Next to Siesta, the active volcano that had been dormant for who knows how long seemed about to erupt.
Rolling, thick black smoke continuously spewed from the crater. Lava, like a stream, flowed from the crater, down the steep volcanic walls, finally converging and igniting the trees around the volcano, flowing downwards.
A volcanic eruption is no small matter. Seeing that an eruption seemed imminent, the consequences were unimaginable. The entire city of Siesta would be turned into a sea of fire, and countless tourists and residents would die in the lava.
And.
Besides the lava.
The volcanic ash spewing from the volcano was also highly toxic.
If an ordinary person breathed it in for a period of time, it would inevitably cause irreversible damage to their lungs.
"....."
Lucas said nothing. After the ground shook, the group stood by the window, looking at the volcano in the distance and the giant deep-sea Originium Slug at its crater. These Originium Slugs were far, far larger than normal ones. A normal Originium Slug was only about the size of a Golden Retriever; a large one might be the size of a Tibetan Mastiff. But the body of this Originium Slug emerging from the crater was astonishingly large.
Even from a distance, one could tell it was as big as a small mountain.
Ceylon fearfully hugged the Lucas-brand Originium Slug in her arms. She wasn't afraid of the lava; she believed that as long as Lucas was here, even if the volcano really erupted, she would be fine. But what about the millions of people in Siesta?
Even if many people could outrun the lava, what about the toxic volcanic ash and smoke...
Nine-Colored Deer tugged on Lucas's sleeve.
Lucas turned his head and looked at the perfectly beautiful Nine-Colored Deer, who seemed to radiate a holy light.
The volcano was about to erupt. This was no different from a Catastrophe.
If you had to say who could possibly save all of Siesta right now, it would
probably only be Nine-Colored Deer.
*RUMBLE——*
Another massive plume of black smoke spewed from the crater. This plume of smoke instantly filled the sky, like a black barrier, blocking the heavens. The originally high-noon sky lost its light. The sky was dark, with clouds and volcanic smoke merging, making it impossible to tell which was which. It was like a block of lead, heavy, hanging in the sky. The whole world seemed to freeze.
Some of the braver tourists walked out of their rooms, raised their heads to the sky, not knowing what had happened.
After a while.
*RUMBLE-RUMBLE——*
Another explosion, countless times louder than before, resounded through Siesta.
The ground shook, and the whole world trembled as if in an earthquake. Many tourists and residents in high-rise buildings panicked and fled outside. In an instant, the once-empty streets were filled with people again. Only the most expensive room on the top floor of the hotel remained quiet.
Because.
Under the High Priest's control, [Stardust] was on standby in the sky at all times.
"Wow! Is it fireworks?"
Ceobe pointed at the pillar of lava erupting into the sky in the distance and said excitedly.
The lava pillar shot very, very high, almost piercing the clouds. When it reached its peak, the lava pillar scattered in all directions, like a goddess scattering flowers.
Zumama looked into the distance and said slowly, "Ceobe, is it possible that... that's a volcanic eruption?"
"!!!!"
Animals are extremely sensitive to danger, Ceobe excluded. Having stayed in Columbia for too long, and living too comfortably, Ceobe seemed to have gradually transformed from a fierce, wild Perro into a domesticated one. Her sense of danger was hit-or-miss. One second she was watching the 'fireworks,' the next second she was already hiding under the sofa, trembling in fear.
"Mph!! A volcanic eruption!! Brother Lucas!!!"
"Is it... over..."
Watching the volcanic lava falling like a goddess scattering flowers, seemingly covering the entire city indiscriminately, Ceylon's father, Mayor Herman, fell helplessly to the ground.
When unknown enemies came to destroy Siesta, Mayor Herman was never afraid. Even if Siesta might go bankrupt in the future, for Mayor Herman, as long as the people of Siesta were still there, Siesta would never disappear. If tourism failed, they would switch to manufacturing, change to other industries. There would always be a way to make Siesta prosper again.
However...
A Catastrophe like a volcanic eruption...
Mayor Herman despaired.
He couldn't think of any way to stop it. It was happening too fast; even ordering the residents and tourists to evacuate now was pointless.
"Jessica, Amiya, you stay here and keep Mr. Mayor and Ceylon company. We'll take care of this."
Lucas didn't turn his head, leaving everyone with a tall back.
"Okay!!"
Jessica trusted Lucas completely. She believed that if Lucas said it, he could definitely do it. And she believed that Lucas would absolutely return safely.
