitchen and a bathroom; she had no desire to run a great distance just to use the restroom, nor did she want to eat the ship’s communal gruel every day. These two additions were essential.

The remaining space was designated for sleeping. However, since the room was tiny to begin with, even doubling it didn't leave much room. After partitioning off the two new areas, the leftover space wasn't significantly larger than before. Fitting seven single beds side-by-side was impossible, so everyone would still have to sleep in bunk beds.

Mei had many things in her spatial storage, but she had never prepared for bunk beds. After a moment’s thought, she extended her hand, and a soft green glow emanated from her palm. Plants sprouted rapidly, their vines intertwining until a bed woven from vegetation took shape in the corner of the room.

Mo Chen and the others were seeing Mei use plant-based abilities—or magic—for the first time, and they watched with fascination. Lin Shaojie approached the newly formed single bed and sat down gingerly. Only when he applied his full weight and found the bed didn't budge did he finally relax. He had been genuinely worried it would collapse; the plants looked soft and fragile, yet they were surprisingly sturdy when woven together.

The room gradually filled with the fresh scent of plants. While Lin Shaojie tested the bed’s durability, Mei quickly finished the four lower bunks and began preparing the upper ones. Instead of the typical frame beds, she crafted hammocks. They hung suspended in mid-air, the fabric soft and yielding; lying in one felt like being cradled in a cradle.

It had been a long time since she had slept like this, so Mei unceremoniously claimed a hammock, lying back and setting it into a gentle sway. She looked perfectly at ease. Qu Wenyuan watched with envy and climbed into another hammock.

"Wow, this is so comfortable!" Qu Wenyuan exclaimed in surprise.

The hammock was far more comfortable than she had imagined. The sensation of sinking into a cloud made her drowsy almost instantly.

"Hehe, feels good, right? I used to love this feeling of being wrapped up. I just never had the chance to do it since arriving here!" Mei poked her head out to tell Qu Wenyuan.

"Mei, could you tell me about the Elven race? In the books I used to read, they were always mentioned. Almost every description portrayed them as the most beautiful race—everyone, regardless of gender, was stunning. They were also described as pure, kind, peace-loving, nature-loving, and fond of freedom and an unrestrained life. It’s said they have an innate obsession with beauty, and that every elf is an artist. Is that true?" Qu Wenyuan asked, filled with curiosity.

Mei shook her head. "Where did those authors get such ideas? The 'most beautiful race'? How could that be? Every species has different aesthetics. Elves might fit human standards, but in the eyes of other races, they’re quite ordinary. And not all elves are good-looking, though their builds are similar—generally light and slender. It’s just that such a physique is better suited for forest life."

"I don’t know why the writers of your world imagined the Elves so perfectly. In reality, few Elves are 'pure.' Since an elf’s lifespan is several times that of a human, they’ve seen too much to remain innocent. And 'kind'? That’s even further from the truth. There are many branches of the Elven race, and they often harbor conflicts. Some are even natural enemies, like the Light Elves and Dark Elves—they fight the moment they meet. Outside of their own kin, they are generally indifferent to outsiders."

"As for 'loving nature,' that’s somewhat true. Most elves prefer places with abundant vegetation. Even I, who am not particularly picky, feel comfortable in such environments. And 'loving freedom'? That’s not wrong, but I don’t think there’s any race that doesn’t love freedom, is there?"

"Of all the things you said, there is only one I agree with: Elves have an innate obsession with beauty. Some love beautiful objects, some love beautiful environments, and some love beautiful people. While their preferences differ, they are all obsessed with beauty, and even love to collect it. In short, they are very persistent!"

Everyone listened intently to Mei’s explanation. Aside from Xiriel, they were all strangers to the Elven race, and they found her words fascinating.

"So that’s the reality! Aside from a longer lifespan, they don’t seem much different from humans. They even have infighting!" Qu Wenyuan sighed. So, stories were just meant to deceive people! The truth was so different from her imagination.

"Why is that surprising? As long as a creature has intelligence, their thoughts will differ. Where there is disagreement, there is conflict; where there is conflict, there is strife. Isn't that normal? If the Elves were truly as the books described—pure, kind, peaceful, and detached—they would have been wiped out long ago. How could such a race survive?" Mo Chen interjected, unimpressed.

