Over twenty days later, after several failures, usable but ugly pottery emerged from the kiln.
二十多天后，经过几次失败，能用的丑陋陶器出炉了。
At first, only the child stayed by his side, but in the following days, more and more primitive people came. They were initially curious or drawn by Yang Zicang’s fighting prowess, since he could drive away sand centipedes with just a few stones.
刚开始还只是小孩在他身旁，但后面几天来的原始人越来越多。他们最初只是好奇，或是被杨子藏的武力所吸引，因为他几块石头就能砸跑那些沙地蜈蚣。
However, they soon became unsettled.
但后面他们就不淡定了。
As various pottery shapes came into view, the way the crowd looked at Yang Zicang shifted from viewing him as a man to regarding him as a sage.
随着各种形状的陶器呈现眼前，众人看杨子藏的目光已经从看人，变成了看待圣贤。
At dawn, another batch of pottery came out of the kiln.
清晨，又一炉陶器出炉。
“This one’s for you to play with.”
“这个给你拿去玩。”
Yang Zicang casually picked up a frog-shaped pottery figurine from this batch and handed it to the child.
杨子藏随手从这一炉中的青蛙状陶俑中，拿出个递给小朋友。
“Waah.”
“哇啊。”
Stars practically shone in the child’s eyes, drawing envious gazes from the surrounding kids.
小孩眼中都在冒着星星，看得周围的孩童们羡慕不已。
“Atata!” The child held up the pottery frog, as proudly as if holding a crown.
“阿塔塔！”小孩举着陶俑青蛙，仿佛举着皇冠般自豪。
“Ah tata ah tata!”
“啊塔塔啊塔塔！”
Then her treasure was snatched away.
然后她的东西就被抢走了。
Yang Zicang watched them laugh and play.
杨子藏看着他们笑闹。
After many days, more than half of the people in this primitive tribe had learned to use pottery to hold water.
好些日子后，这个原始部落的人差不多大半以上学会了运用陶器去盛水。
Thus, another forty-plus years passed.
如此又过了四十多年。
……
……
Yang Zicang had traveled through every corner of the continent.
杨子藏已经走过大陆的每个地方。
He had long grown too lazy to curse that “Radiance Mail Insignia” from ages ago, and no longer held illusions about the statue; he just wanted to seek useful skills while incidentally searching for that thing. Fortunately, no matter how long he stayed here, for reality, it would merely pass like a short nap.
他已经懒得骂好久以前那个光芒邮徽了，同时他也不对雕像抱有幻想，只是想寻找有用技能的同时，顺便找找那东西罢了。还好自己在这儿不论待多久，对现实来说都只是短暂的睡一觉而已。
At the seaside, Yang Zicang, draped in a straw raincoat, looked up at the dissipating dark clouds on the horizon, then rolled up his pant legs and waded into the water, trudging forward toward a small boat ahead.
海边，身披蓑衣的杨子藏抬头望了眼天际消散的乌云后，拉起裤脚迈入水中，涉向前方的小船。
This was called a boat, but in reality, it was a dugout canoe made by cutting and hollowing out a large tree, only slightly larger than an ordinary one.
这说是船，实际上是将大树裁断凿空后的独木舟，只是它比普通的独木舟要大些。
Although over the decades he had found iron ore and forged brittle, not-so-durable iron tools, restocking his arrows, he still couldn’t handle the kind of craftsmanship needed for shipbuilding.
虽然几十年来自己已经找到铁矿，打造出不太耐用的易脆铁器，给自己补充了箭矢，但造船这种需要技术的活儿自己还是干不了。
Yang Zicang turned to look at the primitive people bowing to him. This small tribe was developing relatively quickly; they already had simple language and used vines to tie things up, while he taught them to use more complex vine nets for fishing. As for more, there was nothing he could do—all that could be left to time.
杨子藏转身看向那些对自己叩拜的原始人，这只小部落还算发展得比较快，已经有简单的语言，以及会用藤蔓来捆东西了，自己则教他们使用更复杂的藤网捕鱼。更多的，自己也没办法，只能交给时间了。
“See you in the future, savages!”
“未来再见，野人们！”
“Kula gula!”
“窟拉谷啦！”
The savages, carrying saw blades and axes, bid an unwilling farewell.
扛着锯片与斧头的野人们依依不舍的送别。
Yang Zicang smiled as he hoisted the animal-hide sail and sailed away. If he stayed any longer, he’d almost become the sage who founded a civilization.
杨子藏笑着拉起兽皮风帆驶离此地，再待下去，自己都快开创文明的圣人了。
He had to keep searching for that statue!
得继续找雕像啊！
This continent was impossible; he would need to cross the sea and go to a more distant place. Still, maybe there would be new discoveries right at sea.
这个大陆是不可能了，自己要跨海而去，去往更遥远的地方才行。不过嘛，或许海上就有新的发现。
“Maybe the moment I set sail, I’ll spot a derelict East India Company cargo ship, abandoned for thousands of years, anchored in the distance,” he thought with anticipation.
