Chapter 353

"Hey, Eldest Daughter Skyfire. This is the tenth time you've complained in the last hour."

I was only going to approach the volcano to collect some samples to give to Miss Ifrit. But you insisted on coming along, and you kept trying to set the mountain on fire.

"If you can't stand the natural environment near the volcano, you should go back now. The Doctor should be by the sea; just go and meet them. There's absolutely no need for you to follow me and suffer this burden for nothing."

Seeing that she was trying to persuade him to leave, Skyfire explained why he had come along this time:

"Provence, I came along because I was worried about you going into the volcano alone. With my knowledge, I can make sure you won't make any mistakes."

Provence shook his head and retorted with reason:

"So you mean setting the mountain on fire won't cause any problems? I don't want to cause trouble and have the Doctor clean up the mess."

Just as Skyfire was about to explain, he suddenly smelled an unusual odor in the air and said seriously:

"Can you smell anything?"

"What?"

After Skyfire repeated himself, Provence obediently sniffed the air. He did indeed detect a very faint, pungent odor, similar to sulfur.

The problem is, they're still at the foot of the mountain!

The fact that you can smell it here is enough to prove just how strong the odor is near the crater!

"The detection rune that Ifrit gave me has just reacted, which is not a good sign."

Provence stared at the object in Skyfire's hand, looking up at the volcano's peak.

"Skyfire, I have a bad feeling. What if this officially dormant volcano turns into an active one after a while and completely engulfs Sistag!"

She took out her sampling equipment and collected some reddish moss from near the rock face. She planned to take it back to Rhodes Island and consult with volcanologists like Ifrit.

Skyfire, who was observing from the sidelines, suddenly made a discovery:

"Provence, listen. In the southwest, is someone calling for help?"

Provence carefully put away the sample and indeed heard a woman's voice coming from the other side.

"Help! Is anyone nearby? Why are there so many Primogem Bugs here? Don't come any closer! Don't come any closer!"

The two rushed over and found swarms of Originium Crawler surrounding a Miss Liberi.

Skyfire raised his staff and gestured, immediately summoning a flaming meteorite from mid-air.

"Boom!"

With the sound of a meteorite falling, a large number of Originium Crawler were instantly destroyed.

Looking at the endless army of Originium Crawler, Provence felt a chill run down her spine. She stepped forward and grabbed Liberi, and together they fled the foot of the volcano.

Only when they reached a safe area on the shore did the three stop and look back.

"Huff~ Huff~"

Ceylon, panting heavily, thanked the two for their rescue:

"Thank you very much for your help. Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ceylon Dorkos. I graduated from Victoria National University with a major in Originium research. I am also the daughter of the mayor of this city."

"Huh? The mayor's daughter?"

Upon hearing this, Provence shrank back:

"Why would the mayor's daughter appear at the foot of the volcano alone without bodyguards?"

Skyfire's gaze swept over the area, quickly noticing the sampling tools Ceylon carried, and he reminded her:

"Provence, she's here to check out the volcano just like us. But she has all the equipment, yet she's wearing a dress and boots. She doesn't look like she's climbing a mountain to collect samples; she looks more like she's on vacation."

Ceylon looked embarrassed, because she had never sampled volcanic rocks before. She had simply gone out in her usual clothes, never expecting it to be so inconvenient.

"Now, forget about the dresses and boots. Why are you at the foot of the volcano? Are you here to collect recent data on the volcano as well?"

Knowing he couldn't pretend to be a tourist, Provence, carrying tools, simply stated frankly:

"That's right. Our survey shows that something is very wrong with this volcano. The strong, pungent odor, coupled with the terrifying swarm of Originium Crawler, gives me reason to suspect that this dormant volcano has become active."

Furthermore, the presence of infected organisms near the volcano suggests the Originium Mine within it. Once this news is revealed, a large influx of people will likely follow.

Ceylon nodded, not surprised at all:

"Thank you for sharing your results; they're pretty much what I predicted. To ensure the safety of this city and its citizens, I've been searching for people with experience in volcanic research. Please help me, and help Sistag through this difficult time! Thank you!"

Seeing the mayor's daughter bow, Provence's lips twitched; he felt a sense of unease.

"Help? How can we help?"

"It's very simple, you two. My father has been away on a business trip recently, leaving Sistag in the care of his assistant and Catastrophe Messenger, Mr. Croning. I will take you there to see him and demonstrate the volcano's anomalies. This will raise awareness and allow us to evacuate the tourists in advance."

Skyfire and Provence exchanged a glance, realizing they could offer assistance.

"Helping you is no problem. But the two of us alone probably won't be enough. After all, words alone aren't enough; we can't produce convincing evidence. How about this: I just collected some samples and was about to take them back to our Rhodes Island volcanology expert. She can issue a report, and then we can take it to the mayor's assistant. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Ceylon's eyes lit up, and he felt that the two men's method was very reliable.

That's what you call professionalism.

She, along with Skyfire and Provence, left the undeveloped area and headed to the city.