Amiya was a little worried. The Elite Operators behind them all sighed. They knew that no matter how 'elite' they were among humans, they were still just human. In the face of a Catastrophe, humans were so small. During such a volcanic eruption, they might be able to protect themselves, but they couldn't protect anyone else.
"Good luck, Doctor!!"
Amiya waved at Lucas.
ACE, Scout, and the other Elite Operators gave a thumbs-up.
Lucas smiled slightly. "Take good care of my body."
With that, the 'Doctor's' body lost consciousness and staggered, about to fall, but the others quickly supported him. Lucas, now occupying Surtr's body, leaped from the top floor with Nine-Colored Deer.
"Help me, Miss Nine-Colored Deer!"
"Mn!"
Nine-Colored Deer slowly floated into the air. She placed one foot on her other thigh, while the other leg dangled weakly. A giant, faintly visible circular disk appeared behind her back. A Buddhist light shone from behind Nine-Colored Deer, dazzling, like the sun.
"Bringing Auspiciousness to the Mortal Realm~"
In an instant.
With Nine-Colored Deer at the center, a five-colored halo spread out. Streams of pure power flowed from Nine-Colored Deer's body into Lucas's current body.
Sensing the power surging within him.
Lucas took a deep breath.
"I didn't think I'd have to use that move so soon..."
At that moment.
Deep within Lucas's soul, a fragmented, crimson runic chain suddenly lit up. Crimson runes flowed around Lucas's body like water. As the power poured in, Lucas whispered.
"I'm counting on you guys."
Rule: "Inner World."
Instantly.
Everything around them seemed to freeze. The expanding barrier of the 'Inner World' swallowed the erupting volcano and the giant deep-sea Originium Slug atop it.
In the mayor's office, everyone stared blankly, frozen in place. Not just the mayor's office; practically all the tourists and residents in Siesta were dumbfounded, their mouths open wide enough to fit several duck eggs.
Because...
In their field of vision, filled with despair.
The volcano in the distance, which had been like a demon spewing deadly fire... suddenly... disappeared!!
Such a huge volcano... just disappeared??
Everyone felt like they must be dreaming.
But it all happened for real. Everyone saw it, so it couldn't be a dream. Which meant... there really... is a god protecting them!!
This was the might of a god. Other than a god, these tourists and residents couldn't think of any other way a volcano that large could just disappear.
Lord God!!
Lord God!!!
Someone was the first to kneel on the ground, praying silently in their heart. One person led to a second, a third, and then more and more people knelt, silently begging the Lord God to protect them. Although they didn't know who this god was, their incredibly pious Prayer Power gathered and floated into the sky, forming an incomparably pure, golden mote of light.
Nine-Colored Deer, sitting cross-legged in mid-air, gently drew it in, wrapping the Prayer Power with her own energy to prevent it from dissipating, saving it for Lucas to absorb after he came out.
However.
It wasn't over yet.
Although the volcano had mysteriously disappeared.
The lava that had already been ejected into the sky had not. Even without a new eruption, these chunks of lava were still falling like meteors. If they were allowed to land, the casualties would be extremely heavy.
Suddenly.
A dragon's roar echoed through Siesta.
"Woohoo! Takeoff! Here I come!"
Nian was the first to rush over, floating in the air. Behind her followed countless divine weapons. She looked like a sword immortal descending to the mortal realm, ethereal and otherworldly.
Nian lightly waved her right hand.
Behind her, countless divine blades pierced through the air, forcefully annihilating the chunks of lava that were about to fall.
"Wow!!"
The tourists on the ground cried out, rubbing their eyes, looking in disbelief at Nian flying through the air.
On the other side, another dragon's roar.
A streak of azure appeared in mid-air.
"Sigh... so boring. If I'd known, I wouldn't have come on vacation. Staying home is the most comfortable."
Dusk muttered her typical shut-in complaints, but her hands didn't slow down in the slightest.
With a wave of her hand, a painted scroll landed in her grasp.
The scroll slowly unfurled, like a ribbon, winding around Dusk. Any lava that came within a certain range was absorbed into the scroll. Alive Until Sunset also changed their appearances, using their own methods to shield Siesta from the lava. As for the remaining Seaborn on the coast, they were left entirely to Skadi and Laurentina.
Inner World.
The volcano erupted, and lava completely submerged the 'Inner World' version of Siesta. If this had been reality, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
Lucas completely ignored the lava, walking bare-legged through it. The molten rock, hot enough to melt steel, couldn't harm Surtr's body in the slightest.
"It really is you..."
Lucas looked at the mountain-sized Originium Slug in the distance and said.
