Ch 115: The World’s Number One Resort

At one in the morning, Tang Huai headed to the Sky Forest. Now completed, the Sky Forest was surrounded by endless peaks. Due to the system’s advanced technology, it, like Bianjing Ancient City, had only a faint outline that did not interfere with the views of other scenic areas.

Intrigued, Tang Huai approached the Sky Forest.

Standing on the outer edge of the Sky Forest, he saw that nearly a hundred construction machines had withdrawn, leaving the expansive, twenty-kilometer-long mechanical ground smooth and covered with transparent glass. Below it lay the “blue sea” from before.

Tang Huai looked up. The sea’s reflection was mirrored on the bottom of the Sky Forest, appearing even clearer and purer than before, resembling a symmetrical ocean surface.

The ground and the Sky Forest were separated by a vertical distance of two thousand meters. Standing in the center didn’t feel oppressive; instead, it gave a refreshing sense of being enveloped in a blue serenity. Tang Huai walked around the entrance of the Sky Forest and looked up again.

The ground served as the foundation for the Sky Forest, but its main features lay high above. So, how exactly would one get up there?

All the disguised laborers were now resting. These laborers could only simulate construction tasks, not provide an explanation of the area.

Tang Huai was feeling quite puzzled.

“Master Host,” a middle-aged man dressed in a suit approached, his demeanor both elegant and respectful.

[Sky AI]: Non-intelligent AI, responsible for explaining and maintaining the Sky Forest’s operations.

After seeing the man’s detailed information, Tang Huai understood. The Sky Forest was a high-level area and, besides occupying a vast space, it also came with its own AI guide.

“Address me as Manager Tang,” Tang Huai instructed, waving his hand.

“Manager Tang,” the AI guide replied, bowing respectfully.

The AI guide then patiently explained that there were three ways to travel from the ground to the Sky Forest:

1. The Sky Elevator
2. The Sky Zeppelin
3. The Sky Aircraft

The vertical section of the Sky Forest’s ground was called the “Mechanical Blue.” This area covered twenty square kilometers, and every half kilometer, there was a 3×3 meter Sky Elevator that could hold twenty visitors. The journey from the ground to the sky took only half a minute.

There were a total of 160 elevators on the Mechanical Blue. It was an enormous project.

Sky Zeppelins and Sky Aircraft needed to be purchased from the item shop, costing around 500,000 island points each.

Having learned how to access the Sky Forest, Tang Huai grew more curious. There was no elevator nearby, so he needed to walk to the nearest elevator station.

“Walk over?”

Tang Huai took a few steps but then hesitated. The Mechanical Blue spanned twenty square kilometers. While he had the “Strengthen the Body” ability, visitors wouldn’t have the stamina to walk twenty kilometers. Moreover, since the main attraction of the Sky Forest was the sky island, having so many elevators at the base seemed unnecessary.

A trip every half minute—this was far less convenient than a simple queue.

“You can take the mechanical track. The design of the Sky Elevator accounts for both ‘up and down’ layers. The vast area of the Sky Island makes the elevator more useful for visitors to leave freely,” the AI guide explained, seemingly aware of Tang Huai’s doubts.

The AI’s explanation was somewhat convoluted, but after considering it for a moment, Tang Huai decided not to dwell on it.

After walking for more than ten meters, the AI guide crouched down.

Tang Huai noticed that, aside from the mechanical blue tubes on the ground, there were also some control devices. The AI guide pressed a button about thirty centimeters in size, causing a section of the ground to sink, revealing a purple, roller coaster-like, ten-seater vehicle. The blue light beneath the glass surface changed, forming two rows of purple light tubes stretching from their location to the nearest elevator.

Were these light tubes… tracks?

Tang Huai inspected the roller coaster. It was a small, well-designed ride, similar in style to those in Bianjing Ancient City and Thrilling Racing.

The two of them got on. There was an LCD screen on the roller coaster, and the AI guide entered “12” to indicate the destination as Elevator 12. Tang Huai looked up as the purple track lit up.

The roller coaster came in fifty different colors. Each time it was used, the color was randomly selected. For now, Tang Huai was the only one on the Mechanical Blue, but he could imagine the scene when fifty random colors lit up simultaneously in the future.

Tang Huai: …

First, it was Sola Town, and now it’s the Sky Forest. The system definitely had a fondness for rainbow colors.

The purple roller coaster moved smoothly and arrived at Elevator 12 in two minutes.

A red button was embedded in the glass floor. The AI guide pressed it, and in the blink of an eye, a transparent elevator cabin rose up. It was a three-meter-long, three-meter-wide, and three-meter-high “transparent” elevator.

The door opened, and Tang Huai stepped inside. The material of the elevator cabin resembled the crystal bridge and the ice path. If one didn’t look closely, it appeared as if the elevator was floating.

On the right side of the elevator, there were three directional buttons: “Up,” “Down,” and “Pause.”

Tang Huai pressed “Up.”

“Elevator 12 has been activated. Please wait patiently,” a gentle elevator prompt sounded. The entire cabin shook slightly and began to rise slowly.

Tang Huai glanced down. The glass floor was so clear that it felt like he was standing mid-air. While the cabin had a built-in safety mechanism, the visual experience was quite intimidating.

