Chapter 262: Chapter 258: Descending to the Valley Bottom
"So this is Death Valley? It doesn’t feel much different from a regular valley." Walking at the bottom of Death Valley, Perfikot looked around. Apart from the exposed rocks that made it appear somewhat desolate, there was no significant difference from other places.
At this moment, Perfikot wore a homemade breathing mask on her face, with her entire face encased in a transparent glass mask, breathing air that had been filtered.
She crafted an air filter using materials like activated carbon, which, when connected to the breathing mask, could effectively filter the air, providing Perfikot with clean air.
The filter has been tested and can be used for about two hours, which is more than enough for the relatively small Death Valley.
After all, Perfikot was only here to have a look and did not plan to stay for a long time.
Of course, for her, extending her stay in Death Valley would be simple; she just needed to replace the filter cartridge with a new one, and she wouldn’t even need to do it herself.
Before coming down, Samantha had prepared double the supply of consumables for her breathing mask and air filter, as well as a spare set, to ensure that Perfikot’s equipment would not malfunction.
Although this made Perfikot feel a bit overly protected, it also showed that Samantha had indeed put considerable effort into ensuring Perfikot’s safety.
"Besides being a bit barren and hazardous, this is just a regular valley, nothing special." Samantha echoed Perfikot’s words. In her eyes, this valley was desolate and dangerous.
However, thanks to the fact that a giant dragon used to live here, the pressure from the apex predator meant no other beasts existed in the valley.
Of course, it might also be that other creatures couldn’t adapt to the valley’s environment filled with hydrogen sulfide gas, unable to survive in such a toxic setting.
After all, natural creatures must follow the basic principles of biological evolution, and most will evolve to fit the overall natural environment rather than develop habits completely opposite to it.
Hence, for most creatures, an environment full of sulfides is deadly.
Yet, nature is wondrous; hydrogen sulfide and other sulfides are toxic to most creatures but not completely uninhabitable by some.
It’s important to remember that at the dawn of life, Earth didn’t have so much oxygen, and back then, oxygen was indeed a poison for life.
So, organisms that can adapt to high-sulfide environments aren’t impossible, and a bit of luck might turn them into large life forms.
In this valley, however, Perfikot and the others had wandered for nearly half an hour without finding traces of other life forms.
On the other hand, the exploration team leader who came down with them appeared extremely excited, surveying and recording diligently since reaching the valley floor, as if he had made a significant discovery.
He couldn’t help but loudly refute when hearing Perfikot and Samantha state that this valley was nothing special: "This valley is anything but ordinary! While you might think there’s nothing here but barrenness, for a geologist, this valley formed by geological collapse is a treasure trove with numerous things worth studying!
If I could understand this valley in my lifetime, I might even earn the title of Fellow of the Royal Academy of Sciences and receive a medal from Her Majesty the Empress!"
In the Victor Empire, if a scholar achieved noteworthy accomplishments academically and passed the review of the Royal Academy of Sciences, they could be invited to become a Fellow of the Academy.
Along with this, there would be an academic grant and a special medal established by the Royal Family, and if lucky, maybe even earn a noble title.
Thus, Perfikot could understand the exploration leader’s excitement.
It was just like when she visited geological parks in her original world; ordinary people might think it was merely a pile of rocks, but what’s so interesting?
But for professional geologists, this was countless papers and academic achievements.
Yet she didn’t pay it too much mind, only reminding the exploration leader: "More than the geological causes and other factors of this valley, it’s the underground resources here that are worth studying.
Flammable gas resources and the black oil in that lake, if you could understand them, your name might even be written into history books."
This wasn’t Perfikot exaggerating; understanding natural gas and petroleum could indeed make one’s name a mandatory part of history textbooks.
Hearing this, the exploration leader nodded in strong agreement: "I suspect that flammable gas might be methane or similar substances, a resource with very high extraction value. If there’s really a sizable gas deposit underground, this valley’s worth will be astonishing."
The exploration leader didn’t understand the black oil in the Oil Lake. Though humanity had a rather early history of using oil, it had mostly been through quite rudimentary and primitive methods, without much in-depth study.
Yet regarding flammable gases, human contact and use are much richer, allowing the exploration leader to fully realize extracting underground flammable gases would be incredibly valuable.
"So, I need you to ascertain this valley’s specific situation, including the underground flammable gas resources and petroleum deposits," Perfikot said to the exploration leader, expressing her request.
The exploration leader naturally agreed wholeheartedly; even if Perfikot hadn’t asked, he would have done so regardless.
After all, it concerned his personal future and prospects.
"Let’s head to the Oil Lake and the dragon’s lair. Aren’t there always tales of hoarded treasures in dragon lairs in all those knight novels? Let’s go see if we can find any treasure!" Perfikot suddenly suggested with childlike curiosity.
Faced with this suggestion, no one else objected, and the group headed toward the dragon’s lair beside the Oil Lake, seemingly intent on digging through the bone-piled nest to see if any treasure lay buried.