The excavation work at Kallikan's laboratory was now on track.
The miners' progress was incredibly smooth, Ino's control over the epiphytic ice crystals became more proficient, and Lux gradually became familiar with the four children.
Everything was just as Klein had said; despite being arduous excavation work, the members of this mining team were only tired, not in pain.
And on the third day after the excavation began, this unusual digging finally attracted the attention of the Piltover Explorers' Association.
Just last year, a generous Miss Opeia funded the Explorers Association with a large sum of money, hoping the Explorers Association could help "unearth family treasures lost in Zaun" — the Explorers Association accepted the money and diligently dispatched a group of explorers.
Unfortunately, due to the overly vague clues provided by the other party, who could only state that "it is a very ancient relic, thousands of years old," the expedition yielded little.
The crisscrossing Zaun mines and trenches were an extremely troublesome headache even for explorers, and the Zaunites, who were hostile to them, would also provide them with "unexpected surprises" in various ways.
In the end, apart from two greenhorns who plunged into Zaun's underground rivers to feed the fish, and a noble dilettante who angrily withdrew from the Explorers Association after falling into a sewage ditch, the expedition made no further substantial progress.
This task became a permanent daily quest.
However, it was precisely through the exploration to find the Zaun ruins that this young Miss Opeia successfully joined the Explorers Association.
Considering she was not yet twenty years old, many quick-witted individuals within the Explorers Association believed this was an excuse for the patron to join the Explorers Association — what could be a more suitable target for a novice's action than "a ruin in Zaun"?
It was through repeated team explorations that Miss Opeia used her wisdom to gain the approval of the Explorers Association, eventually becoming a member of the Explorers Association.
Compared to those council family scions who paid to join and expand their networks, Miss Opeia was undoubtedly a more likable character; she was not only willing to personally participate in explorations but was also always diplomatic, making people feel as if they were basking in a spring breeze with her actions. Although she either wore a filter or a veil during every operation, preventing people from seeing her true face, this did not prevent her from charming all the young men in the Explorers Association.
In their eyes, she was simply a perfect girl; she wouldn't constantly talk about gold hex, nor would she haggle when paying the bill — she would even generously and discreetly offer to pay for colleagues who were short on cash.
Not only was she reliable, but she also understood explorers very well, practically the perfect soulmate for an explorer!
Miss Opeia's only hobby was listening to stories, all kinds of exploration stories, and how many people willing to become explorers wouldn't want to show off their own exploration stories?
Moreover, because she had personally participated in many explorations, those boastful, untalented fellows always looked disheveled in front of her. Conversely, many explorers who had genuine exploration experiences but lacked writing skills and couldn't produce best-selling works always won her favor.
A beautiful rich woman who understands exploration, loves exploration stories, and whose eyes sparkle when listening to stories!
Who wouldn't like such a person?
Opeia resided at Blue Haze Manor; no one knew which specific building—but this did not prevent her workstation from being piled high with black roses every Valentine's Day.
These were her favorite flowers, which she had revealed.
At the Explorers Association, all unmarried gentlemen hoped to pluck this delicate rose.
Now, the opportunity for the gentlemen of the Explorers Association had finally arrived.
According to the latest news, regarding Miss Opeia's ancestral ruins, two pieces of news, one good and one bad, came from Zaun.
The good news was that new clues for the ruins had emerged.
The bad news was that a group of Zaunites were digging nearby, very likely also excavating the ruins.
Upon learning these two pieces of news, the entire Piltover Explorers' Association seemed to go mad.
Everyone was organizing their equipment, and all the gentlemen were eager to make a big splash, the entire Explorers Association was in a frenzy.
It was amidst this subtle fervor that Mr. Ezreal, fifteen years old this year, concluded his first expedition in life and returned to the Piltover Explorers' Association with his spoils.
"I'm here to complete the membership process!" Ezreal proudly took out a string of necklaces, displaying them to the member at the membership registration desk, "I found this in an ancient tomb in Kumungu!"
Then, just as he was prepared to demonstrate the miraculous necklace's ability to absorb sunlight and promote plant growth, and receive the adoration of the entire Explorers Association, reality mercilessly poured a bucket of cold water on him.
"Sorry, we don't have time or staff to process memberships right now." The clerk responsible for membership applications shrugged, "No one has time to appraise your necklace, or you could find a jeweler or something yourself — everyone has gone to Zaun."
"Are you all going to Zaun for a party?" Ezreal pouted, a confused expression on his face, "Everyone, to Zaun? Has an Elemental Dragon fossil been unearthed in the mineshaft?"
"No, it's a new discovery regarding Miss Opeia's ancestral ruins." Glancing at the application form Ezreal handed over, the clerk impatiently tossed it into the trash can, "Also, the minimum registration age for explorers is sixteen; you don't meet the requirements."
"…"
It was then that Ezreal awkwardly realized that he had been too excited and forgotten to fill in his birth year one year earlier when writing his birth date.
Then, just as he was about to plead a few words to see if he could refill a new one, the clerk flipped over the "Currently Working" sign in front of him, changing it to "Work Finished."
Under Ezreal's astonished gaze, he stood up, tidied his collar and cuffs, and even patted Ezreal's shoulder: "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go to Zaun."
Just like that, Ezreal watched as the clerical worker responsible for Explorers Association registrations, carrying an unopened "Explorer N-in-1" large bag purchased from a store, leisurely closed the Explorers Association's main door, humming a tune as he boarded the elevator to Zaun.
Clutching the necklace he had painstakingly found in Kumungu, Ezreal stood blankly on the bustling street, silently questioning life.
What… what was going on?
Judging by this situation, it wasn't that an Elemental Dragon fossil had been unearthed in Zaun, but rather that an Elemental Dragon had appeared!
Klein's Small Class · Explorers Association:
This is an organization composed of thieves, swindlers, brokers, and peddlers, with a few lost archaeologists mixed in. Well, that's about it.