Steel steam and flame

"Perhaps you need to go over and help then." Delya thought for a while and said, "According to what the previous leader said, what he encountered there was a bit unexpected. From the tone, it seemed to be very troublesome and would require more time. Go and deal with it. I was sent a lot of information to check, and I was also asked to inquire about the prices of some jewelry. In short, there are many questions piled on my hands now. After the recruitment of new recruits in the empire this time, the manpower has been reduced again. Recently, There are also plans to recruit new members, and I don’t think it’s possible to wait until the leader comes back.”

"It's good to get used to it. I remember when I first joined, the team leader couldn't be contacted for a long time. It's much better now. At that time, there was no effective contact information at all." Waters said The side smiled bitterly and said, "Then I will have to trouble you, Captain Hessler."

Hessler did not expect such an answer, but he had a smile on his face: "I am just bored here. In fact, my thoughts are the same as yours. I just want to go out and have a look."

,,,,,,

Just after dinner, Cassia sat by the fire and looked at the crude map she drew, thinking about where to go tomorrow.

As he explored the surrounding terrain in depth, he gradually became familiar with this unfamiliar territory. Compared to what Grote had originally described, the terrain had changed dramatically. The effects of the massive volcanic eruption are completely left behind, as lava flowed across the surface and solidified, completely changing the basic landscape. The accompanying vibrations caused many mountains to crack, and over hundreds of years, this area became a new area.

The past few days have been spent in the mountains. After a continuous rain, the clouds in the sky were completely dispelled. Not far away, the crater covered with white snow was clearly visible, stained with a very light green color. It is already considered a severe cold environment at high altitude, but it still cannot stop these trees with extremely strong vitality.

Next to him, a pile of crystal ores reflected a little orange-red light under the firelight. While exploring the terrain, Cassia also picked up a lot of jewelry ore. The impact of the "germ" is even more serious deep in the mountains, where the vegetation is unusually lush and twisted. Many of the trees were completely tangled together, with vines climbing up their trunks, making them look more like wooden lumps of earth.

After adding the places he walked today on the map, Cassia put down the pen and looked at the amount of food stored behind him, which could still last for a week.

Taking a breath, Cassia stretched her body. Under the diminishing firelight, his own body was also emitting a faint green light. I don’t know how long it started, but by the time Cassia noticed this, she couldn’t stop it. The strange substance stuck to his clothes and his skin.

In the mountains, this material has obviously increased a lot. When I first went in to explore, the exposed skin reacted. It was a very slight burning sensation and it took a day or two for the body to fully adapt. Although she did not shed her skin again, Cassia felt that her resistance to this "bacteria" had improved a lot.

I haven't thought clearly about what these "germs" could be. They seem to have the power to infect any substance. And in Cassia's eyes, this substance is very dangerous, but among the dangers, there is an ability that interests him very much.

Accelerates the evolution speed of infected materials. Cassia didn't know whether he should explain it this way, but he did see this possibility in the animals he saw after walking in the mountains for a few days. Among the animals that could still survive, he had more or less found something different from other ordinary species. In terms of fur, claws, size, or danger, they all tend to be more like true second-category creatures.

"The influence of the Holy Sword?" Cassia couldn't think of the second possibility, "But Grote said that it was only the second-generation Holy Sword, an early imitation of Avalon. It shouldn't have such an ability, right?"

"But I don't seem to know much about the Holy Sword itself." After finally saying something self-deprecating, Cassia stood up and looked at the green mountains in front of her, sighing, "We have to hurry up."

Early the next morning, Cassia swam across the lake and entered the mountains again. Following the mark, we came to the end of yesterday's progress. Several twisted trees blocked the way. After peeling away the tangled vines above, a forged steel sword was stuck in the trunk of the tree.

"It's completely healed." With a voice filled with wonder, Cassia pulled out the forged steel sword, stepped forward and stroked the light-colored bark on the tree trunk. That was the place where he had shot with a firecracker yesterday, and it had indeed blasted several holes in the tree trunks. But it only took one night for the hole to be refilled and even new bark to grow.

"My direction is roughly correct. The place where Groat placed the holy sword should be further ahead."

Cassia used a forged steel sword to open a path while observing the new landforms around her. The plants became more twisted, and the trunks began to transform into vines. The rocks and condensed lava have long been invisible on the ground. They are all shade-loving ferns and mosses, which feel soft when you step on them.

Not long after, a crisp sound under her feet made Cassia stop.

It is a bone covered by moss, slightly blackened by moisture vapor for a long time. A mining pick was found on the edge, turned into a lump of rust, almost mixed with the soil below. It was the group of people who were looking for minerals. During the few days of exploration, Cassia often encountered such situations suddenly. There were many corpses left along the way, and those in the abandoned town were just part of the group.

The front also became cheerful at this time. There was only a huge, prosperous tree growing there, with a thick trunk and exposed moss-covered roots. There were many human bones wrapped in the fine roots. This place is considered a cemetery, and all the corpses that were discarded have become the nourishment of this tree.

Zi Gu shook his head. There were many bones protruding from the tree roots, as well as some cloth that had not completely decayed. It seems that this is not only a cemetery, but also a temporary resting place for that group of people. Maybe there would be something left behind. With this thought, Cassia walked over, but his weight became a drag. Within a few steps, he suddenly felt his feet loosen, and the ground around him started to have a chain reaction, sinking one after another.

The light suddenly disappeared in front of his eyes, converging upward into a small irregular spot of light above his head. There was no place to borrow strength. Cassia's hands were shaking around her body, and she couldn't find anything to stabilize her body. He could only try his best to control the balance of his body. Two or three seconds later, a huge force came from the soles of his feet and quickly penetrated his whole body. The bones continued to ring, and dizziness and pain made Cassia unable to think for a while, and her head went blank.

In the darkness, when her body gradually recovered, Cassia propped herself up and sat up, leaning on the hard object behind her. He took out a strong flashlight, and saw a turbulent underground river not far in front of him. Then he looked around, and saw a huge skull lying silently on the side. The two empty eye sockets were pulled out of shadow by the light, and they were quiet. Looking this way.