"Count, we discovered a black lake in the valley, and it’s quite large." The scout, who had just returned to the camp, hurriedly reported to Perfikot and then handed her a hastily drawn sketch map.
Perfikot glanced at the rather messy sketch map, furrowing her brow slightly, but then asked, "Is there any way to get close to that lake?"
Faced with this question, the scout considered for a moment before saying, "I’m afraid it’s difficult. The entire valley is sunken, and the lake is located at the lowest point of the geological depression. If the valley accumulates poisonous gas, it will certainly gather on and around the lake’s surface.
Unless the poisonous gas in the valley can be cleared, trying to approach the lake is quite unrealistic."
Hearing this, Perfikot was not surprised. After all, the strong rotten egg smell in the valley already indicated a significant accumulation of hydrogen sulfide, hence the name Death Valley is well deserved.
However, for Perfikot, this was not an unsolvable problem.
Putting this issue aside for now, Perfikot looked again at the scout and asked, "Besides that, is there anything else worth noticing?"
In Perfikot’s mind, there shouldn’t be anything else noteworthy in this valley, so asking was just in passing.
However, the scout nodded seriously, and then with a grave expression said, "We also discovered a monster in the black lake. I can’t accurately describe its appearance, but it looks like a decaying corpse. If we hadn’t seen it move, we would have thought it was just a corpse."
"A monster? In a place ?" Perfikot felt a bit surprised, considering something could survive in what seems to be a Petroleum Lake filled with hydrogen sulfide gas. In the original world, this would likely drive biologists insane.
Yet, Perfikot wasn’t too surprised since this is a world with magic and alchemy, and some bizarre creatures aren’t impossible. New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on NoveI-Fire.ɴet
So, she curiously asked, "What does it look like? Did you manage to record it?"
"Yes, it appears to be over twenty meters long. We couldn’t measure the exact data from the air, but it’s estimated to be that long." The scout took out another drawing from his belongings, depicting a creature that looked like a rotting "dragon?" with even clearer and finer strokes than the map.
"Over twenty meters long? It’s astonishing for a land creature to grow so large!" Perfikot’s curiosity was piqued, and she examined the drawing of what resembled a corpse-dragon closely before asking again, "Are these its skin and flesh? Is it really not some evil wizard’s creation?"
No wonder Perfikot had such a question, since the drawing indeed resembled a bone dragon covered with decaying flesh.
"It shouldn’t be its skin and flesh. We noticed the decayed flesh has fallen off it before, appearing as if it wraps the corpses of other creatures on itself." The scout responded to Perfikot, also clarifying, "I don’t know if it’s some evil wizard’s creation, but it seems to be a living creature, not just a moving corpse. At the very least, I observed it actively preying."
"Preying? Are there other living things in the valley besides it?" Perfikot looked to the scout. If so, it might mean the valley’s condition is better than anticipated.
However, the scout shook his head and pointed out on the map to Perfikot, "On the other side of the valley, there’s a cliff. The monster seems to have some flying ability, as it can leap up and hunt the animals above the cliff."
"A cliff? Interesting." Hearing this, Perfikot’s eyes lit up, and she asked the scout, "Can the cliff be reached from the camp?"
The scout traced a path on the map and confidently nodded, "Yes, but it requires a detour, taking about half a day. The terrain is mostly flat and there aren’t any difficult roads."
This distance was neither too far nor too close, but Perfikot was already intrigued.
Yet, for safety’s sake, she asked again, "Is there poisonous gas above the cliff?"
"No, we didn’t land but lowered our altitude during the observation. We can confirm there is no rotten egg smell above the cliff. We were downwind, and if there was any poisonous gas, it would have been blown upwards to the cliff." The scout confidently explained to Perfikot.
"Good! Prepare a small team and set out at first light. I want to see what exactly is going on with this valley and that monster myself." Perfikot decided, planning to personally head to the cliff tomorrow to investigate the whole valley.
Regarding this decision, Samantha had no objections.
From the conversation between Perfikot and the scout, Samantha could determine that the large force could reach the cliff. This meant they could transport the Steam Knight armor there.
With the Steam Knight armor, Samantha wasn’t worried about the threat from a mere monster.
In Samantha’s view, this monster was just peculiar in appearance and large in size. Even if it were a giant dragon, the Steam Knight’s power could still accomplish the feat of slaying it.
Therefore, she was confident she could protect Perfikot in case of a monster attack.
Of course, Samantha wouldn’t actively provoke the monster unless necessary. She planned to stay with Perfikot all day tomorrow, ready to evacuate with her at once if the monster showed any inclination to ascend the cliff, ensuring her safety.
Samantha took this very seriously and even brought it up in front of Perfikot, making her promise not to engage in any reckless actions.
Perfikot wasn’t bothered by Samantha’s attitude, understanding that she was simply being diligent in her protective duties.
Moreover, Perfikot wasn’t particularly interested in observing a dragon up close, unless it was dead or a specimen.
Furthermore, more than observing the monster, she wanted to know whether the cliff allowed for effective utilization and extraction of the Oil Lake. After all, entering the valley from their current position was indeed too challenging.