Minos.
Similar to Siracusa.
It was a third-world country on Terra, with a troubled fate. It had once suffered a century of aggression from Sargon and only gained independence in modern times. To this day, clashes and friction still occur at the border between the two nations.
Minos was very, very far from Lungmen.
The journey required passing through Siracusa, Leithanien, and Victoria.
By land-runner, assuming no accidents and driving twelve hours a day, it would take nearly four days. If the three of them took shifts to drive non-stop for twenty-four hours, it would likely only take two days.
After a simple lunch at Sora's home, the group began preparing for their departure.
Since who knew how long they would be out, the round trip was theoretically only four days. But over such a great distance, and in the highly unpredictable wilderness, who knew what they might encounter along the way? For instance, the Originium Slugs they ran into when first setting out with Magallan, or the Originium Storm the second time.
Moreover.
Upon reaching their destination, they would have to begin their search, and no one could know how long they would need to stay in the deep valley. They might find it immediately, or it might take a week, two weeks, or even a month...
Therefore, food and drinking water had to be well-stocked. Crates upon crates of compressed food and military rations were loaded into the large, long-distance land-runner. Crates of drinking water were also brought aboard, along with many emergency water spheres. These spheres were encased in a special, edible outer skin. You just had to pop one in your mouth and chew lightly for it to burst, releasing about a mouthful of water. It might seem like just a small sip, but at a critical moment, it could truly be a lifesaver.
After a quick pack-up and final inventory check.
Texas, an experienced driver, got into the driver's seat and drove away from Lungmen. Sora couldn't go with them; this mission was quite dangerous. Although Sora was a member of Penguin Logistics, she was ultimately an idol. Her combat skills were far from the level of seasoned veterans like Texas and Exusiai. Besides, Sora had many upcoming performances and events in Lungmen, so it was naturally impossible for her to participate.
Generally.
Sora was only responsible for Penguin Logistics' clerical work and some local deliveries within Lungmen.
This land-runner was far less advanced than those from Raythean Industries, let alone the one Lucas Reeve had personally modified for Jessica. After getting used to such high-end vehicles, this ordinary land-runner felt a little uncomfortable.
Along the way.
Exusiai talked a lot. A lot.
No wonder Franka had fallen into a depression so quickly back then. At first, Lucas Reeve was also happy to chat with Exusiai—after all, who could dislike a cute, lively, and energetic little sister? However... an hour later, Lucas Reeve was getting a bit of a headache. Exusiai's mouth was like a Laterano revolver firing five hundred rounds a second; she just wouldn't stop. Naturally, Lucas Reeve gradually grew a bit weary of it.
But...
Lucas Reeve had a solution.
He decisively handed over control of the body to Surtr, while he hid inside the sword for some peace and quiet.
Surtr was cold, calm, and relatively aloof. Her inner personality was completely different from her outward appearance.
Although she didn't like to talk much herself, she liked listening to others talk to her. She was the purest kind of listener. Aside from not liking people to touch her too intimately, Surtr was quite good in this respect—the perfect audience for a chatterbox.
Even though she gave no response at all.
For an Operator like Exusiai, who could perform a one-woman stand-up comedy routine, no response was needed.
Instantly.
The atmosphere inside the land-runner became quite harmonious.
Exusiai sat in the back, chattering away nonstop. Surtr listened silently with a cold expression. Croissant wiped her hammer and shield, planning on paper which products would be most profitable during the upcoming holidays. And Texas, a pocky stick dangling from her lips, drove silently like a seasoned pro.
Along the way.
They even passed an enormous Landship in the wilderness.
This was the first time Lucas Reeve had seen such a massive Landship. Although... Raythean Industries had them, Lucas Reeve had never seen one. From Exusiai's introduction, Lucas Reeve learned that this Landship actually belonged to Rhodes Island!!
That cat-faced bastard Old Lynx's company!!
Tsk tsk...
For this company to be on such a large Landship was somewhat peculiar. Moreover, to possess a Landship that even a nation might not have, Lucas Reeve refused to believe that Rhodes Island was just an ordinary pharmaceutical company. It was certain that it had the backing of some mysterious country or power, or that it was a hidden instrument of a certain national regime.
