Teaming Up

Li Qing and Giorno Giovanna, clad in coral armor, climbed upward through the surging heat of the lava well.

Even Mother Earth gave them a helping hand.

Li Qing only held on for a few seconds longer before the scorching lava creeping up beneath his feet gradually stopped rising, like mercury in a blood pressure monitor settling as the pressure equalized.

The magma no longer pursued them upward, and as the distance between the two of them and the lava "surface" increased, the billowing hot wind was no longer as searing as before.

Li Qing had survived.

Together with Giorno, he climbed out of that lava well belching thick sulfurous smoke.

The coral armor on their bodies had been scorched red-hot by the wind. The moment it scraped against the hard ground, it began crumbling away like flakes of broken eggshell.

As Li Qing brushed away the coral constantly breaking apart on his body, he could not help turning back to glance into the lava well.

The lava in the well had stopped rising.

The surface magma exposed to the air was no longer as blazing and bright as it had been at first. It was faintly beginning to solidify.

This had been Li Qing's original plan.

Once the backflowing magma cooled and solidified, it would naturally block the opening and form a solid "seal" dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of meters long.

What Li Qing had not planned for was that he himself had nearly been sealed inside that cooling volcanic rock as well.

"Giorno."

Li Qing turned around and said to Giorno with great solemnity, "Thank you."

"There's no need."

Giorno answered calmly, "Didn't you save me on the bus earlier?"

"You know that's different."

Li Qing smiled and shook his head. There was no need to say more.

When he had stayed behind to save Giorno, it was because he had already heard the sound of fighter jets flying low overhead and was ninety percent certain that both of them would survive.

But what about Giorno?

Everything Giorno had risked his life to do had only bought him a few more seconds.

A few seconds.

Giorno did not have super hearing. How could he have known that Li Qing would escape Meat Chunk's sensing range if he survived just a few seconds longer?

Nor could he see the future. How could he have known that if he bought a few more seconds, the rising magma would stop in time?

Of course Giorno could not have known any of that.

He had merely wagered his own life on that faint, uncertain hope and gambled Li Qing's life back from the hands of Death.

"Thank you."

Li Qing could only thank this young man with a spirit as golden as gold once more, using the most sincere voice he could muster.

"Mm."

This time, Giorno calmly accepted Li Qing's thanks.

But he did not waste any more time on it.

"Now isn't the time to talk about this."

"Seal this opening completely, quickly. Otherwise, when the US Military gets here, they'll definitely be interested in this huge hole spewing sulfur smoke."

Giorno shrugged helplessly.

"You know, just like in Hollywood movies."

"Whether it's Alien, The Thing, or Predator, Americans always like digging up strange things in strange places."

As he spoke, he ordered Gold Experience to seal the opening.

"Muda muda muda muda!"

Golden fist shadows continuously hammered the ground, giving rise to countless thick, resilient plant roots.

The roots grew and spread downward along the rock walls of the opening. They quickly intertwined, forming a massive wooden "cork" several meters long that completely sealed the opening of the lava well, which had yet to fully cool.

Li Qing did not waste words when he saw this.

He hurriedly moved dirt and stones, covering the conspicuous wooden plug with thick layers of soil and broken asphalt, trying to make this place look no different from the other damaged sections of road.

It was no small project. Fortunately, sealing Meat Chunk had not taken Li Qing much effort earlier, and he still had a full minute for Giorno and himself to work.

"Oh, right."

As Giorno had Gold Experience help Li Qing fill in the dirt, he asked with some concern,

"What happened to that Meat Chunk? Is it dead?"

"No."

Li Qing shook his head, still shaken.

"That monster didn't die even after soaking in lava. I can't think of any way to kill it anymore."

"Fortunately, it's completely sealed underground now. As long as no one—"

"Forget it."

He forcibly swallowed the rest of his words. "This isn't the time to raise a death flag."

"That's good." Giorno nodded, but his expression remained grave. "But if I'm not mistaken, this isn't over yet, is it?"

Li Qing could not possibly have provoked such a monster for no reason.

So Giorno knew there had to be an even more troublesome problem behind all this.

"Speaking of that... haha."

Li Qing laughed.

"It's hard to explain in just a sentence or two, but I can tell you that this has something to do with your dream."

"With my dream?" Giorno was somewhat confused.

"Don't you want to become a Gang-star?" Li Qing said mysteriously. "Do you know the Passion Organization?"

"Of course I do."

Giorno answered earnestly, "My dream is to become a Gang-star. How could I not know about the top mafia organization that rules all of Italy?"

"To be honest."

Li Qing spoke in a slightly exaggerated tone.

"I ran into the boss of the Passion Organization this morning. Then that sewer rat who doesn't dare show his face has been hunting me from morning until now."

"So."

"I'm planning to take him out and wipe out this mafia organization while I'm at it."

"Oh." Giorno nodded thoughtfully. "So that's what happened."

"..." Li Qing fell silent for a moment, then asked somewhat disappointedly, "Aren't you going to be surprised?"

"Surprised?"

Giorno gave Li Qing a speechless look.

"After seeing a monster like that, I'd believe you even if you said you'd provoked aliens."

"However."

He lightly rubbed his chin, his eyes gleaming.

"I once gathered intelligence on the mafia in advance for the sake of my dream. The one who concerned me most was the man who would surely become my enemy in the future and stand in the way of my dream—the boss of the Passion Organization."

"They say he is an extremely mysterious, invincible man."

"He has perfectly hidden himself behind masks of darkness and terror. To this day, every dissenter who tried to uncover information about him has met God in the most miserable fashion."

"And you..."

Giorno paused slightly.

"You actually fought that man face-to-face without dying and even escaped here unharmed."

"That means, no matter how little, you must have information about him!"

As he continued, his usually calm tone actually grew excited.

"You've lifted one corner of the boss's veil of mystery, and you've nearly shattered his myth of invincibility!"

"Without a doubt."

"This is an opportunity—an excellent opportunity to defeat the boss completely, take over the Passion Organization, and become a Gang-star!"

"Li Qing."

Giorno looked at Li Qing with his deep emerald eyes, filled with unwavering resolve.

"To achieve my dream, I will walk alongside you!"

"Huh?"

Li Qing was slightly surprised. "I haven't even said I wanted to ask you for help. How did you know—"

"Does that even need asking?"

Giorno extended his hand to Li Qing.

"We've known each other for less than twenty minutes, and the boss's identity is Italy's most terrifying secret. Anyone who knows information about the boss will be dragged into danger."

"If you had no intention of asking for my help, why would you explain something so sensitive to a 'thirteen-year-old kid you just met' like me?"

"Hahaha."

"Talking to smart people really is easy."

Hearing that, Li Qing laughed heartily.

After the "save the world" pact from not long ago, he once again tightly clasped Giorno's hand.

"Alright, Giorno Giovanna."

"Then let's smash that boss's dog head in together!"