Sailing on the ocean is generally quite boring. After staring at the unchanging scenery of the sea for a long time, one can even become confused as to whether they are moving at all.
At this point, the endurance had been sailing on the ocean for over ten days. The young people, who lacked any sailing experience, had long since lost their initial excitement, leaving only boredom and more boredom.
And even more boredom.
"Ah... how much longer until we arrive? Lara, I'm already starting to get bored."
A young girl with short black hair and Asian features was slumped in a chair, asking Lara, who was nearby studying documents.
"I don't know either, Samantha. Ocean voyages are just unpredictable, especially since what we're looking for is the legendary Yamatai."
Lara raised her head from her documents and replied to her best friend.
Samantha Nishimura, a British citizen of mixed Portuguese and Japanese descent, was both a college classmate and a close friend of Lara's.
Because Lara was desperate for an expedition, Samantha had quickly joined the endurance for her friend's sake, serving as the documentary filmmaker and translator for this expedition.
She believed that Lara would discover something and hoped to be there to witness and record it all.
Besides that, her heritage was another reason; she had grown up listening to her grandmother's stories about the Queen of Yamatai. Influenced by these tales since childhood, she naturally wouldn't pass up the chance to search for her ancestors.
Combining the two, Samantha joined the expedition team... "I know, I know, I'm just complaining casually," Samantha said with a sigh, fiddling with her camera.
"Heh, young people just can't sit still."
A lean, fit old man with white hair and a beard walked over with a smile. He was the captain of this salvage ship, Conrad Roth.
After scanning the room, Roth looked at Samantha again and teased, "Little Lara and little Xia Yu are both studying documents, and they don't seem bored at all."
"They're both archaeology majors, but I'm not. I studied documentary filmmaking; that's my specialty."
As she spoke, Samantha raised the camera in her hand and pointed it at Roth.
"Come on, Captain Roth, give me a smile. I'll film you looking wise and heroic."
"Heh, then I'll thank you in advance for the filming."
Time passed slowly during the monotonous voyage. After experiencing a few inconsequential rainy days, Lara gradually unraveled the mysteries within the remaining documents.
It concerned the location of the lost kingdom of Yamatai. Although she was certain, she wasn't sure if others would believe her judgment.
After all, she was just a college student who had recently graduated, while there was a long-renowned doctor on the ship.
James Whitman, an expert in both archaeology and anthropology, had earned his doctorate from the University of Cambridge in the UK and had taught at various universities around the world.
He was also the host of the popular archaeology TV show "Whitman's World," and he possessed an extraordinary desire for wealth and fame.
But Dr. Whitman had been down on his luck recently, failing in both his family life and his career. Therefore, he desperately needed to find a new subject captivating enough to draw attention.
So, he had invested his entire fortune into joining this expedition, secretly hoping that the journey of the endurance would provide new material for his show and that this record would bring in a slew of fawning sponsors.
With this prestigious doctor present, Lara didn't know if others would agree with her judgment, but she was also very confident that her assessment was not wrong.
"Xia Yu, do you think I should tell everyone about this judgment, or even change our original course?"
The conflicted Lara asked her boyfriend nearby. Xia Yu was also studying with her, which was why she had been able to solve the mystery so early.
"Hmm... Lara, you've studied Yamatai more than any of us. In my opinion, even that Whitman can't compare to you; he's just a petty man seeking fame and reputation." Xia Yu put down the document in his hand, looked up at Lara, and spoke seriously.
"There you go again," Lara replied helplessly. "Xia Yu, why do you have such a big problem with Dr. Whitman? I quite like the documentaries he films."
"I'm usually a good judge of character. That guy would definitely do something inhumane for his own benefit."
In the game, Whitman was a selfish and petty man who treated everyone on the ship as "material" for his documentary, preparing to use the tragedies of others to achieve his exclusive scoop.
He even betrayed his companions and sided with the enemy, not hesitating to sacrifice others for his own gain.
It was only after that that Lara saw the doctor's true colors. However, in the later stages of the game, because Whitman lacked self-awareness, he was eventually hacked into mincemeat by the enemy.
Now, because of Xia Yu's obvious dislike for Whitman, Lara didn't admire Whitman as much, treating him only as a senior in the field.
After his daily bashing of Whitman, Xia Yu changed the subject and spoke again.
"Lara, you have to trust your judgment. I believe in you, and Roth and Samantha believe in you too. This isn't just comfort; it's a fact."
"So, speak your guess boldly; we will definitely support you."
Hearing this, Lara was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, "Hmm... thank you, Xia Yu."
The brief exchange soon ended, and the two immersed themselves once more in the ancient documents. The ship continued to move forward slowly, with no wind or waves.
The next day, inside the cabin.
Captain Roth and the helmsman, Grim, were at the radio cheering for their respective favorite teams, while the cook, Jonah, was preparing lunch.
The others were sitting around a square table discussing the voyage. When Lara spoke her judgment, it immediately drew Whitman's dissatisfaction.
"Lara, your judgment has no evidence. We all value this expedition very much; I've even invested my entire fortune into it."
"I know, that's why we should head east instead of west."
Hearing this, Whitman said coldly, "Who would believe it? No one will believe that Yamatai is that far east. The books don't say anything like that."
"But the authors of those books never found Yamatai either..." Samantha suddenly interjected.
Seemingly losing face, Whitman said somewhat exasperatedly, "I can't risk my reputation for an unfounded intuition."
"But, I've discussed it with Xia Yu and Roth. We shouldn't follow in the failed footsteps of our predecessors, Dr. Whitman," Lara explained somewhat urgently.
"Ha? Then you mean..."
"It seems the famous Dr. Whitman is actually a coward without any spirit of adventure."
Just as Whitman was about to continue speaking, Xia Yu also spoke up mockingly.
"You brat, I am the lead archaeologist on this ship; I should be the one in charge," Whitman said with a nasty look on his face after being mocked.
If it weren't for his show, he wouldn't be mixing with this group of people.
"But Doctor, if we continue east, we can enter the Dragon's Triangle directly. That is our destination."
Lara continued to explain, trying to convince the stubborn, pedantic doctor, but Whitman still maintained a look of disdain.
The other crew members also split into two factions: some thought the storms in the Dragon's Triangle were too dangerous and it was better not to risk it, while others thought Lara's judgment had some basis and they could give it a try.
In the end, however, the old Captain Roth made the final decision to change course and head toward the Dragon's Triangle to the east.
Heading toward that unknown land of storms.