This was yet another heart-pounding, high-stimulation attraction.

Tang Huai steadied himself. Sky Zeppelin, here I come!

The Sky Island was over two thousand meters above the ground. As the elevator ascended, the scenery below grew smaller, revealing the entire Mechanical Blue surface—a vast, blue glass floor of awe-inspiring craftsmanship.

After half a minute, the cabin entered a dark area, which was the underside of the Sky Island. Another ten seconds passed, and sunlight greeted them once more.

The elevator came to a halt, and Tang Huai stepped out.

At that moment, he froze in astonishment. In front of him lay a large lake, and two long-horned white deer were drinking from the water’s edge. Upon noticing Tang Huai, they tilted their heads as if contemplating something before quickly darting away.

Beyond the lake was a dense forest. As the deer disappeared into the woods, a flock of birds took flight, their cries filling the air.

Sky Forest… so, this is a forest?

Tang Huai turned around. Next to the elevator stood a wooden sign with a large green “12” on it. The sign was entwined with vines, blending seamlessly with the surrounding environment.

Ahead, a winding dirt path led deeper into the forest. Tang Huai surveyed the area before following the path. Taking out his Sola Card, he noted that the card system had been upgraded along with the island. The previous “old-school card” had been replaced with a new generation of smart cards for visitors.

The card, roughly the size of a modern smartphone, had options like “Personal Account,” “Transaction History,” and “Island Guide.”

Tang Huai opened “Island Guide” and switched to “Sky Forest.” Since the Sky Forest was not yet open to the public, he was using his island owner privileges.

The Sky Forest map was an irregular oval, dotted with simple symbols indicating restrooms, elevators, and zeppelin stations. Registered visitors were shown as “small red dots” on the map. Beyond that, there was little else.

While Tang Huai could locate the nearest amenities, he had no clue about the recreational areas of the Sky Forest.

He scrutinized the map and found a small note at the bottom: “Players are encouraged to explore and find their own fun.”

Seeing this, Tang Huai decisively put the Sola Card away.

Alright… it’s up to me to explore.

Tang Huai wandered down the path. He was currently in the southeastern part of the Sky Island, surrounded by lush greenery. Occasionally, squirrels and orioles crossed his path—creatures native to this advanced area.

Tang Huai observed that the animals in the vicinity were all docile; there were no tigers or lions around, which greatly ensured the safety of visitors.

There were no modern roads on the entire Sky Island; everything had to be done on foot. Tang Huai finally understood why the elevators were scattered around—having them all in one place would make it inconvenient for visitors to leave.

As he pondered this, Tang Huai took a few more steps forward, heading toward the central area of Sky Island.

“These morning glories are so beautiful! Her Highness, the Princess, will definitely love them!” A joyful voice suddenly came from nearby as Tang Huai moved forward.

He approached the source of the voice. It was a girl around nineteen years old, dressed in a European-style maid outfit. She had typical English features, with a few freckles on her nose, giving her a charming, simple look.

“Brave knight, could you help me pick some morning glories?” The girl saw Tang Huai and, looking a little shy, made her request.

Tang Huai: !!!

Is this an in-built AI of the Sky Forest?

Tang Huai accessed his island owner permissions and checked the girl’s attributes.

[Sug]: A maid of Princess Aurora in the Sky Kingdom, one of her twelve maids. Fictitious nationality: Virginia, UK.

The girl in front of him was named Sug. Like Alang and others, she had a legitimate registered identity.

Tang Huai glanced around. It was two o’clock in the morning, and the entire Sky Island was serene. In front of him was a large patch of morning glory vines, all half-bloomed due to the early hour.

Tang Huai now had two options: 1) help Sug pick flowers, or 2) turn and leave.

He felt like he was playing a quest in an online game. Sug was the initial NPC…

“FD730, are you sure this is okay?” Tang Huai asked skeptically. He had a hunch that there were probably many NPCs like Sug scattered across the Sky Island. But this was real life, not a game. If too many visitors showed up, chaos could ensue.

“Sky Island residents work eight to fifteen hours. During their leisure time, they act like regular visitors,” FD730 explained earnestly.

Tang Huai roughly understood what he meant. It was similar to a film set at Hengdian World Studios: when the cameras were rolling, the actors followed the script. Off-camera, they behaved like normal modern people.

When visitors watch filming at Hengdian, they don’t actually think the actors are characters from a wuxia drama, right? It’s the same principle. The only difference was that the Sky Island residents played their NPC roles for longer than Hengdian actors, making it feel like a large-scale cosplay event.

“Brave knight?” Sug asked, confused, interrupting Tang Huai’s thoughts.

“Sorry, I don’t have time right now,” Tang Huai replied, deciding against doing any tasks.

Sug showed a disappointed expression and went back to admiring the flowers.

“FD730, what’s the plot here?” Tang Huai asked after taking a few more steps.

If Sky Island was akin to a large-scale online game, then there should be a complete storyline, right?

“The master can explore on his own,” FD730 responded strictly.

“How many island residents are there?” Tang Huai pressed on.

“The master can explore on his own.”

Tang Huai: …

Left with no choice, he continued forward. Fine, he would explore on his own.

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