As the three of them passed by the pedestrian street, they happened to run into the Doctor and his companions who were coming out of a restaurant.

Skyfire didn't know Shi Lei, but Provence knew him very well. Back then, Zhongli, Texas, and Lappland swept through Syracuse, making even the Madam Sicily was at the top of the mafia, fearful.

This is her idol!

Provence was initially a model signed with Water Hair Care before becoming Catastrophe Messenger.

Later, after joining Rhodes Island, I heard many Operator tell Zhongli's story, and I was incredibly envious.

I finally met the real person!

"Hello, Doctor Zhong."

Shi Lei didn't recognize the other person and politely replied:

"Hello."

Amiya noticed a disheveled Liberi woman behind them and asked:

What's going on here?

Provence felt that everyone present was one of his own, and there was no need to hide anything, so he told them everything:

"Here's the thing, we just went to the Sistag volcano this morning and collected some samples. But the situation there is very strange; there's not only a pungent smell, but also a lot of Originium Crawler."

This is the mayor's daughter. We'd like to show the samples to Ifrit first, so she can issue a report, which will then be given to the Sistag administration for review.

The Doctor felt this was very important and urged:

"Then you can go ahead. Do you need me to send a few more Operator to protect you?"

"No need, no need, a few of us can handle it. Um, I... I'd like Mister Zhongli and Miss. Texas's autographs, is that alright?"

Upon hearing Female Lupo's request, Shi Lei did not immediately respond.

He turned his head to look at Texas, who nodded in agreement, and then nodded in response.

Where should I sign?

Provence seemed flustered, rummaged through his bag and pulled out a black pen, then turned his back to the two of them:

"Sign it on my clothes, please!"

Unable to refuse such hospitality, Shi Lei complied with the other party's wishes.

After he and Texas finished signing, Provence was all smiles and looked very happy.

She thanked them repeatedly, then quickly left the scene with Skyfire and Ceylon.

Shi Lei never imagined that he would one day be asked for an autograph on the street.

Seeing Provence run off into the distance, Ifrit licked her lips and cast an expectant glance at him:

"I want one too."

[Urge Update Sign-in]

422 Beach Volleyball 3K

Seeing that Eve was also asking for an autograph, Shi Lei was both amused and exasperated.

What do you need my autograph for?

She did not answer directly, but persisted:

"Can you sign one for me?"

Shi Lei grinned and agreed:

"Okay, where should I sign?"

Ifrit was wearing a patterned dress with a section of the back open, making it impossible to sign. She tugged at Hemo's sleeve, asking for his help.

Hemo sighed helplessly, took out Ifrit's Medical Record from her bag, and asked:

Is this okay?

"Okay, okay, this one will do."

Actually, Ifrit asked for an autograph not for her own collection.

She overheard other Operator on the This Ship wanting it a few days ago, and guessed that she could exchange it for a lot of candy.

Shi Lei had no idea what Ifrit was thinking, so he picked up a pen and signed his name. Texas did the same, but signed it on a later page.

Ifrit took the Medical Record and held it in her arms, looking quite satisfied.

Most of the Originium within her body had been removed by Shi Lei during her time at Rhine Lab. Combined with the treatment she received at Rhodes Island, her Medical Record records didn't contain much information.

Ifrit followed the group toward the beach, and upon hearing them mention the Sistag volcano, she asked:

"Big brother, which is more powerful, the flames of a volcano or my flames?"

This quirky, nonsensical question immediately brought smiles to everyone's faces.

"Haha, the temperature of the volcano is a bit higher."

"Aren't you afraid of a volcanic eruption?"

Upon hearing this question, everyone present except Ifrit instinctively looked at Shi Lei.

It's as if he's the one who would step forward and hold up the sky if it fell, and he wouldn't be afraid even if a volcano erupted.

"Ifrit, what they just said was about volcanic anomalies; it's still uncertain whether it will erupt."

"Oh."

As originally planned, the Doctor and Amiya were supposed to visit Garrison Amusement Park after lunch.

But now that we've met with Doctor Zhong and the others, we naturally have to follow in their footsteps and head to the unknown.

Where are we going?

Before Shi Lei could reply, V answered in his place:

"Let's go to the beach to sunbathe first, and after resting for a while, we can play beach volleyball."

The Doctor came to Sistag to fulfill a promise he had made to Ifrit. Like Shi Lei, he wasn't there for official business; he was there for leisure and vacation.

"Do you need more people for beach volleyball? Amiya can ask around and see who's willing to come."

Doctor Kal'tsit stopped calling out; she and Doctor Zhong seemed to have some disagreements, so they tried to avoid letting them meet.

"Sure."

Upon hearing this, Shi Lei readily agreed. Since they were all out having fun anyway, it would be more lively with more people.

"If there are enough people, we can take turns hitting."

"Then you'd better put shields on us, otherwise we might not be able to catch a single ball."

Hearing the Doctor's teasing, he grinned:

"Hehe, it's not that exaggerated. Let's go to the beach and find a good spot first, then you can ask who wants to come."