"What's the use of occupying a slightly larger Originium Slug?"
At this moment, the Bishop, who had fused with this largest Originium Slug, was too furious to speak.
Why!
Why did even his final measure not work!!
This person could even stop a large-scale volcanic eruption, why!!
He had plotted for decades, only to be defeated by... luck...
He was filled with regret. Originally, he had planned to make his move last year or the year before, but he'd decided to wait until this year... and then... this year, he ran into a group of monsters!!
In truth.
If the Bishop had acted at this time last year, he would have succeeded, 100%.
Perhaps this was just fate.
"About time to end this properly."
Lucas slowly approached the other.
Maybe it was trauma.
Even though its body was countless times larger than Lucas's—the difference between a person and an ant—as Lucas approached, the Bishop, in its giant Originium Slug body, kept retreating.
Lucas raised the sword in his hand high, and Laevatain once again drilled out of the lava.
This time.
Buffed by Nine-Colored Deer's power, Lucas was even stronger than before. So, as Lucas raised his sword, it seemed this 'Inner World' was on the verge of collapsing from the strain.
"Ragnarok...."
A sword-strike slashed down.
The flame transformed into a wall that crossed the entire world, silent, yet piercing through everything. The sound in the entire 'Inner World' seemed to be stolen by this attack; one could almost hear Lucas's breathing and heartbeat.
The wall of fire passed through the giant Originium Slug's body in an instant.
This sword-strike not only cleaved the Originium Slug's body, but also the Bishop's very soul.
*Plink...*
The soul shattered. In the flames of destruction, the Bishop had no chance to resist, completely annihilated by the attack.
And that giant Originium Slug couldn't survive either, its body gradually dissipating.
However, just as it completely vanished, an incomparably pure and shining crimson crystal floated out from its body. Lucas caught it in his hand.
Outside World.
The danger of the flower-scattering lava had long since been resolved. The tens of thousands of Seaborn were finally finished off by the Abyssal Hunter duo. Fortunately, the number of Seaborn this time wasn't that high. If it had been truly endless like on the Iberian coast, that would have been real trouble.
The group gathered in the mayor's office, looking at the spot where the volcano had disappeared, waiting for Lucas and Surtr to return.
Due to the presence of so many 'bigwigs.'
Mayor Herman quickly ordered his bodyguards to pour tea and bring chairs. He had seen everything. Siesta's survival today was all thanks to the help of these god-like people.
"Sigh... what a hassle this turned out to be."
Nian propped her legs up brazenly, sipping the black tea Ceylon had brewed for her, and grumbled.
"Now all the tourists and residents in Siesta must have seen us. Tsk tsk... what a hassle. I'm not afraid of ordinary people knowing, but... what if I get famous and become a star? What if a talent agency wants to sign me and have me debut? Should I accept or not? Though, I'd rather be a director, hmph hmph..."
"..."
Everyone was speechless. Dusk sighed and retrieved a game console from her painted world to pass the time.
As for worrying?
Pfft.
How could they be worried about Lucas and Surtr?
With Nine-Colored Deer's buff, the combined strength of Lucas and Surtr had already surpassed Nian's. If they were afraid of a slightly larger bug with that kind of power, they might as well all just run away.
Suddenly.
In the blink of an eye, the volcano returned to the empty space.
"You were slower than I thought..."
Lucas slowly returned to the mayor's office, reverting to the Doctor's body. Surtr was also exhausted today. Unleashing two full-power attacks in a row, even with Nine-Colored Deer's enhancement, was no small feat.
"Mr. Lucas!!"
Jessica joyfully threw her arms around Lucas. Although she told herself she shouldn't worry, she couldn't help but feel anxious. Amiya joined the hug as well.
"Doctor!!"
Lucas rubbed both of their heads, then walked over and gently stroked Surtr's cheek, his voice incredibly gentle.
"You worked hard today, Surtr..."
Surtr's pretty face immediately turned red. She quickly turned her head away, feigning indifference.
"Hmph... whatever. It's not like I'm tired at all..."
*Pfft...*
Laurentina, seeing Surtr's tsundere expression, couldn't help but laugh. Skadi, envious, walked over and nudged Lucas's arm with her head.
"I was very tired today too...."
"Good girl, good girl!! You worked hard too, 'Thorns'."
Lucas also stroked Skadi's cheek, and only then did she nod in satisfaction.
The others couldn't hold back when they saw this.
"Actually, I'm pretty tired too."
"I haven't used this much strength in hundreds of years!!"