"A-Chen is right. While the Elves have advantages over other races, their weaknesses are also quite obvious," Mei agreed. "Elves are skilled in archery and magic but lack raw physical strength. They are good at strategy but lack creativity. They excel at small-scale forest skirmishes but cannot handle large-scale warfare. If they were truly like the books, there wouldn't be any Elves left in the world."

"It sounds like your original world was very chaotic! Was there frequent war?" An Ziyou asked.

"Yes. That world is different from this one. The landmass is vast, and countries are relatively concentrated. Conflicts over territory, faith, and survival all lead to war. Basically, every few years, a conflict breaks out for some reason. Life for ordinary people is very hard. Come to think of it, life in your world before the apocalypse was relatively stable!"

"What about you? What kind of life do you like? Here, or in your old world?" Ye Jingxuan asked, steering the conversation back to her.

Mei tilted her head and thought carefully. "Actually, I don’t like a life that is too stable; it makes me feel like I have no goals. I prefer a more exciting life—exploring unknown worlds with companions and collecting all sorts of novel things. So, even if I didn't have to worry about reaching adulthood, I wouldn't stay in one place for long."

"You like adventure? In that case, the life of a mercenary really suits you!" Mo Chen laughed, as he also couldn't stand a mundane, unremarkable existence. They were quite alike in that regard.

"That's right. Xiriel, Xiao Sa, Luo Luo, and I used to take on missions and go exploring all the time. It was only after we’d practically seen everything there was to see in that world that we settled down."

Seeing her nostalgic expression, Ye Jingxuan promised, "Don’t worry. Once you’ve successfully reached adulthood, we can continue to explore! We can go on adventures across the stars. The starry sky is so vast; there must be many mysterious places to see."

"You're right! That's why I must grow up as quickly as possible. That way, I’ll have more time to play and can collect all sorts of beautiful men from different races!" Mei nodded vigorously, filled with anticipation for the future.

However, before she could even finish her sentence, the room erupted in a chorus of coughing!

"Cough, cough! Did I hear that right? Mei, you said you want to collect beautiful men?" Lin Shaojie’s eyes widened, his face full of disbelief.

"Yes, didn't I say that? Elves love collecting beautiful things, and what I like most is collecting beautiful men. It’s a pity Xiriel said I can only do that after I’m an adult. For now, I can only look!" Mei’s tone was filled with regret, completely oblivious to the strange expressions on the faces of the people in the room.

*Collecting beautiful men?* What kind of strange hobby was that! If she was only "looking" now, did that mean once she was an adult, she planned to do more than just look?

Mo Chen couldn't help but glare at Xiriel, who was currently observing a chemical reaction in a vial. What kind of strange ideas had he been feeding her? Xiriel felt the gaze, looked up, and a mocking smile touched his lips.

"The Elven race practices polyandry and polygyny," Xiriel said calmly, then returned his attention to his potion, ignoring the people who were now standing there stunned, their faces turning black.

*Polyandry and polygyny?* What kind of race was this! No wonder she spoke of collecting men so naturally—it was entirely a product of her upbringing! How on earth was he supposed to change her perspective?

Setting aside the fact that the information they received that night left them conflicted, helpless, and tossing and turning in bed, the following morning, their ship encountered a group of survivors adrift at sea.

Upon confirming they were human, Ling Feng ordered them to be brought aboard. Hearing the news, many ability users rushed to the deck to watch, and Mei came along, curious to join the excitement.

The rescued survivors were in rags, looking haggard, much like the refugees in the base. Although they looked no different from the people of their own country, they spoke a language no one could understand. The survivors sent a representative to negotiate with Ling Feng. Ling Feng proved quite capable, communicating in the survivors' language without any trouble.

Mei wasn't proficient in languages, but she could understand a little. Curious to hear what had happened to them, she leaned in closer.

She never expected that this move would lead to trouble for herself. As soon as the survivors saw Mei, who was completely wrapped in a cloak, they began to shriek in terror and scrambled back toward the edge of the ship!