Chapter 323: A Lamp

Chapter 323: Chapter 323: A Lamp

Just in the nick of time, a scorching flame came whistling through the air, striking the outstretched arm with pinpoint accuracy!

BOOM!

The flame erupted, its searing heat dispelling the darkness and filth as it burned the arm, causing it to sizzle. A dark red glow flickered across the charred black skin.

Its owner let out a low, inhuman roar. Its movements froze for a moment before it snatched its arm back as if it had been scalded.

Lyra Lowell could even feel the wave of heat as the flame grazed his back.

He was completely stunned by this sudden turn of events, frozen to the spot. On top of that, the terrifying Erosion was relentlessly gnawing at his sanity.

Caught between the two, he stood rooted to the spot in a daze.

Alaric Hawthorn’s eyes widened in horror at the sight. He was still scrambling forward himself—what strength did he have to help anyone else?

Just as he thought Lyra Lowell was done for, a figure suddenly sprinted backward, rushing past him and straight toward Lyra.

It was Fayestar!

Her expression was graver than he had ever seen, making her look like a completely different person from the dazed, dependent girl she had seemed to be before.

Her movements were astonishingly swift. One arm still tightly clutched her sunflower, Mimi, while her other hand shot out like lightning, grabbing the back of Lyra Lowell’s collar and yanking him violently toward the open door!

Lyra Lowell stumbled, nearly lifted off his feet by the force of her pull. The instinct to survive finally erupted through his stupor and the Erosion’s influence, and he scrambled toward the light, following her lead.

Fayestar rushed in right behind him and spun around, viciously kicking the door!

BANG!

The heavy wooden door slammed shut with tremendous force, sealing out the suffocating stench and the several twisted, shambling figures in the hallway.

The impact echoed through the small room, shaking dust from the walls in a soft shower.

The door rattled violently a few times before falling still, leaving only the faint sound of scratching coming from the other side.

The four of them collapsed to the floor, leaning against the cold walls and piles of junk, gasping for air.

Lyra Lowell was as white as a sheet, cold sweat soaking the clothes on his back. He looked at Fayestar, his lips trembling, and after a long moment, managed to squeeze out, "...Th... thank you..."

Fayestar just waved a hand. The grave expression on her face faded away, replaced by the slightly timid look she’d had before, as if she wasn’t the same person with the sharp gaze and decisive actions from moments ago.

She looked down at the slightly droopy Sunflower, Mimi, in her arms and gently stroked its leaves.

Alaric Hawthorn used his long spear to push himself to his feet, casting a wary glance at Fayestar.

’At this point, if I still can’t see how strong she is, then I, Alaric Hawthorn, am a real fool!’

’Neither her performance nor Seraphina Sinclair’s suggests they’re people I can afford to provoke.’

’Then there’s Lyra Lowell. He talked a big game, making you think he had high attribute points, but he turns out to be the weakest one in the group.’

Alaric Hawthorn glanced at Seraphina Sinclair. At some point, she had already gotten up and was surveying the room.

This room was smaller and messier than the office where they had found the logbook.

A few tattered canvas work uniforms and some hard hats hung on the walls. In the corner were several rusted toolboxes and empty wooden crates. A rough wooden table sat in the center of the room, on which were scattered some machine parts and a few dull-colored Stones.

But what truly caught Seraphina Sinclair’s eye was the object hanging on the wall directly opposite the door.

It was a mining lamp.

It was almost identical to the ones they had found in the cardboard box, but this one was older, with several noticeable cracks in its lampshade.

Right now, it was emitting a steady yellow glow, illuminating the small space.

The light gave off a strange sense of... peace.

"This light..." Alaric Hawthorn had noticed it too. He frowned, concentrating. "It feels... not as bad anymore?"

He was referring to the feeling of Erosion that had been constantly assailing their Spirit. After entering this room and being bathed in the mining lamp’s glow, the nauseating stench and the searing sensation that bored into their skulls had indeed lessened considerably. It hadn’t vanished completely, but at least it was no longer at a concentration that pushed them to the brink of collapse.

"This lamp is lit," Lyra Lowell said, pushing himself up against the wall. His voice was still weak, but laced with the relief of someone who had just escaped death. "Is it using that Purified Fluorite Extraction Liquid?"

Seraphina Sinclair had already walked to the wall and was examining the lamp closely.

The lamp’s body was heavily rusted, but its structure was intact.

Through the cracked glass lampshade, she could see complex tubing and a small combustion chamber. In the very center, a pea-sized yellow flame burned quietly.

A small amount of faintly glowing liquid remained at the bottom of the combustion chamber.

"It should be," Seraphina Sinclair replied, pointing to the dull Stones scattered on the table. "Those are probably either the raw ore for purification fluorite, or... the dregs left over after it’s been used."

Fayestar came closer as well. "So... did we find the fuel? But..."

She looked at the tabletop. "These Stones don’t look useful."

"This might have been a small workshop or prep room," Lyra Lowell theorized. He forced himself to focus and began examining the items on the table and in the toolboxes in the corner. "One specifically for processing or filling the fuel for the mining lamps. These tools... and these empty bottles..."

From the bottom of one toolbox, he pulled out several palm-sized glass bottles.

The bottles were empty, but the labels stuck to them were still faintly legible: "Purified Fluorite Extraction Liquid."

Lyra Lowell managed a weak smile. "Looks like we found the right place."

"But the bottles are empty..." Alaric Hawthorn said, a little disappointed.

"Don’t tell me we have to make it ourselves?" Seraphina Sinclair took an empty bottle from Lyra Lowell and examined it. After a moment of thought, she said, "We’re definitely in the right place, and the equipment is here. Could it be that these Stones... are the raw materials?"

As she spoke, she used Insight on the Stones again.

Just like before, there was no reaction.

It seemed this type of puzzle-focused instance wouldn’t let them exploit such a loophole.

"Whether they’re the raw materials or not, this at least proves the fuel exists, and we’re one step closer to finding it."

Alaric Hawthorn rubbed his still-throbbing temples. His tone was much calmer than before; clearly, the life-or-death chase and this relatively safe room had sobered him up.

"The question now is, do we stay here, or... do we find a way to get more fuel and light our own mining lamps?"

He glanced at the lit mining lamp on the wall, then down at the rusted, empty lamp in his own hands.

It was obvious that while the lamp’s glow could drive away some of the contamination and offer a temporary respite, its range was limited. Furthermore, it looked like it had been burning for a long time. The fuel was nearly gone, and it seemed ready to flicker out at any moment.