Lucas Reeve tried to guess.
Based on what Kal'tsit had said at the time.
Rhodes Island was a ship full of the Infected.
Ursus was definitely out, so that was eliminated first. Victoria was also impossible, as Victoria itself looked down on the Infected. Columbia was also unlikely; if it were backed by Columbia, Jessica would surely know.
The third-world countries were absolutely out of the question; they didn't have that kind of scale.
There were only a few powerful nations on Terra.
Adding the condition of not rejecting the Infected, after considering all options, it seemed only Kazdel was the most likely candidate.
However.
This had nothing to do with Lucas Reeve.
He was unlikely to have much involvement with the Rhodes Island organization, and his future focus would be on Jessica's side.
The rest of the journey was dull and uneventful.
After moving away from the city-states, their phones finally lost signal, instantly turning into bricks. Fortunately, the experienced group had pre-loaded their phones with all sorts of TV dramas to pass the boring time. The three took shifts, driving twenty-four hours a day. The journey was exceptionally smooth; they didn't even encounter any dangerous situations, enjoying an unimpeded trip. This journey was far more comfortable than the one with Magallan.
It took a bit longer than expected.
This time, it took over two days to reach a deep valley not too far from Minos.
Such ravines and valleys were not uncommon in the wilds of Terra. Moreover, it being January, the climate in the wilderness was much harsher than in the cities. By the time they reached their destination, heavy snow was falling like goose feathers. The north wind howled, and the bone-chilling wind and frost felt like knives, slicing at any exposed skin.
The moment Exusiai stepped out of the vehicle, the cold wind blasted her face.
*Achoo! Achoo!!*
A series of sneezes made Exusiai's scalp tingle, and she hurriedly returned to the vehicle to change into thicker clothes. Only Surtr remained as usual, in her black dress, leaving her legs, shoulders, hands, and even a large part of her snowy-white back exposed. She somehow managed to turn the severe, cold wilderness weather into a scene that looked like a summer vacation.
"Aiya!! Miss Surtr, aren't you cold?"
Exusiai asked curiously, wanting to grab Surtr's arm. However, Surtr quickly dodged away.
Although she had listened to Exusiai ramble on for a long time in the vehicle and had gradually come to accept her, Surtr was still not used to others touching her body. Lucas Reeve was an exception...
After all, when Lucas Reeve transformed into the little flame figure in private, he would stand directly on Surtr's smooth shoulder and lean against her soft cheek.
Physical contact.
It seemed Surtr only accepted physical contact with Lucas Reeve.
This valley was very deep and very wide.
After changing into thick clothes, the group walked to the edge.
Looking down, the valley was incredibly deep and pitch-black, like an entrance to hell or a massive wound carved into the earth. A valley of this depth was quite rare, even in the wilderness.
The only way down was to rappel from the top with ropes, bit by bit.
This was an extremely dangerous move.
If even the slightest accident occurred and they fell, their bones would be completely obliterated, without a doubt.
And.
The wind and snow here were heavy.
When descending on a rope to a certain depth, the violent blizzard would whip the rope around, making it impossible for the person on the rope to work.
Unfortunately...
Lucas Reeve, transformed into his little flame form, quietly peered down. At this depth, if only his Spiritual Power could be projected outwards, it would be so great to just send a support drone down. The entrance was so large, it was more than enough for a drone to descend.
While Lucas Reeve was thinking.
Texas had already secured the ropes.
For safety, they didn't all go down at once. The reliable Texas would descend first to scout the path. The people above could also manage the rope, ready to pull it back in case of an accident.
After strapping the rope to her body and ensuring it wouldn't come off no matter what, Texas took a deep breath and leaped down from the edge of the valley. She descended rapidly. Since the sky was dark, her figure disappeared into the thick blackness after only a short while. Only the rope, slowly and rhythmically unwinding, indicated that Texas was still safe and the work was proceeding smoothly.
An unknown amount of time passed.
Maybe twenty minutes, maybe half an hour.
Texas was completely out of sight.
And the continuously unspooling rope above was about to run out.
Finally.