说不定一出去就能见到，停泊在远方的东印度公司的废弃几千年的货船呢，他期待的想到。
……
……
“Sixty years—time for a new attempt! From now on, I am: Zheng. Magellan Columbus. Jack Zang!”
“六十年了，是时候做出新的尝试了！接下来我就是：郑.麦哲伦哥伦布.杰克藏！”
The young man placed one foot on the ship’s gunwale and put on a straw sun hat with one hand, amusing himself.
青年一脚踩在船舷上，一手戴上了遮阳草帽的自娱自乐道。
If this attempt failed again, perhaps this postal badge would be ruined by his own greed.
如果这次再失败，这枚邮徽就当被贪心的自己搞废了吧。
Suddenly, the shouts of the savages on the shore grew louder, many voices filled with fear. Yang Zicang turned in confusion, following their gaze upward…
忽地，后方岸上的原始人更大声的叫了起来，好些人的声音充满恐惧。杨子藏疑惑转头，随着他们的目光抬头望去…
A streak of meteoric light appeared in the sky, like a pinpoint far in the distant horizon.
天空出现抹流星光芒，如针点远远挂在遥远天边。
“Hoo, hoo, it’s a comet, savages.”
“嚯嚯，是彗星啊野人们。”
Yang Zicang laughed heartily, finding these primitives so naive.
杨子藏哈哈笑道，这些原始人好单纯。
Yet, he couldn’t really blame them; a comet with its tail visible even during the day was a rarity. Seeing such a bizarre phenomenon suddenly in the sky was indeed hard to comprehend.
不过也不能怪他们，这样在白天都能看见彗尾的彗星很难见到，突然在天空看见这般异相，的确是难以理解。
Their fear came naturally.
他们产生恐惧也是自然的。
……
……
Days later, Yang Zicang glanced at the sky—the comet still lingered at the horizon.
几天后，杨子藏看了眼天际，那彗星还在天边。
It had only advanced a small distance; to traverse the entire sky, it would still take considerable time.
它只是前进了没多远的距离，若要跨过整个天际，恐怕还需要不少时间。
“Will I cross the ocean first, or will you cross the sky?”
“是我先跨过海洋，还是你先穿过天空呢？”
Yang Zicang murmured to himself.
杨子藏喃喃地道。
In a world with only oneself, everything around seems to become a subject to converse with.
一个人的世界，周围的一切都仿佛成为了可以述说的对象。
……
……
After dozens of days and nights passed, the weather gradually cooled.
随着数十个昼夜过去，天气逐渐降温。
At noon, the fine snow had just ceased. Yang Zicang, feeling idle and bored, used a flat iron spear as long as a blade to paddle the water a few times when suddenly a sense of panic came over him, as an ominous aura permeated the surrounding air.
正午，细雪初停，百无聊赖的杨子藏用扁平如长刀的铁矛划动了几下水后，忽然感觉有些心慌，周围空气中弥漫着些许阴森之气。
He frowned, took off his straw hat whose brim had long since unraveled, and looked around. Finding nothing amiss, he turned his gaze to the sky, where the comet loomed overhead.
他皱眉取下早已散开帽檐的草帽，四下望了望，却没发现有哪里不对，他又看向天上，彗星正临头。
Suddenly, an overwhelming sense of dread and horror emerged.
忽然，莫大的阴森恐怖之感出现。
On the edge of the wooden canoe, shadows converged around the flat iron spear, as if something was about to take shape upon it.
木舟舷上，扁平铁矛阴影汇聚，似乎有什么要从上面形成。
“What is that!?”
“什么东西？！”
A long-buried memory surfaced.
久违的记忆涌现。
A Nightmare!
恶魇！
Stunned, Yang Zicang stared at this shoddy iron spear.
杨子藏震惊的看着这杆劣质铁枪。
Didn’t I make this myself? Why would a Nightmare have been born from it? It’s not a projection from Earth. “Squeak!” A peculiar eye-like pattern grew on the wooden handle of the stone spear!
这不是自己做的吗，为什么会诞生恶魇？它又不是来自地球的投影。“吱！”石矛木枪上长出个奇怪的眼眸壮纹路！
Within it, a faint red light flickered up and down, then fixed its gaze on Yang Zicang. Startled, the young man dropped it with a slap, and it landed onto the dugout canoe.
它里面一点红芒上下晃动，随后锁定向杨子藏，青年吓得一丢，啪地落在独木船上。
The stone spear, now on the ground, transformed into a serpentine shadow monster, its red eyes venomous. Its body coiled and arched before springing toward him.
丢在地上的石矛化为如同蛇形的暗影怪物，红色眼眸宛若蛇蝎，它身体弯曲弓起，弹射了过来。
In an instant, a golden phantom light flashed in Yang Zicang’s hand as he threw a punch.
杨子藏手上瞬间亮起金色虚影，一拳砸去。
Bang!
嘭！
This newly born Nightmare from the iron spear perished instantly. Finally, the Jishi were proving effective!