The rope stopped just as it was about to reach its end. About ten seconds later, a faint signal flare shot up from the bottom of the valley. This indicated that Texas had reached the bottom, and the others could follow her method to descend slowly.
After retrieving the rope, Exusiai was the second to go.
Surtr was third, and Croissant was the last to descend.
The entire way down was incredibly smooth.
So smooth it was almost excessive. After all, over such a long distance from Lungmen to Minos, even on Earth, a long-distance road trip could encounter some problems, let alone in the perilous wilds of Terra.
But over such a distance, nothing happened. Even the dangerous descent into the deep valley went off without a hitch.
This was a bit... too smooth.
For some reason.
Lucas Reeve's strong sixth sense gave him a very bad feeling. It seemed that after more than two days of holding back, a big one was coming today.
Surtr descended slowly. The further down she went, the more the darkness of the valley completely enveloped her. She couldn't see above or below. All she could see was darkness, as if falling into a boundless ocean. That intense fear and despair of the deepest dark would instantly swallow a person's emotions. However, Surtr didn't even know what fear was. She only knew that nothing could withstand a strike from Laevatain; so-called fear was just a result of insufficient firepower.
As the descent grew deeper.
The surrounding darkness gradually receded.
Her vision slowly brightened. Not the white light of day, but the red glow of scorching flames from near magma. Even the surrounding temperature was faintly rising. She could now vaguely see the situation at the bottom, and Texas and Exusiai waving from below.
Once Surtr was at a height where she could see the two of them, she leaped down from above. Not long after Surtr landed, Croissant also came down from above, safe and sound.
The surrounding environment.
It gave Lucas Reeve the feeling of having entered a world of flames.
Everything was fiery red. There were even faint red glimmers of fire flowing in the crevices on the ground, and marks of lava flow on the walls.
*Hiss...*
Is this the power of the Ancient God of Flame?
Just a fragment of it fell here, and in less than a year, it has completely changed the terrain at the bottom of the valley, turning it into a world of molten rock.
"Phew! It's so hot!!"
Exusiai stuck out her tongue from the heat, taking off the cloak she wore for warmth and revealing the black stockings on her thighs.
"Where should we go now? To find that blade fragment."
Croissant asked from the side.
Just as Texas was about to take out the instrument their client had given them specifically for finding the blade, Lucas Reeve's soul suddenly trembled. The feeling was very familiar; he had felt it the last time he met Lin Qingyan. It must be the mutual response between similar souls.
After fusing with the power of the Ancient God of Flame, Lucas Reeve already possessed some of its abilities.
"Over there..."
Surtr raised her hand. As Texas was taking out the detection device, she looked up at Surtr.
*She knows where it is?*
*This Miss Surtr should be here for the first time, right?*
*Could it be that she has some kind of special ability?* Texas was finally beginning to understand why the boss had sent Surtr along. She was indeed a great help.
Texas's tone became a little more polite.
"Surtr, how do you know where the blade is?"
Surtr, for once, spoke again: "I can sense it. Follow me."
With that, she led the three of them in a certain direction, going deep, very deep. She stopped at the place with the most magma on the ground and pointed to the largest molten rock wall directly ahead, saying, "It's inside..."
Perhaps, as if it knew Surtr and the others had come looking for it.
This world of flames gave its own response.
Just then, the ground trembled. Magma sputtered from the cracks all around, rocks broke off the mountain, and jets of magma shot out from the rock walls—a scene of natural disaster. Fortunately, Texas and Exusiai reacted quickly enough, dodging countless waves of the stuff. The temperature of this magma was extremely high; if it touched you, a part of your body would instantly melt.
However, after a while.
The feeling of the earthquake did not disappear.
From all directions.
One after another, lava slugs drilled out from the cracks. Penguin Logistics and the others felt as if they had stumbled into the kingdom of these lava slugs. Disgusting lava slugs were everywhere, but... it wasn't over. The earthquake didn't stop; in fact, the tremors grew even more violent.
With a great moan from the rock wall ahead, the earth shattered, and stones flew everywhere. A huge, fiery, small volcano drilled out from the rock wall.
In an instant...
The three members of Penguin Logistics stared with wide eyes, looking in disbelief at the monster that had suddenly appeared before them.
A giant... Lava Snail!!