这铁矛中刚诞生的恶魇瞬间暴毙。时序终于有效果了！
Strange, eerie patterns flickered across the spear, and dark red smoke shrank back into the weapon as it dropped onto the boat, motionless. Yang Zicang picked up the transformed gun, and several mental voices sounded in his mind.
长枪上闪烁着无数诡异纹路，暗红的烟雾缩入武器之内掉在船上失去动静。杨子藏将变化后的枪捡起，几道心念声出现在心中。
[The Councilors call it — the Spiritual Weapon.]
[议员们称它为——灵物战器。]
Spiritual Weapon, not Chrono Weapon?
灵物战器，不是时序战器？
Yang Zicang’s eyes snapped wide open.
杨子藏猛地睁大双眼。
More waves of panic surged forth.
更多心慌感出现。
Yang Zicang looked left and right, finally fixing his gaze on the unfurled beast-hide sail.
杨子藏左右寻找，最后目光落在还未展开的兽皮风帆上。
Having drifted at sea for so long, it was nearly waterlogged and rotting. But now, countless shadows flowed like blue-black blood vessels across the hide and the small mast, as if something was about to come back to life from within.
因为长期在海上飘荡，它都快受潮腐烂了。而此刻的风帆上，无数暗影如同青黑血管在兽皮与小桅杆上流动，似有东西将要从中复活。
“Another nightmare creature? No, two of them!”
“又一个恶魇？不，两个！”
He stabbed down with the golden spear.
金枪插下。
Thud! The gray mist just beginning to coalesce around the dugout canoe was deflected as the dark red, metal-like weapon plunged deep into it. Yang Zicang could hardly accept this—if it were just here, it might still be manageable, but…
咚！独木舟刚刚开始凝聚的灰雾顿时被挡开，如金戈般的暗红武器深深插入其中。杨子藏难以接受，这到底是怎么回事，如果仅仅只是这里倒也还好，可是…
Then it struck him: the land!
他突然想到，陆地上！
“Puff, puff!”
“噗噗！”
Two streams of gray mist shot toward him.
两道灰雾射来。
[Redirect!]
[调度！]
The gray mist could also be deflected by the Redirection ability, and they were sent flying into the ocean. Some fishes swimming underwater were struck by the mist and instantly writhed in agony as their forms twisted, sprouting extra, octopus-like limbs.
灰雾也能够被调度能力拐掉轨迹，它们被射入海洋。水面下几只游鱼被这灰雾射中，顷刻间痛苦扭曲着改变自己的形体，变得宛若八爪鱼般长出几道多余肢节。
Even though his Chrono ability should protect him from such attacks, Yang Zicang still felt his scalp crawl from sheer horror.
即便自己的时序应该能防御这样的攻击，但杨子藏依旧看得头皮发麻。
He himself didn’t mind, but there were savages still in this world who knew nothing of how things worked! He pulled out his demonic longspear and thrust it forward; an illusory scream erupted from the mast. This very sound, however, allowed Yang Zicang to regain a measure of composure.
自己无所谓，可这个世界还有什么也不会的野人啊！他拔起充满妖异的长枪一枪戳去，桅杆上发出幻音惨叫。这声音反而让杨子藏冷静了点。
“I must take this opportunity to gather more data.”
“要趁此多搜集资料才对。”
This was a rare anomaly he had been searching for decades; he absolutely couldn’t just kill them all and be done with it.
这可是找了几十年的异相，绝不能如此就全杀了了事。
He grabbed a wooden club from the dugout canoe and struck at it.
他拿起独木舟上一根木棒抽打过去。
……
……
After several attempts, this ordinary wooden club—aside from making a dull thud against the already rotting leather—proved useless, as expected.
几次尝试。这根普通的木棒，除了将原本就快烂掉的皮革打得嘭嘭作响外，果然没什么用。
“It seems that, just like those nightmares, although you differ from them in that you don’t require a time tax, you still can’t be hurt by ordinary attacks.”
“看来如同那些恶魇一样，虽然你们跟它们有些差别，不需要耗费时序，但也不是普通攻击能够伤到的。”
Puff, puff, puff! Several more streams of gray mist shot over.
噗噗噗！又是几道灰雾射来。
As always, once the model lured it into the water, Yang Zicang used the spiritual weapon tool in his hand and thoroughly smashed it apart in a few strokes.
一如既往被模型调动进入水中后，杨子藏用手上的灵物战器几下将它彻底捣烂。
On the mast, now reduced to a stump, the black patterns gradually ceased to flow. A bluish-red mucus seeped out, and after drying, it formed a translucent film covering the surface.
只剩木桩的桅杆上，黑色纹路渐渐不再流动。青红色粘液渗出，它们干枯后，宛若半透明晶膜覆盖在上面。
YangZicang reached out and touched it.
杨子藏用手触摸。
[This must be a spiritual artifact that can accelerate the canoe.]
[大概是能给小船加速的灵物战器。]
He waited for some time longer, but no further abnormalities appeared on the canoe.
又等了些时间，独木舟上再也没有更多的东西出现异状。